diff --git a/src/aspire/basis/__init__.py b/src/aspire/basis/__init__.py
index 8f292a31bc..48e645ecc4 100644
--- a/src/aspire/basis/__init__.py
+++ b/src/aspire/basis/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # isort: off
 
 from .basis import Basis, Coef, ComplexCoef
+from .dirac import DiracBasis, DiracBasis2D, DiracBasis3D
 from .steerable import SteerableBasis2D
 from .fb import FBBasisMixin
 
diff --git a/src/aspire/basis/dirac.py b/src/aspire/basis/dirac.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a40304ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/aspire/basis/dirac.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import logging
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from aspire.basis import Basis
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class DiracBasis(Basis):
+    """
+    Dirac basis in 1D.
+
+    Supports subclassing higher dimensions.
+    """
+
+    dim = 1
+
+    def __init__(self, size, mask=None, dtype=np.float32):
+        """
+        Initialize Dirac basis.
+
+        :param size: The shape defining the basis.  May be a tuple
+            or an integer, in which case, a uniformly sized basis is assumed.
+        :param mask: A boolean mask matching `size` indicating which
+            coordinates to include in the basis. Default `None`
+            implies all via `np.full((size,)*dimension, True)`.
+        :return: DiracBasis2D instance.
+        """
+
+        # Size
+        if isinstance(size, int):
+            size = (size,) * self.dim
+
+        # Masking
+        if mask is None:
+            mask = np.full(size, True)
+        if mask.shape != size:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid mask size. Should match {size} or `None`.")
+        # Ensure boolean mask
+        self.mask = np.array(mask, dtype=bool)
+
+        super().__init__(size, dtype=dtype)
+
+    def _build(self):
+        """Private method building basis internals."""
+        self.count = np.count_nonzero(self.mask)
+
+    def _evaluate(self, v):
+        """
+        Evaluate stack of standard coordinate coefficients from Dirac basis.
+
+        :param v: Dirac basis coefficents. [..., self.count]
+        :return:  Standard basis coefficients. [..., *self.sz]
+        """
+
+        # Initialize zeros array of standard basis size.
+        x = np.zeros((v.shape[0], *self.sz), dtype=self.dtype)
+
+        # Assign basis coefficient values
+        x[..., self.mask] = v
+
+        return x
+
+    def expand(self, x):
+        """
+        See _evaluate.
+        """
+        return self.evaluate_t(x)
+
+    def _evaluate_t(self, x):
+        """
+        Evaluate stack of Dirac basis coefficients from standard basis.
+
+        :param x:  Standard basis coefficients. [..., *self.sz]
+        :return: Dirac basis coefficents. [..., self.count]
+        """
+
+        # Initialize zeros array of dirac basis (mask) count.
+        v = np.zeros((x.shape[0], self.count), dtype=self.dtype)
+
+        # Assign basis coefficient values
+        v = x[..., self.mask]
+
+        return v
+
+
+class DiracBasis2D(DiracBasis):
+    """
+    Dirac basis in 2D.
+
+    See `DiracBasis` documentation.
+    """
+
+    dim = 2
+
+
+class DiracBasis3D(DiracBasis):
+    """
+    Dirac basis in 3D.
+
+    See `DiracBasis` documentation.
+    """
+
+    dim = 3
diff --git a/tests/test_dirac_basis.py b/tests/test_dirac_basis.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0210eae44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_dirac_basis.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+import logging
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from aspire.basis import DiracBasis2D, DiracBasis3D
+from aspire.reconstruction import MeanEstimator
+from aspire.source import Simulation
+from aspire.utils import grid_2d, grid_3d
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+SIZES = [31, 32]
+DTYPES = [np.float32, np.float64]
+MASKS = [None, 16]  # will be created in `mask` fixture
+DIMS = [2, 3]
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=DTYPES, ids=lambda x: f"dtype={x}", scope="module")
+def dtype(request):
+    return request.param
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=SIZES, ids=lambda x: f"size={x}", scope="module")
+def size(request):
+    return request.param
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=DIMS, ids=lambda x: f"dim={x}", scope="module")
+def dim(request):
+    return request.param
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=MASKS, ids=lambda x: f"mask={x}", scope="module")
+def mask(request, size, dim):
+    mask = request.param
+    # When provided a mask radius ...
+    if mask is not None:
+        if dim == 2:
+            grid = grid_2d
+        elif dim == 3:
+            grid = grid_3d
+
+        # ... compute mask of `size` < radius
+        mask = grid(size, normalized=False)["r"] < mask
+
+    return mask
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def basis(size, dtype, mask, dim):
+    # get size, agnostic to 1d, 2d `size`
+    s = np.atleast_1d(size)[0]
+
+    if mask is not None:
+        mask = np.pad(mask, s - mask.shape[-1])  # standard basis implicitly square
+        mask = mask[:s, :s]  # crop to `size` (mainly for odd)
+
+    if dim == 2:
+        dirac_basis = DiracBasis2D
+    elif dim == 3:
+        dirac_basis = DiracBasis3D
+
+    basis = dirac_basis(size, mask=mask, dtype=dtype)
+
+    return basis
+
+
+def test_roundtrip(basis, mask):
+
+    # basis._cls is `Image` or `Volume`
+    x = basis._cls(np.random.random(basis.sz).astype(basis.dtype))
+
+    coef = basis.evaluate_t(x)
+    _x = basis.evaluate(coef)
+
+    if mask is not None:
+        # Mask case
+        ref = x * mask
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(_x, ref)
+        # Negated mask joined with outer values should all be zero
+        assert np.all((ref * ~mask).asnumpy() == 0)
+    else:
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(_x, x)
+
+    _coef = basis.expand(_x)
+    np.testing.assert_allclose(_coef, coef)
+
+
+def test_dirac_mean_vol_est(size, dtype):
+    """
+    Test the DiracBasis3D passes through MeanEstimator.
+    """
+
+    basis = DiracBasis3D(size, dtype=dtype)
+
+    src = Simulation(
+        n=300,
+        L=size,
+        C=1,
+        dtype=dtype,
+        offsets=0,
+        amplitudes=1,
+    )
+
+    est_vol = MeanEstimator(src, basis=basis).estimate()
+
+    np.testing.assert_array_less(np.mean(src.vols - est_vol), 1e-5)