diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 687ec17..25431a9 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,27 @@ trio-monitor
 
 Welcome to `trio-monitor <https://github.com/python-trio/trio-monitor.git>`__!
 
-A monitor utility for Trio
+A monitor utility for Trio.
 
 License: Your choice of MIT or Apache License 2.0
+
+
+Basic usage
+===========
+
+Monitor has a context manager interface:
+
+.. code:: python
+
+    import trio_monitor
+
+    async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
+        nursery.start_soon(trio_monitor.serve)
+
+Now from a separate terminal it is possible to connect to the application::
+
+    $ nc localhost 14761
+
+or using the included python client::
+
+    $ python -m trio_monitor
diff --git a/trio_monitor/__init__.py b/trio_monitor/__init__.py
index 9a09720..69bd632 100644
--- a/trio_monitor/__init__.py
+++ b/trio_monitor/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 """Top-level package for trio-monitor."""
 
 from ._version import __version__
+
+
+from .monitor import Monitor, serve
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/trio_monitor/__main__.py b/trio_monitor/__main__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71dda48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/trio_monitor/__main__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from .monitor import main
+
+main()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/trio_monitor/monitor.py b/trio_monitor/monitor.py
index d2a1a5d..32e9351 100644
--- a/trio_monitor/monitor.py
+++ b/trio_monitor/monitor.py
@@ -9,17 +9,20 @@
 
 from async_generator._impl import ANextIter
 
-from trio import Queue, WouldBlock, BrokenStreamError
+from trio import Queue, WouldBlock, BrokenStreamError, serve_tcp
 from trio._highlevel_serve_listeners import _run_handler
 from ._version import __version__
 from trio.abc import Instrument
-from trio.hazmat import current_task, Task
+from trio.hazmat import current_task, Task, add_instrument, remove_instrument
 
 
 # inspiration: https://github.com/python-trio/trio/blob/master/notes-to-self/print-task-tree.py
 # additional credit: python-trio/trio#429 (You are being ratelimited)
 
 
+DEFAULT_PORT = 14761
+
+
 def walk_coro_stack(coro):
     while coro is not None:
         if hasattr(coro, "cr_frame"):
@@ -136,6 +139,13 @@ async def listen_on_stream(self, stream):
         """
         return await self.main_loop(stream)
 
+    async def serve(self, port=None):
+        """Serve the monitor over a TCP socket.
+        """
+        await serve_tcp(
+            self.listen_on_stream, 
+            DEFAULT_PORT if port is None else port)
+
     async def main_loop(self, stream):
         """Runs the main loop of the monitor.
         """
@@ -354,6 +364,18 @@ def magic(self, *args):
 del _patch_monitor
 
 
+async def serve(port=None):
+    """Will create a monitor, register it as an instrument with trio, and serve
+    the monitor on `port`.
+    """
+    monitor = Monitor()
+    remove_instrument(monitor)
+    try:
+        await monitor.serve(port=port)
+    finally:
+        remove_instrument(monitor)
+
+
 def main():
     import argparse
     import telnetlib
@@ -366,7 +388,7 @@ def main():
         help="The address to connect to"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "-p", "--port", default=14761, help="The port to connect to"
+        "-p", "--port", default=DEFAULT_PORT, help="The port to connect to"
     )
 
     args = parser.parse_args()