diff --git a/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeHandle.java b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeHandle.java
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helma/objectmodel/db/NodeHandle.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// NodeHandle.java
+// Copyright (c) Hannes Wallnöfer 1998-2000
+ 
+package helma.objectmodel.db;
+
+import helma.objectmodel.*;
+
+
+/**
+ * This class is a handle or reference to a Node. This is to abstract from different
+ * methods of reference: Transient Nodes are referred to directly, while persistent
+ * nodes are referred to via key/node manager.
+ *
+ * A handle is used to refer to a node in a safe way over a longer period.
+ * While a direct reference may point to a node that has been evicted from the cache
+ * and reinstanciated since being set, NodeHandle will always return an up-to-date
+ * instance of its node.
+ */
+ 
+public class NodeHandle implements INodeState {
+
+    // direct reference to the node
+    private Node node;
+
+    // the node's key
+    private Key key;
+
+    // the node manager used to fetch the node from cache or persistent storage
+    private WrappedNodeManager nodemgr;
+
+    /**
+     *  Builds a handle for a node
+     */
+    public NodeHandle (Node node) {
+	int state = node.getState ();
+	if (state == TRANSIENT) {
+	    this.node = node;
+	    key = null;
+	    nodemgr = null;
+	} else {
+	    this.node = null;
+	    key = node.getKey ();
+	    nodemgr = node.nmgr;
+	}
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Builds a handle given a node's retrieval information. At the time this is called,
+     * the node is ususally not yet created. It will be fetched on demand when accessed by
+     * application code.
+     */
+    public NodeHandle (Key key, WrappedNodeManager nodemgr) {
+	this.node = null;
+	this.key = key;
+	this.nodemgr = nodemgr;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     *  Get the node described by this node handle
+     */
+    public Node getNode () {
+	if (node != null) {
+	    int state = node.getState ();
+	    if (state == TRANSIENT)
+	        return node;
+	    else {
+	        // this node went from TRANSIENT to some other state.
+	        // It's time to say goodby to the direct reference, from now on
+	        // we'll have to fetch let the node manager fetch it.
+	        key = node.getKey ();
+	        nodemgr = node.nmgr;
+	        node = null;
+	    }
+	}
+	return nodemgr.getNode (key);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     *  Get the key for the node described by this handle
+     */
+    public Key getKey () {
+	return key;
+    }
+
+}