diff --git a/packages/testwatch/index.js b/packages/testwatch/index.js
index c5540a8..b5a3e5e 100755
--- a/packages/testwatch/index.js
+++ b/packages/testwatch/index.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ if (!isSupported) {
 }
 // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-unresolved, import/order
 const { spec: SpecReporter } = require('node:test/reporters');
+const WatchSuspendPlugin = require('./tests/fixtures/suspend-plugin');
 
 const KEYS = {
   CTRLC: '\x03',
@@ -41,6 +42,11 @@ process.stdin.setRawMode?.(true);
 class REPL {
   #controller = new AbortController();
 
+  #hooks = {
+    shouldRunTestSuite: [],
+    onTestRunComplete: [],
+  };
+
   #filesFilter = process.argv[2] || '';
 
   #testsFilter = '';
@@ -62,12 +68,20 @@ class REPL {
     this.#clear();
     this.#controller.abort();
     this.#controller = new AbortController();
+    if (this.#hooks.shouldRunTestSuite.some((fn) => !fn())) {
+      this.#clear();
+      this.#emitter.emit('drained');
+      this.#hooks.onTestRunComplete.forEach((fn) => fn());
+      return;
+    }
+
     const filter = this.#filesFilter ? `**/${this.#filesFilter}*.*` : '**/?(*.)+(spec|test).[jt]s';
     const files = await glob(filter, { ignore: 'node_modules/**' });
 
     if (!files.length) {
       process.stdout.write(chalk.red(`\nNo files found for pattern ${filter}\n`));
       this.#emitter.emit('drained');
+      this.#hooks.onTestRunComplete.forEach((fn) => fn());
       return;
     }
 
@@ -92,6 +106,7 @@ class REPL {
             setImmediate(() => {
               this.#emitter.emit('drained');
               drained = true;
+              this.#hooks.onTestRunComplete.forEach((fn) => fn());
             });
           }
         }
@@ -239,9 +254,32 @@ ${Object.entries(this.#currentCommands)
       }
     }
   }
+
+  registerPlugin(plugin) {
+    // TODO: should we be compatible (as much as possible) to Jest API for easy migration?
+    const usageInfo = plugin.getUsageInfo();
+
+    // TODO: enable override t,p overridable
+    this.#currentCommands = Object.freeze({
+      [usageInfo.key]: {
+        fn: plugin.run.bind(plugin),
+        description: usageInfo.description,
+      },
+      ...this.#currentCommands,
+    });
+
+    plugin.apply({
+      shouldRunTestSuite: (fn) => this.#hooks.shouldRunTestSuite.push(fn),
+      onTestRunComplete: (fn) => this.#hooks.onTestRunComplete.push(fn),
+    });
+  }
 }
 
-new REPL().run()
+const repl = new REPL();
+// TODO: only for testing/development. remove this after we have config.
+repl.registerPlugin(new WatchSuspendPlugin());
+
+repl.run()
   .then(() => process.exit(0))
   .catch((error) => {
     /* c8 ignore next 2 */
diff --git a/packages/testwatch/tests/fixtures/suspend-plugin.js b/packages/testwatch/tests/fixtures/suspend-plugin.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75f7d3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/testwatch/tests/fixtures/suspend-plugin.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const chalk = require('chalk');
+
+module.exports = class WatchSuspendPlugin {
+  constructor() {
+    this.suspend = false;
+  }
+
+  apply(hooks) {
+    hooks.shouldRunTestSuite(() => !this.suspend);
+    hooks.onTestRunComplete(() => {
+      if (this.suspend) {
+        console.info(chalk.bold('\nTest is suspended.'));
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line class-methods-use-this
+  getUsageInfo() {
+    return {
+      key: 's',
+      description: 'suspend watch mode',
+    };
+  }
+
+  run() {
+    this.suspend = !this.suspend;
+    if (this.suspend) {
+      console.info(chalk.bold('\nTest is suspended.'));
+    }
+  }
+};
diff --git a/packages/testwatch/tests/index.test.js b/packages/testwatch/tests/index.test.js
index f599412..c43bd47 100644
--- a/packages/testwatch/tests/index.test.js
+++ b/packages/testwatch/tests/index.test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ REPL Usage
 `;
 const mainMenuWithFilters = mainMenu.replace('REPL Usage', `REPL Usage
  › Press c to clear the filters.`);
+const mainMenuWithPlugin = mainMenu.replace('REPL Usage', 'REPL Usage\n'
+       + ' › Press s to suspend watch mode');
 const compactMenu = '\nREPL Usage: Press w to show more.';
 const filterTestsPrompt = `
 Filter Test
@@ -84,7 +86,9 @@ async function spawnInteractive(commandSequence = 'q', args = []) {
     stdout += data;
     pending.stdout += data;
     const s = pending.stdout;
-    if (s.includes(mainMenu) || s.includes(mainMenuWithFilters) || s.includes(compactMenu)) {
+    // TODO: can we check only the last line of each possible option?
+    if (s.includes(mainMenu) || s.includes(mainMenuWithFilters)
+        || s.includes(compactMenu) || s.includes(mainMenuWithPlugin)) {
       pending.resolve();
     }
   });
@@ -105,7 +109,6 @@ async function spawnInteractive(commandSequence = 'q', args = []) {
     });
   });
 }
-
 describe('testwatch', { concurrency: true, skip: !isSupported ? 'unsupported node version' : false }, () => {
   it('should run all tests on initialization', async () => {
     const { outputs, stderr } = await spawnInteractive('q');
@@ -296,4 +299,18 @@ describe('testwatch', { concurrency: true, skip: !isSupported ? 'unsupported nod
       assert.match(outputs[5], /No files found for pattern \*\*\/noth1ing\*\.\*/);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('Plugins', () => {
+    it('should suspend the watch mode', async () => {
+      const { outputs, stderr } = await spawnInteractive(['s', '\r', 'q']);
+      assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(outputs, [
+        '',
+        '',
+        `${tests}\n${mainMenuWithPlugin}\nTest is suspended.\n`,
+        '',
+        `${compactMenu}\nTest is suspended.\n\n`,
+      ]);
+    });
+  });
 });