diff --git a/rust/src/disk/memory.rs b/rust/src/disk/memory.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b1f73b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/disk/memory.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+use crate::system::{MemoryFd, BitVec};
+use crate::disk::{Result, Error, SECTOR_SIZE, DiskImage};
+use std::io::SeekFrom;
+
+pub struct MemoryOverlay {
+    memory: MemoryFd,
+    written_sectors: BitVec,
+}
+
+impl MemoryOverlay {
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Self> {
+        let memory = MemoryFd::new_memfd(0, false)
+            .map_err(Error::MemoryOverlayCreate)?;
+        let written_sectors = BitVec::new();
+        Ok(MemoryOverlay { memory, written_sectors })
+    }
+
+    pub fn write_sectors(&mut self, start: u64, buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        let sector_count = buffer.len() / SECTOR_SIZE;
+        let len = sector_count * SECTOR_SIZE;
+        let seek_offset = SeekFrom::Start(start * SECTOR_SIZE as u64);
+
+        self.memory.fd_mut()
+            .seek(seek_offset)
+            .map_err(Error::DiskSeek)?;
+
+        self.memory.fd_mut()
+            .write_all(&buffer[..len])
+            .map_err(Error::DiskWrite)?;
+
+        for n in 0..sector_count {
+            let idx = start as usize + n;
+            self.written_sectors.set_bit(idx);
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub fn read_sectors<D: DiskImage>(&mut self, disk: &mut D, start: u64, buffer: &mut [u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        let sector_count = buffer.len() / SECTOR_SIZE;
+        if (0..sector_count).all(|i| !self.written_sectors.get_bit(i)) {
+            return disk.read_sectors(start, buffer);
+        }
+
+        for n in 0..sector_count {
+            let sector = start + n as u64;
+            let offset = n * SECTOR_SIZE;
+            let sector_buffer = &mut buffer[offset..offset+SECTOR_SIZE];
+            if self.written_sectors.get_bit(sector as usize) {
+                self.read_single_sector(sector, sector_buffer)?;
+            } else {
+                disk.read_sectors(sector, sector_buffer)?;
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn read_single_sector(&mut self, sector: u64, buffer: &mut [u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        assert_eq!(buffer.len(), SECTOR_SIZE);
+        let offset = SeekFrom::Start(sector * SECTOR_SIZE as u64);
+        self.memory.fd_mut().seek(offset)
+            .map_err(Error::DiskSeek)?;
+        self.memory.fd_mut().read_exact(buffer)
+            .map_err(Error::DiskRead)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/src/disk/mod.rs b/rust/src/disk/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f3b4e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/disk/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+use std::{io, error, fmt, result, cmp};
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::os::linux::fs::MetadataExt;
+use std::io::{SeekFrom, Seek};
+
+use crate::system;
+
+mod realmfs;
+mod raw;
+mod memory;
+
+pub use raw::RawDiskImage;
+pub use realmfs::RealmFSImage;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+const SECTOR_SIZE: usize = 512;
+
+#[derive(Debug,PartialEq)]
+pub enum OpenType {
+    ReadOnly,
+    ReadWrite,
+    MemoryOverlay,
+}
+
+pub trait DiskImage: Sync+Send {
+    fn read_only(&self) -> bool;
+    fn sector_count(&self) -> u64;
+    fn disk_file(&self) -> &File;
+
+    fn seek_to_sector(&self, sector: u64) -> Result<()> {
+        if sector > self.sector_count() {
+            return Err(Error::BadSectorOffset(sector));
+        }
+        let offset = SeekFrom::Start(sector * SECTOR_SIZE as u64);
+        self.disk_file().seek(offset)
+            .map_err(Error::DiskSeek)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn write_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<()>;
+    fn read_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &mut [u8]) -> Result<()>;
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> Result<()> { Ok(()) }
+
+    fn disk_image_id(&self) -> &[u8];
+}
+
+fn generate_disk_image_id(disk_file: &File) -> Vec<u8> {
+    const VIRTIO_BLK_ID_BYTES: usize = 20;
+    let meta = match disk_file.metadata() {
+        Ok(meta) => meta,
+        Err(_) => return vec![0u8; VIRTIO_BLK_ID_BYTES]
+    };
+    let dev_id = format!("{}{}{}", meta.st_dev(), meta.st_rdev(), meta.st_ino());
+    let bytes = dev_id.as_bytes();
+    let len = cmp::min(bytes.len(), VIRTIO_BLK_ID_BYTES);
+    Vec::from(&bytes[..len])
+}
+
+pub type Result<T> = result::Result<T, Error>;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Error {
+    ReadOnly,
+    DiskOpen(PathBuf,io::Error),
+    DiskOpenTooShort(PathBuf),
+    DiskRead(io::Error),
+    DiskWrite(io::Error),
+    DiskSeek(io::Error),
+    BadSectorOffset(u64),
+    MemoryOverlayCreate(system::Error),
+}
+
+impl error::Error for Error {}
+
+impl fmt::Display for Error {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        use Error::*;
+        match self {
+            ReadOnly => write!(f, "attempted write to read-only device"),
+            DiskOpen(path, err) => write!(f, "failed to open disk image {}: {}", path.display(), err),
+            DiskOpenTooShort(path) => write!(f, "failed to open disk image {} because file is too short", path.display()),
+            DiskRead(err) => write!(f, "error reading from disk image: {}", err),
+            DiskWrite(err) => write!(f, "error writing to disk image: {}", err),
+            DiskSeek(err) => write!(f, "error seeking to offset on disk image: {}", err),
+            BadSectorOffset(sector) => write!(f, "attempt to access invalid sector offset {}", sector),
+            MemoryOverlayCreate(err) => write!(f, "failed to create memory overlay: {}", err),
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/src/disk/raw.rs b/rust/src/disk/raw.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ba6597
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/disk/raw.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+use crate::disk::{Result, Error, DiskImage, SECTOR_SIZE, generate_disk_image_id, OpenType};
+use std::fs::{File, OpenOptions};
+use std::io::{Write, Read, SeekFrom, Seek};
+use crate::disk::Error::DiskRead;
+use crate::disk::memory::MemoryOverlay;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+pub struct RawDiskImage {
+    file: File,
+    offset: usize,
+    nsectors: u64,
+    read_only: bool,
+    disk_image_id: Vec<u8>,
+    overlay: Option<MemoryOverlay>,
+}
+
+impl RawDiskImage {
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    pub fn open<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, open_type: OpenType) -> Result<Self> {
+        Self::open_with_offset(path, open_type, 0)
+    }
+
+    pub fn open_with_offset<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, open_type: OpenType, offset: usize) -> Result<Self> {
+        let path = path.as_ref();
+        let meta = path.metadata()
+            .map_err(|e| Error::DiskOpen(path.into(), e))?;
+
+        if meta.len() < offset as u64 {
+            return Err(Error::DiskOpenTooShort(path.into()))
+        }
+
+        let nsectors = (meta.len() - offset as u64) / SECTOR_SIZE as u64;
+
+        let file = OpenOptions::new()
+            .read(true)
+            .write(open_type == OpenType::ReadWrite)
+            .open(path)
+            .map_err(|e| Error::DiskOpen(path.into(), e))?;
+
+
+        let disk = match open_type {
+            OpenType::MemoryOverlay => {
+                let overlay = MemoryOverlay::new()?;
+                Self::new(file, nsectors, offset, false, Some(overlay))
+            }
+            OpenType::ReadOnly => {
+                Self::new(file, nsectors, offset, true, None)
+            }
+            OpenType::ReadWrite => {
+                Self::new(file, nsectors, offset, false, None)
+            }
+        };
+        Ok(disk)
+    }
+
+    pub fn new(file: File, nsectors: u64, offset: usize, read_only: bool, overlay: Option<MemoryOverlay>) -> Self {
+        let disk_image_id = generate_disk_image_id(&file);
+        RawDiskImage { file, nsectors, read_only, offset, disk_image_id, overlay }
+    }
+}
+
+impl DiskImage for RawDiskImage {
+    fn read_only(&self) -> bool {
+        self.read_only
+    }
+
+    fn sector_count(&self) -> u64 {
+        self.nsectors
+    }
+
+    fn disk_file(&self) -> &File {
+        &self.file
+    }
+
+    fn seek_to_sector(&self, sector: u64) -> Result<()> {
+        if sector > self.sector_count() {
+            return Err(Error::BadSectorOffset(sector));
+        }
+        let offset = SeekFrom::Start(sector * SECTOR_SIZE as u64 + self.offset as u64);
+        self.disk_file().seek(offset)
+            .map_err(Error::DiskSeek)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn write_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        if let Some(ref mut overlay) = self.overlay {
+            return overlay.write_sectors(start_sector, buffer);
+        }
+        if self.read_only {
+            return Err(Error::ReadOnly)
+        }
+        self.seek_to_sector(start_sector)?;
+        let len = (buffer.len() / SECTOR_SIZE) * SECTOR_SIZE;
+        self.file.write_all(&buffer[..len])
+            .map_err(Error::DiskWrite)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn read_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &mut [u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        if let Some(mut overlay) = self.overlay.take() {
+            let ret = overlay.read_sectors(self, start_sector, buffer);
+            self.overlay.replace(overlay);
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        self.seek_to_sector(start_sector)?;
+        let len = (buffer.len() / SECTOR_SIZE) * SECTOR_SIZE;
+        self.file.read_exact(&mut buffer[..len])
+            .map_err(DiskRead)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn disk_image_id(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        &self.disk_image_id
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/src/disk/realmfs.rs b/rust/src/disk/realmfs.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..615afaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/disk/realmfs.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+use crate::disk::{Result, DiskImage, SECTOR_SIZE, RawDiskImage, OpenType};
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+// skip 4096 byte realmfs header
+const HEADER_SECTOR_COUNT: usize = 8;
+
+pub struct RealmFSImage {
+    raw: RawDiskImage,
+}
+
+// Just pass everything through to raw image for now
+impl RealmFSImage {
+    pub fn open<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, read_only: bool) -> Result<Self> {
+        let open_type = if read_only { OpenType::ReadOnly } else { OpenType::MemoryOverlay };
+        let raw = RawDiskImage::open_with_offset(path, open_type, HEADER_SECTOR_COUNT * SECTOR_SIZE)?;
+        Ok(RealmFSImage { raw })
+    }
+}
+
+impl DiskImage for RealmFSImage {
+    fn read_only(&self) -> bool {
+        self.raw.read_only()
+    }
+
+    fn sector_count(&self) -> u64 {
+        self.raw.sector_count()
+    }
+
+    fn disk_file(&self) -> &File {
+        self.raw.disk_file()
+    }
+
+    fn write_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        self.raw.write_sectors(start_sector, buffer)
+    }
+
+    fn read_sectors(&mut self, start_sector: u64, buffer: &mut [u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        self.raw.read_sectors(start_sector, buffer)
+    }
+
+    fn disk_image_id(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        self.raw.disk_image_id()
+    }
+}