diff --git a/servo/src/servo/image/base.rs b/servo/src/servo/image/base.rs
index 7fd380045e9b..955d1859b254 100644
--- a/servo/src/servo/image/base.rs
+++ b/servo/src/servo/image/base.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
+export ImageBuffer, SharedImageBuffer;
 export image;
 export load;
+
 import stb_image::image::{image, load};
+import core::arc::arc;
 
 // FIXME: Images must not be copied every frame. Instead we should atomically
 // reference count them.
 
+type SharedImageBuffer = arc<ImageBuffer>;
+
+struct ImageBuffer {
+    data: ~[u8];
+}
diff --git a/servo/src/servo/resource/image_cache_task.rs b/servo/src/servo/resource/image_cache_task.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bb617c32e5ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/servo/src/servo/resource/image_cache_task.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+export Msg, Prefetch, GetImage, Exit;
+export ImageResponseMsg, ImageReady, ImageNotReady;
+export ImageCacheTask;
+export image_cache_task;
+
+import image::base::{ImageBuffer, SharedImageBuffer};
+import std::net::url::url;
+import util::url::{make_url, UrlMap, url_map};
+import comm::{chan, port};
+import task::spawn_listener;
+import resource::resource_task;
+import resource_task::ResourceTask;
+
+enum Msg {
+    Prefetch(url),
+    GetImage(url, chan<ImageResponseMsg>),
+    Exit
+}
+
+enum ImageResponseMsg {
+    ImageReady(ImageBuffer),
+    ImageNotReady
+}
+
+type ImageCacheTask = chan<Msg>;
+
+fn image_cache_task(resource_task: ResourceTask) -> ImageCacheTask {
+    do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+        ImageCache {
+            resource_task: resource_task,
+            from_client: from_client,
+            prefetch_map: url_map()
+        }.run();
+    }
+}
+
+struct ImageCache {
+    resource_task: ResourceTask;
+    from_client: port<Msg>;
+    prefetch_map: UrlMap<PrefetchData>;
+}
+
+struct PrefetchData {
+    response_port: @port<resource_task::ProgressMsg>;
+    data: @mut ~[u8];
+}
+
+impl ImageCache {
+
+    fn run() {
+
+        loop {
+            match self.from_client.recv() {
+              Prefetch(url) => {
+                if self.prefetch_map.contains_key(url) {
+                    // We're already waiting for this image
+                    again
+                }
+                let response_port = port();
+                self.resource_task.send(resource_task::Load(url, response_port.chan()));
+
+                let prefetch_data = PrefetchData {
+                    response_port: @response_port,
+                    data: @mut ~[]
+                };
+
+                self.prefetch_map.insert(url, prefetch_data);
+              }
+              GetImage(url, response) => {
+                if self.prefetch_map.contains_key(url) {
+                    response.send(ImageNotReady);
+                } else {
+                    fail ~"got a request for image data without prefetch";
+                }
+              }
+              Exit => break
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn should_exit_on_request() {
+
+    let mock_resource_task = do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+
+        // infer me
+        let from_client: port<resource_task::ControlMsg> = from_client;
+
+        loop {
+            match from_client.recv() {
+              resource_task::Exit => break,
+              _ => ()
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    let image_cache_task = image_cache_task(mock_resource_task);
+    let url = make_url(~"file", none);
+
+    image_cache_task.send(Exit);
+    mock_resource_task.send(resource_task::Exit);
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[should_fail]
+fn should_fail_if_unprefetched_image_is_requested() {
+
+    let mock_resource_task = do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+    };
+
+    let image_cache_task = image_cache_task(mock_resource_task);
+    let url = make_url(~"file", none);
+
+    let request = port();
+    image_cache_task.send(GetImage(url, request.chan()));
+    request.recv();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn should_request_url_from_resource_task_on_prefetch() {
+    let url_requested = port();
+    let url_requested_chan = url_requested.chan();
+
+    let mock_resource_task = do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+
+        // infer me
+        let from_client: port<resource_task::ControlMsg> = from_client;
+
+        loop {
+            match from_client.recv() {
+              resource_task::Load(url, _) => url_requested_chan.send(()),
+              resource_task::Exit => break
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    let image_cache_task = image_cache_task(mock_resource_task);
+    let url = make_url(~"file", none);
+
+    image_cache_task.send(Prefetch(url));
+    url_requested.recv();
+    image_cache_task.send(Exit);
+    mock_resource_task.send(resource_task::Exit);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn should_not_request_url_from_resource_task_on_multiple_prefetches() {
+    let url_requested = port();
+    let url_requested_chan = url_requested.chan();
+
+    let mock_resource_task = do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+
+        // infer me
+        let from_client: port<resource_task::ControlMsg> = from_client;
+
+        loop {
+            match from_client.recv() {
+              resource_task::Load(url, _) => url_requested_chan.send(()),
+              resource_task::Exit => break
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    let image_cache_task = image_cache_task(mock_resource_task);
+    let url = make_url(~"file", none);
+
+    image_cache_task.send(Prefetch(url));
+    image_cache_task.send(Prefetch(url));
+    url_requested.recv();
+    image_cache_task.send(Exit);
+    mock_resource_task.send(resource_task::Exit);
+    assert !url_requested.peek()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn should_return_image_not_ready_if_data_has_not_arrived() {
+    let mock_resource_task = do spawn_listener |from_client| {
+
+        // infer me
+        let from_client: port<resource_task::ControlMsg> = from_client;
+
+        loop {
+            match from_client.recv() {
+              resource_task::Exit => break,
+              _ => ()
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    let image_cache_task = image_cache_task(mock_resource_task);
+    let url = make_url(~"file", none);
+
+    image_cache_task.send(Prefetch(url));
+    let response_port = port();
+    image_cache_task.send(GetImage(url, response_port.chan()));
+    assert response_port.recv() == ImageNotReady;
+    image_cache_task.send(Exit);
+    mock_resource_task.send(resource_task::Exit);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/servo/src/servo/servo.rc b/servo/src/servo/servo.rc
index d5efca544bb9..f6bb2b1d8696 100755
--- a/servo/src/servo/servo.rc
+++ b/servo/src/servo/servo.rc
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ mod resource {
     mod resource_task;
     mod file_loader;
     mod http_loader;
+    mod image_cache_task;
 }
 
 import servo_text = text;
diff --git a/servo/src/servo/util/url.rs b/servo/src/servo/util/url.rs
index d582223195f6..02a63e03a621 100644
--- a/servo/src/servo/util/url.rs
+++ b/servo/src/servo/util/url.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-export make_url;
+export make_url, UrlMap, url_map;
 
 import std::net::url;
 import url::{get_scheme, url};
+import std::map::hashmap;
 
 /**
 Create a URL object from a string. Does various helpful browsery things like
@@ -41,55 +42,68 @@ fn make_url(str_url: ~str, current_url: option<url>) -> url {
     url::from_str(str_url).get()
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn should_create_absolute_file_url_if_current_url_is_none_and_str_url_looks_filey() {
-    let file = ~"local.html";
-    let url = make_url(file, none);
-    #debug("url: %?", url);
-    assert url.scheme == ~"file";
-    assert url.path.contains(os::getcwd());
+mod make_url_tests {
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_create_absolute_file_url_if_current_url_is_none_and_str_url_looks_filey() {
+        let file = ~"local.html";
+        let url = make_url(file, none);
+        #debug("url: %?", url);
+        assert url.scheme == ~"file";
+        assert url.path.contains(os::getcwd());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_1() {
+        let old_str = ~"http://example.com";
+        let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
+        let new_str = ~"index.html";
+        let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
+        assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
+        assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
+        assert new_url.path == ~"/index.html";
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_2() {
+        let old_str = ~"http://example.com/";
+        let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
+        let new_str = ~"index.html";
+        let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
+        assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
+        assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
+        assert new_url.path == ~"/index.html";
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_3() {
+        let old_str = ~"http://example.com/index.html";
+        let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
+        let new_str = ~"crumpet.html";
+        let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
+        assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
+        assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
+        assert new_url.path == ~"/crumpet.html";
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_4() {
+        let old_str = ~"http://example.com/snarf/index.html";
+        let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
+        let new_str = ~"crumpet.html";
+        let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
+        assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
+        assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
+        assert new_url.path == ~"/snarf/crumpet.html";
+    }
+
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_1() {
-    let old_str = ~"http://example.com";
-    let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
-    let new_str = ~"index.html";
-    let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
-    assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
-    assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
-    assert new_url.path == ~"/index.html";
-}
+type UrlMap<T: copy> = hashmap<url, T>;
 
-#[test]
-fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_2() {
-    let old_str = ~"http://example.com/";
-    let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
-    let new_str = ~"index.html";
-    let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
-    assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
-    assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
-    assert new_url.path == ~"/index.html";
-}
+fn url_map<T: copy>() -> UrlMap<T> {
+    import core::to_str::to_str;
 
-#[test]
-fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_3() {
-    let old_str = ~"http://example.com/index.html";
-    let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
-    let new_str = ~"crumpet.html";
-    let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
-    assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
-    assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
-    assert new_url.path == ~"/crumpet.html";
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn should_create_url_based_on_old_url_4() {
-    let old_str = ~"http://example.com/snarf/index.html";
-    let old_url = make_url(old_str, none);
-    let new_str = ~"crumpet.html";
-    let new_url = make_url(new_str, some(old_url));
-    assert new_url.scheme == ~"http";
-    assert new_url.host == ~"example.com";
-    assert new_url.path == ~"/snarf/crumpet.html";
+    hashmap::<url, T>(|a| str::hash(&a.to_str()),
+                      |a, b| str::eq(&a.to_str(), &b.to_str()))
 }