diff --git a/src/node/cli.ts b/src/node/cli.ts
index 461a2e18..8278dfed 100644
--- a/src/node/cli.ts
+++ b/src/node/cli.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ import * as path from "path"
 import { Args as VsArgs } from "../../typings/ipc"
 import { canConnect, generateCertificate, generatePassword, humanPath, paths } from "./util"
 
+export enum Feature {
+  /** Web socket compression. */
+  PermessageDeflate = "permessage-deflate",
+}
+
 export enum AuthType {
   Password = "password",
   None = "none",
@@ -35,6 +40,7 @@ export interface Args extends VsArgs {
   "cert-key"?: string
   "disable-telemetry"?: boolean
   "disable-update-check"?: boolean
+  enable?: string[]
   help?: boolean
   host?: string
   json?: boolean
@@ -128,6 +134,9 @@ const options: Options<Required<Args>> = {
       "Disable update check. Without this flag, code-server checks every 6 hours against the latest github release and \n" +
       "then notifies you once every week that a new release is available.",
   },
+  // --enable can be used to enable experimental features. These features
+  // provide no guarantees.
+  enable: { type: "string[]" },
   help: { type: "boolean", short: "h", description: "Show this output." },
   json: { type: "boolean" },
   open: { type: "boolean", description: "Open in browser on startup. Does not work remotely." },
diff --git a/src/node/constants.ts b/src/node/constants.ts
index c198f8fb..d36f9a24 100644
--- a/src/node/constants.ts
+++ b/src/node/constants.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ export const version = pkg.version || "development"
 export const commit = pkg.commit || "development"
 export const rootPath = path.resolve(__dirname, "../..")
 export const tmpdir = path.join(os.tmpdir(), "code-server")
+export const isDevMode = commit === "development"
diff --git a/src/node/entry.ts b/src/node/entry.ts
index b7b61b8f..4b186fef 100644
--- a/src/node/entry.ts
+++ b/src/node/entry.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-import { field, logger } from "@coder/logger"
-import * as cp from "child_process"
-import http from "http"
-import * as path from "path"
-import { CliMessage, OpenCommandPipeArgs } from "../../typings/ipc"
-import { plural } from "../common/util"
-import { createApp, ensureAddress } from "./app"
+import { logger } from "@coder/logger"
 import {
-  AuthType,
-  DefaultedArgs,
   optionDescriptions,
   parse,
   readConfigFile,
@@ -15,149 +7,11 @@ import {
   shouldOpenInExistingInstance,
   shouldRunVsCodeCli,
 } from "./cli"
-import { coderCloudBind } from "./coder_cloud"
 import { commit, version } from "./constants"
+import { openInExistingInstance, runCodeServer, runVsCodeCli } from "./main"
 import * as proxyAgent from "./proxy_agent"
-import { register } from "./routes"
-import { humanPath, isFile, open } from "./util"
 import { isChild, wrapper } from "./wrapper"
 
-export const runVsCodeCli = (args: DefaultedArgs): void => {
-  logger.debug("forking vs code cli...")
-  const vscode = cp.fork(path.resolve(__dirname, "../../lib/vscode/out/vs/server/fork"), [], {
-    env: {
-      ...process.env,
-      CODE_SERVER_PARENT_PID: process.pid.toString(),
-    },
-  })
-  vscode.once("message", (message: any) => {
-    logger.debug("got message from VS Code", field("message", message))
-    if (message.type !== "ready") {
-      logger.error("Unexpected response waiting for ready response", field("type", message.type))
-      process.exit(1)
-    }
-    const send: CliMessage = { type: "cli", args }
-    vscode.send(send)
-  })
-  vscode.once("error", (error) => {
-    logger.error("Got error from VS Code", field("error", error))
-    process.exit(1)
-  })
-  vscode.on("exit", (code) => process.exit(code || 0))
-}
-
-export const openInExistingInstance = async (args: DefaultedArgs, socketPath: string): Promise<void> => {
-  const pipeArgs: OpenCommandPipeArgs & { fileURIs: string[] } = {
-    type: "open",
-    folderURIs: [],
-    fileURIs: [],
-    forceReuseWindow: args["reuse-window"],
-    forceNewWindow: args["new-window"],
-  }
-
-  for (let i = 0; i < args._.length; i++) {
-    const fp = path.resolve(args._[i])
-    if (await isFile(fp)) {
-      pipeArgs.fileURIs.push(fp)
-    } else {
-      pipeArgs.folderURIs.push(fp)
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (pipeArgs.forceNewWindow && pipeArgs.fileURIs.length > 0) {
-    logger.error("--new-window can only be used with folder paths")
-    process.exit(1)
-  }
-
-  if (pipeArgs.folderURIs.length === 0 && pipeArgs.fileURIs.length === 0) {
-    logger.error("Please specify at least one file or folder")
-    process.exit(1)
-  }
-
-  const vscode = http.request(
-    {
-      path: "/",
-      method: "POST",
-      socketPath,
-    },
-    (response) => {
-      response.on("data", (message) => {
-        logger.debug("got message from VS Code", field("message", message.toString()))
-      })
-    },
-  )
-  vscode.on("error", (error: unknown) => {
-    logger.error("got error from VS Code", field("error", error))
-  })
-  vscode.write(JSON.stringify(pipeArgs))
-  vscode.end()
-}
-
-const main = async (args: DefaultedArgs): Promise<void> => {
-  logger.info(`code-server ${version} ${commit}`)
-
-  logger.info(`Using user-data-dir ${humanPath(args["user-data-dir"])}`)
-  logger.trace(`Using extensions-dir ${humanPath(args["extensions-dir"])}`)
-
-  if (args.auth === AuthType.Password && !args.password && !args["hashed-password"]) {
-    throw new Error(
-      "Please pass in a password via the config file or environment variable ($PASSWORD or $HASHED_PASSWORD)",
-    )
-  }
-
-  const [app, wsApp, server] = await createApp(args)
-  const serverAddress = ensureAddress(server)
-  await register(app, wsApp, server, args)
-
-  logger.info(`Using config file ${humanPath(args.config)}`)
-  logger.info(`HTTP server listening on ${serverAddress} ${args.link ? "(randomized by --link)" : ""}`)
-
-  if (args.auth === AuthType.Password) {
-    logger.info("  - Authentication is enabled")
-    if (args.usingEnvPassword) {
-      logger.info("    - Using password from $PASSWORD")
-    } else if (args.usingEnvHashedPassword) {
-      logger.info("    - Using password from $HASHED_PASSWORD")
-    } else {
-      logger.info(`    - Using password from ${humanPath(args.config)}`)
-    }
-  } else {
-    logger.info(`  - Authentication is disabled ${args.link ? "(disabled by --link)" : ""}`)
-  }
-
-  if (args.cert) {
-    logger.info(`  - Using certificate for HTTPS: ${humanPath(args.cert.value)}`)
-  } else {
-    logger.info(`  - Not serving HTTPS ${args.link ? "(disabled by --link)" : ""}`)
-  }
-
-  if (args["proxy-domain"].length > 0) {
-    logger.info(`  - ${plural(args["proxy-domain"].length, "Proxying the following domain")}:`)
-    args["proxy-domain"].forEach((domain) => logger.info(`    - *.${domain}`))
-  }
-
-  if (args.link) {
-    try {
-      await coderCloudBind(serverAddress.replace(/^https?:\/\//, ""), args.link.value)
-      logger.info("  - Connected to cloud agent")
-    } catch (err) {
-      logger.error(err.message)
-      wrapper.exit(1)
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (!args.socket && args.open) {
-    // The web socket doesn't seem to work if browsing with 0.0.0.0.
-    const openAddress = serverAddress.replace("://0.0.0.0", "://localhost")
-    try {
-      await open(openAddress)
-      logger.info(`Opened ${openAddress}`)
-    } catch (error) {
-      logger.error("Failed to open", field("address", openAddress), field("error", error))
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 async function entry(): Promise<void> {
   proxyAgent.monkeyPatch(false)
 
@@ -170,7 +24,8 @@ async function entry(): Promise<void> {
   if (isChild(wrapper)) {
     const args = await wrapper.handshake()
     wrapper.preventExit()
-    return main(args)
+    await runCodeServer(args)
+    return
   }
 
   const cliArgs = parse(process.argv.slice(2))
diff --git a/src/node/main.ts b/src/node/main.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0036413
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/node/main.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+import { field, logger } from "@coder/logger"
+import * as cp from "child_process"
+import http from "http"
+import * as path from "path"
+import { CliMessage, OpenCommandPipeArgs } from "../../typings/ipc"
+import { plural } from "../common/util"
+import { createApp, ensureAddress } from "./app"
+import { AuthType, DefaultedArgs, Feature } from "./cli"
+import { coderCloudBind } from "./coder_cloud"
+import { commit, version } from "./constants"
+import { register } from "./routes"
+import { humanPath, isFile, open } from "./util"
+
+export const runVsCodeCli = (args: DefaultedArgs): void => {
+  logger.debug("forking vs code cli...")
+  const vscode = cp.fork(path.resolve(__dirname, "../../lib/vscode/out/vs/server/fork"), [], {
+    env: {
+      ...process.env,
+      CODE_SERVER_PARENT_PID: process.pid.toString(),
+    },
+  })
+  vscode.once("message", (message: any) => {
+    logger.debug("got message from VS Code", field("message", message))
+    if (message.type !== "ready") {
+      logger.error("Unexpected response waiting for ready response", field("type", message.type))
+      process.exit(1)
+    }
+    const send: CliMessage = { type: "cli", args }
+    vscode.send(send)
+  })
+  vscode.once("error", (error) => {
+    logger.error("Got error from VS Code", field("error", error))
+    process.exit(1)
+  })
+  vscode.on("exit", (code) => process.exit(code || 0))
+}
+
+export const openInExistingInstance = async (args: DefaultedArgs, socketPath: string): Promise<void> => {
+  const pipeArgs: OpenCommandPipeArgs & { fileURIs: string[] } = {
+    type: "open",
+    folderURIs: [],
+    fileURIs: [],
+    forceReuseWindow: args["reuse-window"],
+    forceNewWindow: args["new-window"],
+  }
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < args._.length; i++) {
+    const fp = path.resolve(args._[i])
+    if (await isFile(fp)) {
+      pipeArgs.fileURIs.push(fp)
+    } else {
+      pipeArgs.folderURIs.push(fp)
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (pipeArgs.forceNewWindow && pipeArgs.fileURIs.length > 0) {
+    logger.error("--new-window can only be used with folder paths")
+    process.exit(1)
+  }
+
+  if (pipeArgs.folderURIs.length === 0 && pipeArgs.fileURIs.length === 0) {
+    logger.error("Please specify at least one file or folder")
+    process.exit(1)
+  }
+
+  const vscode = http.request(
+    {
+      path: "/",
+      method: "POST",
+      socketPath,
+    },
+    (response) => {
+      response.on("data", (message) => {
+        logger.debug("got message from VS Code", field("message", message.toString()))
+      })
+    },
+  )
+  vscode.on("error", (error: unknown) => {
+    logger.error("got error from VS Code", field("error", error))
+  })
+  vscode.write(JSON.stringify(pipeArgs))
+  vscode.end()
+}
+
+export const runCodeServer = async (args: DefaultedArgs): Promise<http.Server> => {
+  logger.info(`code-server ${version} ${commit}`)
+
+  logger.info(`Using user-data-dir ${humanPath(args["user-data-dir"])}`)
+  logger.trace(`Using extensions-dir ${humanPath(args["extensions-dir"])}`)
+
+  if (args.auth === AuthType.Password && !args.password && !args["hashed-password"]) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Please pass in a password via the config file or environment variable ($PASSWORD or $HASHED_PASSWORD)",
+    )
+  }
+
+  const [app, wsApp, server] = await createApp(args)
+  const serverAddress = ensureAddress(server)
+  await register(app, wsApp, server, args)
+
+  logger.info(`Using config file ${humanPath(args.config)}`)
+  logger.info(`HTTP server listening on ${serverAddress} ${args.link ? "(randomized by --link)" : ""}`)
+  if (args.auth === AuthType.Password) {
+    logger.info("  - Authentication is enabled")
+    if (args.usingEnvPassword) {
+      logger.info("    - Using password from $PASSWORD")
+    } else if (args.usingEnvHashedPassword) {
+      logger.info("    - Using password from $HASHED_PASSWORD")
+    } else {
+      logger.info(`    - Using password from ${humanPath(args.config)}`)
+    }
+  } else {
+    logger.info(`  - Authentication is disabled ${args.link ? "(disabled by --link)" : ""}`)
+  }
+
+  if (args.cert) {
+    logger.info(`  - Using certificate for HTTPS: ${humanPath(args.cert.value)}`)
+  } else {
+    logger.info(`  - Not serving HTTPS ${args.link ? "(disabled by --link)" : ""}`)
+  }
+
+  if (args["proxy-domain"].length > 0) {
+    logger.info(`  - ${plural(args["proxy-domain"].length, "Proxying the following domain")}:`)
+    args["proxy-domain"].forEach((domain) => logger.info(`    - *.${domain}`))
+  }
+
+  if (args.link) {
+    await coderCloudBind(serverAddress.replace(/^https?:\/\//, ""), args.link.value)
+    logger.info("  - Connected to cloud agent")
+  }
+
+  if (args.enable && args.enable.length > 0) {
+    logger.info("Enabling the following experimental features:")
+    args.enable.forEach((feature) => {
+      if (Object.values(Feature).includes(feature as Feature)) {
+        logger.info(`  - "${feature}"`)
+      } else {
+        logger.error(`  X "${feature}" (unknown feature)`)
+      }
+    })
+    // TODO: Could be nice to add wrapping to the logger?
+    logger.info(
+      "  The code-server project does not provide stability guarantees or commit to fixing bugs relating to these experimental features. When filing bug reports, please ensure that you can reproduce the bug with all experimental features turned off.",
+    )
+  }
+
+  if (!args.socket && args.open) {
+    // The web socket doesn't seem to work if browsing with 0.0.0.0.
+    const openAddress = serverAddress.replace("://0.0.0.0", "://localhost")
+    try {
+      await open(openAddress)
+      logger.info(`Opened ${openAddress}`)
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error("Failed to open", field("address", openAddress), field("error", error))
+    }
+  }
+
+  return server
+}
diff --git a/src/node/routes/vscode.ts b/src/node/routes/vscode.ts
index 0d9c6309..40c63e92 100644
--- a/src/node/routes/vscode.ts
+++ b/src/node/routes/vscode.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import * as ipc from "../../../typings/ipc"
 import { Emitter } from "../../common/emitter"
 import { HttpCode, HttpError } from "../../common/http"
 import { getFirstString } from "../../common/util"
-import { commit, rootPath, version } from "../constants"
+import { Feature } from "../cli"
+import { isDevMode, rootPath, version } from "../constants"
 import { authenticated, ensureAuthenticated, redirect, replaceTemplates } from "../http"
 import { getMediaMime, pathToFsPath } from "../util"
 import { VscodeProvider } from "../vscode"
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ router.get("/", async (req, res) => {
       try {
         return await vscode.initialize({ args: req.args, remoteAuthority: req.headers.host || "" }, req.query)
       } catch (error) {
-        const devMessage = commit === "development" ? "It might not have finished compiling." : ""
+        const devMessage = isDevMode ? "It might not have finished compiling." : ""
         throw new Error(`VS Code failed to load. ${devMessage} ${error.message}`)
       }
     })(),
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ router.get("/", async (req, res) => {
       req,
       // Uncomment prod blocks if not in development. TODO: Would this be
       // better as a build step? Or maintain two HTML files again?
-      commit !== "development" ? content.replace(/<!-- PROD_ONLY/g, "").replace(/END_PROD_ONLY -->/g, "") : content,
+      !isDevMode ? content.replace(/<!-- PROD_ONLY/g, "").replace(/END_PROD_ONLY -->/g, "") : content,
       {
         authed: req.args.auth !== "none",
         disableTelemetry: !!req.args["disable-telemetry"],
@@ -209,14 +210,21 @@ wsRouter.ws("/", ensureAuthenticated, async (req) => {
     `Sec-WebSocket-Accept: ${reply}`,
   ]
 
+  // See if the browser reports it supports web socket compression.
   // TODO: Parse this header properly.
   const extensions = req.headers["sec-websocket-extensions"]
-  const permessageDeflate = extensions ? extensions.includes("permessage-deflate") : false
-  if (permessageDeflate) {
+  const isCompressionSupported = extensions ? extensions.includes("permessage-deflate") : false
+
+  // TODO: For now we only use compression if the user enables it.
+  const isCompressionEnabled = !!req.args.enable?.includes(Feature.PermessageDeflate)
+
+  const useCompression = isCompressionEnabled && isCompressionSupported
+  if (useCompression) {
+    // This response header tells the browser the server supports compression.
     responseHeaders.push("Sec-WebSocket-Extensions: permessage-deflate; server_max_window_bits=15")
   }
 
   req.ws.write(responseHeaders.join("\r\n") + "\r\n\r\n")
 
-  await vscode.sendWebsocket(req.ws, req.query, permessageDeflate)
+  await vscode.sendWebsocket(req.ws, req.query, useCompression)
 })
diff --git a/test/unit/cli.test.ts b/test/unit/cli.test.ts
index 38d8dc7b..6d4fcafb 100644
--- a/test/unit/cli.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/cli.test.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ describe("parser", () => {
   it("should parse all available options", () => {
     expect(
       parse([
+        "--enable",
+        "feature1",
+        "--enable",
+        "feature2",
         "--bind-addr=192.169.0.1:8080",
         "--auth",
         "none",
@@ -82,6 +86,7 @@ describe("parser", () => {
       cert: {
         value: path.resolve("baz"),
       },
+      enable: ["feature1", "feature2"],
       "extensions-dir": path.resolve("foo"),
       "extra-builtin-extensions-dir": [path.resolve("bazzle")],
       "extra-extensions-dir": [path.resolve("nozzle")],
diff --git a/test/unit/health.test.ts b/test/unit/health.test.ts
index a8bdfb19..2c5fc0b7 100644
--- a/test/unit/health.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/health.test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe("health", () => {
   })
 
   it("/healthz", async () => {
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch("/healthz")
     expect(resp.status).toBe(200)
     const json = await resp.json()
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe("health", () => {
   })
 
   it("/healthz (websocket)", async () => {
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const ws = codeServer.ws("/healthz")
     const message = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       ws.on("error", console.error)
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy.test.ts b/test/unit/proxy.test.ts
index c5969ebf..a9c1554e 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/proxy.test.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe("proxy", () => {
     e.get("/wsup", (req, res) => {
       res.json("asher is the best")
     })
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch(proxyPath)
     expect(resp.status).toBe(200)
     const json = await resp.json()
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe("proxy", () => {
     e.get(absProxyPath, (req, res) => {
       res.json("joe is the best")
     })
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch(absProxyPath)
     expect(resp.status).toBe(200)
     const json = await resp.json()
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe("proxy", () => {
     e.post("/finale", (req, res) => {
       res.json("redirect success")
     })
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch(proxyPath, {
       method: "POST",
     })
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe("proxy", () => {
     e.post(finalePath, (req, res) => {
       res.json("redirect success")
     })
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch(absProxyPath, {
       method: "POST",
     })
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ describe("proxy", () => {
     e.post("/wsup", (req, res) => {
       res.json(req.body)
     })
-    ;[, , codeServer] = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
+    codeServer = await integration.setup(["--auth=none"], "")
     const resp = await codeServer.fetch(proxyPath, {
       method: "post",
       body: JSON.stringify("coder is the best"),
diff --git a/test/utils/integration.ts b/test/utils/integration.ts
index c5101d0f..1ad7b44d 100644
--- a/test/utils/integration.ts
+++ b/test/utils/integration.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,15 @@
-import * as express from "express"
-import { createApp } from "../../src/node/app"
-import { parse, setDefaults, parseConfigFile, DefaultedArgs } from "../../src/node/cli"
-import { register } from "../../src/node/routes"
+import { parse, parseConfigFile, setDefaults } from "../../src/node/cli"
+import { runCodeServer } from "../../src/node/main"
 import * as httpserver from "./httpserver"
 
-export async function setup(
-  argv: string[],
-  configFile?: string,
-): Promise<[express.Application, express.Application, httpserver.HttpServer, DefaultedArgs]> {
+export async function setup(argv: string[], configFile?: string): Promise<httpserver.HttpServer> {
   argv = ["--bind-addr=localhost:0", ...argv]
 
   const cliArgs = parse(argv)
   const configArgs = parseConfigFile(configFile || "", "test/integration.ts")
   const args = await setDefaults(cliArgs, configArgs)
 
-  const [app, wsApp, server] = await createApp(args)
-  await register(app, wsApp, server, args)
+  const server = await runCodeServer(args)
 
-  return [app, wsApp, new httpserver.HttpServer(server), args]
+  return new httpserver.HttpServer(server)
 }