diff --git a/src/conf.hpp b/src/conf.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0626bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/conf.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2013, Regents of the University of California
+ *
+ * BSD license, See the LICENSE file for more information
+ *
+ * Author: Qiuhan Ding <qiuhanding@cs.ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#ifndef CHRONOCHAT_CONFIG_HPP
+#define CHRONOCHAT_CONFIG_HPP
+
+#include "common.hpp"
+#include "tlv.hpp"
+#include <ndn-cxx/util/concepts.hpp>
+#include <ndn-cxx/encoding/block.hpp>
+#include <ndn-cxx/encoding/encoding-buffer.hpp>
+#include <list>
+
+namespace chronochat {
+
+class Conf
+{
+
+public:
+
+  class Error : public std::runtime_error
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit
+    Error(const std::string& what)
+      : std::runtime_error(what)
+    {
+    }
+  };
+
+public:
+
+  Conf();
+
+  explicit
+  Conf(const Block& confWire);
+
+  const Block&
+  wireEncode() const;
+
+  void
+  wireDecode(const Block& confWire);
+
+  const Name&
+  getIdentity() const;
+
+  const std::string&
+  getNick() const;
+
+  void
+  setIdentity(const Name& identity);
+
+  void
+  setNick(const std::string& nick);
+
+private:
+  template<bool T>
+  size_t
+  wireEncode(ndn::EncodingImpl<T>& block) const;
+
+private:
+  mutable Block m_wire;
+  Name m_identity;
+  std::string m_nick;
+};
+
+inline const Name&
+Conf::getIdentity() const
+{
+  return m_identity;
+}
+
+inline const std::string&
+Conf::getNick() const
+{
+  return m_nick;
+}
+
+} // namespace chronochat
+
+#endif //CHRONOCHAT_CONF_HPP