diff --git a/gutenberg.php b/gutenberg.php
index eda6be3fc80027..8770e9fc597e6a 100644
--- a/gutenberg.php
+++ b/gutenberg.php
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/i18n.php';
 	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/parser.php';
 	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/register.php';
+	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/class-gutenberg-user-preferences.php';
+	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/api.php';
 
 	// Register server-side code for individual blocks.
 	require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/lib/blocks/latest-posts.php';
diff --git a/lib/api.php b/lib/api.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..9b9470110fee88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/api.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * API Endpoints.
+ *
+ * @package gutenberg
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( 'Silence is golden.' );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Callback for registering gutenberg API routes.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+function gutenberg_register_routes() {
+	Gutenberg_User_Preferences::register_routes();
+}
+
+add_action( 'rest_api_init', 'gutenberg_register_routes' );
diff --git a/lib/class-gutenberg-user-preferences.php b/lib/class-gutenberg-user-preferences.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..29ac88c06f4291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/class-gutenberg-user-preferences.php
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Preference handling.
+ *
+ * @package gutenberg
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( 'Silence is golden.' );
+}
+
+/**
+ * User preference management.
+ */
+class Gutenberg_User_Preferences {
+	/**
+	 * Used to validate preference names are correct.
+	 *
+	 * @var Array $valid_preferences List of valid preference names.
+	 */
+	public static $valid_preferences = array(
+		'block_usage',
+		'layout_config',
+	);
+
+	/**
+	 * Validates that a preference name is valid, as part of a REST API request.
+	 *
+	 * @param  string $preference_name Preference name.
+	 * @return bool   If the preference name is valid preference.
+	 */
+	public static function is_valid_preference_name( $preference_name ) {
+		return in_array( $preference_name, self::$valid_preferences );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Validates that all preference names in the request are valid.
+	 *
+	 * @param  String          $param Preference name.
+	 * @param  WP_REST_Request $request The REST request.
+	 * @param  String          $key The parameter key for the value being validated.
+	 * @return Bool            If all keys are valid preference names.
+	 */
+	public static function validate_preferences( $param, $request, $key ) {
+		foreach ( $param as $preference_name => $value ) {
+			if ( ! self::is_valid_preference_name( $preference_name ) ) {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks that the user has the needd permissions to store and read preferences.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function check_permissions() {
+		$user_id = get_current_user_id();
+		return user_can( $user_id, 'edit_posts' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets all preferences for a user.
+	 *
+	 * @param  WP_REST_Request $request The REST request.
+	 * @return mixed           Stored preference values indexed by preference name.
+	 */
+	public static function get_preferences( $request ) {
+		$user_id = get_current_user_id();
+		$preferences = array();
+		foreach ( self::$valid_preferences as $preference_name ) {
+			$preferences[ $preference_name ] = get_user_meta( $user_id, 'gutenberg_' . $preference_name );
+		}
+		return $preferences;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets preferences for a user.
+	 *
+	 * Expects an array of preferences to store, indexed by the preference name.
+	 *
+	 * @param  WP_REST_Request $request The REST request.
+	 * @return bool            If the store was successful.
+	 */
+	public static function set_preferences( $request ) {
+		$params = $request->get_params();
+		$user_id = get_current_user_id();
+
+		foreach ( $params['preferences'] as $preference_name => $value ) {
+			if ( ! self::is_valid_preference_name( $preference_name ) ) {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+
+		foreach ( $params['preferences'] as $preference_name => $value ) {
+			update_user_meta( $user_id, 'gutenberg_' . $preference_name, $value );
+		}
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Registers preferences API routes.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function register_routes() {
+		register_rest_route( 'gutenberg/v1', '/user-preferences', array(
+			array(
+				'methods'  => WP_REST_Server::READABLE,
+				'callback' => 'Gutenberg_User_Preferences::get_preferences',
+				'permission_callback' => 'Gutenberg_User_Preferences::check_permissions',
+			),
+			array(
+				'methods'  => WP_REST_Server::EDITABLE,
+				'callback' => 'Gutenberg_User_Preferences::set_preferences',
+				'permission_callback' => 'Gutenberg_User_Preferences::check_permissions',
+				'args'     => array(
+					'preferences' => array(
+						'required'          => true,
+						'validate_callback' => 'Gutenberg_User_Preferences::validate_preferences',
+					),
+				),
+			),
+		) );
+	}
+}
diff --git a/phpunit/class-user-preferences-api-test.php b/phpunit/class-user-preferences-api-test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..459d9f074f1747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpunit/class-user-preferences-api-test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * User preferences API Tests
+ *
+ * @package Gutenberg
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Test Gutenberg_User_Preferences
+ */
+class User_Preferences_API_Test extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
+	protected static $user;
+	protected static $editor;
+	public static function wpSetUpBeforeClass( $factory ) {
+		self::$editor = $factory->user->create( array(
+			'role'       => 'editor',
+			'user_email' => 'editor@example.com',
+		) );
+		self::$user = $factory->user->create( array(
+			'role'       => 'subscriber',
+			'user_email' => 'user@example.com',
+		) );
+	}
+
+	public static function wpTearDownAfterClass() {
+		self::delete_user( self::$user );
+		self::delete_user( self::$editor );
+	}
+
+	public function test_register_routes() {
+		$routes = $this->server->get_routes();
+		$this->assertArrayHasKey( '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences', $routes );
+		$this->assertCount( 2, $routes['/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences'] );
+	}
+
+	public function test_get_item() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$editor );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		// Each valid preference should be present.
+		foreach ( Gutenberg_User_Preferences::$valid_preferences as $preference ) {
+			$this->assertArrayHasKey( $preference, $response->data );
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function test_get_item_without_permission() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$user );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 403, $response->get_status() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Should fail with invalid preferences
+	 */
+	function test_set_item_with_invalid_preferences() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$editor );
+
+		$params = array(
+			'preferences' => array(
+				'bad_pref_name' => 42,
+			),
+		);
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$request->add_header( 'content-type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' );
+		$request->set_body_params( $params );
+
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'rest_invalid_param', $response->data['code'] );
+		$this->assertEquals( 400, $response->get_status() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Should set an individual preference
+	 */
+	function test_update_item() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$editor );
+
+		$params = array(
+			'preferences' => array(
+				'block_usage' => array( 'core/text' ),
+			),
+		);
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$request->add_header( 'content-type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' );
+		$request->set_body_params( $params );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( array( 'core/text' ), $response->data['block_usage'][0] );
+
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Should set multiple preferences
+	 */
+	function test_update_item_multiple_preferences() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$editor );
+
+		$params = array(
+			'preferences' => array(
+				'block_usage'   => array( 'core/text' ),
+				'layout_config' => array(
+					'things' => 'awesome',
+				),
+			),
+		);
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$request->add_header( 'content-type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' );
+		$request->set_body_params( $params );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 200, $response->get_status() );
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/gutenberg/v1/user-preferences' );
+		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( array( 'core/text' ), $response->data['block_usage'][0] );
+		$this->assertEquals( array(
+			'things' => 'awesome',
+		), $response->data['layout_config'][0] );
+
+	}
+
+	/** API does not implement these. */
+	public function test_get_items() {}
+	public function test_create_item() {}
+	public function test_delete_item() {}
+	public function test_prepare_item() {}
+	public function test_context_param() {}
+	public function test_get_item_schema() {}
+
+}