diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index 9c648625..17de0f07 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "option_manager.hh"
 #include "keymap_manager.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
+#include "value.hh"
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <list>
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ public:
     KeymapManager&       keymaps()       { return m_keymaps; }
     const KeymapManager& keymaps() const { return m_keymaps; }
 
+    ValueMap& values() const { return m_values; }
+
     void run_hook_in_own_context(const String& hook_name, const String& param);
 
     std::unordered_set<BufferChangeListener*>& change_listeners() const { return m_change_listeners; }
@@ -224,6 +227,10 @@ private:
     HookManager   m_hooks;
     KeymapManager m_keymaps;
 
+    // Values are just data holding by the buffer, so it is part of its
+    // observable state
+    mutable ValueMap m_values;
+
     friend constexpr Flags operator|(Flags lhs, Flags rhs)
     {
         return (Flags)((int) lhs | (int) rhs);
diff --git a/src/value.hh b/src/value.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9122255a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/value.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#ifndef value_hh_INCLUDED
+#define value_hh_INCLUDED
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <unordered_map>
+
+#include "units.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+struct bad_value_cast {};
+
+struct Value
+{
+    Value() = default;
+
+    template<typename T>
+    Value(const T& val) : m_value{new Model<T>{val}} {}
+
+    template<typename T>
+    Value(T&& val) : m_value{new Model<T>{std::move(val)}} {}
+
+    Value(const Value& val)
+    {
+        if (val.m_value)
+            m_value.reset(val.m_value->clone());
+    }
+
+    Value(Value&&) = default;
+
+    Value& operator=(const Value& val)
+    {
+        if (val.m_value)
+            m_value.reset(val.m_value->clone());
+        else
+            m_value.reset();
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    Value& operator=(Value&& val) = default;
+
+    explicit operator bool() const { return (bool)m_value; }
+
+    template<typename T>
+    bool is_a() const
+    {
+        return m_value and m_value->type() == typeid(T);
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
+    T& as()
+    {
+        if (not is_a<T>())
+            throw bad_value_cast{};
+        return static_cast<Model<T>*>(m_value.get())->m_content;
+    }
+
+    template<typename T>
+    const T& as() const
+    {
+        return const_cast<Value*>(this)->as<T>();
+    }
+
+private:
+    struct Concept
+    {
+        virtual ~Concept() {}
+        virtual const std::type_info& type() const = 0;
+        virtual Concept* clone() const = 0;
+    };
+
+    template<typename T>
+    struct Model : public Concept
+    {
+        Model(const T& val) : m_content(val) {}
+        Model(T&& val) : m_content(std::move(val)) {}
+
+        const std::type_info& type() const override { return typeid(T); }
+        Concept* clone() const { return new Model(m_content); }
+
+        T m_content;
+    };
+
+    std::unique_ptr<Concept> m_value;
+};
+
+struct ValueId : public StronglyTypedNumber<ValueId, int>
+{
+    constexpr ValueId(int value = 0) : StronglyTypedNumber<ValueId>(value) {}
+
+    static ValueId get_free_id()
+    {
+        static ValueId next;
+        return next++;
+    }
+};
+
+using ValueMap = std::unordered_map<ValueId, Value>;
+
+}
+
+namespace std
+{
+
+template<>
+struct hash<Kakoune::ValueId>
+{
+    size_t operator()(Kakoune::ValueId val) const
+    {
+        return std::hash<int>()((int)val);
+    }
+};
+
+}
+
+
+#endif // value_hh_INCLUDED