diff --git a/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.cpp b/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc5ef89d42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief Infrastructure for ExecutionPlans
+///
+/// @file arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.h
+///
+/// DISCLAIMER
+///
+/// Copyright 2010-2014 triagens GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+/// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+/// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+///
+///     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+///
+/// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+/// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+/// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+/// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+/// limitations under the License.
+///
+/// Copyright holder is triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// @author Max Neunhoeffer
+/// @author Copyright 2014, triagens GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include "Aql/ExecutionPlan.h"
+
+using namespace triagens::aql;
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                          methods of ExecutionPlan
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief toJson, export an ExecutionPlan to JSON
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+TRI_json_t* ExecutionPlan::toJson (TRI_memory_zone_t* zone) {
+  TRI_json_t* json = TRI_CreateArray2Json(zone, 1);
+  TRI_json_t* sub = TRI_CreateStringCopyJson(zone, "ILLEGAL");
+  TRI_Insert2ArrayJson(zone, json, "type", sub);
+  return json;
+}
+
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: outline-minor
+// outline-regexp: "^\\(/// @brief\\|/// {@inheritDoc}\\|/// @addtogroup\\|// --SECTION--\\|/// @\\}\\)"
+// End:
+
+
diff --git a/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.h b/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1088430e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.h
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief Infrastructure for ExecutionPlans
+///
+/// @file arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.h
+///
+/// DISCLAIMER
+///
+/// Copyright 2010-2014 triagens GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+/// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+/// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+///
+///     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+///
+/// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+/// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+/// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+/// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+/// limitations under the License.
+///
+/// Copyright holder is triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// @author Max Neunhoeffer
+/// @author Copyright 2014, triagens GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef ARANGODB_AQL_EXECUTION_PLAN_H
+#define ARANGODB_AQL_EXECUTION_PLAN_H 1
+
+#include <Basics/Common.h>
+
+#include <BasicsC/json.h>
+
+namespace triagens {
+  namespace aql {
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief class ExecutionPlan, abstract base class
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    class ExecutionPlan {
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief node type
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+      public:
+
+        enum NodeType {
+          ILLEGAL,
+          ENUMERATE_COLLECTION,
+          INDEX_RANGE,
+          STATIC_LIST,
+          FILTER,
+          LIMIT,
+          INTERSECTION,
+          PROJECTION,
+          CALCULATION,
+          SORT,
+          AGGREGATE_ON_SORTED,
+          AGGREGATE_ON_UNSORTED,
+          LOOKUP_JOIN,
+          MERGE_JOIN,
+          LOOKUP_INDEX_UNIQUE,
+          LOOKUP_INDEX_RANGE,
+          LOOKUP_FULL_COLLECTION,
+          CONCATENATION,
+          MERGE,
+          REMOTE,
+          INSERT,
+          REMOVE,
+          REPLACE,
+          UPDATE,
+          ROOT
+        };
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                                    public methods
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief default constructor
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        ExecutionPlan () {
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief constructor with one dependency
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        ExecutionPlan (ExecutionPlan* ep) {
+          _dependencies.push_back(ep);
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief destructor, free dependencies
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        virtual ~ExecutionPlan () { 
+          for (auto i = _dependencies.begin(); i != _dependencies.end(); ++i) {
+            delete *i;
+          }
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief return the type of the node
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        virtual NodeType getType () {
+          return ILLEGAL;
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief add a dependency
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        void addDependency (ExecutionPlan* ep) {
+          _dependencies.push_back(ep);
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief get all dependencies
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        vector<ExecutionPlan*> getDependencies () {
+          return _dependencies;
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief access the pos-th dependency
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        ExecutionPlan* operator[] (size_t pos) {
+          if (pos > _dependencies.size()) {
+            return nullptr;
+          }
+          else {
+            return _dependencies.at(pos);
+          }
+        }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief clone execution plan recursively, this makes the class abstract
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        virtual ExecutionPlan* clone () = 0;
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief export to JSON
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        virtual TRI_json_t* toJson (TRI_memory_zone_t* zone);
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                                 private variables
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief our dependent nodes
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+      private:
+
+        std::vector<ExecutionPlan*> _dependencies;
+
+    };
+
+  }   // namespace triagens::aql
+}  // namespace triagens
+
+#endif
+
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: outline-minor
+// outline-regexp: "^\\(/// @brief\\|/// {@inheritDoc}\\|/// @addtogroup\\|// --SECTION--\\|/// @\\}\\)"
+// End:
+
+
diff --git a/arangod/CMakeLists.txt b/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
index 4ac229bc62..a072378c3b 100644
--- a/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ add_executable(
     Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-statementlist.cpp
     Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-tokens.cpp
     Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-variable.cpp
+    Aql/ExecutionPlan.cpp
     Aql/Parser.cpp
     Aql/Query.cpp
     Aql/QueryError.cpp
diff --git a/arangod/Makefile.files b/arangod/Makefile.files
index db0b20d3aa..3b716106c8 100644
--- a/arangod/Makefile.files
+++ b/arangod/Makefile.files
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ arangod_libarangod_a_SOURCES = \
 	arangod/Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-statementlist.cpp \
 	arangod/Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-tokens.cpp \
 	arangod/Ahuacatl/ahuacatl-variable.cpp \
+	arangod/Aql/ExecutionPlan.cpp \
 	arangod/Aql/Parser.cpp \
 	arangod/Aql/Query.cpp \
 	arangod/Aql/QueryError.cpp \