diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxModule.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxModule.java
index 2141851ee..3c62ce3a6 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxModule.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxModule.java
@@ -115,4 +115,10 @@ public class MailboxModule {
 		}
 		return mailboxFileManager;
 	}
+
+	@Provides
+	MailboxWorkerFactory provideMailboxWorkerFactory(
+			MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl mailboxWorkerFactory) {
+		return mailboxWorkerFactory;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactory.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f6f827e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox;
+
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.mailbox.MailboxFolderId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.mailbox.MailboxProperties;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
+
+import javax.annotation.concurrent.ThreadSafe;
+
+@ThreadSafe
+@NotNullByDefault
+interface MailboxWorkerFactory {
+
+	MailboxWorker createUploadWorker(ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			MailboxProperties properties, MailboxFolderId folderId,
+			ContactId contactId);
+
+	MailboxWorker createDownloadWorkerForContactMailbox(
+			ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			TorReachabilityMonitor reachabilityMonitor,
+			MailboxProperties properties);
+
+	MailboxWorker createDownloadWorkerForOwnMailbox(
+			ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			TorReachabilityMonitor reachabilityMonitor,
+			MailboxProperties properties);
+}
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..950cfd749
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl.java
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox;
+
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.db.DatabaseComponent;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.event.EventBus;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.IoExecutor;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.mailbox.MailboxFolderId;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.mailbox.MailboxProperties;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.system.Clock;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.api.system.TaskScheduler;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+
+import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
+import javax.inject.Inject;
+
+@Immutable
+@NotNullByDefault
+class MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl implements MailboxWorkerFactory {
+
+	private final Executor ioExecutor;
+	private final DatabaseComponent db;
+	private final Clock clock;
+	private final TaskScheduler taskScheduler;
+	private final EventBus eventBus;
+	private final MailboxApiCaller mailboxApiCaller;
+	private final MailboxApi mailboxApi;
+	private final MailboxFileManager mailboxFileManager;
+
+	@Inject
+	MailboxWorkerFactoryImpl(@IoExecutor Executor ioExecutor,
+			DatabaseComponent db,
+			Clock clock,
+			TaskScheduler taskScheduler,
+			EventBus eventBus,
+			MailboxApiCaller mailboxApiCaller,
+			MailboxApi mailboxApi,
+			MailboxFileManager mailboxFileManager) {
+		this.ioExecutor = ioExecutor;
+		this.db = db;
+		this.clock = clock;
+		this.taskScheduler = taskScheduler;
+		this.eventBus = eventBus;
+		this.mailboxApiCaller = mailboxApiCaller;
+		this.mailboxApi = mailboxApi;
+		this.mailboxFileManager = mailboxFileManager;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public MailboxWorker createUploadWorker(
+			ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			MailboxProperties properties, MailboxFolderId folderId,
+			ContactId contactId) {
+		MailboxUploadWorker worker = new MailboxUploadWorker(ioExecutor, db,
+				clock, taskScheduler, eventBus, connectivityChecker,
+				mailboxApiCaller, mailboxApi, mailboxFileManager,
+				properties, folderId, contactId);
+		eventBus.addListener(worker);
+		return worker;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public MailboxWorker createDownloadWorkerForContactMailbox(
+			ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			TorReachabilityMonitor reachabilityMonitor,
+			MailboxProperties properties) {
+		return new ContactMailboxDownloadWorker(connectivityChecker,
+				reachabilityMonitor, mailboxApiCaller, mailboxApi,
+				mailboxFileManager, properties);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public MailboxWorker createDownloadWorkerForOwnMailbox(
+			ConnectivityChecker connectivityChecker,
+			TorReachabilityMonitor reachabilityMonitor,
+			MailboxProperties properties) {
+		// TODO
+		throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+	}
+}