diff --git a/project/Build.scala b/project/Build.scala
index 2331b5de39..08b3a9c71b 100644
--- a/project/Build.scala
+++ b/project/Build.scala
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ object Util extends Build {
       sharedSettings ++
       Unidoc.settings
   ) aggregate(
-    utilCore, utilCodec, utilCollection, utilCache, utilReflect,
+    utilRegistry, utilCore, utilCodec, utilCollection, utilCache, utilReflect,
     utilLogging, utilTest, utilThrift, utilHashing, utilJvm, utilZk,
     utilZkCommon, utilClassPreloader, utilBenchmark, utilApp,
     utilEvents, utilStats, utilEval
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ object Util extends Build {
     name := "util-logging"
   ).dependsOn(utilCore, utilApp, utilStats)
 
+
+  lazy val utilRegistry = Project(
+    id = "util-registry",
+    base = file("util-registry"),
+    settings = Project.defaultSettings ++
+      sharedSettings
+  ).settings(
+    name := "util-registry"
+  )
+
   lazy val utilStats = Project(
     id = "util-stats",
     base = file("util-stats"),
diff --git a/util-registry/BUILD b/util-registry/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0af0813b84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+maven_layout()
+
+jar_library(name='util-registry',
+  dependencies=[
+    'util/util-core/src/main/scala',
+  ]
+)
+
+jar_library(name='tests',
+  dependencies=[
+    'util/util-core/src/test/scala'
+  ]
+)
diff --git a/util-registry/src/main/scala/BUILD b/util-registry/src/main/scala/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12ac0c2a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/src/main/scala/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+scala_library(name='scala',
+  provides = scala_artifact(
+    org = 'com.twitter',
+    name = 'util-registry',
+    repo = artifactory,
+  ),
+  sources=rglobs('*.scala')
+)
diff --git a/util-registry/src/main/scala/com/twitter/registry/Registry.scala b/util-registry/src/main/scala/com/twitter/registry/Registry.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e51dced939
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/src/main/scala/com/twitter/registry/Registry.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package com.twitter.registry
+
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException
+
+private[registry] final case class Entry(key: Seq[String], value: String)
+
+private[registry] object Entry {
+  val TupledMethod: ((Seq[String], String)) => Entry = (Entry.apply _).tupled
+}
+
+/**
+ * This is an expert-level API; it is not meant for end-users.
+ *
+ * The registry is a hierarchical key/value store, where all keys are sequences
+ * of Strings, and values are Strings.
+ *
+ * Keys and values must be non-control ascii, and must not contain the '/'
+ * character.  If you pass in a key or value with an invalid character, it will
+ * silently be removed.  If this makes your key clash with another key, it will
+ * overwrite.
+ */
+private[registry] trait Registry extends Iterable[Entry] {
+  /**
+   * Provides an iterator over the registry.
+   *
+   * It is the responsibility of the caller to synchronize if they would like to
+   * iterate in multiple threads, but the iterator is guaranteed not to change as
+   * it is called.
+   */
+  def iterator(): Iterator[Entry]
+
+  /**
+   * Registers a value in the registry, and returns the old value (if any).
+   */
+  def put(key: Seq[String], value: String): Option[String]
+}
+
+private[registry] class NaiveRegistry extends Registry {
+  private[this] var registry = Map.empty[Seq[String], String]
+
+  def iterator(): Iterator[Entry] = synchronized(registry).iterator.map(Entry.TupledMethod)
+
+  def put(key: Seq[String], value: String): Option[String] = {
+    val sanitizedKey = key.map(sanitize)
+    val sanitizedValue = sanitize(value)
+    synchronized {
+      val result = registry.get(sanitizedKey)
+      registry += sanitizedKey -> sanitizedValue
+      result
+    }
+  }
+
+  private[this] def sanitize(key: String): String =
+    key.filter { char => char > 31 && char <= 127 && char != '/' }
+}
+
+private[registry] object GlobalRegistry {
+  private[this] val registry = new NaiveRegistry
+
+  def get: Registry = registry
+}
diff --git a/util-registry/src/test/scala/BUILD b/util-registry/src/test/scala/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..636a119ed8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/src/test/scala/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+junit_tests(name='scala',
+  dependencies=[
+    '3rdparty/jvm/junit',
+    '3rdparty/jvm/org/scalatest',
+    'util/util-registry/src/main/scala',
+  ],
+  sources=rglobs('*.scala')
+)
diff --git a/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/NaiveRuntimeRegistry.scala b/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/NaiveRuntimeRegistry.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..25fff6412e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/NaiveRuntimeRegistry.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package com.twitter.registry
+
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner
+
+@RunWith(classOf[JUnitRunner])
+class NaiveRegistryTest extends RegistryTest {
+  def mkRegistry(): Registry = new NaiveRegistry()
+  def name: String = "NaiveRegistry"
+}
diff --git a/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/RegistryTest.scala b/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/RegistryTest.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d0f646db44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util-registry/src/test/scala/com/twitter/registry/RegistryTest.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package com.twitter.registry
+
+import java.lang.{Character => JCharacter}
+import org.scalatest.FunSuite
+
+abstract class RegistryTest extends FunSuite {
+  def mkRegistry(): Registry
+  def name: String
+
+  test(s"$name can insert a key/value pair and then read it") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "bar")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name's iterator is not affected by adding an element") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    val iter = registry.iterator()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "baz")
+    assert(iter.next() == Entry(Seq("foo"), "bar"))
+    assert(!iter.hasNext)
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can overwrite old element") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "baz")
+    assert((registry.toSet) == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "baz")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can return the old element when replacing") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    assert(registry.put(Seq("foo"), "baz") == Some("bar"))
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "baz")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can support multiple elements") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    registry.put(Seq("baz"), "qux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "bar"), Entry(Seq("baz"), "qux")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can support nontrivial keys") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo", "bar", "baz"), "qux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo", "bar", "baz"), "qux")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can support empty keys") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq(), "qux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq(), "qux")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can sanitize bad values") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "q/ux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "qux")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can sanitize bad keys") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("fo☃o", s"bar${JCharacter.toString(31)}"), "qux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo", "bar"), "qux")))
+  }
+
+  test(s"$name can support keys that are subsequences of other keys") {
+    val registry = mkRegistry()
+    registry.put(Seq("foo"), "bar")
+    registry.put(Seq("foo", "baz"), "qux")
+    assert(registry.toSet == Set(Entry(Seq("foo"), "bar"), Entry(Seq("foo", "baz"), "qux")))
+  }
+}