diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/payload/archive.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/payload/archive.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5aaf13e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/payload/archive.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# Copyright 2014-2015 Canonical Limited.
+#
+# This file is part of charm-helpers.
+#
+# charm-helpers is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation.
+#
+# charm-helpers is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+# along with charm-helpers.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import os
+import tarfile
+import zipfile
+from charmhelpers.core import (
+    host,
+    hookenv,
+)
+
+
+class ArchiveError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def get_archive_handler(archive_name):
+    if os.path.isfile(archive_name):
+        if tarfile.is_tarfile(archive_name):
+            return extract_tarfile
+        elif zipfile.is_zipfile(archive_name):
+            return extract_zipfile
+    else:
+        # look at the file name
+        for ext in ('.tar', '.tar.gz', '.tgz', 'tar.bz2', '.tbz2', '.tbz'):
+            if archive_name.endswith(ext):
+                return extract_tarfile
+        for ext in ('.zip', '.jar'):
+            if archive_name.endswith(ext):
+                return extract_zipfile
+
+
+def archive_dest_default(archive_name):
+    archive_file = os.path.basename(archive_name)
+    return os.path.join(hookenv.charm_dir(), "archives", archive_file)
+
+
+def extract(archive_name, destpath=None):
+    handler = get_archive_handler(archive_name)
+    if handler:
+        if not destpath:
+            destpath = archive_dest_default(archive_name)
+        if not os.path.isdir(destpath):
+            host.mkdir(destpath)
+        handler(archive_name, destpath)
+        return destpath
+    else:
+        raise ArchiveError("No handler for archive")
+
+
+def extract_tarfile(archive_name, destpath):
+    "Unpack a tar archive, optionally compressed"
+    archive = tarfile.open(archive_name)
+    archive.extractall(destpath)
+
+
+def extract_zipfile(archive_name, destpath):
+    "Unpack a zip file"
+    archive = zipfile.ZipFile(archive_name)
+    archive.extractall(destpath)