diff --git a/broker/broker.go b/broker/broker.go
index 19cc78cb24..3c229b1eff 100644
--- a/broker/broker.go
+++ b/broker/broker.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package broker
 
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -17,15 +18,17 @@ type Broker struct {
 	mu   sync.Mutex
 	path string // data directory
 
-	log    *raft.Log         // internal raft log
-	topics map[string]*topic // topic writers by path
+	log     *raft.Log          // internal raft log
+	topics  map[string]*topic  // topic writers by path
+	streams map[string]*Stream // stream by name
 }
 
 // New returns a new instance of a Broker with default values.
 func New() *Broker {
 	b := &Broker{
-		log:    raft.NewLog(),
-		topics: make(map[string]*topic),
+		log:     raft.NewLog(),
+		topics:  make(map[string]*topic),
+		streams: make(map[string]*Stream),
 	}
 	b.log.FSM = (*brokerFSM)(b)
 	return b
@@ -107,6 +110,35 @@ func (b *Broker) Wait(index uint64) error {
 	return b.log.Wait(index)
 }
 
+// Stream returns a stream by name.
+func (b *Broker) Stream(name string) *Stream {
+	return b.streams[name]
+}
+
+// CreateStream creates a new named stream.
+func (b *Broker) CreateStream(name string) error {
+	// Create message.
+	var m Message
+	m.Type = createStreamMessageType
+	m.Data, _ = json.Marshal(&createStream{Name: name})
+
+	// Write to the log.
+	index, err := b.Publish("config", &m)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Wait until applied.
+	return b.log.Wait(index)
+}
+
+// RemoveStream deletes an existing stream by name.
+func (b *Broker) RemoveStream(name string) error {
+	// TODO: Add DeleteStream command to the log.
+	// TODO: Wait until applied.
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Returns the topic by name. Creates it if it doesn't exist.
 func (b *Broker) createTopicIfNotExists(name string) (*topic, error) {
 	// Return it if it already exists.
@@ -164,6 +196,16 @@ func (fsm *brokerFSM) Apply(e *raft.LogEntry) error {
 	m.Index = e.Index
 	m.Data = e.Data[3+sz:]
 
+	// Update the broker configuration.
+	var err error
+	switch m.Type {
+	case createStreamMessageType:
+		err = fsm.applyCreateStream(&m)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Retrieve the topic.
 	t, err := b.createTopicIfNotExists(topic)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -178,6 +220,21 @@ func (fsm *brokerFSM) Apply(e *raft.LogEntry) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// applyCreateStream processes a createStream message.
+func (fsm *brokerFSM) applyCreateStream(m *Message) error {
+	var c createStream
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(m.Data, &c); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Create a new named stream.
+	fsm.streams[c.Name] = &Stream{
+		broker:        (*Broker)(fsm),
+		subscriptions: make(map[string]*subscription),
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Index returns the highest index that the broker has seen.
 func (fsm *brokerFSM) Index() (uint64, error) {
 	// TODO: Retrieve index.
@@ -214,6 +271,65 @@ func (t *topic) writeMessage(m *Message) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// Stream represents a collection of subscriptions to topics on the broker.
+// The stream maintains the highest index read for each topic so that the
+// broker can use this high water mark for trimming the topic logs.
+type Stream struct {
+	broker        *Broker
+	w             *streamWriter
+	subscriptions map[string]*subscription
+}
+
+// Subscribe subscribes the stream to a given topic.
+func (s *Stream) Subscribe(topic string, index uint64) error {
+	// TODO: Add Subscribe command to the log.
+	// TODO: Wait until applied.
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unsubscribe removes a subscription from the stream to a given topic.
+func (s *Stream) Unsubscribe(topic string) error {
+	// TODO: Add Unsubscribe command to the log.
+	// TODO: Wait until applied.
+	return nil
+}
+
+// WriteTo begins writing messages to a named stream.
+// Only one writer is allowed on a stream at a time.
+func (s *Stream) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int, error) {
+	// Close existing writer on stream.
+	if s.w != nil {
+		s.w.Close()
+		s.w = nil
+	}
+
+	// Set a new writer on the stream.
+	s.w = &streamWriter{w: w, done: make(chan struct{})}
+
+	// TODO: Return bytes written.
+	return 0, nil
+}
+
+type streamWriter struct {
+	w    io.Writer
+	done chan struct{}
+}
+
+// Close closes the writer.
+func (w *streamWriter) Close() error {
+	if w.done != nil {
+		close(w.done)
+		w.done = nil
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// subscription represents a single topic subscription for a stream.
+type subscription struct {
+	name  string // topic name
+	index uint64 // highest index received
+}
+
 // assert will panic with a given formatted message if the given condition is false.
 func assert(condition bool, msg string, v ...interface{}) {
 	if !condition {
diff --git a/broker/broker_test.go b/broker/broker_test.go
index f33f204a35..04894a775e 100644
--- a/broker/broker_test.go
+++ b/broker/broker_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 package broker_test
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/influxdb/influxdb/broker"
 )
@@ -24,7 +27,34 @@ func TestBroker_Write(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("wait error: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	// TODO: Read the message back from the broker.
+	// Create a new named stream and subscription.
+	if err := b.CreateStream("node0"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create stream: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// Retrieve stream and subscribe.
+	s := b.Stream("node0")
+	if err := s.Subscribe("foo/bar", 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("subscribe: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// Read message from the stream.
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	go func() {
+		if _, err := s.WriteTo(&buf); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("write to: %s", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Read out the message.
+	var m broker.Message
+	dec := broker.NewMessageDecoder(&buf)
+	if err := dec.Decode(&m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode: %s", err)
+	} else if !reflect.DeepEqual(&m, &broker.Message{Type: 100, Index: 2, Data: []byte("0000")}) {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected message: %#v", &m)
+	}
 }
 
 // Broker is a wrapper for broker.Broker that creates the broker in a temporary location.
diff --git a/broker/errors.go b/broker/errors.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0451085203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/broker/errors.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package broker
+
+import "errors"
+
+var (
+	// ErrSubscribed is returned when a stream is already subscribed to a topic.
+	ErrSubscribed = errors.New("already subscribed")
+)
diff --git a/broker/message.go b/broker/message.go
index 8fe2af4dae..bc27faa1cb 100644
--- a/broker/message.go
+++ b/broker/message.go
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@ import (
 	"io"
 )
 
-// The size of the encoded message header, in bytes.
-const messageHeaderSize = 2 + 8 + 4
-
 // MessageType represents the type of message.
 type MessageType uint16
 
+const (
+	BrokerMessageType = 1 << 15
+)
+
+const (
+	createStreamMessageType = BrokerMessageType | MessageType(0)
+)
+
 // Message represents a single item in a topic.
 type Message struct {
 	Type  MessageType
@@ -18,6 +23,14 @@ type Message struct {
 	Data  []byte
 }
 
+// createStream creates a new named stream.
+type createStream struct {
+	Name string `json:"name"`
+}
+
+// The size of the encoded message header, in bytes.
+const messageHeaderSize = 2 + 8 + 4
+
 // MessageEncoder encodes messages to a writer.
 type MessageEncoder struct {
 	w io.Writer