diff --git a/malcolm/core/blockmeta.py b/malcolm/core/blockmeta.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6db08cf81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/malcolm/core/blockmeta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+from collections import OrderedDict
+
+from malcolm.core.serializable import Serializable
+
+
+@Serializable.register("malcolm:core/BlockMeta:1.0")
+class BlockMeta(Serializable):
+    """Meta class for describing Blocks"""
+
+    def __init__(self, name, description):
+        super(BlockMeta, self).__init__(name)
+        self.description = description
+        self.tags = []
+
+    def update(self, change):
+        """Update meta state
+
+        Args:
+            change [[element], new_value]: change to make to meta
+        """
+        if len(change[0]) != 1:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Change %s specifies substructure that can not exist in Meta"
+                % change)
+        if change[0][0] == "description":
+            self.set_description(change[1], notify=True)
+        elif change[0][0] == "tags":
+            self.set_tags(change[1], notify=True)
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Change %s refers to unknown meta attribute" % change)
+
+    def set_description(self, description, notify=True):
+        self.description = description
+        self.on_changed([["description"], description], notify)
+
+    def set_tags(self, tags, notify=True):
+        self.tags = tags
+        self.on_changed([["tags"], tags], notify)
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        d = OrderedDict()
+        d["description"] = self.description
+        d["tags"] = self.tags
+        d["typeid"] = self.typeid
+        return d
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, name, d):
+        meta = BlockMeta(name, d["description"])
+        meta.tags = d["tags"]
+        return meta
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_blockmeta.py b/tests/test_core/test_blockmeta.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..71ef7d898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_blockmeta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import os
+import sys
+import unittest
+from collections import OrderedDict
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+import setup_malcolm_paths
+
+from mock import Mock
+
+from malcolm.core.blockmeta import BlockMeta
+from malcolm.core.serializable import Serializable
+
+class TestBlockMeta(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_init(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "meta_description")
+        self.assertEqual("meta_name", bm.name)
+        self.assertEqual("meta_description", bm.description)
+        self.assertEqual([], bm.tags)
+        self.assertEqual("malcolm:core/BlockMeta:1.0", bm.typeid)
+
+    def test_set_description(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "meta_description")
+        bm.on_changed = Mock(wrap=bm.on_changed)
+        bm.set_description("new_description")
+        self.assertEquals("new_description", bm.description)
+        bm.on_changed.assert_called_once_with(
+            [["description"], "new_description"], True)
+
+    def test_set_tags(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "meta_description")
+        bm.on_changed = Mock(wrap=bm.on_changed)
+        bm.set_tags(["new_tag"])
+        self.assertEquals(["new_tag"], bm.tags)
+        bm.on_changed.assert_called_once_with(
+            [["tags"], ["new_tag"]], True)
+
+    def test_update_description(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "")
+        bm.on_changed = Mock(wrap=bm.on_changed)
+        bm.update([["description"], "new_description"])
+        self.assertEquals(bm.description, "new_description")
+        bm.on_changed.assert_called_once_with(
+            [["description"], "new_description"], True)
+
+    def test_update_tags(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "")
+        bm.on_changed = Mock(wrap=bm.on_changed)
+        bm.update([["tags"], ["new_tag"]])
+        self.assertEquals(bm.tags, ["new_tag"])
+        bm.on_changed.assert_called_once_with(
+            [["tags"], ["new_tag"]], True)
+
+    def test_invalid_update_raises(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, bm.update, [["invalid_path"], ""])
+
+    def test_substructure_update_raises(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "")
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ValueError, bm.update, [["tags", "invalid_substructure_path"], ""])
+
+    def test_to_dict(self):
+        bm = BlockMeta("meta_name", "meta_description")
+        bm.tags = ["tag"]
+        expected = OrderedDict()
+        expected["description"] = "meta_description"
+        expected["tags"] = ["tag"]
+        expected["typeid"] = "malcolm:core/BlockMeta:1.0"
+        self.assertEquals(expected, bm.to_dict())
+
+    def test_from_dict(self):
+        d = {"description":"test_description", "tags":["tag1", "tag2"],
+             "typeid":"malcolm:core/BlockMeta:1.0"}
+        bm = Serializable.from_dict("meta_name", d)
+        self.assertEqual(BlockMeta, type(bm))
+        self.assertEqual("meta_name", bm.name)
+        self.assertEqual("test_description", bm.description)
+        self.assertEqual(["tag1", "tag2"], bm.tags)
+        self.assertEqual("malcolm:core/BlockMeta:1.0", bm.typeid)
+        self.assertEqual(d, bm.to_dict())
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main(verbosity=2)