diff --git a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/base_attention_cache.py b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/base_attention_cache.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4dde584a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/base_attention_cache.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+# See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+
+"""
+Base class for kv caches.
+"""
+
+from typing import List
+from attention_paging import PageInfo
+import math
+
+
+
+class BasePagedAttentionCache:
+    """
+    Manages lifecycle of pages (using PageInfo as handles).
+
+    
+    Page States:
+        Caching - Page can be read by multiple threads
+            - Also maintains a reference count
+        Writing - Page is being modified by a single owner thread
+
+    Transitions:
+        Caching -> Writing: When acquiring an unreferenced LRU leaf page for writing
+        Writing -> Caching: When writing is complete and page is released
+
+    Thread Safety:
+        - Multiple readers allowed in ReadableCaching state
+        - Single writer exclusive access in Writing state
+        - Reference counting prevents eviction of in-use pages
+    """
+    def __init__(self, page_pool, tokens_per_page):
+        self.page_pool = page_pool
+        self.tokens_per_page = tokens_per_page
+    
+
+    def acquire_pages_for_tokens(self, tokens: List[int]) -> tuple[List[PageInfo], int)]:
+        """
+        Given a list of tokens, return a list of pages and a start position to continue generation from.
+
+        In the base implementation, this will just allocate all new pages, but in shared-kv implementations, we will fetch cached pages if applicable.
+
+        The pages are returned in order.
+
+        No token at idx < n_cached_token should be written to. TODO: consider enforcing this.
+        """
+        pages_needed = math.ceil(len(tokens) / self.tokens_per_page)
+        pages = self.page_pool.acquire_free_pages(pages_needed)
+
+        n_cached_tokens = 0
+
+        return pages, n_cached_tokens
+
+    def publish_pages(self, tokens, pages) -> None:
+        """
+        Given a list of tokens and pages containing KV corresponding to these tokens, make these pages available to other requests.
+
+        Associates the tokens with the pages, and mark them as done writing.
+
+        It is assumed that hereafter, the calling request will not modify these pages, at least not the positions [0:len(tokens)].
+        """
+
+        pass # the base implementation doesn't cache unfinished requests.
+
+    def release_pages(self, tokens, pages):
+        """
+        Decrement reference count for these pages. When reference count is zero, they will be elegible for eviction.
+        """
+        # in the base implementation, the pages can be owned by 1 request max, so they can be instantly release
+        self.page_pool.release_pages(pages)
+        
+
+    
+
+
+        
diff --git a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/page_pool.py b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/page_pool.py
index 125d00f58..2991e85e3 100644
--- a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/page_pool.py
+++ b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/page_pool.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ class PageInfo:
     pool: PagePool
     token_offset: int  # Offset within the page
     token_count: int  # Number of tokens stored in this page
-    ref_count: int = 0  # Number of references to this page in the radix tree
+    writing: bool = False
+    read_ref_count: int = 0  # Number of threads that still need to read this page. When this reaches 0, page is eligible for release
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/radix_tree.py b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/radix_tree.py
index d9483e749..76f9e7a32 100644
--- a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/radix_tree.py
+++ b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/kvcache/radix_tree.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Tuple, TypeVar, Generic
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-
+from page_pool import PagePool
 T = TypeVar("T")  # Generic type for page data
 
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class RadixTree(Generic[T]):
     """
 
     def __init__(
-        self, *, page_pool: Any, tokens_per_page: int, disable: bool = False
+        self, page_pool: PagePool, tokens_per_page: int
     ) -> None:
         """Initialize the radix tree.