diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 2e6eb3c..df6cb9f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1900,6 +1900,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "cipher 0.4.4",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ctrlc"
+version = "3.4.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b467862cc8610ca6fc9a1532d7777cee0804e678ab45410897b9396495994a0b"
+dependencies = [
+ "nix 0.27.1",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cumulus-client-cli"
 version = "0.1.0"
@@ -6451,6 +6461,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nix"
+version = "0.27.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2eb04e9c688eff1c89d72b407f168cf79bb9e867a9d3323ed6c01519eb9cc053"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 2.4.2",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "nmt-rs"
 version = "0.1.0"
@@ -10200,7 +10221,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "log",
  "netlink-packet-route",
  "netlink-proto",
- "nix",
+ "nix 0.24.3",
  "thiserror",
  "tokio",
 ]
@@ -15614,6 +15635,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "clap",
+ "ctrlc",
  "duct",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber 0.3.18",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8ec57c8..d8807f4 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -182,3 +182,4 @@ pallet-ikura-length-fee-adjustment = { path = "ikura/chain/pallets/length-fee-ad
 
 # xtask
 duct = { version = "0.13.7" }
+ctrlc = { version = "3.4.2" }
diff --git a/xtask/Cargo.toml b/xtask/Cargo.toml
index 443fe5d..6fca116 100644
--- a/xtask/Cargo.toml
+++ b/xtask/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ clap = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
 anyhow = { workspace = true }
 tracing = { workspace = true }
 tracing-subscriber = { workspace = true, features = ["env-filter"] }
+ctrlc = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/xtask/src/build.rs b/xtask/src/build.rs
index 36b7c34..dd684bb 100644
--- a/xtask/src/build.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/build.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::{cli::test::BuildParams, logging::create_with_logs};
+use crate::{cli::BuildParams, logging::create_with_logs};
 use duct::cmd;
 
 // TODO: https://github.com/thrumdev/blobs/issues/225
diff --git a/xtask/src/cli.rs b/xtask/src/cli.rs
index 941d252..639a982 100644
--- a/xtask/src/cli.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/cli.rs
@@ -10,12 +10,51 @@ pub struct Cli {
 #[derive(Subcommand, Debug)]
 pub enum Commands {
     Test(test::Params),
+    Zombienet(zombienet::Params),
+}
+
+#[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct ZombienetParams {
+    /// Zombienet process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
+    ///
+    /// Relative paths will be treated as relative to the root project directory
+    /// and not relative to where it is called
+    #[arg(
+        long = "zombienet-log-path",
+        value_name = "log-path",
+        id = "zombienet.log-path"
+    )]
+    #[clap(default_value = "test_log/zombienet.log")]
+    pub log_path: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct BuildParams {
+    /// Skip building required binaries
+    /// (ikura-node, ikura-shim, sov-demo-rollup and sov-cli)
+    #[clap(default_value = "false")]
+    #[arg(long = "skip-build", value_name = "skip", id = "build.skip")]
+    pub skip: bool,
+
+    /// Build process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
+    ///
+    /// Relative paths will be treated as relative to the root project directory
+    /// and not relative to where it is called
+    #[arg(
+        long = "build-log-path",
+        value_name = "log-path",
+        id = "build.log-path"
+    )]
+    #[clap(default_value = "test_log/build.log")]
+    pub log_path: String,
 }
 
 pub mod test {
+    use super::{BuildParams, ZombienetParams};
 
     // TODO: https://github.com/thrumdev/blobs/issues/224
     use clap::Args;
+
     #[derive(Debug, Args)]
     pub struct Params {
         /// If the test is executed in CI
@@ -35,27 +74,6 @@ pub mod test {
         pub sovereign: SovereignParams,
     }
 
-    #[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
-    pub struct BuildParams {
-        /// Skip building required binaries
-        /// (ikura-node, ikura-shim, sov-demo-rollup and sov-cli)
-        #[clap(default_value = "false")]
-        #[arg(long = "skip-build", value_name = "skip", id = "build.skip")]
-        pub skip: bool,
-
-        /// Build process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
-        ///
-        /// Relative paths will be treated as relative to the root project directory
-        /// and not relative to where it is called
-        #[arg(
-            long = "build-log-path",
-            value_name = "log-path",
-            id = "build.log-path"
-        )]
-        #[clap(default_value = "test_log/build.log")]
-        pub log_path: String,
-    }
-
     #[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
     pub struct ShimParams {
         /// Shim process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
@@ -67,21 +85,6 @@ pub mod test {
         pub log_path: String,
     }
 
-    #[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
-    pub struct ZombienetParams {
-        /// Zombienet process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
-        ///
-        /// Relative paths will be treated as relative to the root project directory
-        /// and not relative to where it is called
-        #[arg(
-            long = "zombienet-log-path",
-            value_name = "log-path",
-            id = "zombienet.log-path"
-        )]
-        #[clap(default_value = "test_log/zombienet.log")]
-        pub log_path: String,
-    }
-
     #[derive(clap::Args, Debug, Clone)]
     pub struct SovereignParams {
         /// Sovereign rollup process stdout and stderr are redirected into this file
@@ -97,3 +100,21 @@ pub mod test {
         pub log_path: String,
     }
 }
+
+pub mod zombienet {
+    use super::{BuildParams, ZombienetParams};
+    use clap::Args;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, Args)]
+    pub struct Params {
+        /// If the test is executed in CI
+        #[clap(long, default_value = "false")]
+        pub ci: bool,
+
+        #[clap(flatten)]
+        pub build: BuildParams,
+
+        #[clap(flatten)]
+        pub zombienet: ZombienetParams,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/xtask/src/main.rs b/xtask/src/main.rs
index 14f6930..2c35c7a 100644
--- a/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ mod zombienet;
 
 use clap::Parser;
 use cli::{test, Cli, Commands};
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::{
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    str,
+};
 
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     init_logging()?;
@@ -15,22 +18,14 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     match cli.command {
         Commands::Test(params) => test(params)?,
+        Commands::Zombienet(params) => zombienet(params)?,
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
 fn test(params: test::Params) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    // extract project path
-    #[rustfmt::skip]
-    let project_path = duct::cmd!(
-        "sh", "-c",
-        "cargo metadata --format-version 1 | jq -r '.workspace_root'"
-    )
-    .stdout_capture()
-    .run()?;
-
-    let project_path = Path::new(std::str::from_utf8(&project_path.stdout)?.trim());
+    let project_path = obtain_project_path()?;
 
     init_env(&project_path, params.ci)?;
 
@@ -38,10 +33,8 @@ fn test(params: test::Params) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     // the variables must be kept alive and not dropped
     // otherwise the child process will be killed
-    #[allow(unused)]
-    let zombienet = zombienet::Zombienet::try_new(&project_path, params.zombienet)?;
-    #[allow(unused)]
-    let shim = shim::Shim::try_new(&project_path, params.shim)?;
+    let _zombienet = zombienet::Zombienet::try_new(&project_path, params.zombienet)?;
+    let _shim = shim::Shim::try_new(&project_path, params.shim)?;
     let sovereign = sovereign::Sovereign::try_new(&project_path, params.sovereign)?;
 
     // TODO: https://github.com/thrumdev/blobs/issues/226
@@ -53,6 +46,36 @@ fn test(params: test::Params) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn zombienet(params: crate::cli::zombienet::Params) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let project_path = obtain_project_path()?;
+    build::build(&project_path, params.build)?;
+    let _zombienet = zombienet::Zombienet::try_new(&project_path, params.zombienet)?;
+    wait_interrupt();
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn obtain_project_path() -> anyhow::Result<PathBuf> {
+    #[rustfmt::skip]
+    let project_path = duct::cmd!(
+        "sh", "-c",
+        "cargo metadata --format-version 1 | jq -r '.workspace_root'"
+    )
+    .stdout_capture()
+    .run()?;
+    Ok(PathBuf::from(str::from_utf8(&project_path.stdout)?.trim()))
+}
+
+/// Blocks until ^C signal is delivered to this process. Uses global resource, don't proliferate.
+fn wait_interrupt() {
+    use std::sync::mpsc;
+    let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
+    ctrlc::set_handler(move || {
+        let _ = tx.send(());
+    })
+    .unwrap();
+    let _ = rx.recv();
+}
+
 // Set up environment variables needed by the compilation and testing process.
 //
 // If ci flag is specified, all binaries are added to PATH env variable
diff --git a/xtask/src/zombienet.rs b/xtask/src/zombienet.rs
index 856a480..9eef5de 100644
--- a/xtask/src/zombienet.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/zombienet.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::{check_binary, cli::test::ZombienetParams, logging::create_with_logs};
+use crate::{check_binary, cli::ZombienetParams, logging::create_with_logs};
 use duct::cmd;
 use std::path::Path;
 use tracing::info;