diff --git a/Xext/namespace/config.c b/Xext/namespace/config.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..424b9c1f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Xext/namespace/config.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#include <dix-config.h>
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <X11/Xdefs.h>
+
+#include "namespace.h"
+
+struct Xnamespace ns_root = {
+    .builtin = TRUE,
+    .name = NS_NAME_ROOT,
+    .refcnt = 1,
+    .superPower = TRUE,
+};
+
+struct Xnamespace ns_anon = {
+    .builtin = TRUE,
+    .name = NS_NAME_ANONYMOUS,
+    .refcnt = 1,
+};
+
+struct xorg_list ns_list = { 0 };
+
+Bool XnsLoadConfig(void)
+{
+    xorg_list_init(&ns_list);
+    xorg_list_add(&ns_root.entry, &ns_list);
+    xorg_list_add(&ns_anon.entry, &ns_list);
+
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
+struct Xnamespace *XnsFindByName(const char* name) {
+    struct Xnamespace *walk;
+    xorg_list_for_each_entry(walk, &ns_list, entry) {
+        if (strcmp(walk->name, name)==0)
+            return walk;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/meson.build b/Xext/namespace/meson.build
index f8ce18fe8..78dd9f1cb 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/meson.build
+++ b/Xext/namespace/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 libxserver_namespace = static_library(
 	'libxserver_namespace',
 	[
+		'config.c',
 		'namespace.c',
 	],
 	include_directories: inc,
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/namespace.c b/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
index 3a74e592a..26e81df07 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
+++ b/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #include <dix-config.h>
 
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <X11/Xmd.h>
 
+#include "dix/dix_priv.h"
 #include "include/os.h"
 #include "miext/extinit_priv.h"
 
@@ -9,8 +11,46 @@
 
 Bool noNamespaceExtension = TRUE;
 
+DevPrivateKeyRec namespaceClientPrivKeyRec = { 0 };
+
 void
 NamespaceExtensionInit(void)
 {
     XNS_LOG("initializing namespace extension ...\n");
+
+    /* load configuration */
+    if (!XnsLoadConfig()) {
+        XNS_LOG("No config file. disabling Xns extension\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!dixRegisterPrivateKey
+        (&namespaceClientPrivKeyRec, PRIVATE_CLIENT, sizeof(struct XnamespaceClientPriv)))
+        FatalError("NamespaceExtensionInit: allocation failure\n");
+
+    /* Do the serverClient */
+    struct XnamespaceClientPriv *srv = XnsClientPriv(serverClient);
+    *srv = (struct XnamespaceClientPriv) { .isServer = TRUE };
+    XnamespaceAssignClient(srv, &ns_root);
+}
+
+void XnamespaceAssignClient(struct XnamespaceClientPriv *priv, struct Xnamespace *newns)
+{
+    if (priv->ns != NULL)
+        priv->ns->refcnt--;
+
+    priv->ns = newns;
+
+    if (newns != NULL)
+        newns->refcnt++;
+}
+
+void XnamespaceAssignClientByName(struct XnamespaceClientPriv *priv, const char *name)
+{
+    struct Xnamespace *newns = XnsFindByName(name);
+
+    if (newns == NULL)
+        newns = &ns_anon;
+
+    XnamespaceAssignClient(priv, newns);
 }
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/namespace.h b/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
index 96a307bb4..93549eb31 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
+++ b/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
@@ -4,6 +4,53 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <X11/Xmd.h>
 
+#include "include/dixstruct.h"
+#include "include/list.h"
+#include "include/privates.h"
+#include "include/window.h"
+
+struct Xnamespace {
+    struct xorg_list entry;
+    const char *name;
+    Bool builtin;
+    Bool superPower;
+    size_t refcnt;
+};
+
+extern struct xorg_list ns_list;
+extern struct Xnamespace ns_root;
+extern struct Xnamespace ns_anon;
+
+struct XnamespaceClientPriv {
+    Bool isServer;
+    XID authId;
+    struct Xnamespace* ns;
+};
+
+#define NS_NAME_ROOT      "root"
+#define NS_NAME_ANONYMOUS "anon"
+
+extern DevPrivateKeyRec namespaceClientPrivKeyRec;
+
+Bool XnsLoadConfig(void);
+struct Xnamespace *XnsFindByName(const char* name);
+void XnamespaceAssignClient(struct XnamespaceClientPriv *priv, struct Xnamespace *ns);
+void XnamespaceAssignClientByName(struct XnamespaceClientPriv *priv, const char *name);
+
+static inline struct XnamespaceClientPriv *XnsClientPriv(ClientPtr client) {
+    if (client == NULL) return NULL;
+    return dixLookupPrivate(&client->devPrivates, &namespaceClientPrivKeyRec);
+}
+
+static inline Bool XnsClientSameNS(struct XnamespaceClientPriv *p1, struct XnamespaceClientPriv *p2)
+{
+    if (!p1 && !p2)
+        return TRUE;
+    if (!p1 || !p2)
+        return FALSE;
+    return (p1->ns == p2->ns);
+}
+
 #define XNS_LOG(...) do { printf("XNS "); printf(__VA_ARGS__); } while (0)
 
 static inline Bool streq(const char *a, const char *b)
diff --git a/dix/privates.c b/dix/privates.c
index 846ddd9c3..5d6018c4a 100644
--- a/dix/privates.c
+++ b/dix/privates.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static const char *key_names[PRIVATE_LAST] = {
     [PRIVATE_GLYPHSET] = "GLYPHSET",
     [PRIVATE_PICTURE] = "PICTURE",
     [PRIVATE_SYNC_FENCE] = "SYNC_FENCE",
+    [PRIVATE_NAMESPACE] = "NAMESPACE",
 };
 
 static const Bool screen_specific_private[PRIVATE_LAST] = {
diff --git a/include/privates.h b/include/privates.h
index 394e3d685..743afb11e 100644
--- a/include/privates.h
+++ b/include/privates.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ typedef enum {
     PRIVATE_GLYPHSET,
     PRIVATE_PICTURE,
     PRIVATE_SYNC_FENCE,
+    PRIVATE_NAMESPACE,
 
     /* last private type */
     PRIVATE_LAST,