diff --git a/src/osmo_gsm_tester/osmo_hlr.py b/src/osmo_gsm_tester/osmo_hlr.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29cf164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osmo_gsm_tester/osmo_hlr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+# osmo_gsm_tester: specifics for running an osmo-hlr
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2016-2017 by sysmocom - s.f.m.c. GmbH
+#
+# Author: Neels Hofmeyr <neels@hofmeyr.de>
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# 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 Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import os
+import re
+import pprint
+
+from . import log, util, config, template, process, osmo_ctrl, pcap_recorder
+
+class OsmoHlr(log.Origin):
+    suite_run = None
+    ip_address = None
+    run_dir = None
+    config_file = None
+    process = None
+    next_subscriber_id = 1
+
+    def __init__(self, suite_run, ip_address):
+        self.suite_run = suite_run
+        self.ip_address = ip_address
+        self.set_log_category(log.C_RUN)
+        self.set_name('osmo-hlr_%s' % ip_address.get('addr'))
+        self.bts = []
+
+    def start(self):
+        self.log('Starting osmo-hlr')
+        self.run_dir = util.Dir(self.suite_run.trial.get_run_dir().new_dir(self.name()))
+        self.configure()
+
+        inst = util.Dir(os.path.abspath(self.suite_run.trial.get_inst('osmo-hlr')))
+
+        binary = inst.child('bin', 'osmo-hlr')
+        if not os.path.isfile(binary):
+            self.raise_exn('Binary missing:', binary)
+        lib = inst.child('lib')
+        if not os.path.isdir(lib):
+            self.raise_exn('No lib/ in', inst)
+
+        # bootstrap an empty hlr.db
+        self.db_file = self.run_dir.new_file('hlr.db')
+        sql_input = inst.child('share/doc/osmo-hlr/hlr.sql')
+        if not os.path.isfile(sql_input):
+            self.raise_exn('hlr.sql missing:', sql_input)
+        self.run_local('create_hlr_db', ('/bin/sh', '-c', 'sqlite3 %r < %r' % (self.db_file, sql_input)))
+
+        iface = util.ip_to_iface(self.addr())
+        pcap_recorder.PcapRecorder(self.suite_run, self.run_dir.new_dir('pcap'), iface,
+                                   'host %s' % self.addr())
+
+        env = { 'LD_LIBRARY_PATH': util.prepend_library_path(lib) }
+
+        self.dbg(run_dir=self.run_dir, binary=binary, env=env)
+        self.process = process.Process(self.name(), self.run_dir,
+                                       (binary,
+                                        '-c', os.path.abspath(self.config_file),
+                                        '--database', self.db_file),
+                                       env=env)
+        self.suite_run.remember_to_stop(self.process)
+        self.process.launch()
+
+    def configure(self):
+        self.config_file = self.run_dir.new_file('osmo-hlr.cfg')
+        self.dbg(config_file=self.config_file)
+
+        values = dict(hlr=config.get_defaults('hlr'))
+        config.overlay(values, self.suite_run.config())
+        config.overlay(values, dict(hlr=dict(ip_address=self.ip_address)))
+
+        self.dbg('HLR CONFIG:\n' + pprint.pformat(values))
+
+        with open(self.config_file, 'w') as f:
+            r = template.render('osmo-hlr.cfg', values)
+            self.dbg(r)
+            f.write(r)
+
+    def addr(self):
+        return self.ip_address.get('addr')
+
+    def running(self):
+        return not self.process.terminated()
+
+    def run_local(self, name, popen_args):
+        with self:
+            run_dir = self.run_dir.new_dir(name)
+            proc = process.Process(name, run_dir, popen_args)
+            proc.launch()
+            proc.wait()
+            if proc.result != 0:
+                proc.raise_exn('Exited in error')
+
+    def run_sql_file(self, name, sql_file):
+        self.run_local(name, ('/bin/sh', '-c', 'sqlite3 %r < %r' % (self.db_file, sql_file)))
+
+    def run_sql(self, name, sql):
+        self.dbg('SQL:', repr(sql))
+        sql_file = self.run_dir.new_file(name + '.sql')
+        with open(sql_file, 'w') as f:
+            f.write(sql)
+        self.run_sql_file(name, sql_file)
+
+    def subscriber_add(self, modem, msisdn=None):
+        if msisdn is None:
+            msisdn = self.suite_run.resources_pool.next_msisdn(modem)
+        modem.set_msisdn(msisdn)
+        subscriber_id = self.next_subscriber_id
+        self.next_subscriber_id += 1
+        self.log('Add subscriber', msisdn=msisdn, imsi=modem.imsi(), subscriber_id=subscriber_id)
+        self.run_sql('add_subscriber',
+            'insert into subscriber (id, imsi, msisdn) values (%r, %r, %r);'
+            % (subscriber_id, modem.imsi(), modem.msisdn))
+        return subscriber_id
+
+# vim: expandtab tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4