diff --git a/bufmsg/bufmsg.go b/bufmsg/bufmsg.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0e64116
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bufmsg/bufmsg.go
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+package bufmsg
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/emersion/go-message"
+	"github.com/emersion/go-message/textproto"
+)
+
+type Entity struct {
+	Header   message.Header
+	Children []*Entity
+
+	originalHeader message.Header
+	rawBody        []byte
+	body           []byte
+	bodyUpdated    bool
+}
+
+func New(header message.Header) *Entity {
+	return &Entity{
+		Header:         header,
+		originalHeader: message.Header{header.Copy()},
+	}
+}
+
+func Read(r io.Reader) (*Entity, error) {
+	br := bufio.NewReader(r)
+	th, err := textproto.ReadHeader(br)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return readWithHeader(th, br)
+}
+
+func readWithHeader(th textproto.Header, body io.Reader) (*Entity, error) {
+	entity := &Entity{
+		Header:         message.Header{th},
+		originalHeader: message.Header{th.Copy()},
+	}
+
+	if boundary, ok := entity.multipartBoundary(); ok {
+		mr := textproto.NewMultipartReader(body, boundary)
+		for {
+			part, err := mr.NextPart()
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				break
+			} else if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
+			child, err := readWithHeader(part.Header, part)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
+			entity.Children = append(entity.Children, child)
+		}
+	} else {
+		b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(body)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		entity.rawBody = b
+	}
+
+	return &Entity{
+		Header: entity.Header,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) multipartBoundary() (string, bool) {
+	mediaType, mediaParams, _ := e.Header.ContentType()
+	return mediaParams["boundary"], strings.HasPrefix(mediaType, "multipart/")
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) IsMultipart() bool {
+	_, ok := e.multipartBoundary()
+	return ok
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) Body() ([]byte, error) {
+	if e.body != nil {
+		return e.body, nil
+	}
+
+	if e.rawBody == nil {
+		return nil, nil // entity is empty
+	}
+
+	me, err := message.New(e.originalHeader, bytes.NewReader(e.rawBody))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(me.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	e.body = b
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) SetBody(b []byte) {
+	e.body = b
+	e.rawBody = nil
+	e.bodyUpdated = true
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) RawBody() ([]byte, error) {
+	if e.IsMultipart() || e.bodyUpdated {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		if err := e.writeBodyTo(&buf); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return buf.Bytes(), nil
+	} else {
+		return e.rawBody, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) WriteTo(w io.Writer) error {
+	if err := textproto.WriteHeader(w, e.Header.Header); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return e.writeBodyTo(w)
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) writeBodyTo(w io.Writer) error {
+	if e.IsMultipart() {
+		if e.bodyUpdated {
+			return fmt.Errorf("bufmsg: SetBody was called on a multipart message")
+		}
+
+		mw := textproto.NewMultipartWriter(w)
+
+		// TODO: grab boundary from header, if any -- otherwise set it
+
+		for _, child := range e.Children {
+			pw, err := mw.CreatePart(child.Header.Header)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			if err := child.writeBodyTo(pw); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		return mw.Close()
+	} else if e.bodyUpdated {
+		return nil // TODO: encode body to w
+	} else {
+		_, err := w.Write(e.rawBody)
+		return err
+	}
+}
+
+type WalkFunc func(path []int, entity *Entity) error
+
+type walkQueueItem struct {
+	path   []int
+	entity *Entity
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) Walk(walkFunc WalkFunc) error {
+	stack := []walkQueueItem{
+		{nil, e},
+	}
+	seen := make(map[*Entity]bool)
+	for len(stack) > 0 {
+		// Pop an item out of the stack
+		it := stack[len(stack)-1]
+		stack = stack[:len(stack)-1]
+
+		if seen[it.entity] {
+			return fmt.Errorf("bufmsg: cyclic multipart entity")
+		}
+		seen[it.entity] = true
+
+		if err := walkFunc(it.path, it.entity); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// Insert children into the stack in reverse order
+		for i := len(it.entity.Children) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+			child := it.entity.Children[i]
+
+			childPath := make([]int, len(it.path))
+			copy(childPath, it.path)
+			childPath = append(childPath, i)
+
+			stack = append(stack, walkQueueItem{childPath, child})
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (e *Entity) Child(path []int) *Entity {
+	cur := e
+	for _, index := range path {
+		if index >= len(cur.Children) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		cur = cur.Children[index]
+	}
+	return cur
+}