diff --git a/lib/AbstractPicoPlugin.php b/lib/AbstractPicoPlugin.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef47cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/AbstractPicoPlugin.php
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Abstract class to extend from when implementing a Pico plugin
+ *
+ * @see IPicoPlugin
+ *
+ * @author  Daniel Rudolf
+ * @link    http://picocms.org
+ * @license http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+ * @version 1.0
+ */
+abstract class AbstractPicoPlugin implements IPicoPlugin
+{
+    /**
+     * Current instance of Pico
+     *
+     * @var Pico
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::__construct()
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getPico()
+     */
+    private $pico;
+
+    /**
+     * Boolean indicating if this plugin is enabled (true) or disabled (false)
+     *
+     * @var boolean
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::isEnabled()
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::setEnabled()
+     */
+    protected $enabled = true;
+
+    /**
+     * Boolean indicating if this plugin was ever enabled/disabled manually
+     *
+     * @var boolean
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::isStatusChanged()
+     */
+    protected $statusChanged = false;
+
+    /**
+     * List of plugins this plugin depends on
+     *
+     * @var array<string>
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getDependencies()
+     * @see AbstractPicoPlugin::checkDependencies()
+     */
+    protected $dependsOn = array();
+
+    /**
+     * List of plugin which depend on this plugin
+     *
+     * @var array<object>
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getDependants()
+     * @see AbstractPicoPlugin::checkDependants()
+     */
+    private $dependants;
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::__construct()
+     */
+    public function __construct(Pico $pico)
+    {
+        $this->pico = $pico;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::handleEvent()
+     */
+    public function handleEvent($eventName, array $params)
+    {
+        // plugins can be enabled/disabled using the config
+        if ($eventName === 'onConfigLoaded') {
+            $pluginEnabled = $this->getConfig(get_called_class().'.enabled');
+            if ($pluginEnabled !== null) {
+                $this->setEnabled($pluginEnabled);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if ($this->isEnabled() || ($eventName === 'onPluginsLoaded')) {
+            if (method_exists($this, $eventName)) {
+                call_user_func_array(array($this, $eventName), $params);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::setEnabled()
+     */
+    public function setEnabled($enabled, $recursive = true, $auto = false)
+    {
+        $this->statusChanged = (!$this->statusChanged) ? !$auto : true;
+        $this->enabled = (bool) $enabled;
+
+        if ($enabled) {
+            $this->checkDependencies($recursive);
+        } else {
+            $this->checkDependants($recursive);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::isEnabled()
+     */
+    public function isEnabled()
+    {
+        return $this->enabled;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::isStatusChanged()
+     */
+    public function isStatusChanged()
+    {
+        return $this->statusChanged;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getPico()
+     */
+    public function getPico()
+    {
+        return $this->pico;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Passes all not satisfiable method calls to {@link Pico}
+     *
+     * @param  string $methodName name of the method to call
+     * @param  array  $params     parameters to pass
+     * @return mixed              return value of the called method
+     */
+    public function __call($methodName, array $params)
+    {
+        if (method_exists($this->getPico(), $methodName)) {
+            return call_user_func_array(array($this->getPico(), $methodName), $params);
+        }
+
+        throw new BadMethodCallException(
+            'Call to undefined method '.get_class($this->getPico()).'::'.$methodName.'() '
+            . 'through '.get_called_class().'::__call()'
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Enables all plugins on which this plugin depends
+     *
+     * @param  boolean $recursive enable required plugins automatically
+     * @return void
+     * @throws RuntimeException   thrown when a dependency fails
+     */
+    protected function checkDependencies($recursive)
+    {
+        foreach ($this->getDependencies() as $pluginName) {
+            try {
+                $plugin = $this->getPlugin($pluginName);
+            } catch (RuntimeException $e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(
+                    "Unable to enable plugin '" . get_called_class() . "':"
+                    . "Required plugin '" . $pluginName . "' not found"
+                );
+            }
+
+            // plugins which don't implement IPicoPlugin are always enabled
+            if (is_a($plugin, 'IPicoPlugin') && !$plugin->isEnabled()) {
+                if ($recursive) {
+                    if (!$plugin->isStatusChanged()) {
+                        $plugin->setEnabled(true, true, true);
+                    } else {
+                        throw new RuntimeException(
+                            "Unable to enable plugin '" . get_called_class() . "':"
+                            . "Required plugin '" . $pluginName . "' was disabled manually"
+                        );
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    throw new RuntimeException(
+                        "Unable to enable plugin '" . get_called_class() . "':"
+                        . "Required plugin '" . $pluginName . "' is disabled"
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getDependencies()
+     */
+    public function getDependencies()
+    {
+        return $this->dependsOn;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Disables all plugins which depend on this plugin
+     *
+     * @param  boolean $recursive disabled dependant plugins automatically
+     * @return void
+     * @throws RuntimeException   thrown when a dependency fails
+     */
+    protected function checkDependants($recursive)
+    {
+        $dependants = $this->getDependants();
+        if (!empty($dependants)) {
+            if ($recursive) {
+                foreach ($this->getDependants() as $pluginName => $plugin) {
+                    if ($plugin->isEnabled()) {
+                        if (!$plugin->isStatusChanged()) {
+                            $plugin->setEnabled(false, true, true);
+                        } else {
+                            throw new RuntimeException(
+                                "Unable to disable plugin '" . get_called_class() . "': "
+                                + "Required by manually enabled plugin '" . $pluginName . "'"
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                $dependantsList = 'plugin' . ((count($dependants) > 1) ? 's' : '') . ' ';
+                $dependantsList .= "'" + implode("', '", array_keys($dependants)) + "'";
+                throw new RuntimeException(
+                    "Unable to disable plugin '" . get_called_class() . "': "
+                    + "Required by " . $dependantsList
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see IPicoPlugin::getDependants()
+     */
+    public function getDependants()
+    {
+        if ($this->dependants === null) {
+            $this->dependants = array();
+            foreach ($this->getPlugins() as $pluginName => $plugin) {
+                // only plugins which implement IPicoPlugin support dependencies
+                if (is_a($plugin, 'IPicoPlugin')) {
+                    $dependencies = $plugin->getDependencies();
+                    if (in_array(get_called_class(), $dependencies)) {
+                        $this->dependants[$pluginName] = $plugin;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $this->dependants;
+    }
+}