diff --git a/src/lib/Qd/Observable.hs b/src/lib/Qd/Observable.hs
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+module Qd.Observable where
+
+import Control.Concurrent.MVar
+import Data.List (delete)
+import Data.Time.Clock (UTCTime, getCurrentTime)
+import Data.Unique
+
+data Freshness = Fresh | Stale
+data MessageReason = Current | Update
+
+type ObservableState v = Maybe (v, Freshness, UTCTime)
+type ObservableMessage v = (MessageReason, ObservableState v)
+
+
+data Listener v = Listener Unique (ObservableMessage v -> IO ())
+instance Eq (Listener v) where
+  Listener a _ == Listener b _ = a == b
+
+createListener :: (ObservableMessage v -> IO ()) -> IO (Listener v)
+createListener f = Listener <$> newUnique <*> (return f)
+
+class IsObservable v o where
+  getValue :: o -> IO (ObservableState v)
+  subscribe :: o -> Listener v -> IO ()
+  unsubscribe :: o -> Listener v -> IO ()
+
+-- | Wraps IsObservable in a concrete type
+data Observable v = forall o. IsObservable v o => Observable o
+instance IsObservable v (Observable v) where
+  getValue (Observable o) = getValue o
+  subscribe (Observable o) = subscribe o
+  unsubscribe (Observable o) = unsubscribe o
+
+newtype BasicObservable v = BasicObservable (MVar (ObservableState v, [Listener v]))
+instance IsObservable v (BasicObservable v) where
+  getValue (BasicObservable mvar) = fst <$> readMVar mvar
+  subscribe (BasicObservable mvar) listener@(Listener _ callback) = do
+    modifyMVar_ mvar $ \(state, listeners) -> do
+      -- Call listener
+      callback (Current, state)
+      return (state, listener:listeners)
+  unsubscribe (BasicObservable mvar) listener = modifyMVar_ mvar $ \(state, listeners) -> return (state, delete listener listeners)
+
+mkBasicObservable :: Maybe v -> IO (BasicObservable v)
+mkBasicObservable defaultValue = do
+  now <- getCurrentTime
+  BasicObservable <$> newMVar ((, Fresh, now) <$> defaultValue, [])
+
+staleBasicObservable :: BasicObservable v -> IO ()
+staleBasicObservable (BasicObservable mvar) = do
+  modifyMVar_ mvar $ \(oldState, listeners) -> do
+    let newState = (\(v, _, t) -> (v, Stale, t)) <$> oldState
+    mapM_ (\(Listener _ callback) -> callback (Update, newState)) listeners
+    return (newState, listeners)
+
+updateBasicObservable :: forall v. BasicObservable v -> Maybe v -> IO ()
+updateBasicObservable (BasicObservable mvar) value = do
+  now <- getCurrentTime
+  let newState = (, Fresh, now) <$> value
+  modifyMVar_ mvar $ \(state, listeners) -> do
+    mapM_ (\(Listener _ callback) -> callback (Update, state)) listeners
+    return (newState, listeners)
+
+mapObservable :: (a -> b) -> Observable a -> Observable b
+mapObservable = undefined
+
+mapMObservable :: (a -> IO b) -> Observable a -> Observable b
+mapMObservable = undefined