diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0da76a22e..20348dd79 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ set(plasma_LIB_SRCS
    plasma.cpp
    applet.cpp
    interface.cpp
+   runner.cpp
    theme.cpp
    )
 
@@ -22,5 +23,11 @@ install(TARGETS plasma  DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR} )
 
 ########### install files ###############
 
-install( FILES applet.h plasma.h theme.h interface.h DESTINATION ${INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR}/plasma )
+install( FILES
+    applet.h
+    plasma.h
+    runner.h
+    theme.h
+    interface.h
+    DESTINATION ${INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR}/plasma )
 
diff --git a/runner.cpp b/runner.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9cd2e1562
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runner.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/*
+ *   Copyright (C) 2006 Aaron Seigo <aseigo@kde.org>
+ *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public License version 2 as
+ *   published by the Free Software Foundation
+ *
+ *   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 Library 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 <KActionCollection>
+
+#include "runner.h"
+
+class Runner::Private
+{
+    public:
+        Private( Runner* runner )
+        {
+            actions = new KActionCollection( runner );
+        }
+
+        KActionCollection* actions;
+};
+
+Runner::Runner( QObject* parent )
+    : QObject( parent )
+{
+    d = new Private( this );
+}
+
+Runner::~Runner()
+{
+    delete d;
+}
+
+bool Runner::hasOptions()
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
+QWidget* Runner::options()
+{
+    return 0;
+}
+
+KActionCollection* Runner::matches( const QString& term, int max, int offset )
+{
+    d->actions->clear();
+    fillMatches( d->actions, term, max, offset );
+    return d->actions;
+}
+
+void Runner::fillMatches( KActionCollection* matches,
+                          const QString& term,
+                          int max, int offset )
+{
+    Q_UNUSED( term );
+    Q_UNUSED( max );
+    Q_UNUSED( offset );
+}
+
+#include "runner.moc"
diff --git a/runner.h b/runner.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1590a5ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runner.h
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/*
+ *   Copyright (C) 2006 Aaron Seigo <aseigo@kde.org>
+ *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public License version 2 as
+ *   published by the Free Software Foundation
+ *
+ *   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 Library 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 RUNNER_H
+#define RUNNER_H
+
+#include <QObject>
+#include <QList>
+
+#include <kdemacros.h>
+
+class KActionCollection;
+
+class KDE_EXPORT Runner : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+    public:
+        typedef QList<Runner*> List;
+
+        explicit Runner( QObject* parent = 0 );
+        virtual ~Runner();
+
+        /**
+         * If the runner can run precisely this term, return a QAction, else
+         * return 0. The first runner that returns a QAction will be the
+         * default runner. Other runner's actions will be suggested in the
+         * interface. Non-exact matches should be offered via findMatches.
+         */
+        virtual QAction* accepts( const QString& term ) = 0;
+
+        /**
+         * If the runner has options that the user can interact with to modify
+         * what happens when exec or one of the actions created in fillMatches
+         * is called, the runner should return true
+         */
+        virtual bool hasOptions( );
+
+        /**
+         * If the hasOptions() returns true, this method will be called to get
+         * the widget displaying the options the user can interact with.
+         */
+        virtual QWidget* options( );
+
+        /**
+         * Take action on the command. What this means is dependant on the
+         * particular runner implementation, e.g. some runners may treat
+         * command as a shell command, while others may treat it as an
+         * equation or a user name or ...
+         */
+        virtual bool exec( const QString& command ) = 0;
+
+        KActionCollection* matches( const QString& term, int max, int offset );
+
+    signals:
+        /**
+         * When emitted, the interface will update itself to show the new
+         * matches. This is meant to be used by asynchronous runners that will
+         * only be able to start a query on fillMatches being called with
+         * response (and therefore matches) coming later
+         */
+        void matchesUpdated( KActionCollection* matches );
+
+    protected:
+        /**
+         * This method is called when there is text input to match. The runner
+         * should fill the matches action collection with one action per match
+         * to a maximium of max matches starting at offset in the data set
+         */
+        virtual void fillMatches( KActionCollection* matches,
+                                  const QString& term,
+                                  int max, int offset );
+
+    private:
+        class Private;
+        Private* d;
+};
+
+#define K_EXPORT_KRUNNER_RUNNER( libname, classname )     \
+    K_EXPORT_COMPONENT_FACTORY(                           \
+        krunner_##libname,                                \
+        KGenericFactory<classname>("krunner_" #libname) )
+
+#endif