diff --git a/lib/falloc.c b/lib/falloc.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f6ac149f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/falloc.c
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "falloc.h"
+
+#define FA_MAGIC	0x02050920
+
+typedef unsigned int u32;		/* this could be wrong someday */
+
+struct faFileHeader{
+    u32 magic;
+    u32 firstFree;
+};
+
+/* the free list is kept *sorted* to keep fragment compaction fast */
+
+struct faBlock {
+    u32 isFree;
+    u32 next;				/* only meaningful if free */
+    u32 prev;				/* only meaningful if free */
+    u32 size;				
+};
+
+/* flags here is the same as for open(2) - NULL returned on error */
+faFile faOpen(char * path, int flags, int perms) {
+    struct faFileHeader newHdr;
+    struct faFile_s fas;
+    faFile fa;
+    off_t end;
+
+    if (flags & O_WRONLY) {
+	return NULL;
+    }
+    if (flags & O_RDWR) {
+	fas.readOnly = 0;
+    } else {
+	fas.readOnly = 1;
+    }
+
+    fas.fd = open(path, flags, perms);
+    if (fas.fd < 0) return NULL;
+
+    /* is this file brand new? */
+    end = lseek(fas.fd, 0, SEEK_END);
+    if (!end) {
+	newHdr.magic = FA_MAGIC;
+	newHdr.firstFree = 0;
+	if (write(fas.fd, &newHdr, sizeof(newHdr)) != sizeof(newHdr)) {
+	    close(fas.fd);
+	    return NULL;
+	}
+	fas.firstFree = 0;
+    }
+    else {
+	if (read(fas.fd, &newHdr, sizeof(newHdr)) != sizeof(newHdr)) {
+	    close(fas.fd);
+	    return NULL;
+	}
+	if (newHdr.magic != FA_MAGIC) {
+	    close(fas.fd);
+	    return NULL;
+	}
+	fas.firstFree = newHdr.firstFree;
+    }
+
+    fa = malloc(sizeof(*fa));
+    if (fa) *fa = fas;
+
+    return fa;
+}
+
+unsigned int faAlloc(faFile fa, unsigned int size) { /* returns 0 on failure */
+    u32 nextFreeBlock;
+    u32 bestFreeBlock = 0;
+    u32 bestFreeSize = 0;
+    unsigned int newBlock;
+    struct faBlock block, prevBlock, nextBlock;
+    int failed = 0;
+
+    /* Make sure they are allocing multiples of four bytes. It'll keep
+       things smoother that way */
+    (size % 4) ? size += (4 - (size % 4)) : 0;
+
+    /* first, look through the free list for the best fit */
+    nextFreeBlock =  fa->firstFree;
+    while (nextFreeBlock) {
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, nextFreeBlock, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 0;
+	if (read(fa->fd, &block, sizeof(block)) != sizeof(block)) return 0;
+
+	if (block.size >= size) {
+	    if (bestFreeBlock) {
+		if (block.size < bestFreeSize) {
+		    bestFreeSize = block.size;
+		    bestFreeBlock = nextFreeBlock;
+		}
+	    } else {
+		bestFreeSize = block.size;
+		bestFreeBlock = nextFreeBlock;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	nextFreeBlock = block.next;
+    }
+
+    if (bestFreeBlock) {
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, bestFreeBlock, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 0;
+	if (read(fa->fd, &block, sizeof(block)) != sizeof(block)) 
+	    return 0;
+
+	/* update the free list chain */
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, block.prev, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 0;
+	if (read(fa->fd, &prevBlock, sizeof(prevBlock)) != sizeof(prevBlock)) 
+	    return 0;
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, block.next, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 0;
+	if (read(fa->fd, &nextBlock, sizeof(nextBlock)) != sizeof(nextBlock)) 
+	    return 0;
+
+	prevBlock.next = block.next;
+	nextBlock.prev = block.prev;
+
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, block.prev, SEEK_SET) < 0) return 0;
+	if (write(fa->fd, &prevBlock, sizeof(prevBlock)) != sizeof(prevBlock)) 
+	    return 0;
+
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, block.next, SEEK_SET) < 0) {
+	    failed = 1;
+	} else {
+	    if (write(fa->fd, &nextBlock, sizeof(nextBlock)) != 
+		sizeof(nextBlock)) {
+		failed = 1;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	if (failed) {
+	    /* try and restore the "prev" block, this won't be a complete
+		disaster */
+	    prevBlock.next = bestFreeBlock;
+
+	    lseek(fa->fd, block.prev, SEEK_SET);
+	    write(fa->fd, &prevBlock, sizeof(prevBlock));
+		
+	    return 0;
+	}
+
+	block.isFree = 0; 		/* mark it as used */
+	block.prev = block.next = 0;	
+	
+	/* At some point, we should split this block into two if it's
+	   bigger then the amount that's being allocated. Any space left
+	   at the end of this block is wasted right now ***/
+
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, bestFreeBlock, SEEK_SET) < 0) {
+	    failed = 1;
+	} else {
+	    if (write(fa->fd, &block, sizeof(block)) != sizeof(block)) {
+		failed = 1;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	if (failed) {
+	    /* this space is gone :-( this really shouldn't ever happen. It
+	       won't result in furthur date coruption though, so lets not
+	       make it worse! */
+	    return 0;
+	}
+
+	newBlock = bestFreeBlock;
+    } else {
+	char * space;
+
+	/* make a new block */
+	if (lseek(fa->fd, 0, SEEK_END) < 0) return 0;
+	newBlock = lseek(fa->fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
+
+	space = calloc(1, size);
+	if (!space) return 0;
+
+	block.next = block.prev = 0;
+	block.size = size;
+	block.isFree = 0;
+
+	if (write(fa->fd, &block, sizeof(block)) != sizeof(block)) {
+	    free(space);	
+	    return 0;
+	}
+	if (write(fa->fd, space, size) != size) {
+	    free(space);	
+	    return 0;
+	}
+	free(space);
+    }
+    
+    return newBlock + sizeof(block); 
+}
+
+void faFree(faFile fa, unsigned int offset);
+
+void faClose(faFile fa) {
+    close(fa->fd);
+    free(fa);
+}
diff --git a/lib/falloc.h b/lib/falloc.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6339993a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/falloc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#ifndef H_FALLOC
+#define H_FALLOC
+
+/* File space allocation routines. Best fit allocation is used, free blocks
+   are compacted. Minimal fragmentation is more important then speed. This
+   uses 32 bit offsets on all platforms and should be byte order independent */
+
+typedef struct faFile_s {
+    int fd;
+    int readOnly;
+    unsigned int firstFree;
+} * faFile;
+
+/* flags here is the same as for open(2) - NULL returned on error */
+faFile faOpen(char * path, int flags, int perms);
+unsigned int faAlloc(faFile fa, unsigned int size); /* returns 0 on failure */
+void faFree(faFile fa, unsigned int offset);
+void faClose(faFile fa);
+
+#endif H_FALLOC