diff --git a/cluster/identd/ident/request.go b/cluster/identd/ident/request.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9727893
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster/identd/ident/request.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package ident
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+// Request is an ident protocol request, as seen by the client or server.
+type Request struct {
+	// ClientPort is the port number on the client side of the indent protocol,
+	// ie. the port local to the ident client.
+	ClientPort uint16
+	// ServerPort is the port number on the server side of the ident protocol,
+	// ie. the port local to the ident server.
+	ServerPort uint16
+}
+
+// encode encodes ths Request as per RFC1413, including the terminating \r\n.
+func (r *Request) encode() []byte {
+	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d,%d\r\n", r.ServerPort, r.ClientPort))
+}