diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
index b838878dd..ee0efb927 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
@@ -60,29 +60,10 @@ def run_cmdline(argv=None, account_plugins=None):
 
     ac = Account(args.db)
 
-    if args.show_ffi:
-        ac.set_config("displayname", "bot")
-        log = events.FFIEventLogger(ac)
-        ac.add_account_plugin(log)
-
-    for plugin in account_plugins or []:
-        print("adding plugin", plugin)
-        ac.add_account_plugin(plugin)
-
-    if not ac.is_configured():
-        assert (
-            args.email and args.password
-        ), "you must specify --email and --password once to configure this database/account"
-        ac.set_config("addr", args.email)
-        ac.set_config("mail_pw", args.password)
-        ac.set_config("mvbox_move", "0")
-        ac.set_config("sentbox_watch", "0")
-        ac.set_config("bot", "1")
-        configtracker = ac.configure()
-        configtracker.wait_finish()
-
-    # start IO threads and configure if neccessary
-    ac.start_io()
+    ac.run_account(addr=args.email,
+                   password=args.password,
+                   account_plugins=account_plugins,
+                   show_ffi=args.show_ffi)
 
     print("{}: waiting for message".format(ac.get_config("addr")))
 
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/account.py b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
index 09242b6b3..83912fea9 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/account.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from .cutil import (
     from_optional_dc_charpointer,
     iter_array,
 )
-from .events import EventThread
+from .events import EventThread, FFIEventLogger
 from .message import Message
 from .tracker import ConfigureTracker, ImexTracker
 
@@ -598,6 +598,38 @@ class Account(object):
     # meta API for start/stop and event based processing
     #
 
+    def run_account(self, addr=None, password=None, account_plugins=None, show_ffi=False):
+        """get the account running, configure it if necessary. add plugins if provided.
+
+        :param addr: the email address of the account
+        :param password: the password of the account
+        :param account_plugins: a list of plugins to add
+        :param show_ffi: show low level ffi events
+        """
+        if show_ffi:
+            self.set_config("displayname", "bot")
+            log = FFIEventLogger(self)
+            self.add_account_plugin(log)
+
+        for plugin in account_plugins or []:
+            print("adding plugin", plugin)
+            self.add_account_plugin(plugin)
+
+        if not self.is_configured():
+            assert (
+                    addr and password
+            ), "you must specify email and password once to configure this database/account"
+            self.set_config("addr", addr)
+            self.set_config("mail_pw", password)
+            self.set_config("mvbox_move", "0")
+            self.set_config("sentbox_watch", "0")
+            self.set_config("bot", "1")
+            configtracker = self.configure()
+            configtracker.wait_finish()
+
+        # start IO threads and configure if neccessary
+        self.start_io()
+
     def add_account_plugin(self, plugin, name=None):
         """add an account plugin which implements one or more of
         the :class:`deltachat.hookspec.PerAccount` hooks.