diff --git a/monasca_common/simport/__init__.py b/monasca_common/simport/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/monasca_common/simport/simport.py b/monasca_common/simport/simport.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a829f1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monasca_common/simport/simport.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# Copyright 2014 - Dark Secret Software Inc.
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import logging
+import os
+import os.path
+import sys
+
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class MissingModule(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class BadDirectory(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class MissingMethodOrFunction(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class ImportFailed(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def _get_module(target):
+    """Import a named class, module, method or function.
+
+    Accepts these formats:
+        ".../file/path|module_name:Class.method"
+        ".../file/path|module_name:Class"
+        ".../file/path|module_name:function"
+        "module_name:Class"
+        "module_name:function"
+        "module_name:Class.function"
+
+    If a fully qualified directory is specified, it implies the
+    directory is not already on the Python Path, in which case
+    it will be added.
+
+    For example, if I import /home/foo (and
+    /home/foo is not in the python path) as
+    "/home/foo|mycode:MyClass.mymethod"
+    then /home/foo will be added to the python path and
+    the module loaded as normal.
+    """
+
+    filepath, sep, namespace = target.rpartition('|')
+    if sep and not filepath:
+        raise BadDirectory("Path to file not supplied.")
+
+    module, sep, class_or_function = namespace.rpartition(':')
+    if (sep and not module) or (filepath and not module):
+        raise MissingModule("Need a module path for %s (%s)" %
+                            (namespace, target))
+
+    if filepath and filepath not in sys.path:
+        if not os.path.isdir(filepath):
+            raise BadDirectory("No such directory: '%s'" % filepath)
+        sys.path.append(filepath)
+
+    if not class_or_function:
+        raise MissingMethodOrFunction(
+            "No Method or Function specified in '%s'" % target)
+
+    if module:
+        try:
+            __import__(module)
+        except ImportError as e:
+            raise ImportFailed("Failed to import '%s'. "
+                               "Error: %s" % (module, e))
+
+    klass, sep, function = class_or_function.rpartition('.')
+    return module, klass, function
+
+
+def load(target, source_module=None):
+    """Get the actual implementation of the target."""
+    module, klass, function = _get_module(target)
+    if not module and source_module:
+        module = source_module
+    if not module:
+        raise MissingModule(
+            "No module name supplied or source_module provided.")
+    actual_module = sys.modules[module]
+    if not klass:
+        return getattr(actual_module, function)
+
+    class_object = getattr(actual_module, klass)
+    if function:
+        return getattr(class_object, function)
+    return class_object
diff --git a/monasca_common/tests/external/__init__.py b/monasca_common/tests/external/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/monasca_common/tests/external/externalmodule.py b/monasca_common/tests/external/externalmodule.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27d071c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monasca_common/tests/external/externalmodule.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Dark Secret Software Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+class Foo(object):
+    def method_a(self, a, b, c, d):
+        pass
+
+
+class Blah(Foo):
+    def method_a(self, a, b, c, d):
+        pass
+
+    def method_b(self, a, b, c, e):
+        pass
+
+
+def function_a(a, b, c, d):
+    pass
diff --git a/monasca_common/tests/localmodule.py b/monasca_common/tests/localmodule.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b6993c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monasca_common/tests/localmodule.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Dark Secret Software Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+class Foo(object):
+    def method_a(self, a, b, c, d):
+        pass
+
+
+class Blah(Foo):
+    def method_a(self, a, b, c, d):
+        pass
+
+    def method_b(self, a, b, c, e):
+        pass
+
+
+def function_a(a, b, c):
+    return (a, b, c)
diff --git a/monasca_common/tests/test_simport.py b/monasca_common/tests/test_simport.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..7d0cbeda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monasca_common/tests/test_simport.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Dark Secret Software Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import sys
+import unittest
+
+import monasca_common.simport.simport as simport
+
+
+# Internal functions and classes.
+def dummy_function():
+    pass
+
+
+class DummyClass(object):
+    def method_a(self):
+        pass
+
+
+class LocalClass(object):
+    def my_method(self):
+        pass
+
+
+class TestSimport(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_bad_targets(self):
+        self.assertRaises(simport.BadDirectory, simport._get_module,
+                          "|foo.Class")
+
+        self.assertRaises(simport.MissingModule, simport._get_module,
+                          "missing|")
+
+        self.assertRaises(simport.MissingModule, simport._get_module,
+                          "simport_tests|")
+        self.assertRaises(simport.MissingModule, simport._get_module,
+                          "simport_tests|Foo")
+        self.assertRaises(simport.BadDirectory, simport._get_module,
+                          "/does/not/exist|foo:Class")
+
+        self.assertFalse("AnyModuleName" in sys.modules)
+        self.assertRaises(simport.MissingMethodOrFunction, simport._get_module,
+                          "tests|AnyModuleName:")
+        self.assertFalse("AnyModuleName" in sys.modules)
+
+    def test_good_external_targets(self):
+        self.assertEqual(("localmodule", "Foo", "method_a"),
+                         simport._get_module("tests|"
+                                             "localmodule:Foo.method_a"))
+
+        self.assertRaises(simport.ImportFailed, simport._get_module,
+                          "tests|that_module:function_a")
+
+    def test_bad_load(self):
+        self.assertRaises(AttributeError, simport.load,
+                          "TestSimport:missing")
+
+    def test_good_load_internal(self):
+        self.assertEqual(dummy_function,
+                         simport.load("TestSimport:dummy_function"))
+        self.assertEqual(DummyClass.method_a,
+                         simport.load("TestSimport:DummyClass.method_a"))
+
+    def test_good_load_local(self):
+        method = simport.load("tests|"
+                              "localmodule:Foo.method_a")
+        import localmodule
+
+        self.assertEqual(method, localmodule.Foo.method_a)
+        self.assertEqual(localmodule.function_a,
+                         simport.load("localmodule:function_a"))
+
+    def test_good_load_external(self):
+        method = simport.load("tests/external|"
+                              "external.externalmodule:Blah.method_b")
+
+        self.assertTrue('external.externalmodule' in sys.modules)
+        old = sys.modules['external.externalmodule']
+        import external.externalmodule
+
+        self.assertEqual(external.externalmodule,
+                         sys.modules['external.externalmodule'])
+        self.assertEqual(old, external.externalmodule)
+        self.assertEqual(method, external.externalmodule.Blah.method_b)
+
+    def test_import_class(self):
+        klass = simport.load("tests/external|"
+                             "external.externalmodule:Blah")
+        import external.externalmodule
+
+        self.assertEqual(klass, external.externalmodule.Blah)
+
+    def test_local_class(self):
+        klass = simport.load("LocalClass", __name__)
+        self.assertEqual(klass, LocalClass)