diff --git a/boost-dbus/include/dbus/element.hpp b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/element.hpp
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/boost-dbus/include/dbus/element.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+// Copyright (c) Benjamin Kietzman (github.com/bkietz)
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+// file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+#ifndef DBUS_ELEMENT_HPP
+#define DBUS_ELEMENT_HPP
+
+#include <dbus/dbus.h>
+#include <string>
+#include <boost/cstdint.hpp>
+
+namespace dbus {
+
+/// Message elements
+/**
+ * D-Bus Messages are composed of simple elements of one of these types
+ */
+// bool // is this simply valid? It might pack wrong...
+// http://maemo.org/api_refs/5.0/5.0-final/dbus/api/group__DBusTypes.html
+typedef boost::uint8_t byte;
+
+typedef boost::int16_t int16;
+typedef boost::uint16_t uint16;
+typedef boost::int32_t int32;
+typedef boost::uint32_t uint32;
+
+typedef boost::int64_t int64;
+typedef boost::uint64_t uint64;
+// double
+// unix_fd
+
+typedef std::string string;
+struct object_path {
+  string value;
+};
+struct signature {
+  string value;
+};
+
+/// Traits template for message elements
+/**
+ * D-Bus Message elements are identified by unique integer type codes.
+ */
+template <typename InvalidType>
+struct element {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_INVALID;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<bool> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_BOOLEAN;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<byte> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_BYTE;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<int16> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_INT16;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<uint16> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_UINT16;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<int32> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_INT32;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<uint32> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_UINT32;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<int64> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_INT64;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<uint64> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_UINT64;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<double> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_DOUBLE;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<string> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_STRING;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<object_path> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_OBJECT_PATH;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct element<signature> {
+  static const int code = DBUS_TYPE_SIGNATURE;
+};
+
+template <typename InvalidType>
+struct is_fixed_type {
+  static const int value = false;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<bool> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<byte> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<int16> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<uint16> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<int32> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<uint32> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<int64> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<uint64> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_fixed_type<double> {
+  static const int value = true;
+};
+
+template <typename InvalidType>
+struct is_string_type {
+  static const bool value = false;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_string_type<string> {
+  static const bool value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_string_type<object_path> {
+  static const bool value = true;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct is_string_type<signature> {
+  static const bool value = true;
+};
+
+}  // namespace dbus
+
+#endif  // DBUS_ELEMENT_HPP