diff --git a/Recipe b/Recipe
index 7c251d30..14e26b3d 100644
--- a/Recipe
+++ b/Recipe
@@ -335,11 +335,11 @@ putty    : [G] GUITERM NONSSH WINSSH W_BE_ALL WINMISC winx11 putty.res LIBS
 puttytel : [G] GUITERM NONSSH W_BE_NOSSH WINMISC puttytel.res nogss LIBS
 plink    : [C] winplink wincons NONSSH WINSSH W_BE_ALL logging WINMISC
          + winx11 plink.res winnojmp sessprep noterm winnohlp winselcli
-         + clicons LIBS
+         + clicons wincliloop LIBS
 pscp     : [C] pscp winsftp wincons WINSSH BE_SSH SFTP wildcard WINMISC
-         + pscp.res winnojmp winnohlp winselcli clicons LIBS
+         + pscp.res winnojmp winnohlp winselcli clicons wincliloop LIBS
 psftp    : [C] psftp winsftp wincons WINSSH BE_SSH SFTP wildcard WINMISC
-         + psftp.res winnojmp winnohlp winselcli clicons LIBS
+         + psftp.res winnojmp winnohlp winselcli clicons wincliloop LIBS
 
 pageant  : [G] winpgnt pageant sshrsa sshpubk sshdes ARITH sshmd5 version
 	 + tree234 MISC sshaes sshsha winsecur winpgntc aqsync sshdss sshsh256
diff --git a/windows/wincliloop.c b/windows/wincliloop.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f1f5cd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/windows/wincliloop.c
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+#include "putty.h"
+
+void cli_main_loop(cliloop_pre_t pre, cliloop_post_t post, void *ctx)
+{
+    SOCKET *sklist = NULL;
+    size_t skcount = 0, sksize = 0;
+    unsigned long now, next, then;
+    now = GETTICKCOUNT();
+
+    while (true) {
+        int nhandles;
+        HANDLE *handles;
+        int n;
+        DWORD ticks;
+
+        const HANDLE *extra_handles = NULL;
+        size_t n_extra_handles = 0;
+        if (!pre(ctx, &extra_handles, &n_extra_handles))
+            break;
+
+        if (toplevel_callback_pending()) {
+            ticks = 0;
+            next = now;
+        } else if (run_timers(now, &next)) {
+            then = now;
+            now = GETTICKCOUNT();
+            if (now - then > next - then)
+                ticks = 0;
+            else
+                ticks = next - now;
+        } else {
+            ticks = INFINITE;
+            /* no need to initialise next here because we can never
+             * get WAIT_TIMEOUT */
+        }
+
+        handles = handle_get_events(&nhandles);
+        size_t winselcli_index = nhandles;
+        size_t extra_base = winselcli_index + 1;
+        size_t total_handles = extra_base + n_extra_handles;
+        handles = sresize(handles, total_handles, HANDLE);
+        handles[winselcli_index] = winselcli_event;
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < n_extra_handles; i++)
+            handles[extra_base + i] = extra_handles[i];
+
+        n = WaitForMultipleObjects(total_handles, handles, false, ticks);
+
+        size_t extra_handle_index = n_extra_handles;
+
+        if ((unsigned)(n - WAIT_OBJECT_0) < (unsigned)nhandles) {
+            handle_got_event(handles[n - WAIT_OBJECT_0]);
+        } else if (n == WAIT_OBJECT_0 + nhandles) {
+            WSANETWORKEVENTS things;
+            SOCKET socket;
+            int i, socketstate;
+
+            /*
+             * We must not call select_result() for any socket
+             * until we have finished enumerating within the tree.
+             * This is because select_result() may close the socket
+             * and modify the tree.
+             */
+            /* Count the active sockets. */
+            i = 0;
+            for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
+                 socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
+                 socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) i++;
+
+            /* Expand the buffer if necessary. */
+            sgrowarray(sklist, sksize, i);
+
+            /* Retrieve the sockets into sklist. */
+            skcount = 0;
+            for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
+                 socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
+                 socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) {
+                sklist[skcount++] = socket;
+            }
+
+            /* Now we're done enumerating; go through the list. */
+            for (i = 0; i < skcount; i++) {
+                WPARAM wp;
+                socket = sklist[i];
+                wp = (WPARAM) socket;
+                if (!p_WSAEnumNetworkEvents(socket, NULL, &things)) {
+                    static const struct { int bit, mask; } eventtypes[] = {
+                        {FD_CONNECT_BIT, FD_CONNECT},
+                        {FD_READ_BIT, FD_READ},
+                        {FD_CLOSE_BIT, FD_CLOSE},
+                        {FD_OOB_BIT, FD_OOB},
+                        {FD_WRITE_BIT, FD_WRITE},
+                        {FD_ACCEPT_BIT, FD_ACCEPT},
+                    };
+                    int e;
+
+                    noise_ultralight(NOISE_SOURCE_IOID, socket);
+
+                    for (e = 0; e < lenof(eventtypes); e++)
+                        if (things.lNetworkEvents & eventtypes[e].mask) {
+                            LPARAM lp;
+                            int err = things.iErrorCode[eventtypes[e].bit];
+                            lp = WSAMAKESELECTREPLY(eventtypes[e].mask, err);
+                            select_result(wp, lp);
+                        }
+                }
+            }
+        } else if (n >= WAIT_OBJECT_0 + extra_base &&
+                   n < WAIT_OBJECT_0 + extra_base + n_extra_handles) {
+            extra_handle_index = n - (WAIT_OBJECT_0 + extra_base);
+        }
+
+        run_toplevel_callbacks();
+
+        if (n == WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
+            now = next;
+        } else {
+            now = GETTICKCOUNT();
+        }
+
+        sfree(handles);
+
+        if (!post(ctx, extra_handle_index))
+            break;
+    }
+}
+
+bool cliloop_null_pre(void *vctx, const HANDLE **eh, size_t *neh)
+{ return true; }
+bool cliloop_null_post(void *vctx, size_t ehi) { return true; }
diff --git a/windows/winplink.c b/windows/winplink.c
index 47f27c58..22f57cf0 100644
--- a/windows/winplink.c
+++ b/windows/winplink.c
@@ -231,23 +231,43 @@ const unsigned cmdline_tooltype =
     TOOLTYPE_HOST_ARG_PROTOCOL_PREFIX |
     TOOLTYPE_HOST_ARG_FROM_LAUNCHABLE_LOAD;
 
+static bool sending;
+
+static bool plink_mainloop_pre(void *vctx, const HANDLE **extra_handles,
+                               size_t *n_extra_handles)
+{
+    if (!sending && backend_sendok(backend)) {
+        stdin_handle = handle_input_new(inhandle, stdin_gotdata, NULL,
+                                        0);
+        sending = true;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+static bool plink_mainloop_post(void *vctx, size_t extra_handle_index)
+{
+    if (sending)
+        handle_unthrottle(stdin_handle, backend_sendbuffer(backend));
+
+    if (!backend_connected(backend) &&
+        handle_backlog(stdout_handle) + handle_backlog(stderr_handle) == 0)
+        return false; /* we closed the connection */
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    bool sending;
-    SOCKET *sklist;
-    size_t skcount, sksize;
     int exitcode;
     bool errors;
     bool use_subsystem = false;
     bool just_test_share_exists = false;
     enum TriState sanitise_stdout = AUTO, sanitise_stderr = AUTO;
-    unsigned long now, next, then;
     const struct BackendVtable *vt;
 
     dll_hijacking_protection();
 
-    sklist = NULL;
-    skcount = sksize = 0;
     /*
      * Initialise port and protocol to sensible defaults. (These
      * will be overridden by more or less anything.)
@@ -487,116 +507,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     sending = false;
 
-    now = GETTICKCOUNT();
+    cli_main_loop(plink_mainloop_pre, plink_mainloop_post, NULL);
 
-    while (1) {
-        int nhandles;
-        HANDLE *handles;
-        int n;
-        DWORD ticks;
-
-        if (!sending && backend_sendok(backend)) {
-            stdin_handle = handle_input_new(inhandle, stdin_gotdata, NULL,
-                                            0);
-            sending = true;
-        }
-
-        if (toplevel_callback_pending()) {
-            ticks = 0;
-            next = now;
-        } else if (run_timers(now, &next)) {
-            then = now;
-            now = GETTICKCOUNT();
-            if (now - then > next - then)
-                ticks = 0;
-            else
-                ticks = next - now;
-        } else {
-            ticks = INFINITE;
-            /* no need to initialise next here because we can never
-             * get WAIT_TIMEOUT */
-        }
-
-        handles = handle_get_events(&nhandles);
-        handles = sresize(handles, nhandles+1, HANDLE);
-        handles[nhandles] = winselcli_event;
-        n = WaitForMultipleObjects(nhandles+1, handles, false, ticks);
-        if ((unsigned)(n - WAIT_OBJECT_0) < (unsigned)nhandles) {
-            handle_got_event(handles[n - WAIT_OBJECT_0]);
-        } else if (n == WAIT_OBJECT_0 + nhandles) {
-            WSANETWORKEVENTS things;
-            SOCKET socket;
-            int i, socketstate;
-
-            /*
-             * We must not call select_result() for any socket
-             * until we have finished enumerating within the tree.
-             * This is because select_result() may close the socket
-             * and modify the tree.
-             */
-            /* Count the active sockets. */
-            i = 0;
-            for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
-                 socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
-                 socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) i++;
-
-            /* Expand the buffer if necessary. */
-            sgrowarray(sklist, sksize, i);
-
-            /* Retrieve the sockets into sklist. */
-            skcount = 0;
-            for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
-                 socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
-                 socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) {
-                sklist[skcount++] = socket;
-            }
-
-            /* Now we're done enumerating; go through the list. */
-            for (i = 0; i < skcount; i++) {
-                WPARAM wp;
-                socket = sklist[i];
-                wp = (WPARAM) socket;
-                if (!p_WSAEnumNetworkEvents(socket, NULL, &things)) {
-                    static const struct { int bit, mask; } eventtypes[] = {
-                        {FD_CONNECT_BIT, FD_CONNECT},
-                        {FD_READ_BIT, FD_READ},
-                        {FD_CLOSE_BIT, FD_CLOSE},
-                        {FD_OOB_BIT, FD_OOB},
-                        {FD_WRITE_BIT, FD_WRITE},
-                        {FD_ACCEPT_BIT, FD_ACCEPT},
-                    };
-                    int e;
-
-                    noise_ultralight(NOISE_SOURCE_IOID, socket);
-
-                    for (e = 0; e < lenof(eventtypes); e++)
-                        if (things.lNetworkEvents & eventtypes[e].mask) {
-                            LPARAM lp;
-                            int err = things.iErrorCode[eventtypes[e].bit];
-                            lp = WSAMAKESELECTREPLY(eventtypes[e].mask, err);
-                            select_result(wp, lp);
-                        }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        run_toplevel_callbacks();
-
-        if (n == WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
-            now = next;
-        } else {
-            now = GETTICKCOUNT();
-        }
-
-        sfree(handles);
-
-        if (sending)
-            handle_unthrottle(stdin_handle, backend_sendbuffer(backend));
-
-        if (!backend_connected(backend) &&
-            handle_backlog(stdout_handle) + handle_backlog(stderr_handle) == 0)
-            break;                     /* we closed the connection */
-    }
     exitcode = backend_exitcode(backend);
     if (exitcode < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Remote process exit code unavailable\n");
diff --git a/windows/winsftp.c b/windows/winsftp.c
index af4980bd..0c695d2e 100644
--- a/windows/winsftp.c
+++ b/windows/winsftp.c
@@ -461,123 +461,39 @@ char *dir_file_cat(const char *dir, const char *file)
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Platform-specific network handling.
  */
+struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx {
+    HANDLE other_event;
+    int toret;
+};
+static bool winsftp_cliloop_pre(void *vctx, const HANDLE **extra_handles,
+                                size_t *n_extra_handles)
+{
+    struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx *ctx = (struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx *)vctx;
 
+    if (ctx->other_event != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+        *extra_handles = &ctx->other_event;
+        *n_extra_handles = 1;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+static bool winsftp_cliloop_post(void *vctx, size_t extra_handle_index)
+{
+    struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx *ctx = (struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx *)vctx;
+
+    if (ctx->other_event != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE &&
+        extra_handle_index == 0)
+        ctx->toret = 1;       /* other_event was set */
+
+    return false; /* always run only one loop iteration */
+}
 int do_eventsel_loop(HANDLE other_event)
 {
-    int n, nhandles, nallhandles, netindex, otherindex;
-    unsigned long next, then;
-    long ticks;
-    HANDLE *handles;
-    SOCKET *sklist;
-    int skcount;
-    unsigned long now = GETTICKCOUNT();
-
-    if (toplevel_callback_pending()) {
-        ticks = 0;
-        next = now;
-    } else if (run_timers(now, &next)) {
-        then = now;
-        now = GETTICKCOUNT();
-        if (now - then > next - then)
-            ticks = 0;
-        else
-            ticks = next - now;
-    } else {
-        ticks = INFINITE;
-        /* no need to initialise next here because we can never get
-         * WAIT_TIMEOUT */
-    }
-
-    handles = handle_get_events(&nhandles);
-    handles = sresize(handles, nhandles+2, HANDLE);
-    nallhandles = nhandles;
-
-    if (winselcli_event != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-        handles[netindex = nallhandles++] = winselcli_event;
-    else
-        netindex = -1;
-    if (other_event != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-        handles[otherindex = nallhandles++] = other_event;
-    else
-        otherindex = -1;
-
-    n = WaitForMultipleObjects(nallhandles, handles, false, ticks);
-
-    if ((unsigned)(n - WAIT_OBJECT_0) < (unsigned)nhandles) {
-        handle_got_event(handles[n - WAIT_OBJECT_0]);
-    } else if (netindex >= 0 && n == WAIT_OBJECT_0 + netindex) {
-        WSANETWORKEVENTS things;
-        SOCKET socket;
-        int i, socketstate;
-
-        /*
-         * We must not call select_result() for any socket
-         * until we have finished enumerating within the
-         * tree. This is because select_result() may close
-         * the socket and modify the tree.
-         */
-        /* Count the active sockets. */
-        i = 0;
-        for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
-             socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
-             socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) i++;
-
-        /* Expand the buffer if necessary. */
-        sklist = snewn(i, SOCKET);
-
-        /* Retrieve the sockets into sklist. */
-        skcount = 0;
-        for (socket = first_socket(&socketstate);
-             socket != INVALID_SOCKET;
-             socket = next_socket(&socketstate)) {
-            sklist[skcount++] = socket;
-        }
-
-        /* Now we're done enumerating; go through the list. */
-        for (i = 0; i < skcount; i++) {
-            WPARAM wp;
-            socket = sklist[i];
-            wp = (WPARAM) socket;
-            if (!p_WSAEnumNetworkEvents(socket, NULL, &things)) {
-                static const struct { int bit, mask; } eventtypes[] = {
-                    {FD_CONNECT_BIT, FD_CONNECT},
-                    {FD_READ_BIT, FD_READ},
-                    {FD_CLOSE_BIT, FD_CLOSE},
-                    {FD_OOB_BIT, FD_OOB},
-                    {FD_WRITE_BIT, FD_WRITE},
-                    {FD_ACCEPT_BIT, FD_ACCEPT},
-                };
-                int e;
-
-                noise_ultralight(NOISE_SOURCE_IOID, socket);
-
-                for (e = 0; e < lenof(eventtypes); e++)
-                    if (things.lNetworkEvents & eventtypes[e].mask) {
-                        LPARAM lp;
-                        int err = things.iErrorCode[eventtypes[e].bit];
-                        lp = WSAMAKESELECTREPLY(eventtypes[e].mask, err);
-                        select_result(wp, lp);
-                    }
-            }
-        }
-
-        sfree(sklist);
-    }
-
-    sfree(handles);
-
-    run_toplevel_callbacks();
-
-    if (n == WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
-        now = next;
-    } else {
-        now = GETTICKCOUNT();
-    }
-
-    if (otherindex >= 0 && n == WAIT_OBJECT_0 + otherindex)
-        return 1;
-
-    return 0;
+    struct winsftp_cliloop_ctx ctx[1];
+    ctx->other_event = other_event;
+    ctx->toret = 0;
+    cli_main_loop(winsftp_cliloop_pre, winsftp_cliloop_post, ctx);
+    return ctx->toret;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/windows/winstuff.h b/windows/winstuff.h
index 4d31920e..f837a4b0 100644
--- a/windows/winstuff.h
+++ b/windows/winstuff.h
@@ -686,4 +686,12 @@ char *get_jumplist_registry_entries(void);
 /* In winmisc.c */
 char *registry_get_string(HKEY root, const char *path, const char *leaf);
 
+/* In wincliloop.c */
+typedef bool (*cliloop_pre_t)(void *vctx, const HANDLE **extra_handles,
+                              size_t *n_extra_handles);
+typedef bool (*cliloop_post_t)(void *vctx, size_t extra_handle_index);
+void cli_main_loop(cliloop_pre_t pre, cliloop_post_t post, void *ctx);
+bool cliloop_null_pre(void *vctx, const HANDLE **, size_t *);
+bool cliloop_null_post(void *vctx, size_t);
+
 #endif