diff --git a/lib/Cake/ORM/Association.php b/lib/Cake/ORM/Association.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..be9ae095ebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Cake/ORM/Association.php
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * PHP Version 5.4
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)
+ * Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under The MIT License
+ * For full copyright and license information, please see the LICENSE.txt
+ * Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @copyright     Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ * @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
+ * @since         CakePHP(tm) v 3.0.0
+ * @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
+ */
+namespace Cake\ORM;
+
+abstract class Association {
+
+	protected $_name;
+
+	protected $_canBeJoined = false;
+
+	protected $_className;
+
+	protected $_foreignKey;
+
+	protected $_conditions = [];
+
+	protected $_dependent = false;
+
+	protected $_table;
+
+	public function __construct($name, array $options = []) {
+		$defaults = ['className', 'foreignKey', 'conditions',  'dependent'];
+		foreach ($defaults as $property) {
+			if (isset($options[$property])) {
+				$this->{'_' . $property} = $options[$property];
+			}
+		}
+
+		$this->_name = $name;
+		$this->_options($options);
+
+		if (empty($this->_className)) {
+			$this->_className = $this->_name;
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function name($name = null) {
+		if ($name !== null) {
+			$this->_name = $name;
+		}
+		return $this->_name;
+	}
+
+	public function repository(Table $table = null) {
+		if ($table === null && $this->_table) {
+			return $this->_table;
+		}
+
+		if ($table !== null) {
+			return $this->_table = $table;
+		}
+
+		if ($table === null && $this->_className !== null) {
+			$this->_table = Table::build(
+				$this->_name,
+				['className' => $this->_className]
+			);
+		}
+		return $this->_table;
+	}
+
+	public function conditions($conditions = null) {
+		if ($conditions !== null) {
+			$this->_conditions = $conditions;
+		}
+		return $this->_conditions;
+	}
+
+	public function foreignKey($key = null) {
+		if ($key !== null) {
+			$this->_foreignKey = $key;
+		}
+		return $this->_foreignKey;
+	}
+
+	public function dependent($dependent = null) {
+		if ($dependent !== null) {
+			$this->_dependent = $dependent;
+		}
+		return $this->_dependent;
+	}
+
+	public function canBeJoined() {
+		return $this->_canBeJoined;
+	}
+
+	protected  function _options(array $options) {
+	}
+
+	public abstract function attachTo(Query $query, array $options = []);
+
+}
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/AssociationTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/AssociationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e9b800bebfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/ORM/AssociationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * PHP Version 5.4
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)
+ * Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under The MIT License
+ * For full copyright and license information, please see the LICENSE.txt
+ * Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @copyright     Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ * @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
+ * @since         CakePHP(tm) v 3.0.0
+ * @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
+ */
+namespace Cake\Test\TestCase\ORM;
+
+use Cake\ORM\Association;
+use Cake\ORM\Table;
+
+/**
+ * A Test double used to assert that default tables are created
+ *
+ **/
+class TestTable extends Table {
+
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tests Association class
+ *
+ */
+class AssociationTest extends \Cake\TestSuite\TestCase {
+
+	public function setUp() {
+		$config = [
+			'className' => '\Cake\Test\TestCase\ORM\TestTable',
+			'foreignKey' => 'a_key',
+			'conditions' => ['field' => 'value'],
+			'dependent' => true
+		];
+		$this->association = $this->getMock(
+			'\Cake\ORM\Association',
+			['_options', 'attachTo'],
+			['Foo', $config]
+		);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that _options acts as a callback where subclasses can add their own
+ * initialization code based on the passed configuration array
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testOptionsIsCalled() {
+		$options = ['foo' => 'bar'];
+		$this->association->expects($this->once())->method('_options')->with($options);
+		$this->association->__construct('Name', $options);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that name() returns the correct configure association name
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testName() {
+		$this->assertEquals('Foo', $this->association->name());
+		$this->association->name('Bar');
+		$this->assertEquals('Bar', $this->association->name());
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that name() returns the correct configured value
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testForeignKey() {
+		$this->assertEquals('a_key', $this->association->foreignKey());
+		$this->association->foreignKey('another_key');
+		$this->assertEquals('another_key', $this->association->foreignKey());
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that conditions() returns the correct configured value
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testConditions() {
+		$this->assertEquals(['field' => 'value'], $this->association->conditions());
+		$conds = ['another_key' => 'another value'];
+		$this->association->conditions($conds);
+		$this->assertEquals($conds, $this->association->conditions());
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that canBeJoined() returns the correct configured value
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testCanBeJoined() {
+		$this->assertFalse($this->association->canBeJoined());
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that repository() returns the correct Table object
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testRepository() {
+		$table = $this->association->repository();
+		$this->assertInstanceOf(__NAMESPACE__ . '\TestTable', $table);
+
+		$other = new Table;
+		$this->association->repository($other);
+		$this->assertSame($other, $this->association->repository());
+	}
+
+}