diff --git a/src/libratbag.h b/src/libratbag.h
index 1124a629..abc0babf 100644
--- a/src/libratbag.h
+++ b/src/libratbag.h
@@ -28,10 +28,133 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#include <stdarg.h>
+
 #define LIBRATBAG_ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF(_format, _args) \
 	__attribute__ ((format (printf, _format, _args)))
 #define LIBRATBAG_ATTRIBUTE_DEPRECATED __attribute__ ((deprecated))
 
+/**
+ * @defgroup base Initialization and manipulation of libratbag contexts
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * A base handle for accessing devices. This struct is
+ * refcounted, use ratbag_ref() and ratbag_unref().
+ */
+struct ratbag;
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Add a reference to the context. A context is destroyed whenever the
+ * reference count reaches 0. See @ref ratbag_unref.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag A previously initialized valid ratbag context
+ * @return The passed ratbag context
+ */
+struct ratbag *
+ratbag_ref(struct ratbag *ratbag);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Dereference the ratbag context. After this, the context may have been
+ * destroyed, if the last reference was dereferenced. If so, the context is
+ * invalid and may not be interacted with.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag A previously initialized ratbag context
+ * @return NULL if context was destroyed otherwise the passed context
+ */
+struct ratbag *
+ratbag_unref(struct ratbag *ratbag);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Log priority for internal logging messages.
+ */
+enum ratbag_log_priority {
+	RATBAG_LOG_PRIORITY_DEBUG = 10,
+	RATBAG_LOG_PRIORITY_INFO = 20,
+	RATBAG_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR = 30,
+};
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Set the log priority for the ratbag context. Messages with priorities
+ * equal to or higher than the argument will be printed to the context's
+ * log handler.
+ *
+ * The default log priority is @ref RATBAG_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag A previously initialized ratbag context
+ * @param priority The minimum priority of log messages to print.
+ *
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_handler
+ * @see ratbag_log_get_priority
+ */
+void
+ratbag_log_set_priority(struct ratbag *ratbag,
+			enum ratbag_log_priority priority);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Get the context's log priority. Messages with priorities equal to or
+ * higher than the argument will be printed to the current log handler.
+ *
+ * The default log priority is @ref RATBAG_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag A previously initialized ratbag context
+ * @return The minimum priority of log messages to print.
+ *
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_handler
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_priority
+ */
+enum ratbag_log_priority
+ratbag_log_get_priority(const struct ratbag *ratbag);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Log handler type for custom logging.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag The ratbag context
+ * @param priority The priority of the current message
+ * @param format Message format in printf-style
+ * @param args Message arguments
+ *
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_priority
+ * @see ratbag_log_get_priority
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_handler
+ */
+typedef void (*ratbag_log_handler)(struct ratbag *ratbag,
+				   enum ratbag_log_priority priority,
+				   const char *format, va_list args)
+		LIBRATBAG_ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF(3, 0);
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup base
+ *
+ * Set the context's log handler. Messages with priorities equal to or
+ * higher than the context's log priority will be passed to the given
+ * log handler.
+ *
+ * The default log handler prints to stderr.
+ *
+ * @param ratbag A previously initialized ratbag context
+ * @param log_handler The log handler for library messages.
+ *
+ * @see ratbag_log_set_priority
+ * @see ratbag_log_get_priority
+ */
+void
+ratbag_log_set_handler(struct ratbag *ratbag,
+		       ratbag_log_handler log_handler);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }