diff --git a/src/transaction.rs b/src/transaction.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a93b00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/transaction.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+use std::{cell::RefCell, collections::HashMap, mem::size_of};
+
+use zerocopy::{AsBytes, FromBytes};
+
+use crate::{mapped::ReaderTrait, Db, FilePointer, FileRange};
+
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+struct Replaced {
+    from: FileRange,
+    to: Option<FileRange>,
+}
+
+pub struct TransactionHandle<'t> {
+    db: &'t mut Db,
+    replaced: HashMap<FilePointer, Replaced>,
+    new: HashMap<FilePointer, FileRange>,
+}
+
+impl<'t> ReaderTrait for TransactionHandle<'t> {
+    fn read_raw(&self, ptr: FileRange) -> &[u8] {
+        self.reference_raw(ptr)
+    }
+}
+impl<'t> TransactionHandle<'t> {
+    pub fn new(db: &'t mut Db) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            db,
+            replaced: HashMap::new(),
+            new: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_free(&self) -> Vec<FileRange> {
+        self.replaced
+            .values()
+            .map(|replaced| replaced.from)
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    pub fn read_ptr(&self, range: FileRange) -> FileRange {
+        if let Some(&replaced) = self.replaced.get(&range.start) {
+            assert_eq!(replaced.from, range);
+            replaced.to.expect("use after free")
+        } else if let Some(&new) = self.new.get(&range.start) {
+            assert_eq!(new, range);
+            new
+        } else {
+            range
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub unsafe fn write_ptr(&mut self, range: FileRange) -> FileRange {
+        let new_range = if let Some(&replaced) = self.replaced.get(&range.start) {
+            assert_eq!(replaced.from, range);
+            replaced.to
+        } else if let Some(&new) = self.new.get(&range.start) {
+            assert_eq!(new, range);
+            Some(new)
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        if let Some(range) = new_range {
+            range
+        } else {
+            let (new, _) = self.allocate_raw(range.len());
+
+            self.db.copy(range, new);
+
+            let res = self.replaced.insert(
+                new.start,
+                Replaced {
+                    from: range,
+                    to: Some(new),
+                },
+            );
+            // TODO: removing this allows freeing a region and
+            // then implicitely reallocating it by writing to it.
+            // Should that be allowed?
+            assert!(res.is_none(), "use after free");
+
+            new
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn reference_raw(&self, range: FileRange) -> &[u8] {
+        let range = self.read_ptr(range);
+        &self.db.map[range.as_range()]
+    }
+
+    pub unsafe fn modify_raw(&mut self, range: FileRange) -> (FileRange, &mut [u8]) {
+        let range = self.write_ptr(range);
+        (range, &mut self.db.map[range.as_range()])
+    }
+
+    pub fn allocate_raw(&mut self, length: u64) -> (FileRange, &mut [u8]) {
+        unsafe {
+            let range = self.allocate_range(length);
+
+            let res = self.new.insert(range.start, range);
+            debug_assert!(res.is_none());
+
+            (range, &mut self.db.map[range.as_range()])
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn modify_range<T: FromBytes + AsBytes>(
+        &mut self,
+        range: FileRange,
+    ) -> (FileRange, &mut T) {
+        unsafe {
+            let (ptr, _) = self.modify_raw(range);
+            (ptr, self.db.modify_range(ptr))
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn modify<T: FromBytes + AsBytes>(&mut self, at: FilePointer) -> (FileRange, &mut T) {
+        self.modify_range(at.range(size_of::<T>() as u64))
+    }
+
+    pub fn allocate_size<T: FromBytes + AsBytes>(&mut self, length: u64) -> (FileRange, &mut T) {
+        unsafe {
+            let (ptr, _) = self.allocate_raw(length);
+            (ptr, self.db.modify_range(ptr))
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn allocate<T: FromBytes + AsBytes>(&mut self) -> (FileRange, &mut T) {
+        unsafe {
+            let (ptr, _) = self.allocate_raw(size_of::<T>() as u64);
+            (ptr, self.db.modify_range(ptr))
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn free(&mut self, range: FileRange) {
+        let mut freed = false;
+
+        if let Some(allocation) = self.new.remove(&range.start) {
+            assert_eq!(allocation, range);
+            self.db.free(range);
+            freed = true;
+        }
+
+        for (_, replaced) in &mut self.replaced {
+            if replaced.from == range || replaced.to == Some(range) {
+                replaced.to = None;
+                freed = true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if !freed {
+            let res = self.replaced.insert(
+                range.start,
+                Replaced {
+                    from: range,
+                    to: None,
+                },
+            );
+            assert!(res.is_none());
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn allocate_range(&mut self, size: u64) -> FileRange {
+        self.db.allocate(size)
+    }
+
+    pub fn root(&self) -> FilePointer {
+        self.db.header().root
+    }
+}