diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e1c5ed16506a..651250fcdf04 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "ast-types": "~0.7.0",
+    "bluebird": "^2.9.25",
     "chalk": "^1.0.0",
     "convert-source-map": "^1.1.0",
     "core-js": "^0.9.0",
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@
     "regenerator": "^0.8.20",
     "regexpu": "^1.1.2",
     "repeating": "^1.1.2",
+    "resolve": "^1.1.6",
     "shebang-regex": "^1.0.0",
     "slash": "^1.0.0",
     "source-map": "^0.4.0",
diff --git a/src/babel/api/node.js b/src/babel/api/node.js
index 95b16129f295..025e0510cd8d 100644
--- a/src/babel/api/node.js
+++ b/src/babel/api/node.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export { canCompile } from "../util";
 
 export { default as options } from "../transformation/file/options";
 export { default as Transformer } from "../transformation/transformer";
+export { default as Pipeline } from "../transformation/transformer-pipeline";
 export { default as traverse } from "../traversal";
 export { default as buildExternalHelpers } from "../tools/build-external-helpers";
 export { version } from "../../../package";
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/bundler/index.js b/src/babel/transformation/bundler/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5946993dfa25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/bundler/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+export default class Bundler {
+  constructor(opts) {
+    this.resolvers = [];
+    this.cache     = {};
+    this.opts      = opts;
+  }
+
+  addResolver(resolver) {
+    this.resolvers.push(resolver);
+  }
+
+  transform() {
+
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/bundler/resolvers/node.js b/src/babel/transformation/bundler/resolvers/node.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dce7f9b111d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/bundler/resolvers/node.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { Promise } from "bluebird";
+import resolve from "resolve";
+import path from "path";
+import fs from "fs";
+
+export default function (request, parent) {
+  return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+    resolve(request, { basedir: path.dirname(parent) }, function (err, res) {
+      if (err) {
+        resolve(null);
+      } else {
+        fs.readFile(res, "utf8", function (err) {
+          if (err) {
+            reject(err);
+          } else {
+            resolve({
+              filename: filename,
+              content: content
+            });
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/file/index.js b/src/babel/transformation/file/index.js
index 76ccd08cd657..16763d0c2b13 100644
--- a/src/babel/transformation/file/index.js
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/file/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import convertSourceMap from "convert-source-map";
 import * as optionParsers from "./option-parsers";
+import moduleFormatters from "../modules";
 import PluginManager from "./plugin-manager";
 import shebangRegex from "shebang-regex";
 import TraversalPath from "../../traversal/path";
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ function checkPath(stack, path) {
 }
 
 export default class File {
-  constructor(opts = {}) {
+  constructor(opts = {}, pipeline) {
     this.dynamicImportTypes = {};
     this.dynamicImportIds   = {};
     this.dynamicImports     = [];
@@ -49,9 +50,10 @@ export default class File {
     this.data         = {};
     this.uids         = {};
 
-    this.log  = new Logger(this, opts.filename || "unknown");
-    this.opts = this.normalizeOptions(opts);
-    this.ast  = {};
+    this.pipeline = pipeline;
+    this.log      = new Logger(this, opts.filename || "unknown");
+    this.opts     = this.normalizeOptions(opts);
+    this.ast      = {};
 
     this.buildTransformers();
   }
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ export default class File {
       }
 
       var optionParser = optionParsers[option.type];
-      if (optionParser) val = optionParser(key, val);
+      if (optionParser) val = optionParser(key, val, this.pipeline);
 
       if (option.alias) {
         opts[option.alias] = opts[option.alias] || val;
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ export default class File {
     var stack = [];
 
     // build internal transformers
-    each(transform.transformers, function (transformer, key) {
+    each(this.pipeline.transformers, function (transformer, key) {
       var pass = transformers[key] = transformer.buildPass(file);
 
       if (pass.canTransform()) {
@@ -235,7 +237,7 @@ export default class File {
   }
 
   getModuleFormatter(type: string) {
-    var ModuleFormatter = isFunction(type) ? type : transform.moduleFormatters[type];
+    var ModuleFormatter = isFunction(type) ? type : moduleFormatters[type];
 
     if (!ModuleFormatter) {
       var loc = util.resolveRelative(type);
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/file/option-parsers.js b/src/babel/transformation/file/option-parsers.js
index c693c0c3068f..c5ebdac1bea8 100644
--- a/src/babel/transformation/file/option-parsers.js
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/file/option-parsers.js
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
-import transform from "./../index";
 import * as util from  "../../util";
 
-export function transformerList(key, val) {
+export function transformerList(key, val, pipeline) {
   val = util.arrayify(val);
 
   if (val.indexOf("all") >= 0 || val.indexOf(true) >= 0) {
-    val = Object.keys(transform.transformers);
+    val = Object.keys(pipeline.transformers);
   }
 
-  return transform._ensureTransformerNames(key, val);
+  return pipeline._ensureTransformerNames(key, val);
 }
 
 export function number(key, val) {
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/index.js b/src/babel/transformation/index.js
index 4e6494e8f169..f5bf8b2cb7ed 100644
--- a/src/babel/transformation/index.js
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/index.js
@@ -1,68 +1,34 @@
-import normalizeAst from "../helpers/normalize-ast";
-import Transformer from "./transformer";
-import object from "../helpers/object";
-import File from "./file";
-import each from "lodash/collection/each";
+import Pipeline from "./transformer-pipeline";
 
-export default function transform(code: string, opts?: Object) {
-  var file = new File(opts);
-  return file.parse(code);
-}
+var pipeline = new Pipeline;
 
-transform.fromAst = function (ast, code, opts) {
-  ast = normalizeAst(ast);
+//
 
-  var file = new File(opts);
-  file.addCode(code);
-  file.transform(ast);
-  return file.generate();
-};
+import transformers from "./transformers";
+pipeline.addTransformers(transformers);
 
-transform._ensureTransformerNames = function (type: string, rawKeys: Array<string>) {
-  var keys = [];
+//
 
-  for (var i = 0; i < rawKeys.length; i++) {
-    var key = rawKeys[i];
+import deprecated from "./transformers/deprecated";
+pipeline.addDeprecated(deprecated);
 
-    var deprecatedKey = transform.deprecatedTransformerMap[key];
-    var aliasKey = transform.aliasTransformerMap[key];
-    if (aliasKey) {
-      keys.push(aliasKey);
-    } else if (deprecatedKey) {
-      // deprecated key, remap it to the new one
-      console.error(`The transformer ${key} has been renamed to ${deprecatedKey}`);
-      rawKeys.push(deprecatedKey);
-    } else if (transform.transformers[key]) {
-      // valid key
-      keys.push(key);
-    } else if (transform.namespaces[key]) {
-      // namespace, append all transformers within this namespace
-      keys = keys.concat(transform.namespaces[key]);
-    } else {
-      // invalid key
-      throw new ReferenceError(`Unknown transformer ${key} specified in ${type}`);
-    }
-  }
+//
 
-  return keys;
-};
+import aliases from "./transformers/aliases";
+pipeline.addDeprecated(aliases);
 
-transform.transformerNamespaces = object();
-transform.transformers          = object();
-transform.namespaces            = object();
+//
 
-transform.deprecatedTransformerMap = require("./transformers/deprecated");
-transform.aliasTransformerMap = require("./transformers/aliases");
-transform.moduleFormatters = require("./modules");
+import * as filters from "./transformers/filters";
+pipeline.addFilter(filters.internal);
+pipeline.addFilter(filters.blacklist);
+pipeline.addFilter(filters.whitelist);
+pipeline.addFilter(filters.stage);
+pipeline.addFilter(filters.optional);
 
-import rawTransformers from "./transformers";
+//
 
-each(rawTransformers, function (transformer, key) {
-  var namespace = key.split(".")[0];
-
-  transform.namespaces[namespace] = transform.namespaces[namespace] || [];
-  transform.namespaces[namespace].push(key);
-  transform.transformerNamespaces[key] = namespace;
-
-  transform.transformers[key] = new Transformer(key, transformer);
-});
+var transform = pipeline.transform.bind(pipeline);
+transform.fromAst = pipeline.transformFromAst.bind(pipeline);
+transform.pipeline = pipeline;
+export default transform;
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pass.js b/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pass.js
index 81e03eda287d..38c3e8ef8c3e 100644
--- a/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pass.js
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pass.js
@@ -17,30 +17,7 @@ export default class TransformerPass {
   }
 
   canTransform(): boolean {
-    var transformer = this.transformer;
-
-    var opts = this.file.opts;
-    var key  = transformer.key;
-
-    // internal
-    if (key[0] === "_") return true;
-
-    // blacklist
-    var blacklist = opts.blacklist;
-    if (blacklist.length && includes(blacklist, key)) return false;
-
-    // whitelist
-    var whitelist = opts.whitelist;
-    if (whitelist) return includes(whitelist, key);
-
-    // stage
-    var stage = transformer.metadata.stage;
-    if (stage != null && stage >= opts.stage) return true;
-
-    // optional
-    if (transformer.metadata.optional && !includes(opts.optional, key)) return false;
-
-    return true;
+    return this.file.pipeline.canTransform(this.transformer, this.file.opts);
   }
 
   checkPath(path: TraversalPath): boolean {
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pipeline.js b/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pipeline.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..77cd57a3a7bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/transformer-pipeline.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import Transformer from "./transformer";
+import normalizeAst from "../helpers/normalize-ast";
+import Bundler from "./bundler";
+import assign from "lodash/object/assign";
+import object from "../helpers/object";
+import File from "./file";
+
+export default class TransformerPipeline {
+  constructor() {
+    this.transformers = object();
+    this.namespaces   = object();
+    this.deprecated   = object();
+    this.aliases      = object();
+    this.filters      = [];
+  }
+
+  addTransformers(transformers) {
+    for (var key in transformers) {
+      this.addTransformer(key, transformers[key]);
+    }
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  addTransformer(key, transformer) {
+    if (this.transformers[key]) throw new Error(); // todo: error
+
+    var namespace = key.split(".")[0];
+    this.namespaces[namespace] = this.namespaces[namespace] || [];
+    this.namespaces[namespace].push(key);
+    this.namespaces[key] = namespace;
+
+    this.transformers[key] = new Transformer(key, transformer);
+  }
+
+  addAliases(names) {
+    assign(this.aliases, names);
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  addDeprecated(names) {
+    assign(this.deprecated, names);
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  addFilter(filter: Function) {
+    this.filters.push(filter);
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  canTransform(transformer, fileOpts) {
+    for (var filter of (this.filters: Array)) {
+      var result = filter(transformer, fileOpts);
+      if (result != null) return result;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  transform(code: string, opts?: Object) {
+    var file = new File(opts, this);
+    return file.parse(code);
+  }
+
+  transformFromAst(ast, code, opts) {
+    ast = normalizeAst(ast);
+
+    var file = new File(opts, this);
+    file.addCode(code);
+    file.transform(ast);
+    return file.generate();
+  }
+
+  createBundler() {
+    return new Bundler(this);
+  }
+
+  _ensureTransformerNames(type: string, rawKeys: Array<string>) {
+    var keys = [];
+
+    for (var i = 0; i < rawKeys.length; i++) {
+      var key = rawKeys[i];
+
+      var deprecatedKey = this.deprecated[key];
+      var aliasKey = this.aliases[key];
+      if (aliasKey) {
+        keys.push(aliasKey);
+      } else if (deprecatedKey) {
+        // deprecated key, remap it to the new one
+        console.error(`The transformer ${key} has been renamed to ${deprecatedKey}`);
+        rawKeys.push(deprecatedKey);
+      } else if (this.transformers[key]) {
+        // valid key
+        keys.push(key);
+      } else if (this.namespaces[key]) {
+        // namespace, append all transformers within this namespace
+        keys = keys.concat(this.namespaces[key]);
+      } else {
+        // invalid key
+        throw new ReferenceError(`Unknown transformer ${key} specified in ${type}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return keys;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/transformer.js b/src/babel/transformation/transformer.js
index c07b41ea94e2..723a5c8c9769 100644
--- a/src/babel/transformation/transformer.js
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/transformer.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import each from "lodash/collection/each";
  */
 
 export default class Transformer {
-  constructor(transformerKey: string, transformer: Object, opts: Object) {
+  constructor(transformerKey: string, transformer: Object) {
     transformer = assign({}, transformer);
 
     var take = function (key) {
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ export default class Transformer {
     //
 
     this.handlers = this.normalize(transformer);
-    this.opts     = this.opts || {};
     this.key      = transformerKey;
 
     //
diff --git a/src/babel/transformation/transformers/filters.js b/src/babel/transformation/transformers/filters.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..821896544198
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/babel/transformation/transformers/filters.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import includes from "lodash/collection/includes";
+
+export function internal(transformer, opts) {
+  if (transformer.key[0] === "_") return true;
+}
+
+export function blacklist(transformer, opts) {
+  var blacklist = opts.blacklist;
+  if (blacklist.length && includes(blacklist, transformer.key)) return false;
+}
+
+export function whitelist(transformer, opts) {
+  var whitelist = opts.whitelist;
+  if (whitelist) return includes(whitelist, transformer.key);
+}
+
+export function stage(transformer, opts) {
+  var stage = transformer.metadata.stage;
+  if (stage != null && stage >= opts.stage) return true;
+}
+
+export function optional(transformer, opts) {
+  if (transformer.metadata.optional && !includes(opts.optional, transformer.key)) return false;
+}
diff --git a/test/core/api.js b/test/core/api.js
index c4f4a5607ddf..7e83b24d06b0 100644
--- a/test/core/api.js
+++ b/test/core/api.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ suite("api", function () {
   });
 
   test("addHelper unknown", function () {
-    var file = new File;
+    var file = new File({}, transform.pipeline);
     assert.throws(function () {
       file.addHelper("foob");
     }, /Unknown helper foob/);
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ suite("api", function () {
   });
 
   test("extra options", function () {
-    var file1 = new File({ extra: { foo: "bar" } });
+    var file1 = new File({ extra: { foo: "bar" } }, transform.pipeline);
     assert.equal(file1.opts.extra.foo, "bar");
 
-    var file2 = new File;
-    var file3 = new File;
+    var file2 = new File({}, transform.pipeline);
+    var file3 = new File({}, transform.pipeline);
     assert.ok(file2.opts.extra !== file3.opts.extra);
   });