diff --git a/plover_machine_hid.py b/plover_machine_hid.py
index 8d6ffec..c63ce54 100644
--- a/plover_machine_hid.py
+++ b/plover_machine_hid.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ The order of the buttons (from left to right) is the same as in `KEYS_LAYOUT`.
 Most buttons have the same names as in GeminiPR, except for the extra buttons
 which are called X1-X26.
 '''
+from plover.engine import StenoEngine
 from plover.machine.base import ThreadedStenotypeBase
 from plover import log
 
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import hid
 import platform
 import threading
 import time
+from typing import Optional
 
 # This is a hack to not open the hid device in exclusive mode on
 # darwin, if the version of hidapi installed is current enough
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ if platform.system() == "Darwin":
         hid.hidapi.hid_darwin_set_open_exclusive.argtypes = (ctypes.c_int, )
         hid.hidapi.hid_darwin_set_open_exclusive.restype = None
         hid.hidapi.hid_darwin_set_open_exclusive(0)
-    except AttributeError as e:
+    except AttributeError:
         log.error("hidapi < 0.12 in use, plover-hid will not work correctly")
 
 USAGE_PAGE: int = 0xFF60
@@ -40,12 +42,35 @@ N_LEVERS: int = 80
 SIMPLE_REPORT_TYPE: int = 0x62
 SIMPLE_REPORT_LEN: int = 32
 
+
 class InvalidReport(Exception):
     pass
 
+
 STENO_KEY_CHART = tuple(f"X{i}" for i in range(1, N_LEVERS + 1))
 
 print('steno key chart', len(STENO_KEY_CHART))
+
+
+class UnicodeSender:
+    def __init__(self, engine: StenoEngine):
+        self._engine = engine
+
+    def start(self):
+        global unicode_sender
+        unicode_sender = self
+
+    def stop(self):
+        global unicode_sender
+        unicode_sender = None
+
+    def send_string(self, string: str):
+        self._engine.keyboard_emulation.send_string(string)
+
+
+unicode_sender: Optional[UnicodeSender] = None
+
+
 class HidMachine(ThreadedStenotypeBase):
     KEYS_LAYOUT: str = '''
      X1  X2  X3  X4  X5  X6  X7  X8  X9  X10
@@ -57,17 +82,26 @@ class HidMachine(ThreadedStenotypeBase):
      X61 X62 X63 X64 X65 X66 X67 X68 X69 X70
      X71 X72 X73 X74 X75 X76 X77 X78 X79 X80
     '''
+
     def __init__(self, params):
         super().__init__()
         self._params = params
         self._hid = None
 
-    def _parse(self, report):
+    def _parse(self, report: bytes) -> Optional[BitString]:
         if len(report) != SIMPLE_REPORT_LEN:
             raise InvalidReport()
-        if report[:3] != b"STN":
+        if report[:3] == b"STN":
+            return BitString(bytes=report[3:13])
+        elif report[:3] == b"UNI":
+            try:
+                s = report[3:].decode("UTF-8").strip('\0')
+                if unicode_sender is not None:
+                    unicode_sender.send_string(s)
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                raise InvalidReport()
+        else:
             raise InvalidReport()
-        return BitString(bytes=report[3:13])
 
     def _ping_thread(self):
         while not self.finished.wait(0):
@@ -89,6 +123,8 @@ class HidMachine(ThreadedStenotypeBase):
                 continue
             try:
                 report = self._parse(report)
+                if report is None:
+                    continue
             except InvalidReport:
                 continue
             keystate |= report
@@ -109,14 +145,15 @@ class HidMachine(ThreadedStenotypeBase):
             devices = [
                 device["path"]
                 for device in hid.enumerate()
-                if device["usage_page"] == USAGE_PAGE and device["usage"] == USAGE
+                if device["usage_page"] == USAGE_PAGE
+                and device["usage"] == USAGE
             ]
             if not devices:
                 self._error()
                 return
             # FIXME: if multiple compatible devices are found we should either
-            # let the end user configure which one they want, or support reading
-            # from all connected plover hid devices at the same time.
+            # let the end user configure which one they want, or support 
+            # reading from all connected plover hid devices at the same time.
             self._hid = hid.Device(path=devices[0])
         except hid.HIDException:
             self._error()
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index a87a26f..129b1d2 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ py_modules =
 [options.entry_points]
 plover.machine =
   Plover HID = plover_machine_hid:HidMachine
+plover.extension = plover_machine_hid:UnicodeSender
\ No newline at end of file