diff --git a/src/libguac/guacamole/user.h b/src/libguac/guacamole/user.h
index 67ca7c88..f920c325 100644
--- a/src/libguac/guacamole/user.h
+++ b/src/libguac/guacamole/user.h
@@ -544,6 +544,32 @@ void guac_user_free(guac_user* user);
  */
 int guac_user_handle_connection(guac_user* user, int usec_timeout);
 
+/**
+ * Call the appropriate handler defined by the given user for the given
+ * instruction. A comparison is made between the instruction opcode and the
+ * initial handler lookup table defined in user-handlers.c. The initial handlers
+ * will in turn call the user's handler (if defined).
+ *
+ * @param user
+ *     The user whose handlers should be called.
+ *
+ * @param opcode
+ *     The opcode of the instruction to pass to the user via the appropriate
+ *     handler.
+ *
+ * @param argc
+ *     The number of arguments which are part of the instruction.
+ *
+ * @param argv
+ *     An array of all arguments which are part of the instruction.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     Non-negative if the instruction was handled successfully, or negative
+ *     if an error occurred.
+ */
+int guac_user_handle_instruction(guac_user* user, const char* opcode,
+        int argc, char** argv);
+
 /**
  * Allocates a new stream. An arbitrary index is automatically assigned
  * if no previously-allocated stream is available for use.
diff --git a/src/libguac/user-handlers.c b/src/libguac/user-handlers.c
index 737e6f30..92dc249a 100644
--- a/src/libguac/user-handlers.c
+++ b/src/libguac/user-handlers.c
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ void guac_free_mimetypes(char** mimetypes) {
 
 }
 
-int guac_user_handle_instruction(__guac_instruction_handler_mapping* map,
+int __guac_user_call_opcode_handler(__guac_instruction_handler_mapping* map,
         guac_user* user, const char* opcode, int argc, char** argv) {
 
     /* For each defined instruction */
diff --git a/src/libguac/user-handlers.h b/src/libguac/user-handlers.h
index 1a6477ed..dd9f829b 100644
--- a/src/libguac/user-handlers.h
+++ b/src/libguac/user-handlers.h
@@ -261,8 +261,10 @@ char** guac_copy_mimetypes(char** mimetypes, int count);
 /**
  * Call the appropriate handler defined by the given user for the given
  * instruction. A comparison is made between the instruction opcode and the
- * initial handler lookup table defined in user-handlers.c. The intial handlers
- * will in turn call the user's handler (if defined).
+ * initial handler lookup table defined in the map that is provided to this
+ * function. If an entry for the instruction is found in the provided map,
+ * the handler defined in that map will be called and the value returned.  If
+ * no match is found, it is silently ignored.
  *
  * @param map
  *     The array that holds the opcode to handler mappings.
@@ -284,7 +286,7 @@ char** guac_copy_mimetypes(char** mimetypes, int count);
  *     Non-negative if the instruction was handled successfully, or negative
  *     if an error occurred.
  */
-int guac_user_handle_instruction(__guac_instruction_handler_mapping* map,
+int __guac_user_call_opcode_handler(__guac_instruction_handler_mapping* map,
         guac_user* user, const char* opcode, int argc, char** argv);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/libguac/user-handshake.c b/src/libguac/user-handshake.c
index 9cccec4c..cf96d347 100644
--- a/src/libguac/user-handshake.c
+++ b/src/libguac/user-handshake.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "guacamole/protocol.h"
 #include "guacamole/socket.h"
 #include "guacamole/user.h"
+#include "user-handlers.h"
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ static void* guac_user_input_thread(void* data) {
         guac_error_message = NULL;
 
         /* Call handler, stop on error */
-        if (guac_user_handle_instruction(__guac_instruction_handler_map, 
+        if (__guac_user_call_opcode_handler(__guac_instruction_handler_map, 
                 user, parser->opcode, parser->argc, parser->argv) < 0) {
 
             /* Log error */
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ int guac_user_handle_connection(guac_user* user, int usec_timeout) {
                 parser->opcode);
         
         /* Run instruction handler for opcode with arguments. */
-        if (guac_user_handle_instruction(__guac_handshake_handler_map, user,
+        if (__guac_user_call_opcode_handler(__guac_handshake_handler_map, user,
                 parser->opcode, parser->argc, parser->argv)) {
             
             guac_user_log_handshake_failure(user);
diff --git a/src/libguac/user.c b/src/libguac/user.c
index 64c2a763..9145b275 100644
--- a/src/libguac/user.c
+++ b/src/libguac/user.c
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ void guac_user_free_object(guac_user* user, guac_object* object) {
 
 }
 
+int guac_user_handle_instruction(guac_user* user, const char* opcode, int argc, char** argv) {
+
+    return __guac_user_call_opcode_handler(__guac_instruction_handler_map,
+            user, opcode, argc, argv);
+
+}
+
 void guac_user_stop(guac_user* user) {
     user->active = 0;
 }