diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 630e179..08f11db 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 var Client = require('./client');
 var Attribute = require('./attribute');
 var Change = require('./change');
+var PersistentSearch = require('./persistent_search');
 var Protocol = require('./protocol');
 var Server = require('./server');
 
@@ -72,7 +73,9 @@ module.exports = {
   loadSchema: schema.load,
   createSchemaAddHandler: schema.createAddHandler,
   createSchemaModifyHandler: schema.createModifyHandler,
-  createSchemaSearchHandler: schema.createSearchHandler
+  createSchemaSearchHandler: schema.createSearchHandler,
+
+  PersistentSearch: PersistentSearch
 };
 
 
diff --git a/lib/persistent_search.js b/lib/persistent_search.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b9b979
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/persistent_search.js
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+///--- Globals
+
+var parseDN = require('./dn').parse;
+
+var EntryChangeNotificationControl =
+  require('./controls').EntryChangeNotificationControl;
+
+///--- API
+
+
+// Cache used to store connected persistent search clients
+function PersistentSearch() {
+  this.clientList = [];
+}
+module.exports = PersistentSearch;
+
+PersistentSearch.prototype.addClient = function(req, res, callback) {
+  if (typeof(req) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('req must be an object');
+  if (typeof(res) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('res must be an object');
+  if (callback && typeof(callback) !== 'function')
+    throw new TypeError('callback must be a function');
+
+  var log = req.log;
+
+  var client = {};
+  client.req = req;
+  client.res = res;
+
+  log.debug('%s storing client', req.logId);
+
+  this.clientList.push(client);
+
+  log.debug('%s stored client', req.logId);
+  log.debug('%s total number of clients %s',
+            req.logId, this.clientList.length);
+  if (callback)
+    callback(client);
+};
+
+
+PersistentSearch.prototype.removeClient = function(req, res, callback) {
+  if (typeof(req) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('req must be an object');
+  if (typeof(res) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('res must be an object');
+  if (callback && typeof(callback) !== 'function')
+    throw new TypeError('callback must be a function');
+
+  var log = req.log;
+  log.debug('%s removing client', req.logId);
+  var client = {};
+  client.req = req;
+  client.res = res;
+
+  // remove the client if it exists
+  this.clientList.forEach(function(element, index, array) {
+    if (element.req === client.req) {
+      log.debug('%s removing client from list', req.logId);
+      array.splice(index, 1);
+    }
+  });
+
+  log.debug('%s number of persistent search clients %s',
+            req.logId, this.clientList.length);
+  if (callback)
+    callback(client);
+};
+
+
+getOperationType = function(requestType) {
+ switch (requestType) {
+    case 'AddRequest':
+    case 'add':
+      return 1;
+    case 'DeleteRequest':
+    case 'delete':
+      return 2;
+    case 'ModifyRequest':
+    case 'modify':
+      return 4;
+    case 'ModifyDNRequest':
+    case 'modrdn':
+      return 8;
+    default:
+      throw new TypeError('requestType %s, is an invalid request type',
+                          request);
+  }
+};
+
+
+PersistentSearch.getEntryChangeNotificationControl =
+  function(req, obj, callback) {
+
+  console.log('getEntryChangeNotificationControl', obj);
+  // if we want to return a ECNC
+  if (req.persistentSearch.value.returnECs) {
+    var attrs = obj.attributes;
+    var value = {};
+    value.changeType = getOperationType(attrs.changetype);
+    // if it's a modDN request, fill in the previous DN
+    if (value.changeType === 8 && attrs.previousDN) {
+      value.previousDN = attrs.previousDN;
+    }
+
+    value.changeNumber = attrs.changenumber;
+    return new EntryChangeNotificationControl({ value: value });
+  } else {
+    return false;
+  }
+};
+
+
+PersistentSearch.checkChangeType = function(req, requestType) {
+  return (req.persistentSearch.value.changeTypes &
+          getOperationType(requestType));
+};
diff --git a/lib/url.js b/lib/url.js
index 6e391f1..0f02a95 100644
--- a/lib/url.js
+++ b/lib/url.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var url = require('url');
 var util = require('util');
 
 var dn = require('./dn');
-
+var filter = require('./filters/index');
 
 
 module.exports = {
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ module.exports = {
       if (!u.scope)
         u.scope = 'base';
       if (!u.filter)
-        u.filter = '(objectclass=*)';
+        u.filter = filter.parseString('(objectclass=*)');
+      else
+        u.filter = filter.parseString(u.filter);
     }
 
     return u;
diff --git a/tst/url.test.js b/tst/url.test.js
index 0a992b4..5e1d05b 100644
--- a/tst/url.test.js
+++ b/tst/url.test.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ test('parse full', function(t) {
   t.equal(u.attributes[0], 'cn');
   t.equal(u.attributes[1], 'sn');
   t.equal(u.scope, 'sub');
-  t.equal(u.filter, '(cn=Babs Jensen)');
+  t.equal(u.filter.toString(), '(cn=Babs Jensen)');
 
   t.end();
 });