diff --git a/app/src/command.c b/app/src/command.c
index 2bbea4ba..2f5df823 100644
--- a/app/src/command.c
+++ b/app/src/command.c
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ static inline const char *get_adb_command() {
     return adb_command;
 }
 
-process_t adb_execute(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len) {
-    const char *cmd[len + 4];
+static void fill_cmd(const char *cmd[], const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len) {
     int i;
     cmd[0] = get_adb_command();
     if (serial) {
@@ -32,9 +31,21 @@ process_t adb_execute(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len)
 
     memcpy(&cmd[i], adb_cmd, len * sizeof(const char *));
     cmd[len + i] = NULL;
+}
+
+process_t adb_execute(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len) {
+    const char *cmd[len + 4];
+    fill_cmd(cmd, serial, adb_cmd, len);
     return cmd_execute(cmd[0], cmd);
 }
 
+process_t adb_execute_redirect(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len,
+                               pipe_t *pipe_stdin, pipe_t *pipe_stdout, pipe_t *pipe_stderr) {
+    const char *cmd[len + 4];
+    fill_cmd(cmd, serial, adb_cmd, len);
+    return cmd_execute_redirect(cmd[0], cmd, pipe_stdin, pipe_stdout, pipe_stderr);
+}
+
 process_t adb_forward(const char *serial, uint16_t local_port, const char *device_socket_name) {
     char local[4 + 5 + 1]; // tcp:PORT
     char remote[108 + 14 + 1]; // localabstract:NAME
@@ -77,6 +88,40 @@ process_t adb_remove_path(const char *serial, const char *path) {
     return adb_execute(serial, adb_cmd, ARRAY_LEN(adb_cmd));
 }
 
+static int adb_execute_get_output(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int adb_cmd_len,
+                           char *data, size_t data_len, const char *name) {
+    pipe_t pipe_stdout;
+    process_t proc = adb_execute_redirect(serial, adb_cmd, adb_cmd_len, NULL, &pipe_stdout, NULL);
+    if (!process_check_success(proc, name)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int r = read_pipe(pipe_stdout, data, data_len);
+    close_pipe(pipe_stdout);
+    return r;
+}
+
+static int truncate_first_line(char *data, int len) {
+    data[len - 1] = '\0';
+    char *eol = strpbrk(data, "\r\n");
+    if (eol) {
+        *eol = '\0';
+        len = eol - data;
+    }
+    return len;
+}
+
+int adb_read_serialno(const char *serial, char *data, size_t len) {
+    const char *const adb_cmd[] = {"get-serialno"};
+    int r = adb_execute_get_output(serial, adb_cmd, ARRAY_LEN(adb_cmd), data, len, "get-serialno");
+    return r <= 0 ? r : truncate_first_line(data, r);
+}
+
+int adb_read_model(const char *serial, char *data, size_t len) {
+    const char *const adb_cmd[] = {"shell", "getprop", "ro.product.model"};
+    int r = adb_execute_get_output(serial, adb_cmd, ARRAY_LEN(adb_cmd), data, len, "getprop model");
+    return r <= 0 ? r : truncate_first_line(data, r);
+}
+
 SDL_bool process_check_success(process_t proc, const char *name) {
     if (proc == PROCESS_NONE) {
         LOGE("Could not execute \"%s\"", name);
diff --git a/app/src/command.h b/app/src/command.h
index 24ddd21d..a824206d 100644
--- a/app/src/command.h
+++ b/app/src/command.h
@@ -24,19 +24,26 @@
 # define PROCESS_NONE NULL
   typedef HANDLE process_t;
   typedef DWORD exit_code_t;
+  typedef HANDLE pipe_t;
 #else
 # include <sys/types.h>
 # define PROCESS_NONE -1
   typedef pid_t process_t;
   typedef int exit_code_t;
+  typedef int pipe_t;
 #endif
 # define NO_EXIT_CODE -1
 
 process_t cmd_execute(const char *path, const char *const argv[]);
+process_t cmd_execute_redirect(const char *path, const char *const argv[],
+                               pipe_t *pipe_stdin, pipe_t *pipe_stdout, pipe_t *pipe_stderr);
 SDL_bool cmd_terminate(process_t pid);
 SDL_bool cmd_simple_wait(process_t pid, exit_code_t *exit_code);
 
 process_t adb_execute(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len);
+process_t adb_execute_redirect(const char *serial, const char *const adb_cmd[], int len,
+                               pipe_t *pipe_stdin, pipe_t *pipe_stdout, pipe_t *pipe_stderr);
+
 process_t adb_forward(const char *serial, uint16_t local_port, const char *device_socket_name);
 process_t adb_forward_remove(const char *serial, uint16_t local_port);
 process_t adb_reverse(const char *serial, const char *device_socket_name, uint16_t local_port);
@@ -44,8 +51,15 @@ process_t adb_reverse_remove(const char *serial, const char *device_socket_name)
 process_t adb_push(const char *serial, const char *local, const char *remote);
 process_t adb_remove_path(const char *serial, const char *path);
 
+// return number of bytes read (-1 on error)
+int adb_read_serialno(const char *serial, char *data, size_t len);
+int adb_read_model(const char *serial, char *data, size_t len);
+
 // convenience function to wait for a successful process execution
 // automatically log process errors with the provided process name
 SDL_bool process_check_success(process_t process, const char *name);
 
+int read_pipe(pipe_t pipe, char *data, size_t len);
+void close_pipe(pipe_t pipe);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/app/src/sys/unix/command.c b/app/src/sys/unix/command.c
index 89295e57..f1b40c5e 100644
--- a/app/src/sys/unix/command.c
+++ b/app/src/sys/unix/command.c
@@ -19,6 +19,93 @@ pid_t cmd_execute(const char *path, const char *const argv[]) {
     return pid;
 }
 
+pid_t cmd_execute_redirect(const char *path, const char *const argv[],
+                           int *pipe_stdin, int *pipe_stdout, int *pipe_stderr) {
+    int in[2];
+    int out[2];
+    int err[2];
+    if (pipe_stdin) {
+        if (pipe(in) == -1) {
+            perror("pipe");
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+    if (pipe_stdout) {
+        if (pipe(out) == -1) {
+            perror("pipe");
+            // clean up
+            if (pipe_stdin) {
+                close(in[0]);
+                close(in[1]);
+            }
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+    if (pipe_stderr) {
+        if (pipe(err) == -1) {
+            perror("pipe");
+            // clean up
+            if (pipe_stdout) {
+                close(out[0]);
+                close(out[1]);
+            }
+            if (pipe_stdin) {
+                close(in[0]);
+                close(in[1]);
+            }
+            return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    pid_t pid = fork();
+    if (pid == -1) {
+        perror("fork");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (pid == 0) {
+        if (pipe_stdin) {
+            if (in[0] != STDIN_FILENO) {
+                dup2(in[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+                close(in[0]);
+            }
+            close(in[1]);
+        }
+        if (pipe_stdout) {
+            if (out[1] != STDOUT_FILENO) {
+                dup2(out[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
+                close(out[1]);
+            }
+            close(out[0]);
+        }
+        if (pipe_stderr) {
+            if (err[1] != STDERR_FILENO) {
+                dup2(err[1], STDERR_FILENO);
+                close(err[1]);
+            }
+            close(err[0]);
+        }
+        execvp(path, (char *const *)argv);
+        perror("exec");
+        _exit(1);
+    }
+
+    if (pipe_stdin) {
+        close(in[0]);
+        *pipe_stdin = in[1];
+    }
+    if (pipe_stdout) {
+        *pipe_stdout = out[0];
+        close(out[1]);
+    }
+    if (pipe_stderr) {
+        *pipe_stderr = err[0];
+        close(err[1]);
+    }
+
+    return pid;
+}
+
 SDL_bool cmd_terminate(pid_t pid) {
     return kill(pid, SIGTERM) != -1;
 }
@@ -37,3 +124,13 @@ SDL_bool cmd_simple_wait(pid_t pid, int *exit_code) {
     }
     return !code;
 }
+
+int read_pipe(int pipe, char *data, size_t len) {
+    return read(pipe, data, len);
+}
+
+void close_pipe(int pipe) {
+    if (close(pipe)) {
+        perror("close pipe");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/sys/win/command.c b/app/src/sys/win/command.c
index 719d985d..58bb0aa9 100644
--- a/app/src/sys/win/command.c
+++ b/app/src/sys/win/command.c
@@ -3,20 +3,27 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "strutil.h"
 
+static int build_cmd(char *cmd, size_t len, const char *const argv[]) {
+    // Windows command-line parsing is WTF:
+    // <http://daviddeley.com/autohotkey/parameters/parameters.htm#WINPASS>
+    // only make it work for this very specific program
+    // (don't handle escaping nor quotes)
+    size_t ret = xstrjoin(cmd, argv, ' ', len);
+    if (ret >= len) {
+        LOGE("Command too long (%" PRIsizet " chars)", len - 1);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 HANDLE cmd_execute(const char *path, const char *const argv[]) {
     STARTUPINFO si;
     PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
     memset(&si, 0, sizeof(si));
     si.cb = sizeof(si);
 
-    // Windows command-line parsing is WTF:
-    // <http://daviddeley.com/autohotkey/parameters/parameters.htm#WINPASS>
-    // only make it work for this very specific program
-    // (don't handle escaping nor quotes)
     char cmd[256];
-    size_t ret = xstrjoin(cmd, argv, ' ', sizeof(cmd));
-    if (ret >= sizeof(cmd)) {
-        LOGE("Command too long (%" PRIsizet " chars)", sizeof(cmd) - 1);
+    if (build_cmd(cmd, sizeof(cmd), argv)) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -27,6 +34,75 @@ HANDLE cmd_execute(const char *path, const char *const argv[]) {
     return pi.hProcess;
 }
 
+HANDLE cmd_execute_redirect(const char *path, const char *const argv[],
+                            HANDLE *pipe_stdin, HANDLE *pipe_stdout, HANDLE *pipe_stderr) {
+    SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES sa;
+    sa.nLength = sizeof(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES);
+    sa.lpSecurityDescriptor = NULL;
+    sa.bInheritHandle = TRUE;
+
+    HANDLE stdin_read_handle;
+    HANDLE stdout_write_handle;
+    HANDLE stderr_write_handle;
+    if (pipe_stdin) {
+        if (!CreatePipe(&stdin_read_handle, pipe_stdin, &sa, 0)) {
+             perror("pipe");
+             return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+    if (pipe_stdout) {
+        if (!CreatePipe(pipe_stdout, &stdout_write_handle, &sa, 0)) {
+             perror("pipe");
+             // clean up
+             if (pipe_stdin) {
+                CloseHandle(&stdin_read_handle);
+                CloseHandle(pipe_stdin);
+             }
+             return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+    if (pipe_stderr) {
+        if (!CreatePipe(pipe_stderr, &stderr_write_handle, &sa, 0)) {
+            perror("pipe");
+            // clean up
+             if (pipe_stdin) {
+                CloseHandle(&stdin_read_handle);
+                CloseHandle(pipe_stdin);
+             }
+            if (pipe_stdout) {
+                CloseHandle(pipe_stdout);
+                CloseHandle(&stdout_write_handle);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    STARTUPINFO si;
+    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
+    memset(&si, 0, sizeof(si));
+    si.cb = sizeof(si);
+    si.dwFlags = STARTF_USESTDHANDLES;
+    if (pipe_stdin) {
+        si.hStdInput = stdin_read_handle;
+    }
+    if (pipe_stdout) {
+        si.hStdOutput = stdout_write_handle;
+    }
+    if (pipe_stderr) {
+        si.hStdError = stderr_write_handle;
+    }
+
+    char cmd[256];
+    if (build_cmd(cmd, sizeof(cmd), argv)) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (!CreateProcess(NULL, cmd, NULL, NULL, TRUE, CREATE_NO_WINDOW, NULL, NULL, &si, &pi)) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return pi.hProcess;
+}
+
 SDL_bool cmd_terminate(HANDLE handle) {
     return TerminateProcess(handle, 1) && CloseHandle(handle);
 }
@@ -42,3 +118,17 @@ SDL_bool cmd_simple_wait(HANDLE handle, DWORD *exit_code) {
     }
     return !code;
 }
+
+int read_pipe(HANDLE pipe, char *data, size_t len) {
+    DWORD r;
+    if (!ReadFile(pipe, data, len, &r, NULL)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
+void close_pipe(HANDLE pipe) {
+    if (!CloseHandle(pipe)) {
+        LOGW("Cannot close pipe");
+    }
+}