diff --git a/src/app/files.js b/src/app/files.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bdbd808d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/files.js
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+'use strict'
+
+function Files (storage) {
+  var readonly = {}
+
+  this.exists = function (path) {
+    // NOTE: ignore the config file
+    if (path === '.browser-solidity.json') {
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (this.isReadOnly(path)) {
+      return true
+    } else {
+      return storage.exists(path)
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.get = function (path) {
+    // NOTE: ignore the config file
+    if (path === '.browser-solidity.json') {
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (this.isReadOnly(path)) {
+      return readonly[path]
+    } else {
+      return storage.get(path)
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.set = function (path, content) {
+    // NOTE: ignore the config file
+    if (path === '.browser-solidity.json') {
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (!this.isReadOnly(path)) {
+      storage.set(path, content)
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.addReadOnly = function (path, content) {
+    if (!storage.exists(path)) {
+      readonly[path] = content
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.isReadOnly = function (path) {
+    return !!readonly[path]
+  }
+
+  this.remove = function (path) {
+    if (!this.exists(path)) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (this.isReadOnly(path)) {
+      readonly[path] = undefined
+    } else {
+      storage.remove(path)
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.rename = function (oldPath, newPath) {
+    if (!this.isReadOnly(oldPath) && storage.exists(oldPath)) {
+      storage.rename(oldPath, newPath)
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.list = function () {
+    var files = {}
+
+    // add r/w files to the list
+    storage.keys().forEach(function (path) {
+      // NOTE: as a temporary measure do not show the config file
+      if (path !== '.browser-solidity.json') {
+        files[path] = false
+      }
+    })
+
+    // add r/o files to the list
+    Object.keys(readonly).forEach(function (path) {
+      files[path] = true
+    })
+
+    return files
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = Files