diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 78e789e05..1f86ca8ac 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -259,9 +259,9 @@
               <div class="large-6 large-centered medium-6 medium-centered columns">
                 <fieldset>
                   <legend>Select which method want to use to restore</legend>
-                  <label for="backupFile" ng-click="choosefile=!choosefile" class="m10b">&middot; Choose backup file from your computer <i class="fi-laptop"></i></label>
+                  <label for="backupFile" ng-click="openFileDialog()" class="m10b">&middot; Choose backup file from your computer <i class="fi-laptop"></i></label>
                   <input type="file" class="form-control" placeholder="Select a backup file" name="backupFile" ng-model="backupFile" ng-file-select ng-show="choosefile">
-                  <label for="backupText" ng-click="pastetext=!pastetext" class="m10b">&middot; Paste backup plain text code <i class="fi-clipboard"></i></label>
+                  <label for="backupText" ng-click="openPasteArea()" class="m10b">&middot; Paste backup plain text code <i class="fi-clipboard"></i></label>
                   <textarea class="form-control" name="backupText" ng-model="backupText" rows="5" ng-show="pastetext"></textarea>
                 </fieldset>
               </div>
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@
               </div>
             </div>
           </div>
- 
+
           <div class="row line-dashed">
             <div class="large-6 medium-6 small-5 columns text-left">
               <a class="button secondary radius" href="#signin">Go back</a>
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ on supported browsers please check <a href="http://www.webrtc.org/">http://www.w
 
 
     <script src="config.js"></script>
-    <!-- <script src="js/shell.js"></script> -->
+    <script src="js/shell.js"></script>
     <script src="lib/angular/angular.min.js"></script>
     <script src="lib/moment/moment.js"></script>
     <script src="lib/angular-moment/angular-moment.js"></script>
diff --git a/js/controllers/backup.js b/js/controllers/backup.js
index f23a44f5d..92cc40f9b 100644
--- a/js/controllers/backup.js
+++ b/js/controllers/backup.js
@@ -15,10 +15,18 @@ angular.module('copayApp.controllers').controller('BackupController',
       var filename = walletName + '-' + timestamp + '.json.aes';
       var wallet = _getEncryptedWallet();
       var blob = new Blob([wallet], {type: 'text/plain;charset=utf-8'});
+      // show a native save dialog if we are in the shell
+      // and pass the wallet to the shell to convert to node Buffer
+      if (window.cshell) {
+        return window.cshell.send('backup:download', {
+          name: walletName,
+          wallet: wallet
+        });
+      }
+      // otherwise lean on the browser implementation
       saveAs(blob, filename);
     };
 
-
   $scope.openModal = function () {
     var modalInstance = $modal.open({
       templateUrl: 'backupModal.html',
@@ -35,6 +43,10 @@ angular.module('copayApp.controllers').controller('BackupController',
      + 'subject=[Copay Backup] ' + subject + '&'
      + 'body=' + body;
 
+    if (window.cshell) {
+      return window.cshell.send('backup:email', href);
+    }
+
     var newWin = $window.open(href, '_blank', 'scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=10,height=10');
 
     if (newWin) {
diff --git a/js/controllers/import.js b/js/controllers/import.js
index f0959ac20..80292075a 100644
--- a/js/controllers/import.js
+++ b/js/controllers/import.js
@@ -24,6 +24,17 @@ angular.module('copayApp.controllers').controller('ImportController',
       });
     };
 
+    $scope.openFileDialog = function() {
+      if (window.cshell) {
+        return cshell.send('backup:import');
+      }
+      $scope.choosefile = !$scope.choosefile;
+    };
+
+    $scope.openPasteArea = function() {
+      $scope.pastetext = !$scope.pastetext;
+    };
+
     $scope.getFile = function() {
       // If we use onloadend, we need to check the readyState.
       reader.onloadend = function(evt) {
@@ -53,7 +64,7 @@ angular.module('copayApp.controllers').controller('ImportController',
       }
 
       $scope.loading = true;
-      
+
       if (backupFile) {
         reader.readAsBinaryString(backupFile);
       }
diff --git a/js/shell.js b/js/shell.js
index d92a3139c..2e888719f 100644
--- a/js/shell.js
+++ b/js/shell.js
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@
   if (typeof module !== 'undefined') module = { exports: null };
 
   // are we running in copay shell?
-  if (process && process.type === 'renderer') initCopayShellBindings();
+  if (window.process && process.type === 'renderer') {
+    window.cshell = initCopayShellBindings();
+  }
+  else {
+    return;
+  }
 
   function controller(name) {
     return angular.element(
@@ -24,37 +29,74 @@
     ).scope();
   };
 
+  function needsWalletLogin(ipc) {
+    ipc.send('alert', 'info', 'Please select a wallet.');
+  };
+
   function initCopayShellBindings() {
 
     var ipc = require('ipc');
 
     ipc.on('address:create', function(data) {
       location.href = '#/addresses';
-      controller('AddressesController').newAddr();
+      var ctrl = controller('AddressesController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
+      ctrl.newAddr();
     });
 
     ipc.on('transactions:send', function(data) {
       location.href = '#/send';
+      var ctrl = controller('SendController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
     });
 
     ipc.on('transactions:all', function(data) {
       location.href = '#/transactions';
-      controller('TransactionsController').show();
+      var ctrl = controller('TransactionsController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
+      ctrl.show();
     });
 
     ipc.on('transactions:pending', function(data) {
       location.href = '#/transactions';
-      controller('TransactionsController').show(true);
+      var ctrl = controller('TransactionsController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
+      ctrl.show(true);
     });
 
     ipc.on('backup:download', function(data) {
-
+      location.href = '#/backup';
+      var ctrl = controller('BackupController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
+      ctrl.download();
     });
 
     ipc.on('backup:email', function(data) {
-
+      location.href = '#/backup';
+      var ctrl = controller('BackupController');
+      if (!ctrl) return needsWalletLogin(ipc);
+      ctrl.openModal();
     });
 
+    ipc.on('backup:import:data', function(data) {
+      location.href = '#/import';
+      var ctrl = controller('ImportController');
+      if (!ctrl) return;
+      ctrl.backupText = data;
+      ctrl.openPasteArea();
+      ctrl.$apply();
+    });
+
+    ipc.on('backup:import', function(data) {
+      location.href = '#/import';
+    });
+
+    // let the shell know when an error occurs
+    window.onerror = function(err) {
+      ipc.send('error', err);
+    };
+
+    return ipc;
   };
 
 })();