diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
index 7848c1dd7..31a56a4bf 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
@@ -519,23 +519,28 @@ class AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler(ZMQStreamHandler, IPythonHandler):
         self.on_message = self.save_on_message
 
 
-class IOPubHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
-
+class ZMQChannelHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
+    
+    @property
+    def max_msg_size(self):
+        return self.settings.get('max_msg_size', 65535)
+    
+    def create_stream(self):
+        km = self.kernel_manager
+        meth = getattr(km, 'connect_%s' % self.channel)
+        self.zmq_stream = meth(self.kernel_id)
+    
     def initialize(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        self.iopub_stream = None
-
+        self.zmq_stream = None
+    
     def on_first_message(self, msg):
         try:
-            super(IOPubHandler, self).on_first_message(msg)
+            super(ZMQChannelHandler, self).on_first_message(msg)
         except web.HTTPError:
             self.close()
             return
-        km = self.kernel_manager
-        kernel_id = self.kernel_id
-        km.add_restart_callback(kernel_id, self.on_kernel_restarted)
-        km.add_restart_callback(kernel_id, self.on_restart_failed, 'dead')
         try:
-            self.iopub_stream = km.connect_iopub(kernel_id)
+            self.create_stream()
         except web.HTTPError:
             # WebSockets don't response to traditional error codes so we
             # close the connection.
@@ -543,29 +548,32 @@ class IOPubHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
                 self.stream.close()
             self.close()
         else:
-            self.iopub_stream.on_recv(self._on_zmq_reply)
+            self.zmq_stream.on_recv(self._on_zmq_reply)
 
     def on_message(self, msg):
-        pass
-
-    def _send_status_message(self, status):
-        msg = self.session.msg("status",
-            {'execution_state': status}
-        )
-        self.write_message(jsonapi.dumps(msg, default=date_default))
-
-    def on_kernel_restarted(self):
-        self.log.warn("kernel %s restarted", self.kernel_id)
-        self._send_status_message('restarting')
-
-    def on_restart_failed(self):
-        self.log.error("kernel %s restarted failed!", self.kernel_id)
-        self._send_status_message('dead')
+        if len(msg) < self.max_msg_size:
+            msg = jsonapi.loads(msg)
+            self.session.send(self.zmq_stream, msg)
 
     def on_close(self):
         # This method can be called twice, once by self.kernel_died and once
         # from the WebSocket close event. If the WebSocket connection is
         # closed before the ZMQ streams are setup, they could be None.
+        if self.zmq_stream is not None and not self.zmq_stream.closed():
+            self.zmq_stream.on_recv(None)
+            self.zmq_stream.close()
+
+
+class IOPubHandler(ZMQChannelHandler):
+    channel = 'iopub'
+    
+    def create_stream(self):
+        super(IOPubHandler, self).create_stream()
+        km = self.kernel_manager
+        km.add_restart_callback(self.kernel_id, self.on_kernel_restarted)
+        km.add_restart_callback(self.kernel_id, self.on_restart_failed, 'dead')
+    
+    def on_close(self):
         km = self.kernel_manager
         if self.kernel_id in km:
             km.remove_restart_callback(
@@ -574,48 +582,27 @@ class IOPubHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
             km.remove_restart_callback(
                 self.kernel_id, self.on_restart_failed, 'dead',
             )
-        if self.iopub_stream is not None and not self.iopub_stream.closed():
-            self.iopub_stream.on_recv(None)
-            self.iopub_stream.close()
-
-
-class ShellHandler(AuthenticatedZMQStreamHandler):
+        super(IOPubHandler, self).on_close()
     
-    @property
-    def max_msg_size(self):
-        return self.settings.get('max_msg_size', 65535)
-
-    def initialize(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        self.shell_stream = None
+    def _send_status_message(self, status):
+        msg = self.session.msg("status",
+            {'execution_state': status}
+        )
+        self.write_message(jsonapi.dumps(msg, default=date_default))
 
-    def on_first_message(self, msg):
-        try:
-            super(ShellHandler, self).on_first_message(msg)
-        except web.HTTPError:
-            self.close()
-            return
-        km = self.kernel_manager
-        kernel_id = self.kernel_id
-        try:
-            self.shell_stream = km.connect_shell(kernel_id)
-        except web.HTTPError:
-            # WebSockets don't response to traditional error codes so we
-            # close the connection.
-            if not self.stream.closed():
-                self.stream.close()
-            self.close()
-        else:
-            self.shell_stream.on_recv(self._on_zmq_reply)
+    def on_kernel_restarted(self):
+        logging.warn("kernel %s restarted", self.kernel_id)
+        self._send_status_message('restarting')
 
-    def on_message(self, msg):
-        if len(msg) < self.max_msg_size:
-            msg = jsonapi.loads(msg)
-            self.session.send(self.shell_stream, msg)
+    def on_restart_failed(self):
+        logging.error("kernel %s restarted failed!", self.kernel_id)
+        self._send_status_message('dead')
+    
+class ShellHandler(ZMQChannelHandler):
+    channel = 'shell'
 
-    def on_close(self):
-        # Make sure the stream exists and is not already closed.
-        if self.shell_stream is not None and not self.shell_stream.closed():
-            self.shell_stream.close()
+class StdinHandler(ZMQChannelHandler):
+    channel = 'stdin'
 
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------