diff --git a/include/rocksdb/env.h b/include/rocksdb/env.h
index 612eba60c0..3f9023c25b 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/env.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/env.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class RandomAccessFile;
 class SequentialFile;
 class Slice;
 class WritableFile;
+class RandomRWFile;
 class Options;
 
 using std::unique_ptr;
@@ -109,6 +110,15 @@ class Env {
                                  unique_ptr<WritableFile>* result,
                                  const EnvOptions& options) = 0;
 
+  // Create an object that both reads and writes to a file on
+  // specified offsets (random access). If file already exists,
+  // does not overwrite it. On success, stores a pointer to the
+  // new file in *result and returns OK. On failure stores nullptr
+  // in *result and returns non-OK.
+  virtual Status NewRandomRWFile(const std::string& fname,
+                                 unique_ptr<RandomRWFile>* result,
+                                 const EnvOptions& options) = 0;
+
   // Returns true iff the named file exists.
   virtual bool FileExists(const std::string& fname) = 0;
 
@@ -329,7 +339,7 @@ class WritableFile {
 
   /*
    * Sync data and/or metadata as well.
-   * By default, sync only metadata.
+   * By default, sync only data.
    * Override this method for environments where we need to sync
    * metadata as well.
    */
@@ -418,6 +428,55 @@ class WritableFile {
   void operator=(const WritableFile&);
 };
 
+// A file abstraction for random reading and writing.
+class RandomRWFile {
+ public:
+  RandomRWFile() {}
+  virtual ~RandomRWFile() {}
+
+  // Write data from Slice data to file starting from offset
+  // Returns IOError on failure, but does not guarantee
+  // atomicity of a write.  Returns OK status on success.
+  //
+  // Safe for concurrent use.
+  virtual Status Write(uint64_t offset, const Slice& data) = 0;
+  // Read up to "n" bytes from the file starting at "offset".
+  // "scratch[0..n-1]" may be written by this routine.  Sets "*result"
+  // to the data that was read (including if fewer than "n" bytes were
+  // successfully read).  May set "*result" to point at data in
+  // "scratch[0..n-1]", so "scratch[0..n-1]" must be live when
+  // "*result" is used.  If an error was encountered, returns a non-OK
+  // status.
+  //
+  // Safe for concurrent use by multiple threads.
+  virtual Status Read(uint64_t offset, size_t n, Slice* result,
+                      char* scratch) const = 0;
+  virtual Status Close() = 0; // closes the file
+  virtual Status Sync() = 0; // sync data
+
+  /*
+   * Sync data and/or metadata as well.
+   * By default, sync only data.
+   * Override this method for environments where we need to sync
+   * metadata as well.
+   */
+  virtual Status Fsync() {
+    return Sync();
+  }
+
+  /*
+   * Pre-allocate space for a file.
+   */
+  virtual Status Allocate(off_t offset, off_t len) {
+    return Status::OK();
+  }
+
+ private:
+  // No copying allowed
+  RandomRWFile(const RandomRWFile&);
+  void operator=(const RandomRWFile&);
+};
+
 // An interface for writing log messages.
 class Logger {
  public:
@@ -497,6 +556,10 @@ class EnvWrapper : public Env {
                          const EnvOptions& options) {
     return target_->NewWritableFile(f, r, options);
   }
+  Status NewRandomRWFile(const std::string& f, unique_ptr<RandomRWFile>* r,
+                         const EnvOptions& options) {
+    return target_->NewRandomRWFile(f, r, options);
+  }
   bool FileExists(const std::string& f) { return target_->FileExists(f); }
   Status GetChildren(const std::string& dir, std::vector<std::string>* r) {
     return target_->GetChildren(dir, r);
diff --git a/util/env_posix.cc b/util/env_posix.cc
index 068d75190f..e8ae8549ef 100644
--- a/util/env_posix.cc
+++ b/util/env_posix.cc
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ class PosixWritableFile : public WritableFile {
   }
 
   virtual Status Append(const Slice& data) {
-    char* src = (char *)data.data();
+    const char* src = data.data();
     size_t left = data.size();
     Status s;
     pending_sync_ = true;
@@ -709,6 +709,98 @@ class PosixWritableFile : public WritableFile {
 #endif
 };
 
+class PosixRandomRWFile : public RandomRWFile {
+ private:
+  const std::string filename_;
+  int fd_;
+  bool pending_sync_;
+  bool pending_fsync_;
+
+ public:
+  PosixRandomRWFile(const std::string& fname, int fd,
+                    const EnvOptions& options) :
+      filename_(fname),
+      fd_(fd),
+      pending_sync_(false),
+      pending_fsync_(false) {
+    assert(!options.use_mmap_writes && !options.use_mmap_reads);
+  }
+
+  ~PosixRandomRWFile() {
+    if (fd_ >= 0) {
+      Close();
+    }
+  }
+
+  virtual Status Write(uint64_t offset, const Slice& data) {
+    const char* src = data.data();
+    size_t left = data.size();
+    Status s;
+    pending_sync_ = true;
+    pending_fsync_ = true;
+
+    while (left != 0) {
+      ssize_t done = pwrite(fd_, src, left, offset);
+      if (done < 0) {
+        return IOError(filename_, errno);
+      }
+
+      left -= done;
+      src += done;
+      offset += done;
+    }
+
+    return Status::OK();
+  }
+
+  virtual Status Read(uint64_t offset, size_t n, Slice* result,
+                      char* scratch) const {
+    Status s;
+    ssize_t r = pread(fd_, scratch, n, static_cast<off_t>(offset));
+    *result = Slice(scratch, (r < 0) ? 0 : r);
+    if (r < 0) {
+      s = IOError(filename_, errno);
+    }
+    return s;
+  }
+
+  virtual Status Close() {
+    Status s = Status::OK();
+    if (fd_ >= 0 && close(fd_) < 0) {
+      s = IOError(filename_, errno);
+    }
+    fd_ = -1;
+    return s;
+  }
+
+  virtual Status Sync() {
+    if (pending_sync_ && fdatasync(fd_) < 0) {
+      return IOError(filename_, errno);
+    }
+    pending_sync_ = false;
+    return Status::OK();
+  }
+
+  virtual Status Fsync() {
+    if (pending_fsync_ && fsync(fd_) < 0) {
+      return IOError(filename_, errno);
+    }
+    pending_fsync_ = false;
+    pending_sync_ = false;
+    return Status::OK();
+  }
+
+#ifdef OS_LINUX
+  virtual Status Allocate(off_t offset, off_t len) {
+    if (!fallocate(fd_, FALLOC_FL_KEEP_SIZE, offset, len)) {
+      return Status::OK();
+    } else {
+      return IOError(filename_, errno);
+    }
+  }
+#endif
+};
+
 static int LockOrUnlock(const std::string& fname, int fd, bool lock) {
   mutex_lockedFiles.Lock();
   if (lock) {
@@ -855,6 +947,25 @@ class PosixEnv : public Env {
     return s;
   }
 
+  virtual Status NewRandomRWFile(const std::string& fname,
+                                 unique_ptr<RandomRWFile>* result,
+                                 const EnvOptions& options) {
+    result->reset();
+    Status s;
+    const int fd = open(fname.c_str(), O_CREAT | O_RDWR, 0644);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+      s = IOError(fname, errno);
+    } else {
+      SetFD_CLOEXEC(fd, &options);
+      // no support for mmap yet
+      if (options.use_mmap_writes || options.use_mmap_reads) {
+        return Status::NotSupported("No support for mmap read/write yet");
+      }
+      result->reset(new PosixRandomRWFile(fname, fd, options));
+    }
+    return s;
+  }
+
   virtual bool FileExists(const std::string& fname) {
     return access(fname.c_str(), F_OK) == 0;
   }
diff --git a/util/env_test.cc b/util/env_test.cc
index 357edb3a5f..2163ad14b0 100644
--- a/util/env_test.cc
+++ b/util/env_test.cc
@@ -357,6 +357,25 @@ TEST(EnvPosixTest, InvalidateCache) {
   ASSERT_OK(env_->DeleteFile(fname));
 }
 
+TEST(EnvPosixTest, PosixRandomRWFileTest) {
+  EnvOptions soptions;
+  soptions.use_mmap_writes = soptions.use_mmap_reads = false;
+  std::string fname = test::TmpDir() + "/" + "testfile";
+
+  unique_ptr<RandomRWFile> file;
+  ASSERT_OK(env_->NewRandomRWFile(fname, &file, soptions));
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Allocate(0, 10*1024*1024));
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Write(100, Slice("Hello world")));
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Write(105, Slice("Hello world")));
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Sync());
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Fsync());
+  char scratch[100];
+  Slice result;
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Read(100, 16, &result, scratch));
+  ASSERT_EQ(result.compare("HelloHello world"), 0);
+  ASSERT_OK(file.get()->Close());
+}
+
 }  // namespace rocksdb
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {