diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6de9e779..ffdaa5c5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ $ conda activate haven
 $ pip install -e ".[dev]"
 ```
 
+## Usage
+
+The easiest way to start **haven** is to use IPython's magic run command.
+
+```
+$ ipython
+In [1]: %run -m haven.ipython_startup
+```
+
+This will load some common tools, and print some useful information
+about how to use Haven.
+
 ## Running Tests
 
 To run tests, run
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index fbbdaaf7..ec88d552 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "haven-spc"
-version = "2024.8.0"
+version = "2024.8.1"
 authors = [
   { name="Mark Wolfman", email="wolfman@anl.gov" },
 ]
diff --git a/src/haven/ipython_startup.py b/src/haven/ipython_startup.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3811ed9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/haven/ipython_startup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import logging
+import time
+import asyncio
+
+import databroker  # noqa: F401
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky.run_engine import RunEngine, call_in_bluesky_event_loop  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky import suspenders  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky import plan_stubs as bps  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky.plan_stubs import mv, mvr, rd  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky import plans as bp  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky.callbacks.best_effort import BestEffortCallback  # noqa: F401
+from bluesky.simulators import summarize_plan  # noqa: F401
+from rich import print
+from rich.console import Console
+from rich.panel import Panel
+from rich.theme import Theme
+
+import haven  # noqa: F401
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARNING)
+
+# Make sure asyncio and the bluesky run engine share an event loop
+loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+RE = haven.run_engine(loop=loop)
+# Add metadata to the run engine
+RE.preprocessors.append(haven.preprocessors.inject_haven_md_wrapper)
+
+# Import some ophyd-async stuff
+# NB: This has to be after the run engine setup
+#     or else ipython gets stuck and vanilla ophyd
+#     devices get stuck
+from ophyd_async.core import DeviceCollector  # noqa: F401
+
+# Allow best effort callback to update properly
+plt.ion()
+
+# Prepare the haven instrument
+config = haven.load_config()
+t0 = time.monotonic()
+print(f"Initializing [repr.number]{config['beamline']['name']}[/]…", flush=True)
+call_in_bluesky_event_loop(haven.load_instrument())
+print(f"Finished initalization in {time.monotonic() - t0:.2f} seconds.", flush=True)
+
+# Save references to some commonly used things in the global namespace
+registry = haven.registry
+ion_chambers = haven.registry.findall("ion_chambers", allow_none=True)
+
+# Print helpful information to the console
+custom_theme = Theme({
+    "code": "white on grey27",
+})
+console = Console(theme=custom_theme)
+motd = (
+    "[bold]Devices[/bold] are available by name through the [italic]registry[/italic].\n"
+    " ┗━ [code]m = registry['sim_motor_2'][/]\n"
+    "\n"
+    "[bold]Bluesky plans and plan-stubs[/bold] are available as "
+    "[italic]bp[/] and [italic]bps[/] respectively.\n"
+    " ┗━ [code]plan = bps.mv(m, 2)[/]\n"
+    "\n"
+    "The [bold]RunEngine[/bold] is available as [italic]RE[/italic].\n"
+    " ┗━ [code]RE(bps.mv(m, 2))[/code]\n"
+    "\n"
+    "The run engine is also registered as the transform [italic]<[/].\n"
+    " ┣━ [code]<mv(m, 2)[/code] (absolute move)\n"
+    " ┣━ [code]<mvr(m, 2)[/code] (relative move)\n"
+    " ┗━ [code]<rd(m, 2)[/code] (read)\n"
+    "\n"
+    "Run [code]help(haven)[/code] for more information."
+)
+print("\n")  # Blank line for separation
+console.print(
+    Panel(
+        motd,
+        title="Welcome to the [bold purple]Haven[/] beamline control system.",
+        subtitle="[link=https://haven-spc.readthedocs.io/en/latest/]haven-spc.readthedocs.io[/]",
+        expand=False,
+    )
+)