diff --git a/dask_expr/_collection.py b/dask_expr/_collection.py
index a87e2849e..37548d5d7 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_collection.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_collection.py
@@ -553,6 +553,19 @@ def pprint(self):
     def dask(self):
         return self.__dask_graph__()
 
+    def exec(self, simplify=True):
+        """Directly execute with the backend DataFrame library
+
+        WARNING: This is an experimental feature. Use at your own risk.
+
+        This function will NOT convert the expression to a task graph
+        and execute with dask. Instead, the backend library will be
+        used to execute the logic defined by the ``Expr.__exec__``
+        protocols directly.
+        """
+        out = self.simplify() if simplify else self
+        return out.expr.__exec__()
+
     def __dask_graph__(self):
         out = self.expr
         out = out.lower_completely()
diff --git a/dask_expr/_core.py b/dask_expr/_core.py
index 0eded2505..6b350ff88 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_core.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_core.py
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
         Expr._instances[_name] = inst
         return inst
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            f"Backend exec is not yet supported for {type(self)}."
+        )
+
     def _tune_down(self):
         return None
 
diff --git a/dask_expr/_expr.py b/dask_expr/_expr.py
index 9aaea9b1d..beaaf81a7 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_expr.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_expr.py
@@ -495,6 +495,10 @@ def _meta(self):
         args = [op._meta if isinstance(op, Expr) else op for op in self._args]
         return self.operation(*args, **self._kwargs)
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        args = [op.__exec__() if isinstance(op, Expr) else op for op in self._args]
+        return self.operation(*args, **self._kwargs)
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def _kwargs(self) -> dict:
         if self._keyword_only:
diff --git a/dask_expr/_groupby.py b/dask_expr/_groupby.py
index 129b03623..fff8eec2a 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_groupby.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_groupby.py
@@ -368,6 +368,15 @@ class GroupbyAggregationBase(GroupByApplyConcatApply, GroupByBase):
         "_slice": None,
     }
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        frame = self.frame.__exec__()
+        kwargs = {
+            "sort": self.sort,
+            **_as_dict("observed", self.observed),
+            **_as_dict("dropna", self.dropna),
+        }
+        return frame.groupby(self.by, **kwargs).aggregate(self.arg)
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def spec(self):
         # Converts the `arg` operand into specific
diff --git a/dask_expr/_merge.py b/dask_expr/_merge.py
index 4c4fb69d0..b543866ec 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_merge.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_merge.py
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ def _meta(self):
             kwargs["how"] = "left"
         return make_meta(left.merge(right, **kwargs))
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        left = self.left.__exec__()
+        right = self.right.__exec__()
+        return left.merge(right, **self.kwargs)
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def _npartitions(self):
         if self.operand("_npartitions") is not None:
diff --git a/dask_expr/_shuffle.py b/dask_expr/_shuffle.py
index e7e9804cc..be532c858 100644
--- a/dask_expr/_shuffle.py
+++ b/dask_expr/_shuffle.py
@@ -815,6 +815,14 @@ def _meta(self):
             other = self._other
         return self.frame._meta.set_index(other, drop=self.drop)
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        frame = self.frame.__exec__()
+        if isinstance(self._other, Expr):
+            other = self._other.__exec__()
+        else:
+            other = self._other
+        return frame.set_index(other, drop=self.drop)
+
     @property
     def _divisions_column(self):
         return self.other
@@ -996,6 +1004,10 @@ def sort_function_kwargs(self):
     def _meta(self):
         return self.frame._meta
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        frame = self.frame.__exec__()
+        return self.sort_function(frame, **self.sort_function_kwargs)
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def _meta_by_dtype(self):
         dtype = self._meta.dtypes[self.by]
diff --git a/dask_expr/io/io.py b/dask_expr/io/io.py
index 1dc82f597..0d3727f8a 100644
--- a/dask_expr/io/io.py
+++ b/dask_expr/io/io.py
@@ -407,6 +407,12 @@ def _meta(self):
             return meta[self.columns[0]] if self._series else meta[self.columns]
         return meta
 
+    def __exec__(self):
+        pdf = self.operand("frame")._data
+        if self.columns:
+            return pdf[self.columns[0]] if self._series else pdf[self.columns]
+        return pdf
+
     @functools.cached_property
     def columns(self):
         columns_operand = self.operand("columns")
diff --git a/dask_expr/tests/test_collection.py b/dask_expr/tests/test_collection.py
index f59559eef..51202f999 100644
--- a/dask_expr/tests/test_collection.py
+++ b/dask_expr/tests/test_collection.py
@@ -2665,3 +2665,11 @@ def test_empty_from_pandas_projection():
     df["foo"] = from_pandas(foo, npartitions=1)
     pdf["foo"] = foo
     assert_eq(df["foo"], pdf["foo"])
+
+
+def test_exec():
+    pdf = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6], "b": 1, "c": 2})
+    df = from_pandas(pdf.copy())
+    result = (df + 1).sort_values("a")["a"]
+    result_pd = (pdf + 1).sort_values("a")["a"]
+    assert_eq(result.exec(), result_pd)