diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ea46d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# tinfoil: a simple wrapper around cooker for bitbake-based command-line utilities
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2012 Intel Corporation
+# Copyright (C) 2011 Mentor Graphics Corporation
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation.
+#
+# This program 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 General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+# with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+# 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+
+import logging
+import warnings
+import os
+import sys
+
+import bb.cache
+import bb.cooker
+import bb.providers
+import bb.utils
+from bb.cooker import state, BBCooker, CookerFeatures
+from bb.cookerdata import CookerConfiguration, ConfigParameters
+import bb.fetch2
+
+class Tinfoil:
+    def __init__(self, output=sys.stdout, tracking=False):
+        # Needed to avoid deprecation warnings with python 2.6
+        warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=DeprecationWarning)
+
+        # Set up logging
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger('BitBake')
+        console = logging.StreamHandler(output)
+        bb.msg.addDefaultlogFilter(console)
+        format = bb.msg.BBLogFormatter("%(levelname)s: %(message)s")
+        if output.isatty():
+            format.enable_color()
+        console.setFormatter(format)
+        self.logger.addHandler(console)
+
+        self.config = CookerConfiguration()
+        configparams = TinfoilConfigParameters(parse_only=True)
+        self.config.setConfigParameters(configparams)
+        self.config.setServerRegIdleCallback(self.register_idle_function)
+        features = []
+        if tracking:
+            features.append(CookerFeatures.BASEDATASTORE_TRACKING)
+        self.cooker = BBCooker(self.config, features)
+        self.config_data = self.cooker.data
+        bb.providers.logger.setLevel(logging.ERROR)
+        self.cooker_data = None
+
+    def register_idle_function(self, function, data):
+        pass
+
+    def parseRecipes(self):
+        sys.stderr.write("Parsing recipes..")
+        self.logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+
+        try:
+            while self.cooker.state in (state.initial, state.parsing):
+                self.cooker.updateCache()
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            self.cooker.shutdown()
+            self.cooker.updateCache()
+            sys.exit(2)
+
+        self.logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+        sys.stderr.write("done.\n")
+
+        self.cooker_data = self.cooker.recipecache
+
+    def prepare(self, config_only = False):
+        if not self.cooker_data:
+            if config_only:
+                self.cooker.parseConfiguration()
+                self.cooker_data = self.cooker.recipecache
+            else:
+                self.parseRecipes()
+
+    def shutdown(self):
+        self.cooker.shutdown(force=True)
+        self.cooker.post_serve()
+        self.cooker.unlockBitbake()
+
+class TinfoilConfigParameters(ConfigParameters):
+
+    def __init__(self, **options):
+        self.initial_options = options
+        super(TinfoilConfigParameters, self).__init__()
+
+    def parseCommandLine(self, argv=sys.argv):
+        class DummyOptions:
+            def __init__(self, initial_options):
+                for key, val in initial_options.items():
+                    setattr(self, key, val)
+
+        return DummyOptions(self.initial_options), None