diff --git a/sugar/shell/Owner.py b/sugar/shell/Owner.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..684539e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sugar/shell/Owner.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+from sugar import env
+from sugar.presence import Service
+from sugar.presence import Buddy
+from sugar.presence import PresenceService
+from sugar.p2p import Stream
+import pwd
+import os
+import random
+import base64
+
+
+class ShellOwner(object):
+	"""Class representing the owner of this machine/instance.  This class
+	runs in the shell and serves up the buddy icon and other stuff.  It's the
+	server portion of the Owner, paired with the client portion in Buddy.py."""
+	def __init__(self):
+		nick = env.get_nick_name()
+		if not nick:
+			nick = pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())[0]
+		if not nick or not len(nick):
+			nick = "Guest"
+
+		user_dir = env.get_user_dir()
+		if not os.path.exists(user_dir):
+			try:
+				os.makedirs(user_dir)
+			except OSError:
+				print "Could not create user directory."
+
+		self._icon = None
+		for fname in os.listdir(user_dir):
+			if not fname.startswith("buddy-icon."):
+				continue
+			fd = open(os.path.join(user_dir, fname), "r")
+			self._icon = fd.read()
+			fd.close()
+			break
+
+		# Our presence service
+		port = random.randint(40000, 65000)
+		properties = {}
+		self._service = Service.Service(nick, Buddy.PRESENCE_SERVICE_TYPE,
+			domain="", address=None, port=port, properties=properties)
+		print "Owner '%s' using port %d" % (nick, port)
+
+		self._icon_stream = Stream.Stream.new_from_service(self._service)
+		self._icon_stream.register_reader_handler(self._handle_buddy_icon_request, "get_buddy_icon")
+
+		# Announce ourselves to the world
+		self._pservice = PresenceService.PresenceService.get_instance()
+		self._pservice.start()
+		self._pservice.register_service(self._service)
+
+	def _handle_buddy_icon_request(self):
+		"""XMLRPC method, return the owner's icon encoded with base64."""
+		if self._icon:
+			return base64.b64encode(self._icon)
+		return ""
+
+	def set_icon(self, icon):
+		"""Can only set icon in constructor for now."""
+		pass
+