diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 3e77e0a60..a1ba9246d 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -1,8 +1,54 @@
 #ifndef RAY_UTILS_H
 #define RAY_UTILS_H
 
+#include <mutex>
 #include <string>
 
+template<class Synchronized>
+struct SynchronizedTarget {
+  typedef typename Synchronized::element_type type;
+};
+
+template<class Synchronized>
+struct SynchronizedTarget<const Synchronized> {
+  typedef const typename Synchronized::element_type type;
+};
+
+template<class Synchronized>
+class SynchronizedPtr : public std::unique_lock<Synchronized> {
+  typedef std::unique_lock<Synchronized> base_type;
+
+  // Make these private; they don't make much sense externally...
+  using typename base_type::mutex_type;
+  using base_type::mutex;
+public:
+  typedef typename SynchronizedTarget<Synchronized>::type value_type;
+  SynchronizedPtr(Synchronized& value) : base_type(value) { }
+  value_type& operator*() const { return *mutex()->unsafe_get(); }
+  value_type* operator->() const { return mutex() ? mutex()->unsafe_get() : NULL; }
+};
+
+template<class T, class Mutex = std::mutex>
+class Synchronized {
+  mutable Mutex mutex_;
+  T value_;
+public:
+  typedef T element_type;
+  template<class... U>
+  Synchronized(U&&... args) : value_(std::forward<T>(args)...) { }
+  Synchronized(const Synchronized& other) : value_(*other) { }
+  Synchronized(Synchronized&& other) : value_(std::move(*other)) { }
+  Synchronized& operator =(const Synchronized& other) { *get() = *other.get(); return *this; }
+  Synchronized& operator =(Synchronized&& other) { *get() = std::move(*other.get()); return *this; }
+  void lock() const { return mutex_.lock(); }
+  void unlock() const { return mutex_.unlock(); }
+  bool try_lock() const { return mutex_.try_lock(); }
+  SynchronizedPtr<Synchronized> get() { return *this; }
+  SynchronizedPtr<const Synchronized> get() const { return *this; }
+  element_type* unsafe_get() { return &value_; }
+  const element_type* unsafe_get() const { return &value_; }
+};
+
 std::string::iterator split_ip_address(std::string& ip_address);
 
 const char* get_cmd_option(char** begin, char** end, const std::string& option);