diff --git a/include/proto/arg.h b/include/proto/arg.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68eb379
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/proto/arg.h
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*
+ * include/proto/arg.h
+ * This file contains functions and macros declarations for generic argument parsing.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2012 Willy Tarreau <w@1wt.eu>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation, version 2.1
+ * exclusively.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef _PROTO_ARG_H
+#define _PROTO_ARG_H
+
+#include <types/arg.h>
+
+/* Some macros used to build some arg list. We can declare various argument
+ * combinations from 0 to 7 args using a single 32-bit integer. The first
+ * argument of these macros is always the mandatory number of arguments, and
+ * remaining ones are optional args. Note: ARGM() may also be used to return
+ * the number of mandatory arguments in a mask.
+ */
+#define ARGM(m) \
+	(m & 15)
+
+#define ARG1(m, t1) \
+	(ARGM(m) + (ARGT_##t1 << 4))
+
+#define ARG2(m, t1, t2) \
+	(ARG1(m, t1) + (ARGT_##t2 << 8))
+
+#define ARG3(m, t1, t2, t3) \
+	(ARG2(m, t1, t2) + (ARGT_##t3 << 12))
+
+#define ARG4(m, t1, t2, t3, t4) \
+	(ARG3(m, t1, t2, t3) + (ARGT_##t4 << 16))
+
+#define ARG5(m, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5) \
+	(ARG4(m, t1, t2, t3, t4) + (ARGT_##t5 << 20))
+
+#define ARG6(m, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6) \
+	(ARG5(m, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5) + (ARGT_##t6 << 24))
+
+#define ARG7(m, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7) \
+	(ARG6(m, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6) + (ARGT_##t7 << 28))
+
+int make_arg_list(const char *in, int len, unsigned int mask, struct arg **argp,
+		  char **err_msg, const char **err_ptr, int *err_arg);
+
+#endif /* _PROTO_ARG_H */
+
+/*
+ * Local variables:
+ *  c-indent-level: 8
+ *  c-basic-offset: 8
+ * End:
+ */
diff --git a/include/types/arg.h b/include/types/arg.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2369721
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/types/arg.h
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+ * include/types/arg.h
+ * This file contains structure declarations for generaic argument parsing.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2012 Willy Tarreau <w@1wt.eu>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation, version 2.1
+ * exclusively.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef _TYPES_ARG_H
+#define _TYPES_ARG_H
+
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <types/buffers.h>
+
+enum {
+	ARGT_STOP = 0, /* end of the arg list */
+	ARGT_UINT,     /* unsigned integer, which is a positive integer without any sign */
+	ARGT_SINT,     /* signed integer, the sign (+/-) was explicit. Falls back to UINT if no sign. */
+	ARGT_STR,      /* string */
+	ARGT_IPV4,     /* an IPv4 address */
+	ARGT_MSK4,     /* an IPv4 address mask (integer or dotted), stored as ARGT_IPV4 */
+	ARGT_IPV6,     /* an IPv6 address */
+	ARGT_MSK6,     /* an IPv6 address mask (integer or dotted), stored as ARGT_IPV4 */
+	ARGT_TIME,     /* a delay in ms by default, stored as ARGT_UINT */
+	ARGT_SIZE,     /* a size in bytes by default, stored as ARGT_UINT */
+	ARGT_FE,       /* a pointer to a frontend only */
+	ARGT_BE,       /* a pointer to a backend only */
+	ARGT_TAB,      /* a pointer to a stick table */
+	ARGT_SRV,      /* a pointer to a server */
+	ARGT_USR,      /* a pointer to a user list */
+	ARGT_UNASSIGNED15, /* will probably be used for variables later */
+	ARGT_NBTYPES   /* no more values past 15 */
+};
+
+/* some types that are externally defined */
+struct proxy;
+struct server;
+struct userlist;
+
+union arg_data {
+	unsigned int uint; /* used for uint, time, size */
+	int sint;
+	struct chunk str;
+	struct in_addr ipv4;
+	struct in6_addr ipv6;
+	struct proxy *prx; /* used for fe, be, tables */
+	struct server *srv;
+	struct userlist *usr;
+};
+
+struct arg {
+	int type;              /* argument type */
+	union arg_data data;   /* argument data */
+};
+
+
+#endif /* _TYPES_ARG_H */
+
+/*
+ * Local variables:
+ *  c-indent-level: 8
+ *  c-basic-offset: 8
+ * End:
+ */