diff --git a/lib/device.ts b/lib/device.ts
index 0714cf3..c256831 100644
--- a/lib/device.ts
+++ b/lib/device.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ export interface FlashDataSource {
 }
 
 export interface ConnectOptions {
-  serial?: boolean;
   // Name filter used for Web Bluetooth
   name?: string;
 }
diff --git a/lib/usb.ts b/lib/usb.ts
index 767ab7a..74dbc5f 100644
--- a/lib/usb.ts
+++ b/lib/usb.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ import {
 } from "./device.js";
 import { TypedEventTarget } from "./events.js";
 
+interface InternalConnectOptions extends ConnectOptions {
+  serial?: boolean;
+}
+
 // Temporary workaround for ChromeOS 105 bug.
 // See https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1363712&q=usb&can=2
 export const isChromeOS105 = (): boolean => {
@@ -120,7 +124,9 @@ export class MicrobitWebUSBConnection
         setTimeout(() => {
           if (this.status === ConnectionStatus.CONNECTED) {
             this.unloading = false;
-            this.startSerialInternal();
+            if (this.addedListeners.serialdata) {
+              this.startSerialInternal();
+            }
           }
         }, assumePageIsStayingOpenDelay);
       },
@@ -130,11 +136,26 @@ export class MicrobitWebUSBConnection
 
   private logging: Logging;
 
+  private _addEventListener = this.addEventListener;
+  private _removeEventListener = this.removeEventListener;
+
+  private addedListeners = {
+    serialdata: false,
+  };
+
   constructor(
     options: MicrobitWebUSBConnectionOptions = { logging: new NullLogging() },
   ) {
     super();
     this.logging = options.logging;
+    this.addEventListener = (type, ...args) => {
+      this._addEventListener(type, ...args);
+      this.startNotifications(type);
+    };
+    this.removeEventListener = (type, ...args) => {
+      this.stopNotifications(type);
+      this._removeEventListener(type, ...args);
+    };
   }
 
   private log(v: any) {
@@ -250,10 +271,12 @@ export class MicrobitWebUSBConnection
       } else {
         // This might not strictly be "reinstating". We should make this
         // behaviour configurable when pulling out a library.
-        this.log("Reinstating serial after flash");
-        if (this.connection.daplink) {
-          await this.connection.daplink.connect();
-          await this.startSerialInternal();
+        if (this.addedListeners.serialdata) {
+          this.log("Reinstating serial after flash");
+          if (this.connection.daplink) {
+            await this.connection.daplink.connect();
+            await this.startSerialInternal();
+          }
         }
       }
     }
@@ -381,13 +404,15 @@ export class MicrobitWebUSBConnection
     this.setStatus(ConnectionStatus.NO_AUTHORIZED_DEVICE);
   }
 
-  private async connectInternal(options: ConnectOptions): Promise<void> {
+  private async connectInternal(
+    options: InternalConnectOptions,
+  ): Promise<void> {
     if (!this.connection) {
       const device = await this.chooseDevice();
       this.connection = new DAPWrapper(device, this.logging);
     }
     await withTimeout(this.connection.reconnectAsync(), 10_000);
-    if (options.serial === undefined || options.serial) {
+    if (this.addedListeners.serialdata && options.serial !== false) {
       this.startSerialInternal();
     }
     this.setStatus(ConnectionStatus.CONNECTED);
@@ -404,6 +429,26 @@ export class MicrobitWebUSBConnection
     this.dispatchTypedEvent("afterrequestdevice", new AfterRequestDevice());
     return this.device;
   }
+
+  private async startNotifications(type: string) {
+    switch (type as keyof DeviceConnectionEventMap) {
+      case "serialdata": {
+        this.startSerialInternal();
+        this.addedListeners.serialdata = true;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  private async stopNotifications(type: string) {
+    switch (type as keyof DeviceConnectionEventMap) {
+      case "serialdata": {
+        this.stopSerialInternal();
+        this.addedListeners.serialdata = false;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 const genericErrorSuggestingReconnect = (e: any) =>
diff --git a/src/demo.ts b/src/demo.ts
index 98257d0..f42640b 100644
--- a/src/demo.ts
+++ b/src/demo.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   ConnectionStatus,
   ConnectionStatusEvent,
   DeviceConnection,
+  SerialDataEvent,
 } from "../lib/device";
 import { MicrobitWebBluetoothConnection } from "../lib/bluetooth";
 import { AccelerometerDataEvent } from "../lib/accelerometer";
@@ -30,6 +31,10 @@ document.querySelector<HTMLDivElement>("#app")!.innerHTML = `
     <p class="status"></p>
     <label><div>File to flash</div><input type="file"/></label>
     <button class="flash">Flash</button>
+    <div class="serial-controls">
+      <button class="serial-listen">Listen to serial</button>
+      <button class="serial-stop">Stop serial data</button>
+    </div>
     <div class="acc-data-controls">
       <button class="acc-data-get">Get accelerometer data</button>
       <button class="acc-data-listen">Listen to accelerometer data</button>
@@ -73,6 +78,12 @@ const accPeriodInput = document.querySelector(
 const accPeriodSet = document.querySelector(
   "#flash > .acc-period-controls > .acc-period-set",
 )!;
+const serialListen = document.querySelector(
+  "#flash >  .serial-controls >  .serial-listen",
+)!;
+const serialStop = document.querySelector(
+  "#flash >  .serial-controls > .serial-stop",
+)!;
 
 const displayStatus = (status: ConnectionStatus) => {
   statusParagraph.textContent = status.toString();
@@ -212,3 +223,23 @@ accPeriodSet.addEventListener("click", async () => {
     );
   }
 });
+
+let data = "";
+const serialDataListener = (event: SerialDataEvent) => {
+  for (const char of event.data) {
+    if (char === "\n") {
+      console.log(data);
+      data = "";
+    } else {
+      data += char;
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+serialListen.addEventListener("click", async () => {
+  connection.addEventListener("serialdata", serialDataListener);
+});
+
+serialStop.addEventListener("click", async () => {
+  connection.removeEventListener("serialdata", serialDataListener);
+});