diff --git a/marconiclient/common/__init__.py b/marconiclient/common/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/marconiclient/common/api.py b/marconiclient/common/api.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a38ebe9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/marconiclient/common/api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Rackspace, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+
+import collections
+
+
+ApiInfo = collections.namedtuple('ApiInfo', 'mandatory optional')
+
+_API_DATA = dict(
+    create_queue=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name']), optional=set()),
+    list_queues=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(), optional=set(['marker', 'limit', 'detailed'])),
+    queue_exists=ApiInfo(mandatory=set(['queue_name']), optional=set()),
+    delete_queue=ApiInfo(mandatory=set(['queue_name']), optional=set()),
+    set_queue_metadata=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'metadata']), optional=set()),
+    get_queue_metadata=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name']), optional=set()),
+    get_queue_stats=ApiInfo(mandatory=set(['queue_name']), optional=set()),
+    list_messages=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name']),
+        optional=set(['marker', 'limit', 'echo', 'include_claimed'])),
+    get_message=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'message_id']),
+        optional=set(['claim_id'])),
+    get_messages_by_id=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'message_ids']),
+        optional=set()),
+    post_messages=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'messagedata']), optional=set()),
+    delete_message=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'message_id']),
+        optional=set(['claim_id'])),
+    delete_messages_by_id=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'message_ids']), optional=set()),
+    claim_messages=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'ttl', 'grace_period']),
+        optional=set(['limit'])),
+    query_claim=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'claim_id']), optional=set()),
+    update_claim=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'claim_id', 'ttl']), optional=set()),
+    release_claim=ApiInfo(
+        mandatory=set(['queue_name', 'claim_id']), optional=set()),
+)
+
+
+def info():
+    """A dict where the keys and values are valid operations and `ApiInfo`
+    named tuples respectively.
+    The `ApiInfo` named tuples have a `mandatory` and an `optional` property
+    that list the params for the respective operation.
+    """
+    return _API_DATA.copy()
diff --git a/marconiclient/transport/__init__.py b/marconiclient/transport/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/marconiclient/transport/request.py b/marconiclient/transport/request.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ec0395c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/marconiclient/transport/request.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Rackspace, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+
+
+from marconiclient.common import api
+
+
+class Request(object):
+    """General data for a Marconi request, passed to the transport layer.
+    The idea is to be declarative i.e. specify *what* is desired. It's up to
+    the respective transport to turn this into a layer-specific request.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, endpoint='', operation='', params=None, headers=None):
+        self.endpoint = endpoint
+        self.operation = operation
+        self.params = params or {}
+        self.headers = headers or {}
+
+    def validate(self):
+        """`None` if the request data is valid, an error message otherwise.
+        Checks the `operation` and the presence of the `params`.
+        """
+        api_info_data = api.info()
+        if self.operation not in api_info_data:
+            return "Invalid operation '%s'" % self.operation
+
+        api_info = api_info_data[self.operation]
+
+        param_names = set() if not self.params else set(self.params.keys())
+        # NOTE(al-maisan) Do we have all the mandatory params?
+        if not api_info.mandatory.issubset(param_names):
+            missing = sorted(api_info.mandatory - param_names)
+            return "Missing mandatory params: '%s'" % ', '.join(missing)
+
+        # NOTE(al-maisan) Our params must be either in the mandatory or the
+        # optional subset.
+        all_permissible_params = api_info.mandatory.union(api_info.optional)
+        if not param_names.issubset(all_permissible_params):
+            invalid = sorted(param_names - all_permissible_params)
+            return "Invalid params: '%s'" % ', '.join(invalid)
+
+        return None
diff --git a/tests/unit/transport/test_request.py b/tests/unit/transport/test_request.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d01044d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/transport/test_request.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Rackspace, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+
+from marconiclient.tests import base
+from marconiclient.transport import request
+
+
+HREF = '/v1/queue/'
+
+
+class TestRequest(base.TestBase):
+    def test_valid_operation(self):
+        req = request.Request(endpoint=HREF, operation='create_queue',
+                              params=dict(queue_name='high_load'))
+        self.assertIs(None, req.validate())
+
+    def test_invalid_operation(self):
+        req = request.Request(endpoint=HREF, operation='jump_queue',
+                              params=dict(name='high_load'))
+        self.assertEqual("Invalid operation 'jump_queue'", req.validate())
+
+    def test_missing_mandatory_param(self):
+        req = request.Request(endpoint=HREF, operation='get_message',
+                              params=dict())
+        self.assertEqual("Missing mandatory params: 'message_id, queue_name'",
+                         req.validate())
+
+    def test_missing_optional_param(self):
+        req = request.Request(endpoint=HREF, operation='delete_message',
+                              params=dict(queue_name='abc', message_id='1'))
+        self.assertIs(None, req.validate())
+
+    def test_invalid__param(self):
+        req = request.Request(endpoint=HREF, operation='delete_queue',
+                              params=dict(queue_name='xy', WAT='!?'))
+        self.assertEqual("Invalid params: 'WAT'", req.validate())