diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c2da6374..5284b930 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -269,6 +269,13 @@ headless: image.iso
 	  -nographic -no-reboot \
 	  -fw_cfg name=opt/org.toaruos.bootmode,string=headless
 
+.PHONY: shell
+shell: image.iso
+	@qemu-system-i386 -cdrom $< ${QEMU_ARGS} \
+	  -nographic -no-reboot \
+	  -fw_cfg name=opt/org.toaruos.bootmode,string=headless \
+	  -fw_cfg name=opt/org.toaruos.forceuser,string=local
+
 .PHONY: efi64
 efi64: image.iso
 	qemu-system-x86_64 -cdrom $< ${QEMU_ARGS} \
diff --git a/base/etc/startup.d/98_qemu_login.sh b/base/etc/startup.d/98_qemu_login.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..76119f81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/etc/startup.d/98_qemu_login.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+export-cmd QEMU_USER qemu-fwcfg opt/org.toaruos.forceuser
+
+if empty? "$QEMU_USER" then true else /bin/getty -a "$QEMU_USER"
+if empty? "$QEMU_USER" then true else reboot
+