diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/LocalGraphDatabase.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/LocalGraphDatabase.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c61af0fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/LocalGraphDatabase.java
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package org.springframework.data.graph.neo4j.support;
+
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.Node;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.PropertyContainer;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.Relationship;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.RelationshipType;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.Index;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.IndexManager;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.TraversalDescription;
+import org.neo4j.index.impl.lucene.LuceneIndexImplementation;
+import org.neo4j.kernel.EmbeddedGraphDatabase;
+import org.neo4j.kernel.Traversal;
+import org.springframework.data.graph.core.GraphDatabase;
+import org.springframework.data.graph.core.NodeBacked;
+import org.springframework.data.graph.core.RelationshipBacked;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+/**
+ * @author mh
+ * @since 29.03.11
+ */
+public class LocalGraphDatabase implements GraphDatabase {
+
+    protected EmbeddedGraphDatabase delegate;
+
+    public LocalGraphDatabase(File file) {
+        delegate = new EmbeddedGraphDatabase(file.getAbsolutePath());
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Node getReferenceNode() {
+        return delegate.getReferenceNode();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Node getNode(long id) {
+        return delegate.getNodeById(id);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Node createNode(Map<String, Object> props, String... indexFields) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Relationship getRelationship(long id) {
+        return delegate.getRelationshipById(id);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Relationship createRelationship(Node startNode, Node endNode, RelationshipType type, Map<String, Object> props, String... indexFields) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T extends PropertyContainer> Index<T> getIndex(String indexName) {
+        IndexManager indexManager = delegate.index();
+        if (indexManager.existsForNodes(indexName)) return (Index<T>) indexManager.forNodes(indexName);
+        if (indexManager.existsForRelationships(indexName)) return (Index<T>) indexManager.forRelationships(indexName);
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Index "+indexName+" does not exist.");
+    }
+
+    // TODO handle existing indexes
+    @Override
+    public <T extends PropertyContainer> Index<T> createIndex(Class<T> type, String indexName, boolean fullText) {
+        IndexManager indexManager = delegate.index();
+        Map<String, String> config = fullText ? LuceneIndexImplementation.FULLTEXT_CONFIG : LuceneIndexImplementation.EXACT_CONFIG;
+        if (NodeBacked.class.isAssignableFrom(type)) return (Index<T>) indexManager.forNodes(indexName, config);
+        if (RelationshipBacked.class.isAssignableFrom(type)) return (Index<T>) indexManager.forRelationships(indexName, config);
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Wrong index type supplied "+type);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public TraversalDescription createTraversalDescription() {
+        return Traversal.description();
+    }
+
+    public void shutdown() {
+        delegate.shutdown();
+    }
+}