diff --git a/src/core/Buffer.cc b/src/core/Buffer.cc
index 5ef1e24..c5225fd 100644
--- a/src/core/Buffer.cc
+++ b/src/core/Buffer.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Buffer::Buffer()
 {
     m_file_buffer = nullptr;
     m_file_buffer_size = 0u;
+    m_piece_table = std::make_shared<PieceTable>(nullptr, 0u);
 }
 
 Buffer::~Buffer()
@@ -52,6 +53,21 @@ bool Buffer::load_from_file(const char * filename)
         m_lines.push_back(std::make_shared<Text>(it->first, it->second));
     }
 
+    m_piece_table = std::make_shared<PieceTable>(m_file_buffer, m_file_buffer_size);
+    for (auto it = text_loader.begin(); it != text_loader.end(); it++)
+    {
+        auto pd_n = m_piece_table->add_piece_descriptor();
+        PieceTable::PieceDescriptor & pd = pd_n.second;
+        pd.prev = m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev;
+        pd.next = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END;
+        pd.start = it->first - m_file_buffer;
+        pd.length = it->second;
+        pd.n_chars = it->second; /* TODO: fix this for other encodings */
+        pd.eol = 1u;
+        (*m_piece_table)[m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev].next = pd_n.first;
+        m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev = pd_n.first;
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/Buffer.h b/src/core/Buffer.h
index b6ad56a..8d3921c 100644
--- a/src/core/Buffer.h
+++ b/src/core/Buffer.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <list>
 #include <memory>
 #include "Text.h"
+#include "PieceTable.h"
 
 class Buffer
 {
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ protected:
     LinesType m_lines;
     uint8_t * m_file_buffer;
     unsigned long m_file_buffer_size;
+    std::shared_ptr<PieceTable> m_piece_table;
 
     void free_file_buffer();
 };
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.h b/src/core/PieceTable.h
index ac4fda5..e2a0da0 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.h
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "PagedBuffer.h"
+#include <utility>
 
 #define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START    0u
 #define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END      1u
@@ -30,9 +31,17 @@ public:
 
     PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_size);
 
-    PieceDescriptor & add_piece_descriptor()
+    std::pair<uint32_t, PieceDescriptor &> add_piece_descriptor()
     {
-        return m_piece_descriptors[m_piece_descriptor_index++];
+        uint32_t index = m_piece_descriptor_index;
+        m_piece_descriptor_index++;
+        PieceDescriptor & pd = m_piece_descriptors[index];
+        return std::pair<uint32_t, PieceDescriptor &>(index, pd);
+    }
+
+    PieceDescriptor & operator[](uint32_t index)
+    {
+        return m_piece_descriptors[index];
     }
 
     PieceDescriptor * start_descriptor;