diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/ProxyArpService.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/ProxyArpService.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6fe43b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/ProxyArpService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.net.proxyarp;
+
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpPrefix;
+
+/**
+ * Service for processing arp requests on behalf of applications.
+ */
+public interface ProxyArpService {
+
+    /**
+     * Returns whether this particular ip address is known to the system.
+     *
+     * @param addr
+     *            a ip address
+     * @return true if know, false otherwise
+     */
+    boolean known(IpPrefix addr);
+
+    /**
+     * Sends a reply for a given request. If the host is not known then the arp
+     * will be flooded at all edge ports.
+     *
+     * @param request
+     *            an arp request
+     */
+    void reply(Ethernet request);
+
+}
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/package-info.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/package-info.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4917c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/proxyarp/package-info.java
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/**
+ * Base abstractions related to the proxy arp service.
+ */
+package org.onlab.onos.net.proxyarp;
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