diff --git a/pkg/appconsts/appconsts.go b/pkg/appconsts/appconsts.go
index 1a104ff3b0..5fb7193dec 100644
--- a/pkg/appconsts/appconsts.go
+++ b/pkg/appconsts/appconsts.go
@@ -6,4 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/pkg/consts"
 )
 
+// MaxShareVersion is the maximum value a share version can be.
+const MaxShareVersion = 127
+
 var NameSpacedPaddedShareBytes = bytes.Repeat([]byte{0}, consts.MsgShareSize)
diff --git a/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte.go b/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5562f05c76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package shares
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-app/pkg/appconsts"
+)
+
+// InfoReservedByte is a byte with the following structure: the first 7 bits are
+// reserved for version information in big endian form (initially `0000000`).
+// The last bit is a "message start indicator", that is `1` if the share is at
+// the start of a message and `0` otherwise.
+type InfoReservedByte byte
+
+func NewInfoReservedByte(version uint8, isMessageStart bool) (InfoReservedByte, error) {
+	if version > appconsts.MaxShareVersion {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("version %d must be less than or equal to %d", version, appconsts.MaxShareVersion)
+	}
+
+	prefix := version << 1
+	if isMessageStart {
+		return InfoReservedByte(prefix + 1), nil
+	}
+	return InfoReservedByte(prefix), nil
+}
+
+// Version returns the version encoded in this InfoReservedByte. Version is
+// expected to be between 0 and appconsts.MaxShareVersion (inclusive).
+func (i InfoReservedByte) Version() uint8 {
+	version := uint8(i) >> 1
+	return version
+}
+
+// IsMessageStart returns whether this share is the start of a message.
+func (i InfoReservedByte) IsMessageStart() bool {
+	return uint(i)%2 == 1
+}
diff --git a/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte_test.go b/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05ea5a973f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/shares/info_reserved_byte_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package shares
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestInfoReservedByte(t *testing.T) {
+	messageStart := true
+	notMessageStart := false
+
+	type testCase struct {
+		version        uint8
+		isMessageStart bool
+	}
+	tests := []testCase{
+		{0, messageStart},
+		{1, messageStart},
+		{2, messageStart},
+		{127, messageStart},
+
+		{0, notMessageStart},
+		{1, notMessageStart},
+		{2, notMessageStart},
+		{127, notMessageStart},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		irb, err := NewInfoReservedByte(test.version, test.isMessageStart)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("got %v want no error", err)
+		}
+		if got := irb.Version(); got != test.version {
+			t.Errorf("got version %v want %v", got, test.version)
+		}
+		if got := irb.IsMessageStart(); got != test.isMessageStart {
+			t.Errorf("got isMessageStart %v want %v", got, test.isMessageStart)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInfoReservedByteErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	messageStart := true
+	notMessageStart := false
+
+	type testCase struct {
+		version        uint8
+		isMessageStart bool
+	}
+
+	tests := []testCase{
+		{128, notMessageStart},
+		{255, notMessageStart},
+		{128, messageStart},
+		{255, messageStart},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		_, err := NewInfoReservedByte(test.version, false)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("got nil but want error when version > 127")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func FuzzNewInfoReservedByte(f *testing.F) {
+	f.Fuzz(func(t *testing.T, version uint8, isMessageStart bool) {
+		if version > 127 {
+			t.Skip()
+		}
+		_, err := NewInfoReservedByte(version, isMessageStart)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("got nil but want error when version > 127")
+		}
+	})
+}