diff --git a/distutils_rust/__init__.py b/distutils_rust/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distutils_rust/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+# distutils_rust.py - distutils extension for building Rust extension modules
+#
+# Copyright 2017 Facebook, Inc.
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+from distutils.core import Command
+from distutils.dist import Distribution
+from distutils.errors import CompileError
+from distutils import log
+from distutils.command.build import build
+import distutils.util
+import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+
+class RustExtension(object):
+    """Data for a Rust extension.
+
+    'name' is the name of the extension, and must match the 'name' in the Cargo
+    manifest.  This will also be the name of the python module that is
+    produced.
+
+    'package' is the name of the python package into which the compiled
+    extension will be placed.  If none, the extension will be placed in the
+    root package.
+
+    'manifest' is the path to the Cargo.toml file for the Rust project.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, name, package=None, manifest=None):
+        self.name = name
+        self.package = package
+        self.manifest = manifest or 'Cargo.toml'
+
+class BuildRustExt(Command):
+
+    description = "build Rust extensions (compile/link to build directory)"
+
+    user_options = [
+        ('build-lib=', 'b',
+         "directory for compiled extension modules"),
+        ('build-temp=', 't',
+         "directory for temporary files (build by-products)"),
+        ('debug', 'g',
+         "compile in debug mode"),
+        ('inplace', 'i',
+         "ignore build-lib and put compiled extensions into the source " +
+         "directory alongside your pure Python modules"),
+    ]
+
+    boolean_options = ['debug', 'inplace']
+
+    def initialize_options(self):
+        self.build_lib = None
+        self.build_temp = None
+        self.debug = None
+        self.inplace = None
+
+    def finalize_options(self):
+        self.set_undefined_options('build',
+                                   ('build_lib', 'build_lib'),
+                                   ('build_temp', 'build_temp'),
+                                   ('debug', 'debug'),
+                                   )
+
+    def run(self):
+        for ext in self.distribution.rust_ext_modules:
+            self.build_ext(ext)
+
+    def get_temp_path(self, ext):
+        """Returns the path of the temporary directory to build in."""
+        return os.path.join(self.build_temp,
+                            os.path.dirname(ext.manifest),
+                            'target')
+
+    def get_temp_output(self, ext):
+        """Returns the location in the temp directory of the output file."""
+        platform = distutils.util.get_platform()
+        if platform.startswith('macosx'):
+            libsuffix = '.dylib'
+        else:
+            libsuffix = '.so'
+        return os.path.join('debug' if self.debug else 'release',
+                            'lib' + ext.name + libsuffix)
+
+    def get_output_filename(self, ext):
+        """Returns the filename of the build output."""
+        if self.inplace:
+            # the inplace option requires to find the package directory
+            # using the build_py command for that
+            build_py = self.get_finalized_command('build_py')
+            package_dir = build_py.get_package_dir(ext.package)
+        else:
+            package_dir = os.path.join(self.build_lib, *ext.package.split('.'))
+        return os.path.join(package_dir, ext.name + '.so')
+
+    def build_ext(self, ext):
+        log.info("building '%s' extension", ext.name)
+
+        cmd = ['cargo', 'build', '--manifest-path', ext.manifest]
+        if not self.debug:
+            cmd.append('--release')
+
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        env['CARGO_TARGET_DIR'] = self.get_temp_path(ext)
+
+        rc = subprocess.call(cmd, env=env)
+        if rc:
+            raise CompileError(
+                "compilation of Rust extension '%s' failed" % ext.name)
+
+        src = os.path.join(self.get_temp_path(ext), self.get_temp_output(ext))
+        dest = self.get_output_filename(ext)
+        shutil.copyfile(src, dest)
+        shutil.copymode(src, dest)
+
+Distribution.rust_ext_modules = ()
+build.sub_commands.append(
+    ('build_rust_ext', lambda self: bool(self.distribution.rust_ext_modules)))