diff --git a/.config/kak/autoload/yazi.kak b/.config/kak/autoload/yazi.kak
index 748c51d4..32668549 100644
--- a/.config/kak/autoload/yazi.kak
+++ b/.config/kak/autoload/yazi.kak
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-define-command open-yazi %{
+declare-user-mode yazi
+map -docstring "Yazi" global user <space> ': enter-user-mode yazi<ret>'
+
+define-command open-yazi-this-client %{
 	evaluate-commands %sh{
 		rm -f /tmp/yazi-path &>/dev/null
 		# TODO: make this use %opt{termcmd} instead
@@ -12,4 +15,24 @@ define-command open-yazi %{
 		fi
 	}
 }
-map -docstring "open file in yazi" global user <space> ": open-yazi<ret>"
+map -docstring "open a file with yazi (blocking)" global yazi f ": open-yazi-this-client<ret>"
+
+define-command spawn-yazi %{
+    terminal yazi
+}
+map global -docstring "spawn yazi" global yazi <space> ': spawn-yazi<ret>'
+
+define-command open-yazi-new-client %{
+	evaluate-commands %sh{
+		rm -f /tmp/yazi-path &>/dev/null
+		# TODO: make this use %opt{termcmd} instead
+		footclient -d error yazi $kak_buffile --chooser-file=/tmp/yazi-path &>/dev/null
+		P="$(cat /tmp/yazi-path)"
+		out="info -markup -title {title}Yazi"
+		if [ -z "$P" ]; then
+		echo "info -markup -title {title}Yazi 'No file selected.'"
+		else
+		echo "new edit $P"
+		fi
+	}
+}