diff --git a/xs/MANIFEST b/xs/MANIFEST
index 0f541515d..4e544d472 100644
--- a/xs/MANIFEST
+++ b/xs/MANIFEST
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ src/libslic3r/GCodeWriter.cpp
 src/libslic3r/GCodeWriter.hpp
 src/libslic3r/Geometry.cpp
 src/libslic3r/Geometry.hpp
+src/libslic3r/IO.cpp
+src/libslic3r/IO.hpp
 src/libslic3r/Layer.cpp
 src/libslic3r/Layer.hpp
 src/libslic3r/LayerRegion.cpp
diff --git a/xs/src/admesh/shared.c b/xs/src/admesh/shared.c
index 56164e25f..19c7da70e 100644
--- a/xs/src/admesh/shared.c
+++ b/xs/src/admesh/shared.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ stl_write_vrml(stl_file *stl, char *file) {
   fclose(fp);
 }
 
-void stl_write_obj (stl_file *stl, char *file) {
+void stl_write_obj (stl_file *stl, const char *file) {
   int i;
   FILE* fp;
 
diff --git a/xs/src/admesh/stl.h b/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
index 25fe770aa..3013a887c 100644
--- a/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
+++ b/xs/src/admesh/stl.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } stl_file;
 
 
-extern void stl_open(stl_file *stl, char *file);
+extern void stl_open(stl_file *stl, const char *file);
 extern void stl_close(stl_file *stl);
 extern void stl_stats_out(stl_file *stl, FILE *file, char *input_file);
 extern void stl_print_edges(stl_file *stl, FILE *file);
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ extern void stl_mirror_xz(stl_file *stl);
 extern void stl_open_merge(stl_file *stl, char *file);
 extern void stl_invalidate_shared_vertices(stl_file *stl);
 extern void stl_generate_shared_vertices(stl_file *stl);
-extern void stl_write_obj(stl_file *stl, char *file);
+extern void stl_write_obj(stl_file *stl, const char *file);
 extern void stl_write_off(stl_file *stl, char *file);
 extern void stl_write_dxf(stl_file *stl, char *file, char *label);
 extern void stl_write_vrml(stl_file *stl, char *file);
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ extern void stl_calculate_volume(stl_file *stl);
 extern void stl_repair(stl_file *stl, int fixall_flag, int exact_flag, int tolerance_flag, float tolerance, int increment_flag, float increment, int nearby_flag, int iterations, int remove_unconnected_flag, int fill_holes_flag, int normal_directions_flag, int normal_values_flag, int reverse_all_flag, int verbose_flag);
 
 extern void stl_initialize(stl_file *stl);
-extern void stl_count_facets(stl_file *stl, char *file);
+extern void stl_count_facets(stl_file *stl, const char *file);
 extern void stl_allocate(stl_file *stl);
 extern void stl_read(stl_file *stl, int first_facet, int first);
 extern void stl_facet_stats(stl_file *stl, stl_facet facet, int first);
diff --git a/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c b/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
index 3a5de9052..58f6947c7 100644
--- a/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
+++ b/xs/src/admesh/stlinit.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #endif
 
 void
-stl_open(stl_file *stl, char *file) {
+stl_open(stl_file *stl, const char *file) {
   stl_initialize(stl);
   stl_count_facets(stl, file);
   stl_allocate(stl);
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ stl_initialize(stl_file *stl) {
 }
 
 void
-stl_count_facets(stl_file *stl, char *file) {
+stl_count_facets(stl_file *stl, const char *file) {
   long           file_size;
   int            header_num_facets;
   int            num_facets;
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.cpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81ac8a127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#include "IO.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+namespace Slic3r { namespace IO {
+
+bool
+STL::read_file(std::string input_file, Model* model)
+{
+    // TODO: encode file name
+    // TODO: check that file exists
+    
+    TriangleMesh mesh;
+    mesh.ReadSTLFile(input_file);
+    mesh.repair();
+    
+    if (mesh.facets_count() == 0)
+        throw std::runtime_error("This STL file couldn't be read because it's empty.");
+    
+    ModelObject* object = model->add_object();
+    object->name        = input_file;  // TODO: use basename()
+    object->input_file  = input_file;
+    
+    ModelVolume* volume = object->add_volume(mesh);
+    volume->name        = input_file;   // TODO: use basename()
+    
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool
+STL::write(TriangleMesh& mesh, std::string output_file, bool binary)
+{
+    if (binary) {
+        mesh.write_binary(output_file);
+    } else {
+        mesh.write_ascii(output_file);
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool
+OBJ::write(TriangleMesh& mesh, std::string output_file)
+{
+    mesh.WriteOBJFile(output_file);
+    return true;
+}
+
+} }
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.hpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..248f3be54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/IO.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#ifndef slic3r_IO_hpp_
+#define slic3r_IO_hpp_
+
+#include "libslic3r.h"
+#include "Model.hpp"
+#include "TriangleMesh.hpp"
+#include <string>
+
+namespace Slic3r { namespace IO {
+
+class STL
+{
+    public:
+    bool read_file(std::string input_file, Model* model);
+    bool write(TriangleMesh& mesh, std::string output_file, bool binary = true);
+};
+
+class OBJ
+{
+    public:
+    bool write(TriangleMesh& mesh, std::string output_file);
+};
+
+} }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.cpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.cpp
index 484fee9fc..40d0e480b 100644
--- a/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.cpp
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.cpp
@@ -70,20 +70,20 @@ TriangleMesh::~TriangleMesh() {
 }
 
 void
-TriangleMesh::ReadSTLFile(char* input_file) {
-    stl_open(&stl, input_file);
+TriangleMesh::ReadSTLFile(const std::string &input_file) {
+    stl_open(&stl, input_file.c_str());
 }
 
 void
-TriangleMesh::write_ascii(char* output_file)
+TriangleMesh::write_ascii(const std::string &output_file)
 {
-    stl_write_ascii(&this->stl, output_file, "");
+    stl_write_ascii(&this->stl, output_file.c_str(), "");
 }
 
 void
-TriangleMesh::write_binary(char* output_file)
+TriangleMesh::write_binary(const std::string &output_file)
 {
-    stl_write_binary(&this->stl, output_file, "");
+    stl_write_binary(&this->stl, output_file.c_str(), "");
 }
 
 void
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ TriangleMesh::facets_count() const
 }
 
 void
-TriangleMesh::WriteOBJFile(char* output_file) {
+TriangleMesh::WriteOBJFile(const std::string &output_file) {
     stl_generate_shared_vertices(&stl);
-    stl_write_obj(&stl, output_file);
+    stl_write_obj(&stl, output_file.c_str());
 }
 
 void TriangleMesh::scale(float factor)
diff --git a/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.hpp b/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.hpp
index cf129809a..0eb62d65e 100644
--- a/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.hpp
+++ b/xs/src/libslic3r/TriangleMesh.hpp
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ class TriangleMesh
     TriangleMesh& operator= (TriangleMesh other);
     void swap(TriangleMesh &other);
     ~TriangleMesh();
-    void ReadSTLFile(char* input_file);
-    void write_ascii(char* output_file);
-    void write_binary(char* output_file);
+    void ReadSTLFile(const std::string &input_file);
+    void write_ascii(const std::string &output_file);
+    void write_binary(const std::string &output_file);
     void repair();
-    void WriteOBJFile(char* output_file);
+    void WriteOBJFile(const std::string &output_file);
     void scale(float factor);
     void scale(const Pointf3 &versor);
     void translate(float x, float y, float z);
diff --git a/xs/xsp/TriangleMesh.xsp b/xs/xsp/TriangleMesh.xsp
index c7324f98d..7c13cb7f4 100644
--- a/xs/xsp/TriangleMesh.xsp
+++ b/xs/xsp/TriangleMesh.xsp
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
     ~TriangleMesh();
     Clone<TriangleMesh> clone()
         %code{% RETVAL = THIS; %};
-    void ReadSTLFile(char* input_file);
-    void write_ascii(char* output_file);
-    void write_binary(char* output_file);
+    void ReadSTLFile(std::string input_file);
+    void write_ascii(std::string output_file);
+    void write_binary(std::string output_file);
     void repair();
-    void WriteOBJFile(char* output_file);
+    void WriteOBJFile(std::string output_file);
     void scale(float factor);
     void scale_xyz(Pointf3* versor)
         %code{% THIS->scale(*versor); %};