diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
index ea2fc1e8..660f82ec 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ from mopidy.utils import flatten
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('mopidy.frontends.mpd.dispatcher')
 
-#: Subsystems that can be registered with idle command.
-SUBSYSTEMS = ['database', 'mixer', 'options', 'output',
-    'player', 'playlist', 'stored_playlist', 'update', ]
-
 class MpdDispatcher(object):
     """
     The MPD session feeds the MPD dispatcher with requests. The dispatcher
@@ -132,59 +128,40 @@ class MpdDispatcher(object):
     ### Filter: idle
 
     def _idle_filter(self, request, response, filter_chain):
-        if re.match(r'^noidle$', request):
-            if not self.context.subscriptions:
-                return []
-            self.context.subscriptions = set()
-            self.context.events = set()
-            self.context.session.connection.enable_timeout()
-            return [u'OK']
-
-        if self.context.subscriptions:
+        if self._is_currently_idle() and not self._is_noidle(request):
+            logger.debug(u'Client send us %s, only %s is allowed while in '
+                'the idle state', repr(request), repr('noidle'))
             self.context.session.close()
             return []
 
-        if re.match(r'^idle( .+)?$', request):
-            for subsystem in self._extract_subsystems(request):
-                self.context.subscriptions.add(subsystem)
+        if not self._is_currently_idle() and self._is_noidle(request):
+            return []
 
-            subsystems = self.context.subscriptions.intersection(
-                self.context.events)
-            if subsystems:
-                for subsystem in subsystems:
-                    response.append(u'changed: %s' % subsystem)
-                self.context.events = set()
-                self.context.subscriptions = set()
-                response.append(u'OK')
-                return response
-            else:
-                self.context.session.connection.disable_timeout()
-                return []
+        response = self._call_next_filter(request, response, filter_chain)
 
-        return self._call_next_filter(request, response, filter_chain)
+        if self._is_currently_idle():
+            return []
+        else:
+            return response
 
-    def _extract_subsystems(self, request):
-        match = re.match(r'^idle (?P<subsystems>.+)$', request)
-        if not match:
-            return SUBSYSTEMS
-        return match.groupdict()['subsystems'].split(' ')
+    def _is_currently_idle(self):
+        return bool(self.context.subscriptions)
+
+    def _is_noidle(self, request):
+        return re.match(r'^noidle$', request)
 
 
     ### Filter: add OK
 
     def _add_ok_filter(self, request, response, filter_chain):
         response = self._call_next_filter(request, response, filter_chain)
-        if not self._has_error(response) and not self._is_idle(request):
+        if not self._has_error(response):
             response.append(u'OK')
         return response
 
     def _has_error(self, response):
         return response and response[-1].startswith(u'ACK')
 
-    def _is_idle(self, request):
-        return request.startswith('idle')
-
-
     ### Filter: call handler
 
     def _call_handler_filter(self, request, response, filter_chain):
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/reflection.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/reflection.py
index 3618f5e1..dbd76034 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/reflection.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/reflection.py
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ def commands(context):
         command_names.remove('command_list_ok_begin')
     if 'command_list_end' in command_names:
         command_names.remove('command_list_end')
-    if 'idle' in command_names:
-        command_names.remove('idle')
-    if 'noidle' in command_names:
-        command_names.remove('noidle')
     if 'sticker' in command_names:
         command_names.remove('sticker')
 
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/status.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/status.py
index 4a961e76..444ec0c2 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/status.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/status.py
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ from mopidy.backends.base import PlaybackController
 from mopidy.frontends.mpd.protocol import handle_request
 from mopidy.frontends.mpd.exceptions import MpdNotImplemented
 
+#: Subsystems that can be registered with idle command.
+SUBSYSTEMS = ['database', 'mixer', 'options', 'output',
+    'player', 'playlist', 'stored_playlist', 'update', ]
+
 @handle_request(r'^clearerror$')
 def clearerror(context):
     """
@@ -32,8 +36,8 @@ def currentsong(context):
             position=context.backend.playback.current_playlist_position.get(),
             cpid=current_cp_track.cpid)
 
-#@handle_request(r'^idle$')
-#@handle_request(r'^idle (?P<subsystems>.+)$')
+@handle_request(r'^idle$')
+@handle_request(r'^idle (?P<subsystems>.+)$')
 def idle(context, subsystems=None):
     """
     *musicpd.org, status section:*
@@ -67,12 +71,38 @@ def idle(context, subsystems=None):
         notifications when something changed in one of the specified
         subsystems.
     """
-    pass # TODO
 
-#@handle_request(r'^noidle$')
+    if subsystems:
+        subsystems = subsystems.split()
+    else:
+        subsystems = SUBSYSTEMS
+
+    for subsystem in subsystems:
+        context.subscriptions.add(subsystem)
+
+    active = context.subscriptions.intersection(context.events)
+    if not active:
+        context.session.connection.disable_timeout()
+        return
+
+    response = []
+    context.events = set()
+    context.subscriptions = set()
+
+    for subsystem in active:
+        response.append(u'changed: %s' % subsystem)
+    response.append(u'OK')
+
+    return response
+
+@handle_request(r'^noidle$')
 def noidle(context):
     """See :meth:`_status_idle`."""
-    pass # TODO
+    if not context.subscriptions:
+        return
+    context.subscriptions = set()
+    context.events = set()
+    context.session.connection.enable_timeout()
 
 @handle_request(r'^stats$')
 def stats(context):
diff --git a/tests/frontends/mpd/protocol/idle_test.py b/tests/frontends/mpd/protocol/idle_test.py
index 3efb0cb1..0f56cd61 100644
--- a/tests/frontends/mpd/protocol/idle_test.py
+++ b/tests/frontends/mpd/protocol/idle_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from mock import patch
 
-from mopidy.frontends.mpd.dispatcher import SUBSYSTEMS
+from mopidy.frontends.mpd.protocol.status import SUBSYSTEMS
 from mopidy.models import Track
 
 from tests.frontends.mpd import protocol