diff --git a/profiling/client/include/ILocalPacketHandler.hpp b/profiling/client/include/ILocalPacketHandler.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a69f27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiling/client/include/ILocalPacketHandler.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2020 Arm Ltd. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+//
+
+#pragma once
+
+
+#include <common/include/IgnoreUnused.hpp>
+#include <common/include/TargetEndianess.hpp>
+
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <memory>
+#include <vector>
+
+// forward declare to prevent a circular dependency
+namespace arm
+{
+namespace pipe
+{
+
+class Packet;
+
+// the handlers need to be able to do two
+// things to service the FileOnlyProfilingConnection
+// and any other implementation of IProfilingConnection
+// set the endianness and write a packet back i.e.
+// return a packet and close the connection
+class IInternalProfilingConnection
+{
+public:
+    virtual ~IInternalProfilingConnection() {};
+
+    virtual void SetEndianess(const TargetEndianness& endianness) = 0;
+
+    virtual void ReturnPacket(Packet& packet) = 0;
+
+    virtual void Close() = 0;
+};
+
+class ILocalPacketHandler
+{
+public:
+    virtual ~ILocalPacketHandler() {};
+
+    /// @return lists the headers of the packets that this handler accepts
+    ///         only these packets will get sent to this handler.
+    ///         If this function returns an empty list then ALL packets
+    ///         will be sent to the PacketHandler i.e. a universal handler.
+    virtual std::vector<uint32_t> GetHeadersAccepted() = 0;
+
+    /// process the packet
+    virtual void HandlePacket(const Packet& packet) = 0;
+
+    /// Set a profiling connection on the handler. Only need to implement this
+    /// function if the handler will be writing data back to the profiled application.
+    virtual void SetConnection(IInternalProfilingConnection* profilingConnection)
+    {
+        arm::pipe::IgnoreUnused(profilingConnection);
+    }
+};
+
+using ILocalPacketHandlerPtr = std::unique_ptr<ILocalPacketHandler>;
+using ILocalPacketHandlerSharedPtr = std::shared_ptr<ILocalPacketHandler>;
+
+} // namespace pipe
+
+} // namespace arm