diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d55022256..b46b2f8b6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   This better corresponds to JSON-RPC 2.0 server-client distinction
   and is expected to simplify writing new bindings
   because dispatching events can be done on higher level.
+- JSON-RPC: TS: Client now has a mandatory argument whether you want to start listening for events.
 
 ### Fixes
 - JSON-RPC: do not print to stdout on failure to find an account.
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/src/client.ts b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/src/client.ts
index 783ed7bad..97c4a8364 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/src/client.ts
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/src/client.ts
@@ -36,12 +36,15 @@ export class BaseDeltaChat<
   account?: T.Account;
   private contextEmitters: { [key: number]: TinyEmitter<ContextEvents> } = {};
 
+  //@ts-ignore
   private eventTask: Promise<void>;
 
-  constructor(public transport: Transport) {
+  constructor(public transport: Transport, startEventLoop: boolean) {
     super();
     this.rpc = new RawClient(this.transport);
-    this.eventTask = this.eventLoop();
+    if (startEventLoop) {
+      this.eventTask = this.eventLoop();
+    }
   }
 
   async eventLoop(): Promise<void> {
@@ -77,10 +80,12 @@ export class BaseDeltaChat<
 
 export type Opts = {
   url: string;
+  startEventLoop: boolean;
 };
 
 export const DEFAULT_OPTS: Opts = {
   url: "ws://localhost:20808/ws",
+  startEventLoop: true,
 };
 export class DeltaChat extends BaseDeltaChat<WebsocketTransport> {
   opts: Opts;
@@ -88,20 +93,24 @@ export class DeltaChat extends BaseDeltaChat<WebsocketTransport> {
     this.transport.close();
   }
   constructor(opts?: Opts | string) {
-    if (typeof opts === "string") opts = { url: opts };
-    if (opts) opts = { ...DEFAULT_OPTS, ...opts };
-    else opts = { ...DEFAULT_OPTS };
+    if (typeof opts === "string") {
+      opts = { ...DEFAULT_OPTS, url: opts };
+    } else if (opts) {
+      opts = { ...DEFAULT_OPTS, ...opts };
+    } else {
+      opts = { ...DEFAULT_OPTS };
+    }
     const transport = new WebsocketTransport(opts.url);
-    super(transport);
+    super(transport, opts.startEventLoop);
     this.opts = opts;
   }
 }
 
 export class StdioDeltaChat extends BaseDeltaChat<StdioTransport> {
   close() {}
-  constructor(input: any, output: any) {
+  constructor(input: any, output: any, startEventLoop: boolean) {
     const transport = new StdioTransport(input, output);
-    super(transport);
+    super(transport, startEventLoop);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/basic.ts b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/basic.ts
index 1589a733d..1c430f3f5 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/basic.ts
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/basic.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe("basic tests", () => {
 
   before(async () => {
     serverHandle = await startServer();
-    dc = new DeltaChat(serverHandle.stdin, serverHandle.stdout);
+    dc = new DeltaChat(serverHandle.stdin, serverHandle.stdout, true);
     // dc.on("ALL", (event) => {
     //console.log("event", event);
     // });
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/online.ts b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/online.ts
index 418f14679..3ab6cb820 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/online.ts
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/test/online.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe("online tests", function () {
       this.skip();
     }
     serverHandle = await startServer();
-    dc = new DeltaChat(serverHandle.stdin, serverHandle.stdout);
+    dc = new DeltaChat(serverHandle.stdin, serverHandle.stdout, true);
 
     dc.on("ALL", (contextId, { type }) => {
       if (type !== "Info") console.log(contextId, type);