diff --git a/store/iavlstore.go b/store/iavlstore.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e44244a851
--- /dev/null
+++ b/store/iavlstore.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/iavl"
+)
+
+// Implements IterKVStore
+type IAVLStore struct {
+	//
+}
+
+// XXX GUT THIS AND TURN IT INTO AN IAVLSTORE LOADER
+func loadState(dbName string, cacheSize int) (*sm.State, error) {
+	// memory backed case, just for testing
+	if dbName == "" {
+		tree := iavl.NewVersionedTree(0, dbm.NewMemDB())
+		return sm.NewState(tree), nil
+	}
+
+	// Expand the path fully
+	dbPath, err := filepath.Abs(dbName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.ErrInternal("Invalid Database Name")
+	}
+
+	// Some external calls accidently add a ".db", which is now removed
+	dbPath = strings.TrimSuffix(dbPath, path.Ext(dbPath))
+
+	// Split the database name into it's components (dir, name)
+	dir := path.Dir(dbPath)
+	name := path.Base(dbPath)
+
+	// Open database called "dir/name.db", if it doesn't exist it will be created
+	db := dbm.NewDB(name, dbm.LevelDBBackendStr, dir)
+	tree := iavl.NewVersionedTree(cacheSize, db)
+	if err = tree.Load(); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.ErrInternal("Loading tree: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	return sm.NewState(tree), nil
+}