diff --git a/earwigbot/config/__init__.py b/earwigbot/config/__init__.py
index b491b76..be29d29 100644
--- a/earwigbot/config/__init__.py
+++ b/earwigbot/config/__init__.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from earwigbot.config.formatter import BotFormatter
 from earwigbot.config.node import ConfigNode
+from earwigbot.config.permissions import PermissionsDB
 from earwigbot.exceptions import NoConfigError
 
 __all__ = ["BotConfig"]
@@ -77,8 +78,10 @@ class BotConfig(object):
     def __init__(self, root_dir, level):
         self._root_dir = root_dir
         self._logging_level = level
-        self._config_path = path.join(self._root_dir, "config.yml")
-        self._log_dir = path.join(self._root_dir, "logs")
+        self._config_path = path.join(self.root_dir, "config.yml")
+        self._log_dir = path.join(self.root_dir, "logs")
+        perms_file = path.join(self.root_dir, "permissions.db")
+        self._permissions = PermissionsDB(perms_file)
         self._decryption_cipher = None
         self._data = None
 
@@ -291,6 +294,10 @@ class BotConfig(object):
             for node, nodes in self._decryptable_nodes:
                 self._decrypt(node, nodes)
 
+        if self.irc:
+            self.irc["permissions"] = self._permissions
+            self._permissions.load()
+
     def decrypt(self, node, *nodes):
         """Decrypt an object in our config tree.
 
diff --git a/earwigbot/config/node.py b/earwigbot/config/node.py
index a5746e2..36f7a1e 100644
--- a/earwigbot/config/node.py
+++ b/earwigbot/config/node.py
@@ -26,9 +26,14 @@ class ConfigNode(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self._data = {}
 
-    def __iter__(self):
-        for key in self._data:
-            yield key
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return self._data
+
+    def __nonzero__(self):
+        return bool(self._data)
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        retrun len(self._data)
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         return self._data[key]
@@ -42,6 +47,13 @@ class ConfigNode(object):
     def __setattr__(self, key, item):
         self._data[key] = item
 
+    def __iter__(self):
+        for key in self._data:
+            yield key
+
+    def __contains__(self, item):
+        return item in self._data
+
     def _dump(self):
         data = self._data.copy()
         for key, val in data.iteritems():
diff --git a/earwigbot/config/permissions.py b/earwigbot/config/permissions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3f6a30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/earwigbot/config/permissions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Ben Kurtovic <ben.kurtovic@verizon.net>
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+
+import sqlite3 as sqlite
+from threading import Lock
+
+__all__ = ["PermissionsDB"]
+
+class PermissionsDB(object):
+    def __init__(self, dbfile):
+        self._dbfile = dbfile
+        self._db_access_lock = Lock()
+        self._data = {}
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        """Return the canonical string representation of the PermissionsDB."""
+        res = "PermissionsDB(dbfile={0!r})"
+        return res.format(self._dbfile)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        """Return a nice string representation of the PermissionsDB."""
+        return "<PermissionsDB at {0}>".format(self._dbfile)
+
+    def _create(self, conn):
+        """Initialize the permissions database with its necessary tables."""
+        query = """CREATE TABLE users (user_nick, user_ident, user_host,
+                                       user_rank)"""
+        conn.execute(query)
+
+    def load(self):
+        """Load permissions from an existing database, or create a new one."""
+        query = "SELECT user_nick, user_ident, user_host, user_rank FROM users"
+        self._data = {}
+        with sqlite.connect(self._dbfile) as conn, self._db_access_lock:
+            try:
+                for nick, ident, host, rank in conn.execute(query):
+                    try:
+                        self._data[rank].append(_User(nick, ident, host))
+                    except KeyError:
+                        self._data[rank] = [_User(nick, ident, host)]
+            except sqlite.OperationalError:
+                self._create(conn)
+
+
+class _User(object):
+    def __init__(self, nick, ident, host):
+        self.nick = nick
+        self.ident = ident
+        self.host = host