diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5d631b1c..30df611f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ cmake_dependent_option(BUILD_OFI_TRANSPORT "Build experimental OFI transport." O
 cmake_dependent_option(BUILD_DDS_PLUGIN "Build DDS plugin." OFF "BUILD_FAIRMQ" OFF)
 cmake_dependent_option(BUILD_PMIX_PLUGIN "Build PMIx plugin." OFF "BUILD_FAIRMQ" OFF)
 cmake_dependent_option(BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build FairMQ examples." ON "BUILD_FAIRMQ" OFF)
+option(BUILD_SDK "Build the FairMQ controller SDK." OFF)
 option(BUILD_DOCS "Build FairMQ documentation." OFF)
 option(FAST_BUILD "Fast production build. Not recommended for development." OFF)
 ################################################################################
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ if(BUILD_NANOMSG_TRANSPORT)
   )
 endif()
 
-if(BUILD_DDS_PLUGIN)
+if(BUILD_DDS_PLUGIN OR BUILD_SDK)
   find_package2(PRIVATE DDS REQUIRED
     VERSION 2.4
   )
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ if(BUILD_PMIX_PLUGIN)
   )
 endif()
 
-if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
+if(BUILD_FAIRMQ OR BUILD_SDK)
   find_package2(PUBLIC FairLogger REQUIRED
     VERSION 1.2.0
   )
@@ -113,6 +114,9 @@ if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
     DDS
     FairLogger
   )
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
   find_package2(PRIVATE ZeroMQ REQUIRED
     VERSION 4.1.5
   )
@@ -161,6 +165,10 @@ if(BUILD_DOCS)
   doxygen_add_docs(doxygen README.md fairmq)
   add_custom_target(docs ALL DEPENDS doxygen)
 endif()
+
+if(BUILD_SDK)
+  add_subdirectory(fairmq/sdk)
+endif()
 ################################################################################
 
 
@@ -189,6 +197,9 @@ endif()
 if(BUILD_DOCS)
   list(APPEND PROJECT_PACKAGE_COMPONENTS docs)
 endif()
+if(BUILD_SDK)
+  list(APPEND PROJECT_PACKAGE_COMPONENTS sdk)
+endif()
 ################################################################################
 
 
@@ -355,6 +366,12 @@ else()
   set(docs_summary "${BRed} NO${CR}    (default, enable with ${BMagenta}-DBUILD_DOCS=ON${CR})")
 endif()
 message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}docs${CR}               ${docs_summary}")
+if(BUILD_SDK)
+  set(sdk_summary "${BGreen}YES${CR}    (disable with ${BMagenta}-DBUILD_SDK=OFF${CR})")
+else()
+  set(sdk_summary "${BRed} NO${CR}    (default, enable with ${BMagenta}-DBUILD_SDK=ON${CR})")
+endif()
+message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}sdk${CR}                ${sdk_summary}")
 message(STATUS "  ")
 if(RUN_STATIC_ANALYSIS)
   list(LENGTH PROJECT_STATIC_ANALYSERS size)
diff --git a/cmake/FairMQConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/FairMQConfig.cmake.in
index 5613a514..f4c16e2d 100644
--- a/cmake/FairMQConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/FairMQConfig.cmake.in
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ set(@PROJECT_NAME@_VERSION @PROJECT_VERSION@)
 set(@PROJECT_NAME@_GIT_VERSION @PROJECT_GIT_VERSION@)
 set(@PROJECT_NAME@_GIT_DATE @PROJECT_GIT_DATE@)
 
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_PREFIX @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_BINDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_BINDIR@)
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_INCDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR@)
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_LIBDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_LIBDIR@)
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_DATADIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_DATADIR@)
-set_and_check(@PROJECT_NAME@_CMAKEMODDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_CMAKEMODDIR@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_PREFIX @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_BINDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_BINDIR@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_INCDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_LIBDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_LIBDIR@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_DATADIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_DATADIR@)
+set(@PROJECT_NAME@_CMAKEMODDIR @PACKAGE_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PROJECT_INSTALL_CMAKEMODDIR@)
 
 set(@PROJECT_NAME@_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED @CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED@)
 set(@PROJECT_NAME@_CXX_STANDARD @CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD@)
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/CMakeLists.txt b/fairmq/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6cc2096
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fairmq/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+################################################################################
+#    Copyright (C) 2019 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    #
+#                                                                              #
+#              This software is distributed under the terms of the             #
+#              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             #
+#                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       #
+################################################################################
+
+################
+# libFairMQSDK #
+################
+set(target FairMQ_SDK)
+
+set(SDK_PUBLIC_HEADER_FILES
+  Session.h
+  Topology.h
+)
+
+set(SDK_PRIVATE_HEADER_FILES
+)
+
+set(SDK_SOURCE_FILES
+  Session.cxx
+  Topology.cxx
+)
+
+add_library(${target}
+  ${SDK_SOURCE_FILES}
+  ${SDK_PUBLIC_HEADER_FILES} # for IDE integration
+  ${SDK_PRIVATE_HEADER_FILES} # for IDE integration
+)
+set_target_properties(${target} PROPERTIES LABELS coverage)
+target_compile_definitions(${target} PUBLIC BOOST_ERROR_CODE_HEADER_ONLY)
+target_include_directories(${target}
+  PUBLIC
+  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}>
+  $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include>
+)
+target_link_libraries(${target}
+  PUBLIC
+  FairLogger::FairLogger
+
+  PRIVATE
+  DDS::dds_intercom_lib
+  DDS::dds_protocol_lib
+)
+set_target_properties(${target} PROPERTIES
+  VERSION ${PROJECT_GIT_VERSION}
+  SOVERSION "${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR}"
+)
+
+###############
+# executables #
+###############
+add_executable(fairmq runFairMQ.cxx)
+target_link_libraries(fairmq
+  PRIVATE
+  FairMQ_SDK
+  Boost::program_options
+)
+
+install(
+  TARGETS
+  FairMQ_SDK
+  fairmq
+
+  EXPORT ${PROJECT_EXPORT_SET}
+  RUNTIME DESTINATION ${PROJECT_INSTALL_BINDIR}
+  LIBRARY DESTINATION ${PROJECT_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
+  ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${PROJECT_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
+)
+
+# preserve relative path and prepend fairmq
+foreach(HEADER ${SDK_PUBLIC_HEADER_FILES})
+  get_filename_component(_path ${HEADER} DIRECTORY)
+  file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${PROJECT_INSTALL_INCDIR}/${_path} _destination)
+  install(FILES ${HEADER}
+    DESTINATION ${_destination}
+  )
+endforeach()
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/Session.cxx b/fairmq/sdk/Session.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/Session.h b/fairmq/sdk/Session.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/Topology.cxx b/fairmq/sdk/Topology.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/Topology.h b/fairmq/sdk/Topology.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/fairmq/sdk/runFairMQ.cxx b/fairmq/sdk/runFairMQ.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e76be37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fairmq/sdk/runFairMQ.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ *    Copyright (C) 2019 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    *
+ *                                                                              *
+ *              This software is distributed under the terms of the             *
+ *              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             *
+ *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+#include <fairmq/sdk/Topology.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+  
+  return 0;
+}