diff --git a/data/gnome-shell.schemas b/data/gnome-shell.schemas
index 067779951..0ee735ed0 100644
--- a/data/gnome-shell.schemas
+++ b/data/gnome-shell.schemas
@@ -15,6 +15,21 @@
 	</locale>
       </schema>
 
+      <schema>
+        <key>/schemas/desktop/gnome/favorite_apps</key>
+	<applyto>/desktop/gnome/shell/favorite_apps</applyto>
+	<owner>gnome-shell</owner>
+	<type>list</type>
+	<listtype>string</listtype>
+	<default>[mozilla-firefox.desktop,evolution.desktop,openoffice.org-writer.desktop]</default>
+	<locale name="C">
+	  <short>List of desktop file IDs for favorite applications</short>
+	  <long>
+        The applications corresponding to these identifiers will be displayed in the favorites area.
+	  </long>
+	</locale>
+      </schema>
+
   </schemalist>
 
 </gconfschemafile>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/shell-app-system.c b/src/shell-app-system.c
index 1d8aa11f2..89f1e5890 100644
--- a/src/shell-app-system.c
+++ b/src/shell-app-system.c
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 /* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*- */
 
 #include "shell-app-system.h"
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include <gio/gio.h>
+#include <gconf/gconf.h>
+#include <gconf/gconf-client.h>
 
 #define GMENU_I_KNOW_THIS_IS_UNSTABLE
 #include <gmenu-tree.h>
 
+#define SHELL_APP_FAVORITES_KEY "/desktop/gnome/shell/favorite_apps"
+
 enum {
    PROP_0,
 
@@ -26,11 +31,17 @@ struct _ShellAppSystemPrivate {
   GSList *cached_app_menus; /* ShellAppMenuEntry */
 
   GSList *cached_setting_ids; /* utf8 */
+
+  GHashTable *cached_favorites; /* <utf8,integer> */
+
+  gint app_monitor_id;
 };
 
 static void shell_app_system_finalize (GObject *object);
 static void on_tree_changed (GMenuTree *tree, gpointer user_data);
 static void reread_menus (ShellAppSystem *self);
+static void on_favorite_apps_changed (GConfClient *client, guint id, GConfEntry *entry, gpointer user_data);
+static void reread_favorite_apps (ShellAppSystem *system);
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE(ShellAppSystem, shell_app_system, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
@@ -79,10 +90,16 @@ static void
 shell_app_system_init (ShellAppSystem *self)
 {
   ShellAppSystemPrivate *priv;
+  GConfClient *client;
+
   self->priv = priv = G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE (self,
                                                    SHELL_TYPE_APP_SYSTEM,
                                                    ShellAppSystemPrivate);
 
+  priv->cached_favorites = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal,
+                                                  (GDestroyNotify)g_free,
+                                                  NULL);
+
   priv->apps_tree = gmenu_tree_lookup ("applications.menu", GMENU_TREE_FLAGS_NONE);
   priv->settings_tree = gmenu_tree_lookup ("settings.menu", GMENU_TREE_FLAGS_NONE);
 
@@ -90,6 +107,12 @@ shell_app_system_init (ShellAppSystem *self)
   gmenu_tree_add_monitor (priv->settings_tree, on_tree_changed, self);
 
   reread_menus (self);
+
+  client = gconf_client_get_default ();
+
+  self->priv->app_monitor_id = gconf_client_notify_add (client, SHELL_APP_FAVORITES_KEY,
+                                                        on_favorite_apps_changed, self, NULL, NULL);
+  reread_favorite_apps (self);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -112,13 +135,16 @@ shell_app_system_finalize (GObject *object)
   g_slist_free (priv->cached_setting_ids);
   priv->cached_setting_ids = NULL;
 
+  g_hash_table_destroy (priv->cached_favorites);
+
+  gconf_client_notify_remove (gconf_client_get_default (), priv->app_monitor_id);
+
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (shell_app_system_parent_class)->finalize(object);
 }
 
 static void
 reread_directories (ShellAppSystem *self, GSList **cache, GMenuTree *tree)
 {
-  ShellAppSystemPrivate *priv = self->priv;
   GMenuTreeDirectory *trunk;
   GSList *entries;
   GSList *iter;
@@ -233,6 +259,50 @@ on_tree_changed (GMenuTree *monitor, gpointer user_data)
   reread_menus (self);
 }
 
+static void
+copy_gconf_value_string_list_to_hashset (GConfValue *value,
+                                         GHashTable *dest)
+{
+  GSList *list;
+  GSList *tmp;
+
+  list = gconf_value_get_list (value);
+
+  for (tmp = list ; tmp; tmp = tmp->next)
+    {
+      GConfValue *value = tmp->data;
+      char *str = g_strdup (gconf_value_get_string (value));
+      if (!str)
+        continue;
+      g_hash_table_insert (dest, str, GUINT_TO_POINTER(1));
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+reread_favorite_apps (ShellAppSystem *system)
+{
+  GConfClient *client = gconf_client_get_default ();
+  GConfValue *val;
+
+  val = gconf_client_get (client, "/desktop/gnome/shell/favorite_apps", NULL);
+
+  if (!(val && val->type == GCONF_VALUE_LIST && gconf_value_get_list_type (val) == GCONF_VALUE_STRING))
+    return;
+
+  g_hash_table_remove_all (system->priv->cached_favorites);
+  copy_gconf_value_string_list_to_hashset (val, system->priv->cached_favorites);
+
+  gconf_value_free (val);
+}
+
+void
+on_favorite_apps_changed (GConfClient *client, guint id, GConfEntry *entry, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  ShellAppSystem *system = SHELL_APP_SYSTEM (user_data);
+  reread_favorite_apps (system);
+  g_signal_emit (G_OBJECT (system), signals[CHANGED], 0);
+}
+
 GType
 shell_app_menu_entry_get_type (void)
 {
@@ -315,3 +385,142 @@ shell_app_system_get_default ()
 
   return instance;
 }
+
+/**
+ * shell_app_system_get_favorites:
+ *
+ * Return the list of applications which have been explicitly added to the
+ * favorites.
+ *
+ * Return value: (transfer none) (element-type utf8): List of favorite application ids
+ */
+GList *
+shell_app_system_get_favorites (ShellAppSystem *system)
+{
+  return g_hash_table_get_keys (system->priv->cached_favorites);
+}
+
+static void
+set_gconf_value_string_list (GConfValue *val, GList *items)
+{
+  GList *iter;
+  GSList *tmp = NULL;
+
+  for (iter = items; iter; iter = iter->next)
+    {
+      const char *str = iter->data;
+      GConfValue *strval = gconf_value_new (GCONF_VALUE_STRING);
+      gconf_value_set_string (strval, str);
+      tmp = g_slist_prepend (tmp, strval);
+    }
+  tmp = g_slist_reverse (tmp);
+
+  gconf_value_set_list (val, tmp);
+  g_slist_free (tmp);
+}
+
+void
+shell_app_system_add_favorite (ShellAppSystem *system, const char *id)
+{
+  GConfClient *client = gconf_client_get_default ();
+  GConfValue *val;
+
+  val = gconf_value_new (GCONF_VALUE_LIST);
+  gconf_value_set_list_type (val, GCONF_VALUE_STRING);
+
+  g_hash_table_insert (system->priv->cached_favorites, g_strdup (id), GUINT_TO_POINTER (1));
+
+  set_gconf_value_string_list (val, g_hash_table_get_keys (system->priv->cached_favorites));
+
+  gconf_client_set (client, SHELL_APP_FAVORITES_KEY, val, NULL);
+}
+
+void
+shell_app_system_remove_favorite (ShellAppSystem *system, const char *id)
+{
+  GConfClient *client = gconf_client_get_default ();
+  GConfValue *val;
+
+  if (!g_hash_table_remove (system->priv->cached_favorites, id))
+    return;
+
+  val = gconf_value_new (GCONF_VALUE_LIST);
+  gconf_value_set_list_type (val, GCONF_VALUE_STRING);
+
+  set_gconf_value_string_list (val, g_hash_table_get_keys (system->priv->cached_favorites));
+
+  gconf_client_set (client, SHELL_APP_FAVORITES_KEY, val, NULL);
+}
+
+
+static char *
+full_path_for_id (ShellAppSystem      *system,
+                  const char          *target_id,
+                  GMenuTreeDirectory  *root)
+{
+  char *ret = NULL;
+  GSList *contents, *iter;
+
+  contents = gmenu_tree_directory_get_contents (root);
+
+  for (iter = contents; iter; iter = iter->next)
+    {
+      GMenuTreeItem *item = iter->data;
+
+      if (ret != NULL)
+        break;
+
+      switch (gmenu_tree_item_get_type (item))
+        {
+          case GMENU_TREE_ITEM_ENTRY:
+            {
+              GMenuTreeEntry *entry = (GMenuTreeEntry *)item;
+              const char *id = gmenu_tree_entry_get_desktop_file_id (entry);
+              if (strcmp (id, target_id) == 0)
+                {
+                  ret = g_strdup (gmenu_tree_entry_get_desktop_file_path (entry));
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+          case GMENU_TREE_ITEM_DIRECTORY:
+            {
+              GMenuTreeDirectory *dir = (GMenuTreeDirectory*)item;
+              ret = full_path_for_id (system, target_id, dir);
+            }
+            break;
+          default:
+            break;
+        }
+      gmenu_tree_item_unref (item);
+    }
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+char *
+shell_app_system_lookup_basename (ShellAppSystem *system,
+                                  const char *id)
+{
+  GMenuTreeDirectory *root;
+  char *path;
+  char *tmpid;
+
+  root = gmenu_tree_get_directory_from_path (system->priv->apps_tree, "/");
+  g_assert (root != NULL);
+
+  path = full_path_for_id (system, id, root);
+  if (path != NULL)
+    return path;
+
+  tmpid = g_strjoin ("", "gnome-", id, NULL);
+  path = full_path_for_id (system, tmpid, root);
+  g_free (tmpid);
+  if (path != NULL)
+    return path;
+
+  tmpid = g_strjoin ("", "fedora-", id, NULL);
+  path = full_path_for_id (system, tmpid, root);
+  g_free (tmpid);
+
+  return path;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/shell-app-system.h b/src/shell-app-system.h
index 2bdd5971d..1725aa0b6 100644
--- a/src/shell-app-system.h
+++ b/src/shell-app-system.h
@@ -43,8 +43,16 @@ struct _ShellAppMenuEntry {
 
 GType shell_app_menu_entry_get_type (void);
 
+char * shell_app_system_lookup_basename (ShellAppSystem *system, const char *id);
+
 GSList *shell_app_system_get_menus (ShellAppSystem *system);
 
 GSList *shell_app_system_get_all_settings (ShellAppSystem *system);
 
+GList *shell_app_system_get_favorites (ShellAppSystem *system);
+
+void shell_app_system_add_favorite (ShellAppSystem *system, const char *id);
+
+void shell_app_system_remove_favorite (ShellAppSystem *system, const char *id);
+
 #endif /* __SHELL_APP_SYSTEM_H__ */