diff --git a/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py b/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
index 5de4f774d..ce0f2bf2b 100644
--- a/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
+++ b/ipykernel/inprocess/client.py
@@ -172,10 +172,7 @@ def _dispatch_to_kernel(self, msg):
             raise RuntimeError('Cannot send request. No kernel exists.')
 
         stream = DummySocket()
-        self.session.send(stream, msg)
-        msg_parts = stream.recv_multipart()
-        kernel.dispatch_shell(stream, msg_parts)
-
+        kernel.dispatch_shell(msg, stream=stream)
         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 aba3223a9..0dfdf1774 100644
--- a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
+++ b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 
 from ._version import kernel_protocol_version
 
-CONTROL_PRIORITY = 1
-SHELL_PRIORITY = 10
+CONTROL_PRIORITY = (1, 'control')
+SHELL_PRIORITY = (10, 'shell')
 
 
 class Kernel(SingletonConfigurable):
@@ -167,14 +167,10 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             self.control_handlers[msg_type] = getattr(self, msg_type)
 
     @gen.coroutine
-    def dispatch_control(self, msg):
+    def dispatch_control(self, msg, idents=None, stream=None):
         """dispatch control 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 Control Message", exc_info=True)
-            return
+        if idents is None:
+            idents = []
 
         self.log.debug("Control received: %s", msg)
 
@@ -215,14 +211,10 @@ def should_handle(self, stream, msg, idents):
         return True
 
     @gen.coroutine
-    def dispatch_shell(self, stream, msg):
+    def dispatch_shell(self, msg, idents=None, stream=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)
@@ -385,8 +377,35 @@ def dispatch_queue(self):
     def _message_counter_default(self):
         return itertools.count()
 
-    def schedule_dispatch(self, priority, dispatch, *args):
+    def should_dispatch_immediately(
+        self, msg, idents, stream, priority, dispatch
+    ):
+        """
+        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, priority, dispatch, stream=None):
         """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 %s Message", priority[1], exc_info=True)
+            return
+
+        new_args = (msg, idents, stream)
+
+        if self.should_dispatch_immediately(
+            msg, idents, stream, priority, dispatch, stream
+        ):
+            return self.io_loop.add_callback(dispatch, *new_args)
+
         idx = next(self._message_counter)
 
         self.msg_queue.put_nowait(
@@ -394,7 +413,7 @@ def schedule_dispatch(self, priority, dispatch, *args):
                 priority,
                 idx,
                 dispatch,
-                args,
+                new_args,
             )
         )
         # ensure the eventloop wakes up
@@ -411,8 +430,8 @@ def start(self):
             self.control_stream.on_recv(
                 partial(
                     self.schedule_dispatch,
-                    CONTROL_PRIORITY,
-                    self.dispatch_control,
+                    priority=CONTROL_PRIORITY,
+                    dispatch=self.dispatch_control,
                 ),
                 copy=False,
             )
@@ -423,9 +442,9 @@ def start(self):
             s.on_recv(
                 partial(
                     self.schedule_dispatch,
-                    SHELL_PRIORITY,
-                    self.dispatch_shell,
-                    s,
+                    priority=SHELL_PRIORITY,
+                    dispatch=self.dispatch_shell,
+                    stream=s,
                 ),
                 copy=False,
             )