diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 2ffbef8e4..222a9da7e 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ set (task_SRCS A3.cpp A3.h
                File.cpp File.h
                Hooks.cpp Hooks.h
                JSON.cpp JSON.h
+               Msg.cpp Msg.h
                Nibbler.cpp Nibbler.h
                Path.cpp Path.h
                RX.cpp RX.h
diff --git a/src/Msg.cpp b/src/Msg.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5f2866b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Msg.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// taskwarrior - a command line task list manager.
+//
+// Copyright 2006-2012, Paul Beckingham, Federico Hernandez.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+// THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+// SOFTWARE.
+//
+// http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include <Msg.h>
+#include <text.h>
+#include <cmake.h>
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+Msg::Msg ()
+: _payload ("")
+{
+  // All messages are marked with the version number, so that the messages may
+  // be properly evaluated in context.
+  _header["version"] = PACKAGE_STRING;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+Msg::Msg (const Msg& other)
+: _header (other._header)
+, _payload (other._payload)
+{
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+Msg& Msg::operator= (const Msg& other)
+{
+  if (this != &other)
+  {
+    _header  = other._header;
+    _payload = other._payload;
+  }
+
+  return *this;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+bool Msg::operator== (const Msg& other) const
+{
+  return _header  == other._header &&
+         _payload == other._payload;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+Msg::~Msg ()
+{
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::clear ()
+{
+  _header.clear ();
+  _payload = "";
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::set (const std::string& name, const int value)
+{
+  _header[name] = format (value);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::set (const std::string& name, const std::string& value)
+{
+  _header[name] = value;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::set (const std::string& name, const double value)
+{
+  _header[name] = format (value);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::setPayload (const std::string& payload)
+{
+  _payload = payload;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+std::string Msg::get (const std::string& name) const
+{
+  std::map <std::string, std::string>::const_iterator i;
+  i = _header.find (name);
+  if (i != _header.end ())
+    return i->second;
+
+  return "";
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+std::string Msg::getPayload () const
+{
+  return _payload;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void Msg::all (std::vector <std::string>& names) const
+{
+  std::map <std::string, std::string>::const_iterator i;
+  for (i = _header.begin (); i != _header.end (); ++i)
+    names.push_back (i->first);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+std::string Msg::serialize () const
+{
+  std::string output;
+
+  std::map <std::string, std::string>::const_iterator i;
+  for (i = _header.begin (); i != _header.end (); ++i)
+    output += i->first + ": " + i->second + "\n";
+
+  output += "\n" + _payload + "\n";
+
+  return output;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+bool Msg::parse (const std::string& input)
+{
+  _header.clear ();
+  _payload = "";
+
+  std::vector <std::string> lines;
+  split (lines, input.substr (0, input.size ()), '\n');
+
+  std::vector <std::string>::iterator i;
+  bool tripped = false;
+  for (i = lines.begin (); i != lines.end (); ++i)
+  {
+    if (*i == "")
+      tripped = true;
+    else if (tripped)
+      _payload += *i + "\n";
+    else
+    {
+      std::string::size_type delim = i->find (": ");
+      if (delim != std::string::npos)
+        _header[i->substr (0, delim)] = i->substr (delim + 2);
+      else
+        throw std::string ("ERROR: Malformed message header '") + *i + "'";
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/Msg.h b/src/Msg.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f25d4bb3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Msg.h
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// taskwarrior - a command line task list manager.
+//
+// Copyright 2006-2012, Paul Beckingham, Federico Hernandez.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+// THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+// SOFTWARE.
+//
+// http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef INCLUDED_MSG
+#define INCLUDED_MSG
+
+#include <map>
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+class Msg
+{
+public:
+  Msg ();
+  Msg (const Msg&);
+  Msg& operator= (const Msg&);
+  bool operator== (const Msg&) const;
+  ~Msg ();
+
+  void clear ();
+
+  void set (const std::string&, const int);
+  void set (const std::string&, const std::string&);
+  void set (const std::string&, const double);
+  void setPayload (const std::string&);
+  std::string get (const std::string&) const;
+  std::string getPayload () const;
+
+  void all (std::vector <std::string>&) const;
+  std::string serialize () const;
+  bool parse (const std::string&);
+
+private:
+  std::map <std::string, std::string> _header;
+  std::string _payload;
+};
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/test/.gitignore b/test/.gitignore
index b4b29c42e..616db93d7 100644
--- a/test/.gitignore
+++ b/test/.gitignore
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ file.t
 i18n.t
 json.t
 list.t
+msg.t
 nibbler.t
 path.t
 rx.t
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index ca38fbbab..c4058cc99 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ include_directories (${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
                      ${TASK_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 set (test_SRCS autocomplete.t color.t config.t date.t directory.t dom.t
-               duration.t file.t i18n.t json.t list.t nibbler.t path.t rx.t
-               t.t t2.t taskmod.t tdb2.t text.t uri.t util.t view.t json_test)
+               duration.t file.t i18n.t json.t list.t msg.t nibbler.t path.t
+               rx.t t.t t2.t taskmod.t tdb2.t text.t uri.t util.t view.t
+               json_test)
 
 message ("-- Configuring run_all")
 set (TESTBLOB "*.t")
diff --git a/test/msg.t.cpp b/test/msg.t.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25dd0b003
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/msg.t.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// taskwarrior - a command line task list manager.
+//
+// Copyright 2006-2012, Paul Beckingham, Federico Hernandez.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+// THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+// SOFTWARE.
+//
+// http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <Context.h>
+#include <Msg.h>
+#include <cmake.h>
+#include <test.h>
+
+Context context;
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+int main (int argc, char** argv)
+{
+  UnitTest t (8);
+
+  Msg m;
+  t.is (m.serialize (), std::string ("version: ") + PACKAGE_STRING + "\n\n\n", "Msg::serialize '' --> '\\n\\n'");
+
+  m.set ("name", "value");
+  t.is (m.serialize (), std::string ("name: value\nversion: ") + PACKAGE_STRING + "\n\n\n", "Msg::serialize 1 var");
+
+  m.set ("foo", "bar");
+  t.is (m.serialize (), std::string ("foo: bar\nname: value\nversion: ") + PACKAGE_STRING + "\n\n\n", "Msg::serialize 2 vars");
+
+  m.setPayload ("payload");
+  t.is (m.serialize (), std::string ("foo: bar\nname: value\nversion: ") + PACKAGE_STRING + "\n\npayload\n", "Msg::serialize 2 vars + payload");
+
+  Msg m2;
+  t.ok (m2.parse ("foo: bar\nname: value\n\npayload\n"), "Msg::parse ok");
+  t.is (m2.get ("foo"),   "bar",       "Msg::get");
+  t.is (m2.get ("name"),  "value",     "Msg::get");
+  t.is (m2.getPayload (), "payload\n", "Msg::getPayload");
+  return 0;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////