diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e251c218d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#include "LoadManager.h"
+
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11312ba315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#ifndef LOADSOURCE__H
+#define LOADSOURCE__H
+
+#include <boost/thread/mutex.hpp>
+
+class LoadSource
+{ // a single endpoint that can impose load
+	friend class LoadManager;
+
+public:
+
+	// load source flags
+	static const int lsfPrivileged	= 1;
+
+protected:
+	int		mBalance;
+	int		mFlags;
+	time_t	mLastUpdate;
+	time_t	mLastWarning;
+
+public:
+	LoadSource() : mBalance(0), mFlags(0), mLastUpdate(0), mLastWarning(0)
+									{ ; }
+
+	bool	isPrivileged() const	{ return (mFlags & lsfPrivileged) != 0; }
+	void	setPrivileged()			{ mFlags |= lsfPrivileged; }
+	int		getBalance() const		{ return mBalance; }
+};
+
+
+class LoadManager
+{ // a collection of load sources
+protected:
+
+	int mCreditRate;			// credits gained/lost per second
+	int mCreditLimit;			// the most credits a source can have
+	int	mDebitWarn;				// when a source drops below this, we warn
+	int mDebitLimit;			// when a source drops below this, we cut it off
+
+	boost::mutex	mLock;
+
+public:
+
+	LoadManager(int creditRate, int creditLimit, int debitWarn, int debitLimit) :
+		mCreditRate(creditRate), mCreditLimit(creditLimit), mDebitWarn(debitWarn), mDebitLimit(debitLimit) { ; }
+
+	int getCreditRate();
+	int getCreditLimit();
+	int getDebitWarn();
+	int getDebitLimit();
+	void setCreditRate(int);
+	void setCreditLimit(int);
+	void setDebitWarn(int);
+	void setDebitLimit(int);
+
+	bool shouldWarn(const LoadSource&);
+	bool shouldCutoff(const LoadSource&);
+	void credit(LoadSource&, int credits);
+	bool debit(LoadSource&, int credits);	// return value: false = balance okay, true = warn/cutoff
+};
+
+#endif