diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 30e0614..ef11200 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ pub enum GroupId {
     Hk = 1,
     Mode = 2,
     Action = 3,
+    Controller = 4,
 }
 
 pub const TEST_EVENT: EventU32TypedSev<SeverityInfo> =
@@ -212,6 +213,27 @@ pub mod mode_err {
     pub const WRONG_MODE: ResultU16 = ResultU16::new(GroupId::Mode as u8, 0);
 }
 
+pub mod ctrl_err {
+    use super::*;
+    use satrs::res_code::ResultU16;
+
+    #[resultcode]
+    pub const INVALID_CMD_FORMAT: ResultU16 = ResultU16::new(GroupId::Controller as u8, 0);
+    #[resultcode]
+    pub const SHELL_CMD_IO_ERROR: ResultU16 = ResultU16::new(GroupId::Controller as u8, 1);
+    #[resultcode]
+    pub const SHELL_CMD_EXECUTION_FAILURE: ResultU16 = ResultU16::new(GroupId::Controller as u8, 2);
+    #[resultcode]
+    pub const SHELL_CMD_INVALID_FORMAT: ResultU16 = ResultU16::new(GroupId::Controller as u8, 3);
+
+    pub const CTRL_ERR_RESULTS: &[ResultU16Info] = &[
+        INVALID_CMD_FORMAT_EXT,
+        SHELL_CMD_IO_ERROR_EXT,
+        SHELL_CMD_EXECUTION_FAILURE_EXT,
+        SHELL_CMD_INVALID_FORMAT_EXT,
+    ];
+}
+
 pub mod pool {
     use satrs::pool::{StaticMemoryPool, StaticPoolConfig};
 
diff --git a/src/controller.rs b/src/controller.rs
index 69c27c8..a738c5b 100644
--- a/src/controller.rs
+++ b/src/controller.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
 use num_enum::TryFromPrimitive;
 use satrs::{
-    action::ActionRequest,
+    action::{ActionRequest, ActionRequestVariant},
+    params::Params,
     pus::action::{ActionReplyPus, ActionReplyVariant},
     request::{GenericMessage, MessageMetadata},
+    res_code::ResultU16,
 };
 use std::{
     env::temp_dir,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    process::Command,
     sync::{atomic::AtomicBool, mpsc, Arc},
 };
 
-use ops_sat_rs::config::{action_err::INVALID_ACTION_ID, HOME_PATH, STOP_FILE_NAME};
+use ops_sat_rs::config::{
+    action_err::INVALID_ACTION_ID,
+    ctrl_err::{SHELL_CMD_EXECUTION_FAILURE, SHELL_CMD_INVALID_FORMAT, SHELL_CMD_IO_ERROR},
+    HOME_PATH, STOP_FILE_NAME,
+};
 
 use crate::requests::CompositeRequest;
 
@@ -18,6 +25,7 @@ use crate::requests::CompositeRequest;
 #[repr(u32)]
 pub enum ActionId {
     StopExperiment = 1,
+    ExecuteShellCommandBlocking = 2,
 }
 
 pub struct ExperimentController {
@@ -69,34 +77,104 @@ impl ExperimentController {
         self.check_stop_file();
     }
 
+    pub fn send_completion_success(&self, requestor: &MessageMetadata, action_req: &ActionRequest) {
+        let result = self.action_reply_tx.send(GenericMessage::new_action_reply(
+            *requestor,
+            action_req.action_id,
+            ActionReplyVariant::Completed,
+        ));
+        if result.is_err() {
+            log::error!("sending action reply failed");
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn send_completion_failure(
+        &self,
+        requestor: &MessageMetadata,
+        action_req: &ActionRequest,
+        error_code: ResultU16,
+        params: Option<Params>,
+    ) {
+        let result = self.action_reply_tx.send(GenericMessage::new_action_reply(
+            *requestor,
+            action_req.action_id,
+            ActionReplyVariant::CompletionFailed { error_code, params },
+        ));
+        if result.is_err() {
+            log::error!("sending action reply failed");
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn handle_action_request(&mut self, requestor: MessageMetadata, action_req: ActionRequest) {
-        let action_id = ActionId::try_from(action_req.action_id);
-        if action_id.is_err() {
+        let send_completion_failure = |error_code: ResultU16, params: Option<Params>| {
             let result = self.action_reply_tx.send(GenericMessage::new_action_reply(
                 requestor,
                 action_req.action_id,
-                ActionReplyVariant::CompletionFailed {
-                    error_code: INVALID_ACTION_ID,
-                    params: None,
-                },
+                ActionReplyVariant::CompletionFailed { error_code, params },
             ));
             if result.is_err() {
                 log::error!("sending action reply failed");
             }
+        };
+        let action_id = ActionId::try_from(action_req.action_id);
+        if action_id.is_err() {
+            send_completion_failure(INVALID_ACTION_ID, None);
             return;
         }
-        let action_id = action_id.unwrap();
-        match action_id {
+        match action_id.unwrap() {
             ActionId::StopExperiment => {
                 self.stop_signal
                     .store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
-                let result = self.action_reply_tx.send(GenericMessage::new_action_reply(
-                    requestor,
-                    action_req.action_id,
-                    ActionReplyVariant::Completed,
-                ));
-                if result.is_err() {
-                    log::error!("sending action reply failed");
+                self.send_completion_success(&requestor, &action_req);
+            }
+            ActionId::ExecuteShellCommandBlocking => {
+                self.handle_shell_command_execution(&requestor, &action_req);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn handle_shell_command_execution(
+        &self,
+        requestor: &MessageMetadata,
+        action_req: &ActionRequest,
+    ) {
+        if let ActionRequestVariant::VecData(data) = &action_req.variant {
+            match String::from_utf8(data.to_vec()) {
+                Ok(cmd_str) => {
+                    log::info!("executing command: {}", cmd_str);
+                    match Command::new(cmd_str).status() {
+                        Ok(status) => {
+                            if status.success() {
+                                self.send_completion_success(requestor, action_req);
+                            } else {
+                                log::warn!("execution of command failed: {}", status);
+                                self.send_completion_failure(
+                                    requestor,
+                                    action_req,
+                                    SHELL_CMD_EXECUTION_FAILURE,
+                                    Some(status.to_string().into()),
+                                );
+                            }
+                        }
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            log::warn!("execution of command failed with IO error: {}", e);
+                            self.send_completion_failure(
+                                requestor,
+                                action_req,
+                                SHELL_CMD_IO_ERROR,
+                                Some(e.to_string().into()),
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    log::warn!("invalid utf-8 data in action request: {}", e);
+                    self.send_completion_failure(
+                        requestor,
+                        action_req,
+                        SHELL_CMD_INVALID_FORMAT,
+                        Some(e.to_string().into()),
+                    );
                 }
             }
         }