diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
index 55c71318eab..697c93fa097 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package coreapi
 import (
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
+	importer "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/importer"
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	uio "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs/io"
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) IpfsNode() *core.IpfsNode {
 	return api.node
 }
 
-func (api *CoreAPI) resolve(p string) (*dag.Node, error) {
+func (api *CoreAPI) resolve(p coreiface.Path) (*dag.Node, error) {
 	dagnode, err := core.Resolve(api.ctx, api.node, path.Path(p))
 	if err == core.ErrNoNamesys && !api.node.OnlineMode() {
 		return nil, coreiface.ErrOffline
@@ -37,7 +38,10 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) resolve(p string) (*dag.Node, error) {
 	return dagnode, nil
 }
 
-func (api *CoreAPI) Cat(p string) (coreiface.Data, error) {
+func (api *CoreAPI) Cat(p coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Data, error) {
+	if p == "/ipfs/QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbsf67hvA3Nn" {
+		return nil, coreiface.ErrDir, nil
+	}
 	dagnode, err := api.resolve(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -51,14 +55,32 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) Cat(p string) (coreiface.Data, error) {
 	return r, nil
 }
 
-func (api *CoreAPI) Ls(p string) ([]coreiface.Link, error) {
+func (api *CoreAPI) Ls(p coreiface.Path) ([]coreiface.Link, error) {
+	links := make([]coreiface.Link, len(dagnode.Links))
+	if p == "/ipfs/QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbsf67hvA3Nn" {
+		return links, nil
+	}
 	dagnode, err := api.resolve(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	links := make([]coreiface.Link, len(dagnode.Links))
 	for i, l := range dagnode.Links {
 		links[i] = coreiface.Link{Name: l.Name, Size: l.Size, Hash: l.Hash}
 	}
 	return links, nil
 }
+
+func (api *CoreAPI) Add(data coreiface.Data) (coreiface.Path, error) {
+	dagnode, err := importer.BuildDagFromReader(api.node.DAG, data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	k, err := api.node.DAG.Add(dagnode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return "/ipfs/" + k, nil
+}
+
+func (api *CoreAPI) ObjectSetData(p coreiface.Path, data coreiface.Data) (coreiface.Path, error) {
+}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi_test.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ec1865e419
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package coreapi_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cheekybits/is"
+
+	coreapi "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi"
+	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
+)
+
+func TestImplementsInterface(t *testing.T) {
+
+}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
index 4c40cc456c1..86c421a7eb4 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
@@ -12,11 +12,18 @@ import (
 
 type CoreAPI interface {
 	Context() context.Context
-	IpfsNode() *core.IpfsNode // XXX temporary
-	Cat(string) (Data, error)
-	Ls(string) ([]Link, error)
+	IpfsNode() *core.IpfsNode                       // XXX temporary
+	Cat(Path) (Data, error)                         // http GET
+	Ls(Path) ([]Link, error)                        // http GET, PUT
+	Add(Data) (Path, error)                         // http POST
+	ObjectSetData(Path, Data) (Path, error)         // http PUT update
+	ObjectAddLink(Path, string, Path) (Path, error) // http PUT create
+	ObjectRmLink(Path, string, Path) (Path, error)  // http DELETE
+	// PUT and DELETE only for subdirs: /ipfs/<hash>/foo ???
 }
 
+type Path string
+
 type Object struct {
 	Links []Link
 	Data  Data
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
index a31acd87358..c2fd6f27da5 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
@@ -46,15 +46,6 @@ func newGatewayHandler(api coreiface.CoreAPI, conf GatewayConfig) *gatewayHandle
 	return i
 }
 
-// TODO(cryptix):  find these helpers somewhere else
-func (i *gatewayHandler) newDagFromReader(r io.Reader) (*dag.Node, error) {
-	// TODO(cryptix): change and remove this helper once PR1136 is merged
-	// return ufs.AddFromReader(i.api.IpfsNode(), r.Body)
-	return importer.BuildDagFromReader(
-		i.api.IpfsNode().DAG,
-		chunk.DefaultSplitter(r))
-}
-
 // TODO(btc): break this apart into separate handlers using a more expressive muxer
 func (i *gatewayHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	defer func() {
@@ -304,6 +295,15 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 	}
 }
 
+// TODO(cryptix):  find these helpers somewhere else
+func (i *gatewayHandler) newDagFromReader(r io.Reader) (*dag.Node, error) {
+	// TODO(cryptix): change and remove this helper once PR1136 is merged
+	// return ufs.AddFromReader(i.api.IpfsNode(), r.Body)
+	return importer.BuildDagFromReader(
+		i.api.IpfsNode().DAG,
+		chunk.DefaultSplitter(r))
+}
+
 func (i *gatewayHandler) postHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	nd, err := i.newDagFromReader(r.Body)
 	if err != nil {