diff --git a/ipykernel/subshell_manager.py b/ipykernel/subshell_manager.py
index 2636d157..b9dea456 100644
--- a/ipykernel/subshell_manager.py
+++ b/ipykernel/subshell_manager.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def close(self) -> None:
 
     async def get_control_other_socket(self, thread: BaseThread) -> zmq_anyio.Socket:
         if not self._control_other_socket.started.is_set():
-            thread.start_soon(self._control_other_socket.start)
+            thread.task_group.start_soon(self._control_other_socket.start)
             await self._control_other_socket.started.wait()
         return self._control_other_socket
 
diff --git a/ipykernel/thread.py b/ipykernel/thread.py
index d853a2ad..dc68bb3b 100644
--- a/ipykernel/thread.py
+++ b/ipykernel/thread.py
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
 from collections.abc import Awaitable
 from queue import Queue
 from threading import Event, Thread
-from typing import Callable
+from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from anyio import create_task_group, run, to_thread
+from anyio.abc import TaskGroup
 
 CONTROL_THREAD_NAME = "Control"
 SHELL_CHANNEL_THREAD_NAME = "Shell channel"
@@ -22,10 +23,23 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         self.stopped = Event()
         self.pydev_do_not_trace = True
         self.is_pydev_daemon_thread = True
-        self._tasks: Queue[Callable[[], Awaitable[None]] | None] = Queue()
+        self._tasks: Queue[tuple[str, Callable[[], Awaitable[Any]]] | None] = Queue()
+        self._result: Queue[Any] = Queue()
 
-    def start_soon(self, task: Callable[[], Awaitable[None]] | None) -> None:
-        self._tasks.put(task)
+    @property
+    def task_group(self) -> TaskGroup:
+        return self._task_group
+
+    def start_soon(self, coro: Callable[[], Awaitable[Any]]) -> None:
+        self._tasks.put(("start_soon", coro))
+
+    def run_async(self, coro: Callable[[], Awaitable[Any]]) -> Any:
+        self._tasks.put(("run_async", coro))
+        return self._result.get()
+
+    def run_sync(self, func: Callable[..., Any]) -> Any:
+        self._tasks.put(("run_sync", func))
+        return self._result.get()
 
     def run(self) -> None:
         """Run the thread."""
@@ -36,12 +50,22 @@ def run(self) -> None:
 
     async def _main(self) -> None:
         async with create_task_group() as tg:
+            self._task_group = tg
             self.started.set()
             while True:
                 task = await to_thread.run_sync(self._tasks.get)
                 if task is None:
                     break
-                tg.start_soon(task)
+                func, arg = task
+                if func == "start_soon":
+                    tg.start_soon(arg)
+                elif func == "run_async":
+                    res = await arg
+                    self._result.put(res)
+                else:  # func == "run_sync"
+                    res = arg()
+                    self._result.put(res)
+
             tg.cancel_scope.cancel()
 
     def stop(self) -> None: