diff --git a/headless/index.js b/headless/index.js
index a6653cc5d..5245943e7 100644
--- a/headless/index.js
+++ b/headless/index.js
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@
  * @format
  */
 
+import path from 'path';
 import {createStore} from 'redux';
-import reducers from '../src/reducers/index.js';
+import {applyMiddleware} from 'redux';
+import yargs from 'yargs';
+
 import dispatcher from '../src/dispatcher/index.js';
 import {init as initLogger} from '../src/fb-stubs/Logger.js';
-import path from 'path';
+import reducers from '../src/reducers/index.js';
+import {exportStore} from '../src/utils/exportData.js';
 // $FlowFixMe this file exist, trust me, flow!
 import setup from '../static/setup.js';
-import yargs from 'yargs';
-import {exportStore} from '../src/utils/exportData.js';
 
 yargs
   .usage('$0 [args]')
@@ -37,6 +39,11 @@ yargs
           'Enable redux-devtools. Tries to connect to devtools running on port 8181',
         type: 'boolean',
       });
+      yargs.option('exit', {
+        describe: 'Controls when to exit and dump the store to stdout.',
+        choices: ['sigint', 'disconnect'],
+        default: 'sigint',
+      });
       yargs.option('v', {
         alias: 'verbose',
         default: false,
@@ -52,6 +59,7 @@ yargs
 function startFlipper({
   dev,
   verbose,
+  exit,
   'insecure-port': insecurePort,
   'secure-port': securePort,
 }) {
@@ -85,24 +93,40 @@ function startFlipper({
   process.env.FLIPPER_PORTS = `${insecurePort},${securePort}`;
 
   // needs to be required after WebSocket polyfill is loaded
-  const devToolsEnhancer = require('remote-redux-devtools').default;
+  const devToolsEnhancer = require('remote-redux-devtools');
+
+  const headlessMiddleware = store => next => action => {
+    if (exit == 'disconnect' && action.type == 'CLIENT_REMOVED') {
+      // TODO(T42325892): Investigate why the export stalls without exiting the
+      // current eventloop task here.
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        exportStore(store)
+          .then(output => {
+            originalConsole.log(output);
+            process.exit();
+          })
+          .catch(console.error);
+      }, 10);
+    }
+    return next(action);
+  };
 
   setup({});
-  const store = dev
-    ? createStore(
-        reducers,
-        devToolsEnhancer({realtime: true, hostname: 'localhost', port: 8181}),
-      )
-    : createStore(reducers);
+  const store = createStore(
+    reducers,
+    devToolsEnhancer.composeWithDevTools(applyMiddleware(headlessMiddleware)),
+  );
   const logger = initLogger(store, {isHeadless: true});
   dispatcher(store, logger);
 
-  process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
-    try {
-      originalConsole.log(await exportStore(store));
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error(e);
-    }
-    process.exit();
-  });
+  if (exit == 'sigint') {
+    process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
+      try {
+        originalConsole.log(await exportStore(store));
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.error(e);
+      }
+      process.exit();
+    });
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 13c71eb00..5af250506 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export {connect} from 'react-redux';
 export {selectPlugin} from './reducers/connections';
 export {getPluginKey, getPersistedState} from './utils/pluginUtils.js';
 export {default as BaseDevice} from './devices/BaseDevice.js';
-export type {Store} from './reducers/index.js';
+export type {Store, MiddlewareAPI} from './reducers/index.js';
 
 export {
   default as SidebarExtensions,
diff --git a/src/plugin.js b/src/plugin.js
index 8513fc858..0c958bc93 100644
--- a/src/plugin.js
+++ b/src/plugin.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import type {KeyboardActions} from './MenuBar.js';
 import type {App} from './App.js';
 import type {Logger} from './fb-interfaces/Logger.js';
 import type Client from './Client.js';
-import type {Store} from './reducers/index.js';
+import type {Store, MiddlewareAPI} from './reducers/index.js';
 
 import React from 'react';
 import type {Node} from 'react';
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export class FlipperBasePlugin<
   static exportPersistedState: ?(
     callClient: (string, ?Object) => Promise<Object>,
     persistedState: ?PersistedState,
-    store: ?Store,
+    store: ?MiddlewareAPI,
   ) => Promise<?PersistedState>;
   static getActiveNotifications: ?(
     persistedState: PersistedState,
diff --git a/src/plugins/layout/index.js b/src/plugins/layout/index.js
index d93975171..1bdd24765 100644
--- a/src/plugins/layout/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/layout/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import type {
   ElementID,
   Element,
   ElementSearchResultSet,
-  Store,
+  MiddlewareAPI,
   PluginClient,
 } from 'flipper';
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export default class Layout extends FlipperPlugin<State, void, PersistedState> {
   static exportPersistedState = (
     callClient: (string, ?Object) => Promise<Object>,
     persistedState: ?PersistedState,
-    store: ?Store,
+    store: ?MiddlewareAPI,
   ): Promise<?PersistedState> => {
     const defaultPromise = Promise.resolve(persistedState);
     if (!store) {
diff --git a/src/reducers/index.js b/src/reducers/index.js
index ab63e0542..a3633a364 100644
--- a/src/reducers/index.js
+++ b/src/reducers/index.js
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ import type {
   Action as PluginsAction,
 } from './plugins.js';
 import type {State as UserState, Action as UserAction} from './user.js';
-import type {Store as ReduxStore} from 'redux';
+import type {
+  Store as ReduxStore,
+  MiddlewareAPI as ReduxMiddlewareAPI,
+} from 'redux';
 
 type Actions =
   | ApplicationAction
@@ -58,6 +61,7 @@ export type State = {|
 |};
 
 export type Store = ReduxStore<State, Actions>;
+export type MiddlewareAPI = ReduxMiddlewareAPI<State, Actions>;
 
 export default combineReducers<_, Actions>({
   application,
diff --git a/src/utils/exportData.js b/src/utils/exportData.js
index 02843c3a5..167d3059d 100644
--- a/src/utils/exportData.js
+++ b/src/utils/exportData.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * @format
  */
 import {getInstance as getLogger} from '../fb-stubs/Logger';
-import type {Store} from '../reducers';
+import type {Store, MiddlewareAPI} from '../reducers';
 import type {DeviceExport} from '../devices/BaseDevice';
 import type {State as PluginStates} from '../reducers/pluginStates';
 import type {PluginNotification} from '../reducers/notifications.js';
@@ -183,7 +183,9 @@ export const processStore = async (
   return null;
 };
 
-export async function getStoreExport(store: Store): Promise<?ExportType> {
+export async function getStoreExport(
+  store: MiddlewareAPI,
+): Promise<?ExportType> {
   const state = store.getState();
   const {clients} = state.connections;
   const {pluginStates} = state;
@@ -234,7 +236,7 @@ export async function getStoreExport(store: Store): Promise<?ExportType> {
   );
 }
 
-export function exportStore(store: Store): Promise<string> {
+export function exportStore(store: MiddlewareAPI): Promise<string> {
   getLogger().track('usage', EXPORT_FLIPPER_TRACE_EVENT);
   return new Promise(async (resolve, reject) => {
     const storeExport = await getStoreExport(store);