diff --git a/apis/python/node/Cargo.toml b/apis/python/node/Cargo.toml
index ad676943..02840c9e 100644
--- a/apis/python/node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/apis/python/node/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ flume = "0.10.14"
 dora-runtime = { workspace = true, features = ["tracing", "python"] }
 arrow = { version = "35.0.0", features = ["pyarrow"] }
 pythonize = "0.18.0"
+futures = "0.3.28"
 
 [lib]
 name = "dora"
diff --git a/apis/python/node/src/lib.rs b/apis/python/node/src/lib.rs
index af77bf08..9a669c89 100644
--- a/apis/python/node/src/lib.rs
+++ b/apis/python/node/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #![allow(clippy::borrow_deref_ref)] // clippy warns about code generated by #[pymethods]
 
-use dora_node_api::{DoraNode, EventStream};
+use dora_node_api::merged::MergedEvent;
+use dora_node_api::{merged::MergeExternal, DoraNode, EventStream};
 use dora_operator_api_python::{process_python_output, pydict_to_metadata, PyEvent};
-use eyre::Context;
+use eyre::{Context, ContextCompat};
+use futures::{Stream, StreamExt};
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::types::PyDict;
 
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ use pyo3::types::PyDict;
 ///
 #[pyclass]
 pub struct Node {
-    events: EventStream,
+    events: Events,
     node: DoraNode,
 }
 
@@ -29,7 +31,10 @@ impl Node {
     pub fn new() -> eyre::Result<Self> {
         let (node, events) = DoraNode::init_from_env()?;
 
-        Ok(Node { events, node })
+        Ok(Node {
+            events: Events::Dora(events),
+            node,
+        })
     }
 
     /// `.next()` gives you the next input that the node has received.
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ impl Node {
 
     pub fn __next__(&mut self, py: Python) -> PyResult<Option<PyEvent>> {
         let event = py.allow_threads(|| self.events.recv());
-        Ok(event.map(PyEvent::from))
+        Ok(event)
     }
 
     fn __iter__(slf: PyRef<'_, Self>) -> PyRef<'_, Self> {
@@ -90,6 +95,60 @@ impl Node {
     pub fn dataflow_descriptor(&self, py: Python) -> pythonize::Result<PyObject> {
         pythonize::pythonize(py, self.node.dataflow_descriptor())
     }
+
+    pub fn merge_external_events(
+        &mut self,
+        external_events: &mut ExternalEventStream,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        // take out the event stream and temporarily replace it with a dummy
+        let events = std::mem::replace(
+            &mut self.events,
+            Events::Merged(Box::new(futures::stream::empty())),
+        );
+        // update self.events with the merged stream
+        self.events = Events::Merged(events.merge_external(Box::pin(
+            external_events.0.take().context("stream already taken")?,
+        )));
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[pyclass]
+pub struct ExternalEventStream(pub Option<Box<dyn Stream<Item = PyObject> + Unpin + Send>>);
+
+enum Events {
+    Dora(EventStream),
+    Merged(Box<dyn Stream<Item = MergedEvent<PyObject>> + Unpin + Send>),
+}
+
+impl Events {
+    fn recv(&mut self) -> Option<PyEvent> {
+        match self {
+            Events::Dora(events) => events.recv().map(PyEvent::from),
+            Events::Merged(events) => futures::executor::block_on(events.next()).map(PyEvent::from),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> MergeExternal<'a, PyObject> for Events {
+    type Item = MergedEvent<PyObject>;
+
+    fn merge_external(
+        self,
+        external_events: impl Stream<Item = PyObject> + Send + Unpin + 'a,
+    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Send + Unpin + 'a> {
+        match self {
+            Events::Dora(events) => events.merge_external(external_events),
+            Events::Merged(events) => {
+                let merged = events.merge_external(external_events);
+                Box::new(merged.map(|event| match event {
+                    MergedEvent::Dora(e) => MergedEvent::Dora(e),
+                    MergedEvent::External(e) => MergedEvent::External(e.flatten()),
+                }))
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Node {
diff --git a/apis/python/operator/src/lib.rs b/apis/python/operator/src/lib.rs
index 38b26893..5e2091e9 100644
--- a/apis/python/operator/src/lib.rs
+++ b/apis/python/operator/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::{borrow::Cow, sync::Arc};
 
 use arrow::pyarrow::PyArrowConvert;
-use dora_node_api::{Data, Event, Metadata, MetadataParameters};
+use dora_node_api::{merged::MergedEvent, Data, Event, Metadata, MetadataParameters};
 use eyre::{Context, Result};
 use pyo3::{
     exceptions::PyLookupError,
@@ -11,33 +11,38 @@ use pyo3::{
 
 #[pyclass]
 pub struct PyEvent {
-    event: Event,
+    event: MergedEvent<PyObject>,
     data: Option<Arc<Data>>,
 }
 
 #[pymethods]
 impl PyEvent {
     pub fn __getitem__(&self, key: &str, py: Python<'_>) -> PyResult<Option<PyObject>> {
-        let value = match key {
-            "type" => Some(self.ty().to_object(py)),
-            "id" => self.id().map(|v| v.to_object(py)),
-            "data" => self.data(py),
-            "value" => self.value(py)?,
-            "metadata" => self.metadata(py),
-            "error" => self.error().map(|v| v.to_object(py)),
-            other => {
-                return Err(PyLookupError::new_err(format!(
-                    "event has no property `{other}`"
-                )))
+        match &self.event {
+            MergedEvent::Dora(event) => {
+                let value = match key {
+                    "type" => Some(Self::ty(event).to_object(py)),
+                    "id" => Self::id(event).map(|v| v.to_object(py)),
+                    "data" => self.data(py),
+                    "value" => self.value(py)?,
+                    "metadata" => Self::metadata(event, py),
+                    "error" => Self::error(event).map(|v| v.to_object(py)),
+                    other => {
+                        return Err(PyLookupError::new_err(format!(
+                            "event has no property `{other}`"
+                        )))
+                    }
+                };
+                Ok(value)
             }
-        };
-        Ok(value)
+            MergedEvent::External(event) => event.call_method0(py, "__getitem__").map(Some),
+        }
     }
 }
 
 impl PyEvent {
-    fn ty(&self) -> &str {
-        match &self.event {
+    fn ty(event: &Event) -> &str {
+        match event {
             Event::Stop => "STOP",
             Event::Input { .. } => "INPUT",
             Event::InputClosed { .. } => "INPUT_CLOSED",
@@ -46,8 +51,8 @@ impl PyEvent {
         }
     }
 
-    fn id(&self) -> Option<&str> {
-        match &self.event {
+    fn id(event: &Event) -> Option<&str> {
+        match event {
             Event::Input { id, .. } => Some(id),
             Event::InputClosed { id } => Some(id),
             _ => None,
@@ -74,15 +79,15 @@ impl PyEvent {
         Ok(None)
     }
 
-    fn metadata(&self, py: Python<'_>) -> Option<PyObject> {
-        match &self.event {
+    fn metadata(event: &Event, py: Python<'_>) -> Option<PyObject> {
+        match event {
             Event::Input { metadata, .. } => Some(metadata_to_pydict(metadata, py).to_object(py)),
             _ => None,
         }
     }
 
-    fn error(&self) -> Option<&str> {
-        match &self.event {
+    fn error(event: &Event) -> Option<&str> {
+        match event {
             Event::Error(error) => Some(error),
             _other => None,
         }
@@ -90,8 +95,14 @@ impl PyEvent {
 }
 
 impl From<Event> for PyEvent {
-    fn from(mut event: Event) -> Self {
-        let data = if let Event::Input { data, .. } = &mut event {
+    fn from(event: Event) -> Self {
+        Self::from(MergedEvent::Dora(event))
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<MergedEvent<PyObject>> for PyEvent {
+    fn from(mut event: MergedEvent<PyObject>) -> Self {
+        let data = if let MergedEvent::Dora(Event::Input { data, .. }) = &mut event {
             data.take().map(Arc::new)
         } else {
             None
diff --git a/apis/rust/node/src/event_stream/merged.rs b/apis/rust/node/src/event_stream/merged.rs
index b9a10aa2..e622c856 100644
--- a/apis/rust/node/src/event_stream/merged.rs
+++ b/apis/rust/node/src/event_stream/merged.rs
@@ -11,13 +11,22 @@ pub enum Either<A, B> {
     Second(B),
 }
 
+impl<A> Either<A, A> {
+    pub fn flatten(self) -> A {
+        match self {
+            Either::First(a) => a,
+            Either::Second(a) => a,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub trait MergeExternal<'a, E> {
     type Item;
 
     fn merge_external(
         self,
-        external_events: impl Stream<Item = E> + Unpin + 'a,
-    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Unpin + 'a>;
+        external_events: impl Stream<Item = E> + Send + Unpin + 'a,
+    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Send + Unpin + 'a>;
 }
 
 impl<'a, E> MergeExternal<'a, E> for super::EventStream
@@ -28,8 +37,8 @@ where
 
     fn merge_external(
         self,
-        external_events: impl Stream<Item = E> + Unpin + 'a,
-    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Unpin + 'a> {
+        external_events: impl Stream<Item = E> + Send + Unpin + 'a,
+    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Send + Unpin + 'a> {
         let dora = self.map(MergedEvent::Dora);
         let external = external_events.map(MergedEvent::External);
         Box::new((dora, external).merge())
@@ -38,7 +47,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, E, F, S> MergeExternal<'a, F> for S
 where
-    S: Stream<Item = MergedEvent<E>> + Unpin + 'a,
+    S: Stream<Item = MergedEvent<E>> + Send + Unpin + 'a,
     E: 'a,
     F: 'a,
 {
@@ -46,8 +55,8 @@ where
 
     fn merge_external(
         self,
-        external_events: impl Stream<Item = F> + Unpin + 'a,
-    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Unpin + 'a> {
+        external_events: impl Stream<Item = F> + Send + Unpin + 'a,
+    ) -> Box<dyn Stream<Item = Self::Item> + Send + Unpin + 'a> {
         let first = self.map(|e| match e {
             MergedEvent::Dora(d) => MergedEvent::Dora(d),
             MergedEvent::External(e) => MergedEvent::External(Either::First(e)),