diff --git a/src/BaseCollection.php b/src/BaseCollection.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..35d8dbeed9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/BaseCollection.php
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Friendica;
+
+use Friendica\Database\Database;
+use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
+
+/**
+ * The Collection classes inheriting from this abstract class are meant to represent a list of database record.
+ * The associated model class has to be provided in the child classes.
+ *
+ * Collections can be used with foreach(), accessed like an array and counted.
+ */
+abstract class BaseCollection extends \ArrayIterator
+{
+	/**
+	 * This property is used with paginated results to hold the total number of items satisfying the paginated request.
+	 * @var int
+	 */
+	protected $totalCount = 0;
+
+	/**
+	 * @param BaseModel[] $models
+	 * @param int|null    $totalCount
+	 */
+	public function __construct(array $models = [], int $totalCount = null)
+	{
+		parent::__construct($models);
+
+		$this->models = $models;
+		$this->totalCount = $totalCount ?? count($models);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return int
+	 */
+	public function getTotalCount()
+	{
+		return $this->totalCount;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/BaseFactory.php b/src/BaseFactory.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cfd6f9e717
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/BaseFactory.php
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Friendica;
+
+use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Factories act as an intermediary to avoid direct Entitiy instanciation.
+ *
+ * @see BaseModel
+ * @see BaseCollection
+ */
+abstract class BaseFactory
+{
+	/** @var LoggerInterface */
+	protected $logger;
+
+	public function __construct(LoggerInterface $logger)
+	{
+		$this->logger = $logger;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/BaseModel.php b/src/BaseModel.php
index f8cef0c13e..e9c3b1523b 100644
--- a/src/BaseModel.php
+++ b/src/BaseModel.php
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
 use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
 
 /**
- * Class BaseModel
- *
  * The Model classes inheriting from this abstract class are meant to represent a single database record.
  * The associated table name has to be provided in the child class, and the table is expected to have a unique `id` field.
  *
@@ -32,13 +30,33 @@ abstract class BaseModel
 	 */
 	private $data = [];
 
-	public function __construct(Database $dba, LoggerInterface $logger, $data = [])
+	/**
+	 * @param Database        $dba
+	 * @param LoggerInterface $logger
+	 * @param array           $data   Table row attributes
+	 */
+	public function __construct(Database $dba, LoggerInterface $logger, array $data = [])
 	{
 		$this->dba = $dba;
 		$this->logger = $logger;
 		$this->data = $data;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Performance-improved model creation in a loop
+	 *
+	 * @param BaseModel $prototype
+	 * @param array     $data
+	 * @return BaseModel
+	 */
+	public static function createFromPrototype(BaseModel $prototype, array $data)
+	{
+		$model = clone $prototype;
+		$model->data = $data;
+
+		return $model;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Magic getter. This allows to retrieve model fields with the following syntax:
 	 * - $model->field (outside of class)
@@ -62,33 +80,16 @@ abstract class BaseModel
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Fetches a single model record. The condition array is expected to contain a unique index (primary or otherwise).
-	 *
-	 * Chainable.
-	 *
-	 * @param array $condition
-	 * @return BaseModel
-	 * @throws HTTPException\NotFoundException
+	 * @param string $name
+	 * @param mixed $value
 	 */
-	public function fetch(array $condition)
+	public function __set($name, $value)
 	{
-		$data = $this->dba->selectFirst(static::$table_name, [], $condition);
-
-		if (!$data) {
-			throw new HTTPException\NotFoundException(static::class . ' record not found.');
-		}
-
-		return new static($this->dba, $this->logger, $data);
+		$this->data[$name] = $value;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Deletes the model record from the database.
-	 * Prevents further methods from being called by wiping the internal model data.
-	 */
-	public function delete()
+	public function toArray()
 	{
-		if ($this->dba->delete(static::$table_name, ['id' => $this->id])) {
-			$this->data = [];
-		}
+		return $this->data;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/BaseRepository.php b/src/BaseRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f43d8fe14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/BaseRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Friendica;
+
+use Friendica\Database\Database;
+use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
+use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Repositories are Factories linked to one or more database tables.
+ *
+ * @see BaseModel
+ * @see BaseCollection
+ */
+abstract class BaseRepository extends BaseFactory
+{
+	const LIMIT = 30;
+
+	/** @var Database */
+	protected $dba;
+
+	/** @var string */
+	protected static $table_name;
+
+	/** @var BaseModel */
+	protected static $model_class;
+
+	/** @var BaseCollection */
+	protected static $collection_class;
+
+	public function __construct(Database $dba, LoggerInterface $logger)
+	{
+		parent::__construct($logger);
+
+		$this->dba = $dba;
+		$this->logger = $logger;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetches a single model record. The condition array is expected to contain a unique index (primary or otherwise).
+	 *
+	 * Chainable.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $condition
+	 * @return BaseModel
+	 * @throws HTTPException\NotFoundException
+	 */
+	public function selectFirst(array $condition)
+	{
+		$data = $this->dba->selectFirst(static::$table_name, [], $condition);
+
+		if (!$data) {
+			throw new HTTPException\NotFoundException(static::class . ' record not found.');
+		}
+
+		return $this->create($data);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Populates a Collection according to the condition.
+	 *
+	 * Chainable.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $condition
+	 * @param array $params
+	 * @return BaseCollection
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	public function select(array $condition = [], array $params = [])
+	{
+		$models = $this->selectModels($condition, $params);
+
+		return new static::$collection_class($models);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Populates the collection according to the condition. Retrieves a limited subset of models depending on the boundaries
+	 * and the limit. The total count of rows matching the condition is stored in the collection.
+	 *
+	 * Chainable.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $condition
+	 * @param array $params
+	 * @param int?  $max_id
+	 * @param int?  $since_id
+	 * @param int   $limit
+	 * @return BaseCollection
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	public function selectByBoundaries(array $condition = [], array $params = [], int $max_id = null, int $since_id = null, int $limit = self::LIMIT)
+	{
+		$condition = DBA::collapseCondition($condition);
+
+		$boundCondition = $condition;
+
+		if (isset($max_id)) {
+			$boundCondition[0] .= " AND `id` < ?";
+			$boundCondition[] = $max_id;
+		}
+
+		if (isset($since_id)) {
+			$boundCondition[0] .= " AND `id` > ?";
+			$boundCondition[] = $since_id;
+		}
+
+		$params['limit'] = $limit;
+
+		$models = $this->selectModels($boundCondition, $params);
+
+		$totalCount = DBA::count(static::$table_name, $condition);
+
+		return new static::$collection_class($models, $totalCount);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * This method updates the database row from the model.
+	 *
+	 * @param BaseModel $model
+	 * @return bool
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	public function update(BaseModel $model)
+	{
+		return $this->dba->update(static::$table_name, $model->toArray(), ['id' => $model->id], true);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * This method creates a new database row and returns a model if it was successful.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $fields
+	 * @return BaseModel|bool
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	public function insert(array $fields)
+	{
+		$return = $this->dba->insert(static::$table_name, $fields);
+
+		if ($return) {
+			$fields['id'] = $this->dba->lastInsertId();
+			$return = $this->create($fields);
+		}
+
+		return $return;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Deletes the model record from the database.
+	 *
+	 * @param BaseModel $model
+	 * @return bool
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	public function delete(BaseModel &$model)
+	{
+		if ($success = $this->dba->delete(static::$table_name, ['id' => $model->id])) {
+			$model = null;
+		}
+
+		return $success;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Base instantiation method, can be overriden to add specific dependencies
+	 *
+	 * @param array $data
+	 * @return BaseModel
+	 */
+	protected function create(array $data)
+	{
+		return new static::$model_class($this->dba, $this->logger, $data);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param array $condition Query condition
+	 * @param array $params    Additional query parameters
+	 * @return BaseModel[]
+	 * @throws \Exception
+	 */
+	protected function selectModels(array $condition, array $params = [])
+	{
+		$result = $this->dba->select(static::$table_name, [], $condition, $params);
+
+		/** @var BaseModel $prototype */
+		$prototype = null;
+
+		$models = [];
+
+		while ($record = $this->dba->fetch($result)) {
+			if ($prototype === null) {
+				$prototype = $this->create($record);
+				$models[] = $prototype;
+			} else {
+				$models[] = static::$model_class::createFromPrototype($prototype, $record);
+			}
+		}
+
+		return $models;
+	}
+}