diff --git a/docs/ext/backends.rst b/docs/ext/backends.rst
index 1ab00005..5f578e6f 100644
--- a/docs/ext/backends.rst
+++ b/docs/ext/backends.rst
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ https://github.com/tkem/mopidy-dleyna
 Provides a backend for playing music from Digital Media Servers using
 the `dLeyna <http://01.org/dleyna>`_ D-Bus interface.
 
+Mopidy-File
+===========
+
+Bundled with Mopidy. See :ref:`ext-file`.
 
 Mopidy-Grooveshark
 ==================
diff --git a/docs/ext/file.rst b/docs/ext/file.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d31f53fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ext/file.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+.. _ext-file:
+
+************
+Mopidy-File
+************
+
+Mopidy-File is an extension for playing music from your local music archive.
+It is bundled with Mopidy and enabled by default. 
+It allows you to browse through your local file system.
+Only files that are considered playable will be shown.
+
+This backend handles URIs starting with ``file:``.
+
+
+Configuration
+=============
+
+See :ref:`config` for general help on configuring Mopidy.
+
+.. literalinclude:: ../../mopidy/file/ext.conf
+    :language: ini
+
+.. confval:: file/enabled
+
+    If the file extension should be enabled or not.
+
+.. confval:: file/media_dirs
+
+    A list of directories to be browsable.
+    Optionally the path can be followed by ``|`` and a name that will be shown for that path.
+
+.. confval:: file/show_dotfiles
+
+    Whether to show hidden files and directories that start with a dot.
+    Default is false.
+
+.. confval:: file/follow_symlinks
+
+    Whether to follow symbolic links found in :confval:`files/media_dir`.
+    Directories and files that are outside the configured directories will not be shown.
+    Default is false.
+
+.. confval:: file/metadata_timeout
+
+    Number of milliseconds before giving up scanning a file and moving on to
+    the next file. Reducing the value might speed up the directory listing,
+    but can lead to some tracks not being shown.
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 3a2998d5..9085024a 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ Extensions
     :maxdepth: 2
 
     ext/local
+    ext/file
     ext/m3u
     ext/stream
     ext/http
diff --git a/mopidy/file/__init__.py b/mopidy/file/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..089cf6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/file/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
+import logging
+import os
+
+import mopidy
+from mopidy import config, ext
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class Extension(ext.Extension):
+
+    dist_name = 'Mopidy-File'
+    ext_name = 'file'
+    version = mopidy.__version__
+
+    def get_default_config(self):
+        conf_file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'ext.conf')
+        return config.read(conf_file)
+
+    def get_config_schema(self):
+        schema = super(Extension, self).get_config_schema()
+        schema['media_dirs'] = config.List(optional=True)
+        schema['show_dotfiles'] = config.Boolean(optional=True)
+        schema['follow_symlinks'] = config.Boolean(optional=True)
+        schema['metadata_timeout'] = config.Integer(optional=True)
+        return schema
+
+    def setup(self, registry):
+        from .backend import FilesBackend
+        registry.add('backend', FilesBackend)
diff --git a/mopidy/file/backend.py b/mopidy/file/backend.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74b029e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/file/backend.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
+import logging
+
+import pykka
+
+from mopidy import backend
+from mopidy.file import library
+
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class FilesBackend(pykka.ThreadingActor, backend.Backend):
+    uri_schemes = ['file']
+
+    def __init__(self, config, audio):
+        super(FilesBackend, self).__init__()
+        self.library = library.FilesLibraryProvider(backend=self,
+                                                    config=config)
+        self.playback = backend.PlaybackProvider(audio=audio, backend=self)
+        self.playlists = None
diff --git a/mopidy/file/ext.conf b/mopidy/file/ext.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..486619a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/file/ext.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[file]
+enabled = true
+media_dirs =
+    $XDG_MUSIC_DIR|Music
+    ~/|Home
+show_dotfiles = false
+follow_symlinks = false
+metadata_timeout = 1000
diff --git a/mopidy/file/library.py b/mopidy/file/library.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9c4ad97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/file/library.py
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+import logging
+import operator
+import os
+import sys
+import urllib2
+
+from mopidy import backend, exceptions, models
+from mopidy.audio import scan, utils
+from mopidy.internal import path
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+FS_ENCODING = sys.getfilesystemencoding()
+
+
+class FilesLibraryProvider(backend.LibraryProvider):
+    """Library for browsing local files."""
+    # TODO: get_images that can pull from metadata and/or .folder.png etc?
+    # TODO: handle playlists?
+
+    @property
+    def root_directory(self):
+        if not self._media_dirs:
+            return None
+        elif len(self._media_dirs) == 1:
+            local_path = self._media_dirs[0]['path']
+            uri = path.path_to_uri(local_path)
+        else:
+            uri = 'file:root'
+        return models.Ref.directory(name='Files', uri=uri)
+
+    def __init__(self, backend, config):
+        super(FilesLibraryProvider, self).__init__(backend)
+        self._media_dirs = list(self._get_media_dirs(config))
+        self._follow_symlinks = config['file']['follow_symlinks']
+        self._show_dotfiles = config['file']['show_dotfiles']
+        self._scanner = scan.Scanner(
+            timeout=config['file']['metadata_timeout'])
+
+    def browse(self, uri):
+        logger.debug('Browsing files at: %s', uri)
+        result = []
+        local_path = path.uri_to_path(uri)
+        if local_path == 'root':
+            return list(self._get_media_dirs_refs())
+        if not self._is_in_basedir(os.path.realpath(local_path)):
+            logger.warning(
+                'Rejected attempt to browse path (%s) outside dirs defined '
+                'in file/media_dirs config.',
+                local_path.decode(FS_ENCODING, 'replace'))
+            return []
+        for dir_entry in os.listdir(local_path):
+            child_path = os.path.join(local_path, dir_entry)
+            uri = path.path_to_uri(child_path)
+            printable_path = child_path.decode(FS_ENCODING,
+                                               'replace')
+
+            if os.path.islink(child_path) and not self._follow_symlinks:
+                logger.debug('Ignoring symlink: %s', printable_path)
+                continue
+
+            if not self._is_in_basedir(os.path.realpath(child_path)):
+                logger.debug('Ignoring symlink to outside base dir: %s',
+                             printable_path)
+                continue
+
+            if not self._show_dotfiles and dir_entry.startswith(b'.'):
+                continue
+
+            dir_entry = dir_entry.decode(FS_ENCODING,
+                                         'replace')
+            if os.path.isdir(child_path):
+                result.append(models.Ref.directory(name=dir_entry, uri=uri))
+            elif os.path.isfile(child_path):
+                if self._is_audiofile(uri):
+                    result.append(models.Ref.track(name=dir_entry, uri=uri))
+                else:
+                    logger.debug('Ignoring non-audiofile: %s', printable_path)
+
+        result.sort(key=operator.attrgetter('name'))
+        return result
+
+    def lookup(self, uri):
+        logger.debug('Looking up file URI: %s', uri)
+        local_path = path.uri_to_path(uri)
+        if not self._is_in_basedir(local_path):
+            logger.warning('Ignoring URI outside base dir: %s', local_path)
+            return []
+        try:
+            result = self._scanner.scan(uri)
+            track = utils.convert_tags_to_track(result.tags).copy(
+                uri=uri, length=result.duration)
+        except exceptions.ScannerError as e:
+            logger.warning('Failed looking up %s: %s', uri, e)
+            track = models.Track(uri=uri)
+        if not track.name:
+            filename = os.path.basename(local_path)
+            name = urllib2.unquote(filename).decode(
+                FS_ENCODING, 'replace')
+            track = track.copy(name=name)
+        return [track]
+
+    def _get_media_dirs(self, config):
+        for entry in config['file']['media_dirs']:
+            media_dir = {}
+            media_dir_split = entry.split('|', 1)
+            local_path = path.expand_path(
+                media_dir_split[0].encode(FS_ENCODING))
+            if not local_path:
+                logger.warning('Failed expanding path (%s) from'
+                               'file/media_dirs config value.',
+                               media_dir_split[0])
+                continue
+            elif not os.path.isdir(local_path):
+                logger.warning('%s is not a directory', local_path)
+                continue
+            media_dir['path'] = local_path
+            if len(media_dir_split) == 2:
+                media_dir['name'] = media_dir_split[1]
+            else:
+                # TODO Mpd client should accept / in dir name
+                media_dir['name'] = media_dir_split[0].replace(os.sep, '+')
+            yield media_dir
+
+    def _get_media_dirs_refs(self):
+        for media_dir in self._media_dirs:
+            yield models.Ref.directory(
+                name=media_dir['name'],
+                uri=path.path_to_uri(media_dir['path']))
+
+    def _is_audiofile(self, uri):
+        try:
+            result = self._scanner.scan(uri)
+            logger.debug(
+                'Scan indicates that file %s is %s.',
+                result.uri, result.playable and 'playable' or 'unplayable')
+            return result.playable
+        except exceptions.ScannerError as e:
+            logger.debug("Failed scanning %s: %s", uri, e)
+            return False
+
+    def _is_in_basedir(self, local_path):
+        return any(
+            path.is_path_inside_base_dir(local_path, media_dir['path'])
+            for media_dir in self._media_dirs)
diff --git a/mopidy/internal/path.py b/mopidy/internal/path.py
index 3a41d930..f56520f0 100644
--- a/mopidy/internal/path.py
+++ b/mopidy/internal/path.py
@@ -196,23 +196,23 @@ def find_mtimes(root, follow=False):
     return mtimes, errors
 
 
-def check_file_path_is_inside_base_dir(file_path, base_path):
-    assert not file_path.endswith(os.sep), (
-        'File path %s cannot end with a path separator' % file_path)
-
+def is_path_inside_base_dir(path, base_path):
+    if path.endswith(os.sep):
+        raise ValueError('Path %s cannot end with a path separator'
+                         % path)
     # Expand symlinks
     real_base_path = os.path.realpath(base_path)
-    real_file_path = os.path.realpath(file_path)
+    real_path = os.path.realpath(path)
 
-    # Use dir of file for prefix comparision, so we don't accept
-    # /tmp/foo.m3u as being inside /tmp/foo, simply because they have a
-    # common prefix, /tmp/foo, which matches the base path, /tmp/foo.
-    real_dir_path = os.path.dirname(real_file_path)
+    if os.path.isfile(path):
+        # Use dir of file for prefix comparision, so we don't accept
+        # /tmp/foo.m3u as being inside /tmp/foo, simply because they have a
+        # common prefix, /tmp/foo, which matches the base path, /tmp/foo.
+        real_path = os.path.dirname(real_path)
 
     # Check if dir of file is the base path or a subdir
-    common_prefix = os.path.commonprefix([real_base_path, real_dir_path])
-    assert common_prefix == real_base_path, (
-        'File path %s must be in %s' % (real_file_path, real_base_path))
+    common_prefix = os.path.commonprefix([real_base_path, real_path])
+    return common_prefix == real_base_path
 
 
 # FIXME replace with mock usage in tests.
diff --git a/mopidy/stream/ext.conf b/mopidy/stream/ext.conf
index cedb3085..928ccc63 100644
--- a/mopidy/stream/ext.conf
+++ b/mopidy/stream/ext.conf
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 [stream]
 enabled = true
 protocols =
-    file
     http
     https
     mms
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9f33236f..ca121f74 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ setup(
         'mopidy.ext': [
             'http = mopidy.http:Extension',
             'local = mopidy.local:Extension',
+            'file = mopidy.file:Extension',
             'm3u = mopidy.m3u:Extension',
             'mpd = mopidy.mpd:Extension',
             'softwaremixer = mopidy.softwaremixer:Extension',