diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 3da33e1..2f1c9ad 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 language: python
 python:
+        - 3.6
         - 3.5
         - 3.4
         - 2.7
+        - 3.7-dev
         - nightly
         - pypy
         - pypy3
diff --git a/rethinkstuff/__init__.py b/rethinkstuff/__init__.py
index 66f4ad1..3765b76 100644
--- a/rethinkstuff/__init__.py
+++ b/rethinkstuff/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 rethinkstuff/__init__.py - rethinkdb connection-manager-ish thing and service
 registry thing
 
-Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Internet Archive
+Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Internet Archive
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -215,3 +215,202 @@ class ServiceRegistry(object):
         except r.ReqlNonExistenceError:
             return []
 
+class WatchedDict(dict):
+    def __init__(self, d, callback, field):
+        self.callback = callback
+        self.field = field
+        for key in d:
+            dict.__setitem__(self, key, watch(
+                d[key], callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return dict.__setitem__(self, key, watch(
+            value, callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return dict.__delitem__(self, key)
+
+    def clear(self):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return dict.clear(self)
+
+    def pop(self, *args):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return dict.pop(self, *args)
+
+    def popitem(self):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return dict.popitem()
+
+    def setdefault(self, *args):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        if len(args) == 2:
+            return dict.setdefault(self, args[0], watch(
+                args[1], callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+        else:
+            return dict.setdefault(self, *args)
+
+    def update(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # looks a little tricky
+        raise Exception('not implemented')
+
+class WatchedList(list):
+    def __init__(self, l, callback, field):
+        self.callback = callback
+        self.field = field
+        for item in l:
+            list.append(self, watch(item, callback=callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def __setitem__(self, index, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.__setitem__(self, index, watch(
+            value, callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def __delitem__(self, index):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.__delitem__(self, index)
+
+    def append(self, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.append(self, watch(
+            value, callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def extend(self, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.extend(self, watch(
+            list(value), callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def insert(self, index, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.insert(self, index, watch(
+            value, callback=self.callback, field=self.field))
+
+    def remove(self, value):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.remove(self, value)
+
+    def pop(self, index=-1):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.pop(self, index)
+
+    def clear(self):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.clear(self)
+
+    def sort(self, key=None, reverse=False):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.sort(self, key, reverse)
+
+    def reverse(self):
+        self.callback(self.field)
+        return list.reverse(self)
+
+def watch(obj, callback, field):
+    if isinstance(obj, dict):
+        return WatchedDict(obj, callback, field)
+    elif isinstance(obj, list):
+        return WatchedList(obj, callback, field)
+    else:
+        return obj
+
+class Document(dict, object):
+    '''
+    Base class for documents in rethinkdb.
+
+    You should subclass this class for each of your rethinkdb tables. You can
+    add custom functionality in your subclass if appropriate.
+
+    This class keeps track of changes made to the object and any nested fields.
+    After you have made some changes, call update() to persist them to the
+    database.
+
+    Changes in nested fields result in updates to their first-level ancestor
+    field. For example, if your document starts as {'a': {'b': 'c'}}, then
+    you run d['a']['x'] = 'y', then the update will replace the whole 'a'
+    field. Nested field updates get too complicated any other way.
+
+    The primary key must be `id`, the rethinkdb default. (XXX we could find out
+    what the primary key is from the "table_config" system table.)
+    '''
+    def __init__(self, rethinker, d={}):
+        dict.__setattr__(self, '_r', rethinker)
+        for k in d:
+            dict.__setitem__(
+                    self, k, watch(d[k], callback=self._updated, field=k))
+        self._clear_updates()
+
+    def _clear_updates(self):
+        dict.__setattr__(self, '_updates', {})
+        dict.__setattr__(self, '_deletes', set())
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
+        dict.__setitem__(
+                self, key, watch(value, callback=self._updated, field=key))
+        self._updated(key)
+
+    __setattr__ = __setitem__
+    __getattr__ = dict.__getitem__
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key):
+        dict.__delitem__(self, key)
+        self._deletes.add(key)
+        if key in self._updates:
+            del self._updates[key]
+
+    # XXX do we need the other stuff like in WatchedDict?
+
+    def _updated(self, field):
+        # callback for all updates
+        self._updates[field] = self[field]
+        if field in self._deletes:
+            self._deletes.remove(field)
+
+    @property
+    def table(self):
+        '''
+        Name of the rethinkdb table.
+
+        Defaults to the name of the class, lowercased. Can be overridden.
+        '''
+        return self.__class__.__name__.lower()
+
+    def table_create(self):
+        '''
+        Creates the table.
+
+        Subclasses may want to override to do more things, such as creating
+        indexes.
+        '''
+        self._r.table_create(self.table).run()
+
+    def insert(self):
+        result = self._r.table(self.table).insert(self).run()
+        if 'generated_keys' in result:
+            dict.__setitem__(self, 'id', result['generated_keys'][0])
+        self._clear_updates()
+
+    def update(self):
+        # hmm, masks dict.update()
+        if self._updates:
+            # r.literal() to replace, not merge with, nested fields
+            updates = {
+                    field: r.literal(
+                        self._updates[field]) for field in self._updates}
+            self._r.table(self.table).get(self.id).update(updates).run()
+        if self._deletes:
+            self._r.table(self.table).replace(
+                    r.row.without(self._deletes)).run()
+        self._clear_updates()
+
+    def refresh(self):
+        '''
+        Refresh from the database.
+        '''
+        d = self._r.table(self.table).get(self.id).run()
+        for k in d:
+            dict.__setitem__(
+                    self, k, watch(d[k], callback=self._updated, field=k))
+
+
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b882c7e..60b25bc 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ import codecs
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name='rethinkstuff',
-    version='0.1.7',
+    version='0.2.0.dev57',
     packages=['rethinkstuff'],
     classifiers=[
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6',
     ],
     install_requires=['rethinkdb'],
     url='https://github.com/nlevitt/rethinkstuff',
diff --git a/tests/test_rethinker.py b/tests/test_rethinker.py
index 2f93058..78a025e 100644
--- a/tests/test_rethinker.py
+++ b/tests/test_rethinker.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 '''
 tests_rethinker.py - unit tests for rethinkstuff
 
-Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Internet Archive
+Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Internet Archive
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -275,3 +275,89 @@ def test_utcnow():
 
     ## XXX what else can we test without jumping through hoops?
 
+class SomeDoc(rethinkstuff.Document):
+    pass
+
+def test_orm(r):
+    d = SomeDoc(rethinker=r, d={
+        'a': 'b',
+        'c': {'d': 'e'},
+        'f': ['g', 'h'],
+        'i': ['j', {'k': 'l'}]})
+
+    d.table_create()
+    d.insert()
+
+    assert d._updates == {}
+    d.m = 'n'
+    assert d._updates == {'m': 'n'}
+    d['c']['o'] = 'p'
+    assert d._updates == {'m': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'}}
+    d.f[0] = 'q'
+    assert d._updates == {'m': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'}, 'f': ['q', 'h']}
+    d['i'][1]['k'] = 's'
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n',
+            'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['q', 'h'],
+            'i': ['j', {'k': 's'}]}
+
+    del d['i']
+    assert d._deletes == {'i'}
+    assert d._updates == {'m': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'}, 'f': ['q', 'h']}
+
+    d.i = 't'
+    assert d._deletes == set()
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'}, 'f': ['q', 'h'], 'i': 't'}
+
+    d.f.append(['sublist'])
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['q', 'h', ['sublist']], 'i': 't'}
+
+    ### list.clear not in python 2.7
+    # d.f[2].clear()
+    # assert d._updates == {
+    #         'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+    #         'f': ['q', 'h', []], 'i': 't'}
+
+    result = d.f.pop()
+    assert result == ['sublist']
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['q', 'h'], 'i': 't'}
+
+    del d.f[0]
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['h'], 'i': 't'}
+
+    d.f.insert(0, 'u')
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['u', 'h'], 'i': 't'}
+
+    d.f.extend(('v', {'w': 'x'}))
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['u', 'h', 'v', {'w': 'x'}], 'i': 't'}
+
+    # check that stuff added by extend() is watched properly
+    d.f[3]['y'] = 'z'
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['u', 'h', 'v', {'w': 'x', 'y': 'z'}], 'i': 't'}
+
+    d.f.remove('h')
+    assert d._updates == {
+            'm': 'n', 'c': {'d': 'e', 'o': 'p'},
+            'f': ['u', 'v', {'w': 'x', 'y': 'z'}], 'i': 't'}
+
+    expected = dict(d)
+    d.update()
+    assert d._updates == {}
+    assert d._deletes == set()
+
+    d.refresh()
+    assert d == expected