diff --git a/os/include/nic/packet_allocator.h b/os/include/nic/packet_allocator.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33ebced178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/os/include/nic/packet_allocator.h
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Fast-bitmap allocator for NIC-session packet streams
+ * \author Sebastian Sumpf
+ * \date   2012-07-30
+ *
+ * This allocator can be used with a nic session. It is *not* required though.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__NIC__PACKET_ALLOCATOR__
+#define _INCLUDE__NIC__PACKET_ALLOCATOR__
+
+#include <base/allocator.h>
+#include <util/string.h>
+
+namespace Nic {
+
+	class Packet_allocator : public Genode::Range_allocator
+	{
+		private:
+
+			Genode::Allocator *_md_alloc;   /* meta-data allocator */
+			unsigned           _block_size; /* network packet size */
+			Genode::addr_t     _base;       /* allocation base */
+			unsigned          *_free;       /* free list */
+			int                _curr_idx;   /* current index in free list */
+			int                _count;      /* number of elements */
+
+		public:
+
+			enum { DEFAULT_PACKET_SIZE = 1600 };
+
+			/**
+			 * Constructor
+			 *
+			 * \param md_alloc       Meta-data allocator
+			 * \param block_size     Size of network packet in stream
+			 */
+			Packet_allocator(Genode::Allocator *md_alloc,
+			                 unsigned block_size = DEFAULT_PACKET_SIZE)
+			: _md_alloc(md_alloc), _block_size(block_size), _base(0), _free(0),
+			  _curr_idx(0), _count(0)
+			{}
+
+			~Packet_allocator()
+			{
+				if (_free)
+					_md_alloc->free(_free, sizeof(unsigned) * (_count / 32));
+			}
+
+
+			/*******************************
+			 ** Range-allocator interface **
+			 *******************************/
+
+			int add_range(Genode::addr_t base, Genode::size_t size)
+			{
+				if (_count)
+					return -1;
+
+				_base  = base;
+				_count = size / _block_size;
+				_free  = (unsigned *)_md_alloc->alloc(sizeof(unsigned) * (_count / 32));
+
+				Genode::memset(_free, 0xff, sizeof(unsigned) * (_count / 32));
+				return 0;
+			}
+
+			bool alloc_aligned(Genode::size_t size, void **out_addr, int) {
+				return alloc(size, out_addr); }
+
+			bool alloc(Genode::size_t size, void **out_addr)
+			{ 
+				int free_cnt = _count / 32;
+
+				for (register int i = 0; i < free_cnt; i++) {
+
+					if (_free[_curr_idx] != 0) {
+						unsigned msb = Genode::log2(_free[_curr_idx]);
+						int elem_idx = (_curr_idx * 32) + msb;
+
+						if (elem_idx < _count) {
+							_free[_curr_idx] ^= (1 << msb);
+							*out_addr = reinterpret_cast<void *>(_base + (_block_size * elem_idx));
+							return true;
+						}
+					}
+
+					_curr_idx = (_curr_idx + 1) % free_cnt;
+				}
+				return false;
+			}
+
+			void free(void *addr)
+			{
+				Genode::addr_t a = reinterpret_cast<Genode::addr_t>(addr);
+
+				int elem_idx = (a - _base) / _block_size;
+				if (elem_idx >= _count)
+					return;
+
+				_curr_idx = elem_idx / 32;
+				_free[_curr_idx] |= (1 << (elem_idx % 32));
+			}
+
+			void free(void *addr, Genode::size_t) { free(addr); }
+
+
+			/*********************
+			 ** Dummy functions **
+			 *********************/
+
+			Genode::size_t overhead(Genode::size_t) {  return 0;}
+			int remove_range(Genode::addr_t, Genode::size_t) { return 0;}
+			Genode::size_t avail() { return 0; }
+			bool valid_addr(Genode::addr_t) { return 0; }
+			Genode::Range_allocator::Alloc_return alloc_addr(Genode::size_t, Genode::addr_t) {
+				return OUT_OF_METADATA; }
+	};
+};
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__NIC__PACKET_ALLOCATOR__ */