diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6d22929..5372d39 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -133,8 +133,6 @@ set(XEUS_ZMQ_HEADERS
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xdebugger_base.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xeus-zmq.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xmiddleware.hpp
-    ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xserver_control_main.hpp
-    ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xserver_shell_main.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIR}/xeus-zmq/xshell_default_runner.hpp
@@ -177,7 +175,9 @@ set(XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCES
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xpublisher.cpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xpublisher.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_control_main.cpp
+    ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_control_main.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_shell_main.cpp
+    ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_shell_main.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_zmq_default.cpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_zmq_default.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/server/xserver_zmq_impl.cpp
diff --git a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp b/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp
index 00b76cb..73b6aae 100644
--- a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp
+++ b/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp
@@ -97,14 +97,33 @@ namespace xeus
     };
 
     XEUS_ZMQ_API
-    std::unique_ptr<xserver> make_xserver_control_main(xcontext& context,
-                                                       const xconfiguration& config,
-                                                       nl::json::error_handler_t eh = nl::json::error_handler_t::strict);
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_control_main(xcontext& context,
+                              const xconfiguration& config,
+                              nl::json::error_handler_t eh = nl::json::error_handler_t::strict);
+    
+    XEUS_ZMQ_API
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_control(xcontext& context,
+                         const xconfiguration& config,
+                         nl::json::error_handler_t eh,
+                         std::unique_ptr<xcontrol_runner> control,
+                         std::unique_ptr<xshell_runner> shell);
+
+
+    XEUS_ZMQ_API
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_shell_main(xcontext& context,
+                            const xconfiguration& config,
+                            nl::json::error_handler_t eh = nl::json::error_handler_t::strict);
 
     XEUS_ZMQ_API
-    std::unique_ptr<xserver> make_xserver_shell_main(xcontext& context,
-                                                     const xconfiguration& config,
-                                                     nl::json::error_handler_t eh = nl::json::error_handler_t::strict);
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_shell(xcontext& context,
+                       const xconfiguration& config,
+                       nl::json::error_handler_t eh,
+                       std::unique_ptr<xcontrol_runner> control,
+                       std::unique_ptr<xshell_runner> shell);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/server/xserver_control_main.cpp b/src/server/xserver_control_main.cpp
index 5f7fa82..7154683 100644
--- a/src/server/xserver_control_main.cpp
+++ b/src/server/xserver_control_main.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "xeus-zmq/xcontrol_default_runner.hpp"
 #include "xeus-zmq/xshell_default_runner.hpp"
-#include "xeus-zmq/xserver_control_main.hpp"
+#include "xserver_control_main.hpp"
 
 namespace xeus
 {
@@ -39,11 +39,12 @@ namespace xeus
         xserver_zmq_split::run_control();
     }
 
-    std::unique_ptr<xserver> make_xserver_control_main(xcontext& context,
-                                                       const xconfiguration& config,
-                                                       nl::json::error_handler_t eh)
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_control_main(xcontext& context,
+                              const xconfiguration& config,
+                              nl::json::error_handler_t eh)
     {
-        return std::make_unique<xserver_control_main>
+        return make_xserver_control
         (
             context,
             config,
@@ -52,5 +53,23 @@ namespace xeus
             std::make_unique<xshell_default_runner>()
         );
     }
+
+
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_control(xcontext& context,
+                         const xconfiguration& config,
+                         nl::json::error_handler_t eh,
+                         std::unique_ptr<xcontrol_default_runner> control,
+                         std::unique_ptr<xshell_default_runner> shell)
+    {
+        return std::make_unique<xserver_control_main>
+        (
+            context,
+            config,
+            eh,
+            std::move(control),
+            std::move(shell)
+        );
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_control_main.hpp b/src/server/xserver_control_main.hpp
similarity index 95%
rename from include/xeus-zmq/xserver_control_main.hpp
rename to src/server/xserver_control_main.hpp
index f1ca4c6..72c0785 100644
--- a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_control_main.hpp
+++ b/src/server/xserver_control_main.hpp
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 #include "xeus/xeus_context.hpp"
 #include "xeus/xkernel_configuration.hpp"
 
-#include "xeus-zmq.hpp"
-#include "xserver_zmq_split.hpp"
+#include "xeus-zmq/xeus-zmq.hpp"
+#include "xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp"
 
 namespace xeus
 {
diff --git a/src/server/xserver_shell_main.cpp b/src/server/xserver_shell_main.cpp
index 9cfd0e7..5412314 100644
--- a/src/server/xserver_shell_main.cpp
+++ b/src/server/xserver_shell_main.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "xeus-zmq/xcontrol_default_runner.hpp"
 #include "xeus-zmq/xshell_default_runner.hpp"
-#include "xeus-zmq/xserver_shell_main.hpp"
+#include "xserver_shell_main.hpp"
 
 namespace xeus
 {
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ namespace xeus
         xserver_zmq_split::run_shell();
     }
 
-    std::unique_ptr<xserver> make_xserver_shell_main(xcontext& context,
-                                                     const xconfiguration& config,
-                                                     nl::json::error_handler_t eh)
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_shell_main(xcontext& context,
+                            const xconfiguration& config,
+                            nl::json::error_handler_t eh)
     {
-        return std::make_unique<xserver_shell_main>
+        return make_xserver_shell
         (
             context,
             config,
@@ -51,5 +52,22 @@ namespace xeus
             std::make_unique<xshell_default_runner>()
         );
     }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<xserver>
+    make_xserver_shell(xcontext& context,
+                       const xconfiguration& config,
+                       nl::json::error_handler_t eh,
+                       std::unique_ptr<xcontrol_runner> control,
+                       std::unique_ptr<xshell_runner> shell)
+    {
+        return std::make_unique<xserver_shell_main>
+        (
+            context,
+            config,
+            eh,
+            std::move(control),
+            std::move(shell)
+        );
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_shell_main.hpp b/src/server/xserver_shell_main.hpp
similarity index 95%
rename from include/xeus-zmq/xserver_shell_main.hpp
rename to src/server/xserver_shell_main.hpp
index 9353638..4912dde 100644
--- a/include/xeus-zmq/xserver_shell_main.hpp
+++ b/src/server/xserver_shell_main.hpp
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 #include "xeus/xeus_context.hpp"
 #include "xeus/xkernel_configuration.hpp"
 
-#include "xeus-zmq.hpp"
-#include "xserver_zmq_split.hpp"
+#include "xeus-zmq/xeus-zmq.hpp"
+#include "xeus-zmq/xserver_zmq_split.hpp"
 
 namespace xeus
 {