diff --git a/src/mu-bookmarks.c b/src/mu-bookmarks.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0211efad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mu-bookmarks.c
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+/*
+** Copyright (C) 2010 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+**
+** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+** Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any
+** later version.
+**
+** This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+** but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+** MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+** GNU General Public License for more details.
+**
+** You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+** along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+** Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+**
+*/
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include "mu-bookmarks.h"
+
+#define MU_BOOKMARK_GROUP "mu"
+
+struct _MuBookmarks {
+	char *_bmpath;
+	GHashTable *_hash;
+};
+
+
+static void
+fill_hash (GHashTable *hash, GKeyFile *kfile)
+{
+	gchar **keys, **cur;
+	
+	keys = g_key_file_get_keys (kfile, MU_BOOKMARK_GROUP, NULL, NULL);
+	if (!keys)
+		return;
+	
+	for (cur = keys; *cur; ++cur) {
+		gchar *val;
+		val = g_key_file_get_string (kfile, MU_BOOKMARK_GROUP,
+					     *cur, NULL);
+		if (val)
+			g_hash_table_insert (hash, *cur, val);
+	}
+
+	/* don't use g_strfreev, because we put them in the hash table;
+	 * only free the gchar** itself */
+	g_free (keys);
+}
+
+static GHashTable*
+create_hash_from_key_file (const gchar *bmpath)
+{
+	GKeyFile *kfile;
+	GHashTable *hash;
+	
+	kfile = g_key_file_new ();
+	
+	if (!g_key_file_load_from_file (kfile, bmpath, G_KEY_FILE_NONE, NULL)) {
+		g_key_file_free (kfile);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	hash = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, g_free);
+	fill_hash (hash, kfile);
+
+	g_key_file_free (kfile);
+
+	return hash;
+}
+
+
+
+MuBookmarks *
+mu_bookmarks_new (const gchar *bmpath)
+{
+	MuBookmarks *bookmarks;
+	GHashTable *hash;
+	
+	g_return_val_if_fail (bmpath, NULL);
+
+	hash = create_hash_from_key_file (bmpath);
+	if (!hash)
+		return NULL;
+	
+	bookmarks	   = g_new (MuBookmarks, 1);
+	
+	bookmarks->_bmpath = g_strdup (bmpath);
+	bookmarks->_hash   = hash;
+
+	return bookmarks;
+}
+
+
+
+void
+mu_bookmarks_destroy (MuBookmarks *bm)
+{
+	if (!bm)
+		return;
+
+	g_free (bm->_bmpath);
+	g_hash_table_destroy (bm->_hash);
+	g_free (bm);
+}
+
+const gchar*
+mu_bookmarks_lookup (MuBookmarks *bm, const gchar *name)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (bm, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (name, NULL);
+
+	return g_hash_table_lookup (bm->_hash, name);
+}
+
+struct _BMData {
+	MuBookmarksForeachFunc _func;
+	gpointer _user_data;
+};
+typedef struct _BMData BMData;
+	
+
+static void
+each_bookmark (const gchar* key, const gchar *val, BMData *bmdata)
+{
+	bmdata->_func (key, val, bmdata->_user_data);
+}
+
+
+void
+mu_bookmarks_foreach (MuBookmarks *bm, MuBookmarksForeachFunc func,
+		      gpointer user_data)
+{
+	BMData bmdata;
+	
+	g_return_if_fail (bm);
+	g_return_if_fail (func);
+
+	bmdata._func = func;
+	bmdata._user_data = user_data;
+	
+	g_hash_table_foreach (bm->_hash, (GHFunc)each_bookmark, &bmdata);
+}
+	
diff --git a/src/mu-bookmarks.h b/src/mu-bookmarks.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd6def32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mu-bookmarks.h
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+** Copyright (C) 2008-2010 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+**
+** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+** Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any
+** later version.
+**
+** This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+** but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+** MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+** GNU General Public License for more details.
+**
+** You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+** along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+** Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+**
+*/
+
+#ifndef __MU_BOOKMARKS_H__
+#define __MU_BOOKMARKS_H__
+
+typedef struct _MuBookmarks MuBookmarks;
+
+
+/**
+ * create a new bookmarks object. when it's no longer needed, use
+ * mu_bookmarks_destroy
+ * 
+ * @param bmpath path to the bookmarks file
+ * 
+ * @return a new BookMarks object, or NULL in case of error
+ */
+MuBookmarks *mu_bookmarks_new (const gchar *bmpath);
+
+
+/**
+ * destroy a bookmarks object
+ * 
+ * @param bm a bookmarks object, or NULL
+ */
+void         mu_bookmarks_destroy (MuBookmarks *bm);
+
+
+/**
+ * get the value for some bookmark
+ * 
+ * @param bm a valid bookmarks object
+ * @param name name of the bookmark to retrieve
+ * 
+ * @return the value of the bookmark or NULL in case in error, e.g. if
+ * the bookmark was not found
+ */
+const gchar* mu_bookmarks_lookup (MuBookmarks *bm, const gchar *name);
+
+typedef void (*MuBookmarksForeachFunc) (const gchar *key, const gchar *val,
+					gpointer user_data);
+
+/**
+ * call a function for each bookmark
+ * 
+ * @param bm a valid bookmarks object
+ * @param func a callback function to be called for each bookmarks
+ * @param user_data a user pointer passed to the callback
+ */
+void         mu_bookmarks_foreach (MuBookmarks *bm, MuBookmarksForeachFunc func,
+				   gpointer user_data);
+
+
+#endif /*__MU_BOOKMARKS_H__*/