diff --git a/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php b/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
index 3e6dd5d6aa..fafa11c352 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
 *
 * @package phpBB3
 */
-class phpbb_style_resource_locator
+class phpbb_style_resource_locator implements phpbb_template_locator
 {
 	/**
 	* Paths to style directories.
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/style/template.php b/phpBB/includes/style/template.php
index ad4c452268..1967ec7d96 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/style/template.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/style/template.php
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ class phpbb_style_template
 	private $user;
 
 	/**
-	* Style resource locator
-	* @var phpbb_style_resource_locator
+	* Template locator
+	* @var phpbb_template_locator
 	*/
 	private $locator;
 
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@ class phpbb_style_template
 	*
 	* @param string $phpbb_root_path phpBB root path
 	* @param user $user current user
-	* @param phpbb_style_resource_locator $locator style resource locator
+	* @param phpbb_template_locator $locator template locator
 	* @param phpbb_style_path_provider $provider style path provider
 	*/
-	public function __construct($phpbb_root_path, $phpEx, $config, $user, phpbb_style_resource_locator $locator, phpbb_style_path_provider_interface $provider)
+	public function __construct($phpbb_root_path, $phpEx, $config, $user, phpbb_template_locator $locator, phpbb_style_path_provider_interface $provider)
 	{
 		$this->phpbb_root_path = $phpbb_root_path;
 		$this->phpEx = $phpEx;
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php b/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..836046e92b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+<?php
+/**
+*
+* @package phpBB3
+* @copyright (c) 2011 phpBB Group
+* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php GNU General Public License v2
+*
+*/
+
+/**
+* @ignore
+*/
+if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
+{
+	exit;
+}
+
+
+/**
+* Resource locator interface.
+*
+* Objects implementing this interface maintain mapping from template handles
+* to source template file paths and locate templates.
+*
+* Locates style files.
+*
+* Resource locator is aware of styles tree, and can return actual
+* filesystem paths (i.e., the "child" style or the "parent" styles)
+* depending on what files exist.
+*
+* Root paths stored in locator are paths to style directories. Templates are
+* stored in subdirectory that $template_path points to.
+*
+* @package phpBB3
+*/
+interface phpbb_template_locator
+{
+	/**
+	* Sets the list of style paths
+	*
+	* These paths will be searched for style files in the provided order.
+	* Paths may be outside of phpBB, but templates loaded from these paths
+	* will still be cached.
+	*
+	* @param array $style_paths An array of paths to style directories
+	* @return null
+	*/
+	public function set_paths($style_paths);
+
+	/**
+	* Sets the template filenames for handles. $filename_array
+	* should be a hash of handle => filename pairs.
+	*
+	* @param array $filname_array Should be a hash of handle => filename pairs.
+	*/
+	public function set_filenames(array $filename_array);
+
+	/**
+	* Determines the filename for a template handle.
+	*
+	* The filename comes from array used in a set_filenames call,
+	* which should have been performed prior to invoking this function.
+	* Return value is a file basename (without path).
+	*
+	* @param $handle string Template handle
+	* @return string Filename corresponding to the template handle
+	*/
+	public function get_filename_for_handle($handle);
+
+	/**
+	* Determines the source file path for a template handle without
+	* regard for styles tree.
+	*
+	* This function returns the path in "primary" style directory
+	* corresponding to the given template handle. That path may or
+	* may not actually exist on the filesystem. Because this function
+	* does not perform stat calls to determine whether the path it
+	* returns actually exists, it is faster than get_source_file_for_handle.
+	*
+	* Use get_source_file_for_handle to obtain the actual path that is
+	* guaranteed to exist (which might come from the parent style 
+	* directory if primary style has parent styles).
+	*
+	* This function will trigger an error if the handle was never
+	* associated with a template file via set_filenames.
+	*
+	* @param $handle string Template handle
+	* @return string Path to source file path in primary style directory
+	*/
+	public function get_virtual_source_file_for_handle($handle);
+
+	/**
+	* Determines the source file path for a template handle, accounting
+	* for styles tree and verifying that the path exists.
+	*
+	* This function returns the actual path that may be compiled for
+	* the specified template handle. It will trigger an error if
+	* the template handle was never associated with a template path
+	* via set_filenames or if the template file does not exist on the
+	* filesystem.
+	*
+	* Use get_virtual_source_file_for_handle to just resolve a template
+	* handle to a path without any filesystem or styles tree checks.
+	*
+	* @param string $handle Template handle (i.e. "friendly" template name)
+	* @param bool $find_all If true, each root path will be checked and function
+	*				will return array of files instead of string and will not
+	*				trigger a error if template does not exist
+	* @return string Source file path
+	*/
+	public function get_source_file_for_handle($handle, $find_all = false);
+
+	/**
+	* Locates source file path, accounting for styles tree and verifying that
+	* the path exists.
+	*
+	* Unlike previous functions, this function works without template handle
+	* and it can search for more than one file. If more than one file name is
+	* specified, it will return location of file that it finds first.
+	*
+	* @param array $files List of files to locate.
+	* @param bool $return_default Determines what to return if file does not
+	*				exist. If true, function will return location where file is
+	*				supposed to be. If false, function will return false.
+	* @param bool $return_full_path If true, function will return full path
+	*				to file. If false, function will return file name. This
+	*				parameter can be used to check which one of set of files
+	*				is available.
+	* @return string or boolean Source file path if file exists or $return_default is
+	*				true. False if file does not exist and $return_default is false
+	*/
+	public function get_first_file_location($files, $return_default = false, $return_full_path = true);
+}