diff --git a/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/CMakeLists.txt b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/CMakeLists.txt
index 64122a3765..1020f30388 100644
--- a/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -154,7 +154,8 @@ set_property(TARGET ${CORE_RUNTIME_TARGET} PROPERTY LINK_FLAGS ${HSA_SHARED_LINK
 ##  -------------------------  End Compiler and Linker options ----------------------------
 
 ## Source files.
-set ( SRCS core/util/lnx/os_linux.cpp
+set ( SRCS core/driver/driver.cpp
+           core/util/lnx/os_linux.cpp
            core/util/small_heap.cpp
            core/util/timer.cpp
            core/util/flag.cpp
diff --git a/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/driver/driver.cpp b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/driver/driver.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..02407e6b2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/driver/driver.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// The University of Illinois/NCSA
+// Open Source License (NCSA)
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2023, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+// Developed by:
+//
+//                 AMD Research and AMD HSA Software Development
+//
+//                 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
+//
+//                 www.amd.com
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+// deal with the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+// the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+// and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+// Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+//  - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+//    this list of conditions and the following disclaimers.
+//  - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+//    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimers in
+//    the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+//  - Neither the names of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc,
+//    nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+//    products derived from this Software without specific prior written
+//    permission.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+// THE CONTRIBUTORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
+// OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
+// ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS WITH THE SOFTWARE.
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include "core/inc/driver.h"
+
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "inc/hsa.h"
+
+namespace rocr {
+namespace core {
+
+Driver::Driver(const std::string devnode_name, Agent::DeviceType agent_device_type)
+  : agent_device_type_(agent_device_type), devnode_name_(devnode_name) { }
+
+hsa_status_t Driver::Open()
+{
+  fd_  = open(devnode_name_.c_str(), O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
+  if (fd_ < 0) {
+    return HSA_STATUS_ERROR_OUT_OF_RESOURCES;
+  }
+  return HSA_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+hsa_status_t Driver::Close()
+{
+  int ret(0);
+  if (fd_ > 0) {
+    ret = close(fd_);
+    fd_ = -1;
+  }
+  if (ret) {
+    return HSA_STATUS_ERROR;
+  }
+  return HSA_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+} // namespace core
+} // namespace rocr
diff --git a/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/inc/driver.h b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/inc/driver.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c6b7ffac11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/rocr-runtime/runtime/hsa-runtime/core/inc/driver.h
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// The University of Illinois/NCSA
+// Open Source License (NCSA)
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2023, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+// Developed by:
+//
+//                 AMD Research and AMD HSA Software Development
+//
+//                 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
+//
+//                 www.amd.com
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
+// deal with the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+// the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+// and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+// Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+//  - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+//    this list of conditions and the following disclaimers.
+//  - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+//    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimers in
+//    the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+//  - Neither the names of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc,
+//    nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+//    products derived from this Software without specific prior written
+//    permission.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+// THE CONTRIBUTORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
+// OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
+// ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS WITH THE SOFTWARE.
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef HSA_RUNTME_CORE_INC_DRIVER_H_
+#define HSA_RUNTME_CORE_INC_DRIVER_H_
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "core/inc/agent.h"
+#include "core/inc/memory_region.h"
+#include "inc/hsa.h"
+
+namespace rocr {
+namespace core {
+
+using MemFlags = uint32_t;
+
+struct MemProperties {
+  MemFlags flags_;
+  size_t size_bytes_;
+  uint64_t virtual_base_addr_;
+};
+
+/// @brief Kernel driver interface.
+///
+/// @details A class used to provide an interface between the core runtime
+/// and agent kernel drivers. It also maintains state associated with active
+/// kernel drivers.
+class Driver {
+ public:
+  Driver() = delete;
+  Driver(const std::string devnode_name, Agent::DeviceType agent_device_type);
+  virtual ~Driver() {}
+
+  /// @brief Open a connection to the driver using name_.
+  /// @retval HSA_STATUS_SUCCESS if the driver was opened successfully.
+  hsa_status_t Open();
+  /// @brief Close a connection to the open driver using fd_.
+  /// @retval HSA_STATUS_SUCCESS if the driver was opened successfully.
+  hsa_status_t Close();
+
+  virtual hsa_status_t GetMemoryProperties(uint32_t node_id, MemProperties &mprops) const = 0;
+
+  /// @brief Allocate agent-accessible memory (system or agent-local memory).
+  ///
+  /// @param[out] pointer to newly allocated memory.
+  ///
+  /// @retval HSA_STATUS_SUCCESS if memory was successfully allocated or
+  /// hsa_status_t error code if the memory allocation failed.
+  virtual hsa_status_t AllocateMemory(void** mem, size_t size, uint32_t node_id,
+                                      MemFlags flags) = 0;
+
+  virtual hsa_status_t FreeMemory(void* mem, uint32_t node_id) = 0;
+
+  virtual hsa_status_t CreateQueue(Queue &queue) = 0;
+
+  virtual hsa_status_t DestroyQueue(Queue &queue) const = 0;
+
+  /// Specify the agent device type this driver is for.
+  const Agent::DeviceType agent_device_type_;
+
+ protected:
+  const std::string devnode_name_;
+  int fd_ = -1;
+};
+
+} // namespace core
+} // namespace rocr
+
+#endif // header guard