diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad1f57a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,298 @@
+# vim: set nosta et ts=4 sw=4:
+#
+# Rubocop is known to have breaking changes.
+# Disable everything by default, enable only the rulesets
+# we're interested in.
+#
+---
+AllCops:
+    StyleGuideBaseURL: https://app.laika.com/intranet/it/RubyStyleGuide
+    DisabledByDefault: true
+    UseCache: true
+    MaxFilesInCache: 250
+    AllowSymlinksInCacheRootDirectory: true
+    NewCops: enable
+    Exclude:
+        - gem.deps.rb
+        - "*.gemspec"
+
+# https://docs.rubocop.org/rubocop/0.93/cops_layout.html
+# Matching the LAIKA style guide as much as possible.
+#
+Layout/AccessModifierIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: indent
+Layout/ArgumentAlignment:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: with_fixed_indentation
+Layout/ArrayAlignment:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: with_first_element
+Layout/AssignmentIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/BeginEndAlignment:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleAlignWith: start_of_line
+Layout/BlockAlignment:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleAlignWith: either
+Layout/BlockEndNewline:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/ClassStructure:
+    ExpectedOrder:
+        - module_inclusion
+        - constants
+        - association
+        - macros
+        - public_class_methods
+        - initializer
+        - public_attribute_macros
+        - public_delegate
+        - public_methods
+        - protected_attribute_macros
+        - protected_methods
+        - private_attribute_macros
+        - private_delegate
+        - private_methods
+Layout/ClosingParenthesisIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/CommentIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/ConditionPosition:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/DotPosition:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: trailing
+Layout/ElseAlignment:
+    Enabled: false
+Layout/EmptyComment:
+    Enabled: true
+    AllowBorderComment: true
+    AllowMarginComment: true
+Layout/EmptyLines:
+    Enabled: false
+Layout/EmptyLineAfterMagicComment:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/EmptyLineBetweenDefs:
+    Enabled: true
+    AllowAdjacentOneLineDefs: true
+    NumberOfEmptyLines: 2
+Layout/EmptyLinesAroundArguments:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/EmptyLinesAroundAttributeAccessor:
+    Enabled: true
+    AllowAliasSyntax: true
+Layout/EndOfLine:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: lf
+Layout/ExtraSpacing:
+    Enabled: true
+    AllowForAlignment: true
+    AllowBeforeTrailingComments: true
+Layout/HashAlignment:
+    Enabled: false # not configurable enough
+    EnforcedHashRocketStyle: table
+    EnforcedColonStyle: table
+Layout/HeredocIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/IndentationConsistency:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/IndentationStyle:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: tabs
+Layout/IndentationWidth:
+    Enabled: true
+    Width: 1
+Layout/InitialIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/LeadingCommentSpace:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/LineLength:
+    Max: 100
+Layout/MultilineArrayBraceLayout:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: symmetrical
+Layout/MultilineArrayLineBreaks:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/MultilineAssignmentLayout:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: same_line
+Layout/MultilineHashBraceLayout:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: symmetrical
+Layout/MultilineHashKeyLineBreaks:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/MultilineMethodArgumentLineBreaks:
+    Enabled: false
+Layout/MultilineMethodCallIndentation:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: indented
+Layout/RescueEnsureAlignment:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceAfterColon:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceAfterComma:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceAfterMethodName:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceAfterNot:
+    Enabled: false
+Layout/SpaceAroundBlockParameters:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleInsidePipes: no_space
+Layout/SpaceAroundEqualsInParameterDefault:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: no_space
+Layout/SpaceAroundKeyword:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceAroundMethodCallOperator:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceBeforeBlockBraces:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: no_space
+Layout/SpaceBeforeComma:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceBeforeComment:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceBeforeFirstArg:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceBeforeSemicolon:
+    Enabled: true
+Layout/SpaceInLambdaLiteral:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: require_no_space
+Layout/SpaceInsideArrayLiteralBrackets:
+    Enabled: false # not configurable enough
+    EnforcedStyle: space
+Layout/SpaceInsideBlockBraces:
+    Enabled: true
+    SpaceBeforeBlockParameters: false
+Layout/SpaceInsideHashLiteralBraces:
+    Enabled: false # not configurable enough
+    EnforcedStyle: space
+Layout/SpaceInsideParens:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: space
+Layout/SpaceInsideReferenceBrackets:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: space
+Layout/TrailingEmptyLines:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: final_blank_line
+Layout/TrailingWhitespace:
+    Enabled: true
+
+# https://docs.rubocop.org/rubocop/0.93/cops_lint.html
+# Enabling everything, these are warnings, and seem generally reasonable.
+#
+Lint:
+    Enabled: true
+
+# https://docs.rubocop.org/rubocop/0.93/cops_naming.html
+#
+Naming/AccessorMethodName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/BinaryOperatorParameterName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/ClassAndModuleCamelCase:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/ConstantName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/FileName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/HeredocDelimiterCase:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/MemoizedInstanceVariableName:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleForLeadingUnderscores: optional
+Naming/MethodName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/PredicateName:
+    Enabled: true
+Naming/VariableName:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: snake_case
+
+
+# https://docs.rubocop.org/rubocop/0.93/cops_style.html
+#
+Style/Documentation:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/AccessorGrouping:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: separated
+Style/AndOr:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/Attr:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/AutoResourceCleanup:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/BisectedAttrAccessor:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/BlockDelimiters:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/ClassMethods:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/ClassMethodsDefinitions:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: def_self
+Style/DocumentationMethod:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/EachForSimpleLoop:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/EmptyBlockParameter:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/For:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: each
+Style/GlobalVars:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/HashSyntax:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyle: no_mixed_keys
+Style/IfWithSemicolon:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/ImplicitRuntimeError:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/MethodCallWithoutArgsParentheses:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/MethodDefParentheses:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/NegatedIf:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/NegatedUnless:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/NestedModifier:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/Next:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/NilComparison:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/NonNilCheck:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/Not:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/OrAssignment:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/RedundantConditional:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/RedundantFileExtensionInRequire:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/ReturnNil:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/TrailingCommaInArguments:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleForMultiline: no_comma
+Style/TrailingCommaInArrayLiteral:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleForMultiline: no_comma
+Style/TrailingCommaInBlockArgs:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/TrailingCommaInHashLiteral:
+    Enabled: true
+    EnforcedStyleForMultiline: no_comma
+Style/TrivialAccessors:
+    Enabled: true
+Style/UnlessElse:
+    Enabled: true
+
diff --git a/.ruby-version b/.ruby-version
index 860487c..37c2961 100644
--- a/.ruby-version
+++ b/.ruby-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.7.1
+2.7.2
diff --git a/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c b/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76f83fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c
@@ -0,0 +1,206 @@
+/* vim: set noet sta sw=4 ts=4 : */
+
+#include "mdbx_ext.h"
+
+/* VALUE str = rb_sprintf( "path: %+"PRIsVALUE", opts: %+"PRIsVALUE, path, opts ); */
+/* printf( "%s\n", StringValueCStr(str) ); */
+
+
+/* Shortcut for fetching current DB variables.
+ *
+ */
+#define UNWRAP_DB( val, db ) \
+	rmdbx_db_t *db; \
+	TypedData_Get_Struct( val, rmdbx_db_t, &rmdbx_db_data, db );
+
+
+/*
+ * A struct encapsulating an instance's DB state.
+ */
+struct rmdbx_db {
+	MDBX_env *env;
+	MDBX_dbi dbi;
+	MDBX_txn *txn;
+	MDBX_cursor *cursor;
+	int open;
+};
+typedef struct rmdbx_db rmdbx_db_t;
+
+
+/*
+ * Ruby allocation hook.
+ */
+void rmdbx_free( void *db );  /* forward declaration */
+static const rb_data_type_t rmdbx_db_data = {
+	.wrap_struct_name = "MDBX::Database::Data",
+	.function = { .dfree = rmdbx_free },
+	.flags = RUBY_TYPED_FREE_IMMEDIATELY
+};
+
+
+/*
+ * Allocate a DB environment onto the stack.
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_alloc( VALUE klass )
+{
+	int *data = malloc( sizeof(rmdbx_db_t) );
+	return TypedData_Wrap_Struct( klass, &rmdbx_db_data, data );
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Cleanup a previously allocated DB environment.
+ * FIXME:  ... this should also close if not already closed?
+ */
+void
+rmdbx_free( void *db )
+{
+	if ( db ) free( db );
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Cleanly close an opened database.
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_close( VALUE self )
+{
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+	if ( db->cursor ) mdbx_cursor_close( db->cursor );
+	if ( db->txn )    mdbx_txn_abort( db->txn );
+	if ( db->dbi )    mdbx_dbi_close( db->env, db->dbi );
+	if ( db->env )    mdbx_env_close( db->env );
+	db->open = 0;
+
+	// FIXME: or rather, maybe free() from here?
+
+	return Qtrue;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * call-seq:
+ *    db.closed? #=> false
+ *
+ * Predicate: return true if the database has been closed,
+ * (or never was actually opened for some reason?)
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_closed_p( VALUE self )
+{
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+	return db->open == 1 ? Qfalse : Qtrue;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * call-seq:
+ *    MDBX::Database.open( path ) -> db
+ *    MDBX::Database.open( path, options ) -> db
+ *    MDBX::Database.open( path, options ) do |db|
+ *    		db...
+ *    end
+ *
+ * Open an existing (or create a new) mdbx database at filesystem
+ * +path+.  In block form, the database is automatically closed.
+ *
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_database_initialize( int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self )
+{
+	int rc       = 0;
+	int mode     = 0644;
+	int db_flags = MDBX_ENV_DEFAULTS;
+	VALUE path, opts, opt;
+
+	rb_scan_args( argc, argv, "11", &path, &opts );
+
+	/* Ensure options is a hash if it was passed in.
+	 */
+	if ( NIL_P(opts) ) {
+		opts = rb_hash_new();
+	}
+	else {
+		Check_Type( opts, T_HASH );
+	}
+	rb_hash_freeze( opts );
+
+	/* Options setup, overrides.
+	 */
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("mode") ) );
+	if ( ! NIL_P(opt) ) mode = FIX2INT( opt );
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("nosubdir") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOSUBDIR;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("readonly") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_RDONLY;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("exclusive") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_EXCLUSIVE;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("compat") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_ACCEDE;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("writemap") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_WRITEMAP;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_threadlocal") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOTLS;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_readahead") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NORDAHEAD;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_memory_init") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOMEMINIT;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("coalesce") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_COALESCE;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("lifo_reclaim") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_LIFORECLAIM;
+	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_metasync") ) );
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOMETASYNC;
+
+
+	/* Initialize the DB vals.
+	 */
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+	db->env    = NULL;
+	db->dbi    = 0;
+	db->txn    = NULL;
+	db->cursor = NULL;
+	db->open   = 0;
+
+	/* Allocate an mdbx environment.
+	 */
+	rc = mdbx_env_create( &db->env );
+	if ( rc != MDBX_SUCCESS )
+		rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "mdbx_env_create: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+
+	/* Open the DB handle on disk.
+	 */
+	rc = mdbx_env_open( db->env, StringValueCStr(path), db_flags, mode );
+	if ( rc != MDBX_SUCCESS ) {
+		rmdbx_close( self );
+		rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "mdbx_env_open: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+	}
+
+	/* Set instance variables.
+	 */
+	db->open = 1;
+	rb_iv_set( self, "@path", path );
+	rb_iv_set( self, "@options", opts );
+
+	return self;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Initialization for the MDBX::Database class.
+ */
+void
+rmdbx_init_database()
+{
+	rmdbx_cDatabase = rb_define_class_under( rmdbx_mMDBX, "Database", rb_cData );
+
+	rb_define_alloc_func( rmdbx_cDatabase, rmdbx_alloc );
+
+	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "close", rmdbx_close, 0 );
+	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "closed?", rmdbx_closed_p, 0 );
+	rb_define_protected_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "initialize", rmdbx_database_initialize, -1 );
+
+	rb_require( "mdbx/database" );
+}
+
diff --git a/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.c b/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.c
index 8a4ead8..574ad90 100644
--- a/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.c
+++ b/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.c
@@ -9,7 +9,14 @@
 void
 Init_mdbx_ext()
 {
-	mdbx_mMDBX = rb_define_module( "MDBX" );
-	rb_define_const( mdbx_mMDBX, "LIBRARY_VERSION", rb_str_new_cstr(mdbx_version.git.describe) );
+	rmdbx_mMDBX = rb_define_module( "MDBX" );
+
+	/* The backend library version. */
+	VALUE version = rb_str_new_cstr( mdbx_version.git.describe );
+	rb_define_const( rmdbx_mMDBX, "LIBRARY_VERSION", version );
+
+	rmdbx_eDatabaseError = rb_define_class_under( rmdbx_mMDBX, "DatabaseError", rb_eRuntimeError );
+
+	rmdbx_init_database();
 }
 
diff --git a/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.h b/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.h
index 07ac287..3b5e0e4 100644
--- a/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.h
+++ b/ext/mdbx_ext/mdbx_ext.h
@@ -4,10 +4,25 @@
 
 #include "mdbx.h"
 
+#ifndef MDBX_EXT_0_9_2
+#define MDBX_EXT_0_9_2
+
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------
-   Globals
-   ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+ * Globals
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
-VALUE mdbx_mMDBX;
+VALUE rmdbx_mMDBX;
+VALUE rmdbx_cDatabase;
+VALUE rmdbx_eDatabaseError;
+
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Functions
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+extern void Init_rmdbx ( void );
+extern void rmdbx_init_database ( void );
+
+
+#endif /* define MDBX_EXT_0_9_2 */
 
diff --git a/lib/mdbx.rb b/lib/mdbx.rb
index 705c83e..9cd51b6 100644
--- a/lib/mdbx.rb
+++ b/lib/mdbx.rb
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ require 'mdbx_ext'
 module MDBX
 
 	# The version of this gem.
+	#
 	# Note: the MDBX library version can be found in
 	# the 'LIBRARY_VERSION' constant.
+	#
 	VERSION = '0.0.1'
 
-end
+end # module MDBX
 
diff --git a/lib/mdbx/database.rb b/lib/mdbx/database.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..806bfc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mdbx/database.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# -*- ruby -*-
+# vim: set nosta noet ts=4 sw=4 ft=ruby:
+# encoding: utf-8
+
+require 'mdbx' unless defined?( MDBX )
+
+
+# TODO: rdoc
+#
+class MDBX::Database
+
+
+	### Open an existing (or create a new) mdbx database at filesystem
+	### +path+.  In block form, the database is automatically closed.
+	###
+	###    MDBX::Database.open( path ) -> db
+	###    MDBX::Database.open( path, options ) -> db
+	###    MDBX::Database.open( path, options ) do |db|
+	###        db[ 'key' ] #=> value
+	###    end
+	###
+	def self::open( *args, &block )
+		db = new( *args )
+		return db unless block_given?
+
+		begin
+			yield db
+		ensure
+			db.close
+		end
+	end
+
+	# Only instantiate Database objects via #open.
+	private_class_method :new
+
+	# The options used to instantiate this database.
+	attr_reader :options
+
+	# The path on disk of the database.
+	attr_reader :path
+
+end # class MDBX::Database
+
diff --git a/spec/data/testdb/mdbx.dat b/spec/data/testdb/mdbx.dat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94a178e
Binary files /dev/null and b/spec/data/testdb/mdbx.dat differ
diff --git a/spec/data/testdb/mdbx.lck b/spec/data/testdb/mdbx.lck
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/spec/lib/helper.rb b/spec/lib/helper.rb
index e80ba3f..dbca1f7 100644
--- a/spec/lib/helper.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/helper.rb
@@ -8,11 +8,19 @@ if ENV[ 'COVERAGE' ]
 	SimpleCov.start
 end
 
+require 'pathname'
 require 'rspec'
 require 'mdbx'
 
 
+module MDBX::Testing
+	TEST_DATABASE = Pathname( __FILE__ ).parent.parent + 'data' + 'testdb'
+end
+
+
 RSpec.configure do |config|
+	include MDBX::Testing
+
 	config.expect_with :rspec do |expectations|
 		expectations.include_chain_clauses_in_custom_matcher_descriptions = true
 		expectations.syntax = :expect
@@ -32,7 +40,7 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
 	config.run_all_when_everything_filtered = true
 	# config.warnings = true
 
-	# config.include( Zyre::Testing )
+	config.include( MDBX::Testing )
 	# config.include( Loggability::SpecHelpers )
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb b/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48ea47d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env rspec -cfd
+
+require_relative '../lib/helper'
+
+
+RSpec.describe( MDBX::Database ) do
+
+	it "disallows direct calls to #new" do
+		expect{ described_class.new }.
+			to raise_exception( NoMethodError, /private/ )
+	end
+end
+