diff --git a/src/client_manager.cc b/src/client_manager.cc
index 89fb7d7c..76623b91 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.cc
+++ b/src/client_manager.cc
@@ -95,6 +95,33 @@ void ClientManager::ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(Buffer& buffer)
     m_windows.erase(end, m_windows.end());
 }
 
+void ClientManager::set_client_name(Context& context, String name)
+{
+    auto it = find_if(m_clients, [&name](std::unique_ptr<Client>& client)
+                                 { return client->name == name; });
+    if (it != m_clients.end() and &(*it)->context != &context)
+        throw runtime_error("name not unique: " + name);
+
+    for (auto& client : m_clients)
+    {
+        if (&client->context == &context)
+        {
+            client->name = std::move(name);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    throw runtime_error("no client for current context");
+}
+
+Context& ClientManager::get_client_context(const String& name)
+{
+    auto it = find_if(m_clients, [&name](std::unique_ptr<Client>& client)
+                                 { return client->name == name; });
+    if (it != m_clients.end())
+        return (*it)->context;
+    throw runtime_error("no client named: " + name);
+}
+
 void ClientManager::redraw_clients() const
 {
     for (auto& client : m_clients)
diff --git a/src/client_manager.hh b/src/client_manager.hh
index 92f558b2..d75a8bb1 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.hh
+++ b/src/client_manager.hh
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ public:
     void    ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(Buffer& buffer);
 
     void redraw_clients() const;
+
+    void     set_client_name(Context& context, String name);
+    Context& get_client_context(const String& name);
 private:
     void remove_client_by_context(Context& context);
 
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ private:
         std::unique_ptr<UserInterface> user_interface;
         InputHandler  input_handler;
         Context       context;
+        String        name;
     };
 
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Client>> m_clients;
diff --git a/src/utils.hh b/src/utils.hh
index b2c1847c..3c68f1cd 100644
--- a/src/utils.hh
+++ b/src/utils.hh
@@ -148,6 +148,13 @@ auto find(Container& container, const T& value) -> decltype(container.begin())
     return std::find(container.begin(), container.end(), value);
 }
 
+template<typename Container, typename T>
+auto find_if(Container& container, T op) -> decltype(container.begin())
+{
+    return std::find_if(container.begin(), container.end(), op);
+}
+
+
 template<typename Container, typename T>
 bool contains(const Container& container, const T& value)
 {