diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 13a6c3e5ac..3770281bf8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+/.ftl-project/
 .hermit/
 .vscode/*
 !/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -39,4 +40,4 @@ junit*.xml
 /readme-tests
 /docs/public
 .ftl.lock
-docker-build/
\ No newline at end of file
+docker-build/
diff --git a/frontend/cli/cmd_interactive.go b/frontend/cli/cmd_interactive.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dac5845282
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/cli/cmd_interactive.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/alecthomas/kong"
+	"github.com/chzyer/readline"
+	"github.com/kballard/go-shellquote"
+
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/projectconfig"
+)
+
+type interactiveCmd struct {
+}
+
+func (i *interactiveCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, k *kong.Kong, projectConfig projectconfig.Config) error {
+	l, err := readline.NewEx(&readline.Config{
+		Prompt:          "\033[32m>\033[0m ",
+		InterruptPrompt: "^C",
+		EOFPrompt:       "exit",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("init readline: %w", err)
+	}
+	l.CaptureExitSignal()
+	for {
+		line, err := l.Readline()
+		if errors.Is(err, readline.ErrInterrupt) {
+			if len(line) == 0 {
+				break
+			}
+			continue
+		} else if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+			break
+		}
+		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+		args, err := shellquote.Split(line)
+		if err != nil {
+			errorf("%s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		kctx, err := k.Parse(args)
+		if err != nil {
+			errorf("%s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		subctx := bindContext(ctx, kctx, projectConfig)
+
+		err = kctx.Run(subctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			errorf("%s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func errorf(format string, args ...any) {
+	fmt.Printf("\033[31m%s\033[0m\n", fmt.Sprintf(format, args...))
+}
diff --git a/frontend/cli/main.go b/frontend/cli/main.go
index aef0439b7e..8cee5b23c0 100644
--- a/frontend/cli/main.go
+++ b/frontend/cli/main.go
@@ -30,26 +30,27 @@ type CLI struct {
 	Authenticators map[string]string `help:"Authenticators to use for FTL endpoints." mapsep:"," env:"FTL_AUTHENTICATORS" placeholder:"HOST=EXE,…"`
 	Insecure       bool              `help:"Skip TLS certificate verification. Caution: susceptible to machine-in-the-middle attacks."`
 
-	Ping     pingCmd     `cmd:"" help:"Ping the FTL cluster."`
-	Status   statusCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Show FTL status."`
-	Init     initCmd     `cmd:"" help:"Initialize a new FTL project."`
-	New      newCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Create a new FTL module."`
-	Dev      devCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Develop FTL modules. Will start the FTL cluster, build and deploy all modules found in the specified directories, and watch for changes."`
-	PS       psCmd       `cmd:"" help:"List deployments."`
-	Serve    serveCmd    `cmd:"" help:"Start the FTL server."`
-	Call     callCmd     `cmd:"" help:"Call an FTL function."`
-	Update   updateCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Update a deployment."`
-	Kill     killCmd     `cmd:"" help:"Kill a deployment."`
-	Schema   schemaCmd   `cmd:"" help:"FTL schema commands."`
-	Build    buildCmd    `cmd:"" help:"Build all modules found in the specified directories."`
-	Box      boxCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Build a self-contained Docker container for running a set of module."`
-	BoxRun   boxRunCmd   `cmd:"" hidden:"" help:"Run FTL inside an ftl-in-a-box container"`
-	Deploy   deployCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Build and deploy all modules found in the specified directories."`
-	Migrate  migrateCmd  `cmd:"" help:"Run a database migration, if required, based on the migration table."`
-	Download downloadCmd `cmd:"" help:"Download a deployment."`
-	Secret   secretCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Manage secrets."`
-	Config   configCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Manage configuration."`
-	Pubsub   pubsubCmd   `cmd:"" help:"Manage pub/sub."`
+	Interactive interactiveCmd `cmd:"" help:"Interactive mode." default:""`
+	Ping        pingCmd        `cmd:"" help:"Ping the FTL cluster."`
+	Status      statusCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Show FTL status."`
+	Init        initCmd        `cmd:"" help:"Initialize a new FTL project."`
+	New         newCmd         `cmd:"" help:"Create a new FTL module."`
+	Dev         devCmd         `cmd:"" help:"Develop FTL modules. Will start the FTL cluster, build and deploy all modules found in the specified directories, and watch for changes."`
+	PS          psCmd          `cmd:"" help:"List deployments."`
+	Serve       serveCmd       `cmd:"" help:"Start the FTL server."`
+	Call        callCmd        `cmd:"" help:"Call an FTL function."`
+	Update      updateCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Update a deployment."`
+	Kill        killCmd        `cmd:"" help:"Kill a deployment."`
+	Schema      schemaCmd      `cmd:"" help:"FTL schema commands."`
+	Build       buildCmd       `cmd:"" help:"Build all modules found in the specified directories."`
+	Box         boxCmd         `cmd:"" help:"Build a self-contained Docker container for running a set of module."`
+	BoxRun      boxRunCmd      `cmd:"" hidden:"" help:"Run FTL inside an ftl-in-a-box container"`
+	Deploy      deployCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Build and deploy all modules found in the specified directories."`
+	Migrate     migrateCmd     `cmd:"" help:"Run a database migration, if required, based on the migration table."`
+	Download    downloadCmd    `cmd:"" help:"Download a deployment."`
+	Secret      secretCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Manage secrets."`
+	Config      configCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Manage configuration."`
+	Pubsub      pubsubCmd      `cmd:"" help:"Manage pub/sub."`
 
 	// Specify the 1Password vault to access secrets from.
 	Vault string `name:"opvault" help:"1Password vault to be used for secrets. The name of the 1Password item will be the <ref> and the secret will be stored in the password field." placeholder:"VAULT"`
@@ -103,12 +104,6 @@ func main() {
 
 	os.Setenv("FTL_CONFIG", configPath)
 
-	config, err := projectconfig.Load(ctx, configPath)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		kctx.Fatalf(err.Error())
-	}
-	kctx.Bind(config)
-
 	// Handle signals.
 	sigch := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(sigch, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
@@ -120,6 +115,19 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}()
 
+	config, err := projectconfig.Load(ctx, configPath)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		kctx.FatalIfErrorf(err)
+	}
+	ctx = bindContext(ctx, kctx, config)
+
+	err = kctx.Run(ctx)
+	kctx.FatalIfErrorf(err)
+}
+
+func bindContext(ctx context.Context, kctx *kong.Context, projectConfig projectconfig.Config) context.Context {
+	kctx.Bind(projectConfig)
+
 	controllerServiceClient := rpc.Dial(ftlv1connect.NewControllerServiceClient, cli.Endpoint.String(), log.Error)
 	ctx = rpc.ContextWithClient(ctx, controllerServiceClient)
 	kctx.BindTo(controllerServiceClient, (*ftlv1connect.ControllerServiceClient)(nil))
@@ -130,7 +138,5 @@ func main() {
 
 	kctx.Bind(cli.Endpoint)
 	kctx.BindTo(ctx, (*context.Context)(nil))
-
-	err = kctx.Run(ctx)
-	kctx.FatalIfErrorf(err)
+	return ctx
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 75e497774f..b45b44f09d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/alessio/shellescape v1.4.2 // indirect
 	github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.3.5
 	github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.3.0 // indirect
+	github.com/chzyer/readline v1.5.1
 	github.com/danieljoos/wincred v1.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/dlclark/regexp2 v1.11.4 // indirect
 	github.com/dop251/goja v0.0.0-20240816181238-8130cadc5774 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a89877528f..710c50fcac 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ github.com/bool64/shared v0.1.5 h1:fp3eUhBsrSjNCQPcSdQqZxxh9bBwrYiZ+zOKFkM0/2E=
 github.com/bool64/shared v0.1.5/go.mod h1:081yz68YC9jeFB3+Bbmno2RFWvGKv1lPKkMP6MHJlPs=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.3.0 h1:MyRJ/UdXutAwSAT+s3wNd7MfTIcy71VQueUuFK343L8=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.3.0/go.mod h1:Y3VNntkOUPxTVeUxJ/G5vcM//AlwfmyYozVcomhLiZE=
+github.com/chzyer/logex v1.2.1 h1:XHDu3E6q+gdHgsdTPH6ImJMIp436vR6MPtH8gP05QzM=
+github.com/chzyer/logex v1.2.1/go.mod h1:JLbx6lG2kDbNRFnfkgvh4eRJRPX1QCoOIWomwysCBrQ=
+github.com/chzyer/readline v1.5.1 h1:upd/6fQk4src78LMRzh5vItIt361/o4uq553V8B5sGI=
+github.com/chzyer/readline v1.5.1/go.mod h1:Eh+b79XXUwfKfcPLepksvw2tcLE/Ct21YObkaSkeBlk=
+github.com/chzyer/test v1.0.0 h1:p3BQDXSxOhOG0P9z6/hGnII4LGiEPOYBhs8asl/fC04=
+github.com/chzyer/test v1.0.0/go.mod h1:2JlltgoNkt4TW/z9V/IzDdFaMTM2JPIi26O1pF38GC8=
 github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0 h1:TCJt7ioM2cr/tfR8GPbGf9/VRAX8D2B4PjzCpfX540I=
 github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0/go.mod h1:VRRf09a7mHDIRezVKTRCrOq78v577GXq3bSa3EhrzVo=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.9/go.mod h1:oKZEueFk5CKHvIhNR5MUki03XCEU+Q6VDXinZuGJ33E=
@@ -391,6 +397,7 @@ golang.org/x/sync v0.8.0/go.mod h1:Czt+wKu1gCyEFDUtn0jG5QVvpJ6rzVqr5aXyt9drQfk=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190412213103-97732733099d/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200930185726-fdedc70b468f/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220310020820-b874c991c1a5/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.25.0 h1:r+8e+loiHxRqhXVl6ML1nO3l1+oFoWbnlu2Ehimmi34=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.25.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=