diff --git a/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py b/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
index e6b3b358a..bff31cf9f 100644
--- a/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
+++ b/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
@@ -171,10 +171,7 @@ def _dispatch_to_kernel(self, msg):
             raise RuntimeError('Cannot send request. No kernel exists.')
 
         stream = kernel.shell_stream
-        self.session.send(stream, msg)
-        msg_parts = stream.recv_multipart()
-        kernel.dispatch_shell(msg_parts)
-
+        kernel.dispatch_shell(msg)
         idents, reply_msg = self.session.recv(stream, copy=False)
         self.shell_channel.call_handlers_later(reply_msg)
 
diff --git a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
index 6495cbcf0..3c6d62349 100644
--- a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
+++ b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
@@ -240,14 +240,10 @@ def should_handle(self, stream, msg, idents):
         return True
 
     @gen.coroutine
-    def dispatch_shell(self, msg):
+    def dispatch_shell(self, msg, idents=None):
         """dispatch shell requests"""
-        idents, msg = self.session.feed_identities(msg, copy=False)
-        try:
-            msg = self.session.deserialize(msg, content=True, copy=False)
-        except:
-            self.log.error("Invalid Message", exc_info=True)
-            return
+        if idents is None:
+            idents = []
 
         # Set the parent message for side effects.
         self.set_parent(idents, msg, channel='shell')
@@ -403,15 +399,38 @@ def dispatch_queue(self):
     def _message_counter_default(self):
         return itertools.count()
 
-    def schedule_dispatch(self, dispatch, *args):
+    def should_dispatch_immediately(self, msg):
+        """
+        This provides a hook for dispatching incoming messages
+        from the frontend immediately, and out of order.
+
+        It could be used to allow asynchronous messages from
+        GUIs to be processed.
+        """
+        return False
+
+    def schedule_dispatch(self, msg, dispatch):
         """schedule a message for dispatch"""
+
+        idents, msg = self.session.feed_identities(msg, copy=False)
+        try:
+            msg = self.session.deserialize(msg, content=True, copy=False)
+        except:
+            self.log.error("Invalid shell message", exc_info=True)
+            return
+
+        new_args = (msg, idents)
+
+        if self.should_dispatch_immediately(msg):
+            return self.io_loop.add_callback(dispatch, *new_args)
+
         idx = next(self._message_counter)
 
         self.msg_queue.put_nowait(
             (
                 idx,
                 dispatch,
-                args,
+                new_args,
             )
         )
         # ensure the eventloop wakes up
@@ -428,7 +447,7 @@ def start(self):
         self.shell_stream.on_recv(
             partial(
                 self.schedule_dispatch,
-                self.dispatch_shell,
+                dispatch=self.dispatch_shell,
             ),
             copy=False,
         )