diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ae6926a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from deltachat import capi
+
+
+_DC_CALLBACK_MAP = {}
+
+
+@capi.ffi.def_extern()
+def py_dc_callback(ctx, evt, data1, data2):
+    """The global event handler.
+
+    CFFI only allows us to set one global event handler, so this one
+    looks up the correct event handler for the given context.
+    """
+    return _DC_CALLBACK_MAP.get(ctx, lambda *a: 0)
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/_build.py b/python/src/deltachat/_build.py
index 95969699..16fd9742 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/_build.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/_build.py
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ def ffibuilder():
                           output_file=dst_fp.name,
                           macros=[('PY_CFFI', '1')])
             builder.cdef(dst_fp.read())
+    builder.cdef("""
+        extern "Python" uintptr_t py_dc_callback(
+            dc_context_t* context,
+            int event,
+            uintptr_t data1,
+            uintptr_t data2);
+    """)
     return builder
 
 
diff --git a/python/tests/conftest.py b/python/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce909e71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import pytest
+
+import deltachat
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def register_dc_callback(monkeypatch):
+    """Register a callback for a given context.
+
+    This is a function-scoped fixture and the function will be
+    unregisterd automatically on fixture teardown.
+    """
+    def register_dc_callback(ctx, func):
+        monkeypatch.setitem(deltachat._DC_CALLBACK_MAP, ctx, func)
+    return register_dc_callback
diff --git a/python/tests/test_mrmailbox.py b/python/tests/test_mrmailbox.py
index b7fa398e..5fddce47 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_mrmailbox.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_mrmailbox.py
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
-import pathlib
-
-import pytest
-
+import deltachat
 from deltachat import capi
 
 
 def test_empty_context():
     ctx = capi.lib.dc_context_new(capi.ffi.NULL, capi.ffi.NULL, capi.ffi.NULL)
     capi.lib.dc_close(ctx)
+
+
+def test_cb(register_dc_callback):
+    def cb(ctx, evt, data1, data2):
+        return 0
+    ctx = capi.lib.dc_context_new(capi.lib.py_dc_callback,
+                                  capi.ffi.NULL, capi.ffi.NULL)
+    register_dc_callback(ctx, cb)
+    capi.lib.dc_close(ctx)
+    assert deltachat._DC_CALLBACK_MAP[ctx] is cb