diff --git a/tests/simulation/start.sh b/tests/simulation/start.sh
index 7a59a3e74..4863f3b0c 100755
--- a/tests/simulation/start.sh
+++ b/tests/simulation/start.sh
@@ -65,10 +65,17 @@ if [ -f "${MASTER_NODE_ADDRESS_FILE}" ]; then
   rm "${MASTER_NODE_ADDRESS_FILE}"
 fi
 
-# multitail support
-MULTITAIL="${MULTITAIL:-multitail}" # to allow overriding the program name
-USE_MULTITAIL="${USE_MULTITAIL:-no}" # make it an opt-in
-type "$MULTITAIL" &>/dev/null || USE_MULTITAIL="no"
+# to allow overriding the program names
+MULTITAIL="${MULTITAIL:-multitail}"
+TMUX="${TMUX:-tmux}"
+TMUX_SESSION_NAME="${TMUX_SESSION_NAME:-nbc-network-sim}"
+
+# Using tmux or multitail is an opt-in
+USE_MULTITAIL="${USE_MULTITAIL:-no}"
+type "$MULTITAIL" &>/dev/null || { echo $MULTITAIL is missing; USE_MULTITAIL="no"; }
+
+USE_TMUX="${USE_TMUX:-no}"
+type "$TMUX" &>/dev/null || { echo $TMUX is missing; USE_TMUX="no"; }
 
 # Prometheus config (continued inside the loop)
 mkdir -p "${METRICS_DIR}"
@@ -103,6 +110,13 @@ fi
 
 COMMANDS=()
 
+if [[ "$USE_TMUX" != "no" ]]; then
+  $TMUX new-session -s $TMUX_SESSION_NAME -d
+  # maybe these should be moved to a user config file
+  $TMUX set-option -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME history-limit 999999
+  $TMUX set -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME mouse on
+fi
+
 for i in $(seq $MASTER_NODE -1 $TOTAL_USER_NODES); do
   if [[ "$i" != "$MASTER_NODE" && "$USE_MULTITAIL" == "no" ]]; then
     # Wait for the master node to write out its address file
@@ -113,7 +127,10 @@ for i in $(seq $MASTER_NODE -1 $TOTAL_USER_NODES); do
 
   CMD="${SIM_ROOT}/run_node.sh $i"
 
-  if [[ "$USE_MULTITAIL" != "no" ]]; then
+  if [[ "$USE_TMUX" != "no" ]]; then
+    $TMUX split-window -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME "$CMD; pause"
+    $TMUX select-layout -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME tiled
+  elif [[ "$USE_MULTITAIL" != "no" ]]; then
     if [[ "$i" == "$MASTER_NODE" ]]; then
       SLEEP="0"
     else
@@ -133,7 +150,11 @@ for i in $(seq $MASTER_NODE -1 $TOTAL_USER_NODES); do
 EOF
 done
 
-if [[ "$USE_MULTITAIL" != "no" ]]; then
+if [[ "$USE_TMUX" != "no" ]]; then
+  $TMUX kill-pane -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME:0.0
+  $TMUX select-layout -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME tiled
+  $TMUX attach-session -t $TMUX_SESSION_NAME -d
+elif [[ "$USE_MULTITAIL" != "no" ]]; then
   eval $MULTITAIL -s 3 -M 0 -x \"Nimbus beacon chain\" "${COMMANDS[@]}"
 else
   wait # Stop when all nodes have gone down