diff --git a/chain/messagepool/selection.go b/chain/messagepool/selection.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed479186e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chain/messagepool/selection.go
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+package messagepool
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-address"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/build"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/messagepool/gasguess"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+)
+
+type msgChain struct {
+	actor     address.Address
+	msgs      []*types.SignedMessage
+	gasReward uint64
+	gasLimit  uint64
+	gasPerf   float64
+	valid     bool
+	next      *msgChain
+}
+
+func (mp *MessagePool) SelectMessages() []*types.SignedMessage {
+	start := time.Now()
+	defer func() {
+		log.Infof("message selection took %s", time.Since(start))
+	}()
+
+	mp.curTsLk.Lock()
+	ts := mp.curTs
+	mp.curTsLk.Unlock()
+
+	mp.lk.Lock()
+	defer mp.lk.Unlock()
+
+	return mp.selectMessages(ts)
+}
+
+func (mp *MessagePool) selectMessages(ts *types.TipSet) []*types.SignedMessage {
+	// 1. Create a list of dependent message chains with maximal gas reward per limit consumed
+	var chains []*msgChain
+	for actor, mset := range mp.pending {
+		next := mp.createChains(actor, mset, ts)
+		chains = append(chains, next...)
+	}
+
+	// 2. Sort the chains
+	slice.Sort(chains, func(i, j int) {
+		return chains[i].Before(chains[j])
+	})
+
+	// 3. Merge the head chains to produce the list of messages selected for inclusion, subject to
+	//    the block gas limit.
+	result := make([]*types.SignedMessage, 0, mp.maxTxPoolSizeLo)
+	gasLimit := build.BlockGasLimit
+	minGas := TODO
+	last := len(chains)
+	for i, chain := range chains {
+		if chain.gasLimit <= gasLimit {
+			gasLimit -= chain.gasLimit
+			result = append(result, chain.msgs...)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// we can't fit this chain because of block gasLimit -- we are at the edge
+		last = i
+		break
+	}
+
+	// 4. We have reached the edge of what we can fit wholesale; if we still have available gasLimit
+	// to pack some more chains, then trim the last chain and push it down.
+	// Trimming invalidates subsequent dependent chains so that they can't be selected as their
+	// dependency cannot be (fully) included.
+	// We do this in a loop because the blocker might have been inordinately large and we might
+	// have to do it multiple times to satisfy tail packing.
+tailLoop:
+	for gasLimit >= minGas && last < len(chains) {
+		// trim
+		chains[last].Trim(gasLimit)
+
+		// push down
+		for i := last; i < len(chains)-1; i++ {
+			if chains[i].Before(chains[i+1]) {
+				break
+			}
+			chains[i], chains[i+1] = chains[i+1], chains[i]
+		}
+
+		// select the next (valid and fitting) chain for inclusion
+		for i, chain := range chains[last:] {
+			// has the chain been invalidated
+			if !chain.valid {
+				continue
+			}
+			// does it fit in the bock?
+			if chain.gasLimit <= gasLimit {
+				gasLimit -= chain.gasLimit
+				result = append(result, chain.msgs...)
+				continue
+			}
+			// this chain needs to be trimmed
+			last := i
+			continue tailLoop
+		}
+
+		// the merge loop ended after processing all the chains -- mark the end.
+		last = len(chains)
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
+func (mp *MessagePool) createChains(actor address.Address, mset *msgSet, ts *types.TipSet) []*msgChain {
+	// TODO
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (self *msgChain) Before(other *msgChain) bool {
+	return self.gasPerf > other.gasPerf ||
+		(self.gasPerf == other.gasPerf && self.gasReward > other.gasReward)
+}
+
+func (mc *msgChain) Trim(uint64 gasLimit) {
+	// TODO
+}