diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.cc b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
index e471700..89b56f4 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.cc
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
@@ -4,4 +4,7 @@ PieceTable::PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_si
 {
     m_file_buffer = file_buffer;
     m_file_buffer_size = file_buffer_size;
+    m_piece_descriptors[PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START].next = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END;
+    m_piece_descriptors[PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END].prev = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START;
+    m_piece_descriptor_index = 2u;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.h b/src/core/PieceTable.h
index f0203fe..e7dfbaf 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.h
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.h
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "PagedBuffer.h"
 
+#define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START    0u
+#define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END      1u
+
 class PieceTable
 {
 public:
@@ -27,9 +30,18 @@ public:
 
     PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_size);
 
+    PieceDescriptor & add_piece_descriptor()
+    {
+        return m_piece_descriptors[m_piece_descriptor_index++];
+    }
+
 protected:
     const uint8_t * m_file_buffer;
     unsigned long m_file_buffer_size;
+
+    /** Next available piece descriptor index. */
+    uint32_t m_piece_descriptor_index;
+
     PagedBuffer<uint8_t> m_append_buffer;
     PagedBuffer<PieceDescriptor> m_piece_descriptors;
     PagedBuffer<ChangeDescriptor> m_change_descriptors;