diff --git a/server/Makefile.in b/server/Makefile.in
index 4a593a9f090..b8438a78d5c 100644
--- a/server/Makefile.in
+++ b/server/Makefile.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ MODULE    = server
 C_SRCS = \
 	change.c \
 	console.c \
+	device.c \
 	event.c \
 	file.c \
 	mapping.c \
diff --git a/server/device.c b/server/device.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3ded814184e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/device.c
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/*
+ * Server-side device management
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 1999 Alexandre Julliard
+ */
+
+/*
+ * FIXME:
+ * all this stuff is a simple hack to avoid breaking
+ * client-side device support.
+ */
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "winerror.h"
+#include "winnt.h"
+#include "server/thread.h"
+
+struct device
+{
+    struct object  obj;             /* object header */
+    int            id;              /* client identifier */
+};
+
+static void device_dump( struct object *obj, int verbose );
+static int device_get_info( struct object *obj, struct get_file_info_reply *reply );
+static void device_destroy( struct object *obj );
+
+static const struct object_ops device_ops =
+{
+    device_dump,
+    no_add_queue,
+    NULL,  /* should never get called */
+    NULL,  /* should never get called */
+    NULL,  /* should never get called */
+    no_read_fd,
+    no_write_fd,
+    no_flush,
+    device_get_info,
+    device_destroy
+};
+
+struct object *create_device( int id )
+{
+    struct device *dev;
+
+    if (!(dev = mem_alloc(sizeof(*dev)))) return NULL;
+    init_object( &dev->obj, &device_ops, NULL );
+    dev->id = id;
+    return &dev->obj;
+}
+
+static void device_dump( struct object *obj, int verbose )
+{
+    struct device *dev = (struct device *)obj;
+    assert( obj->ops == &device_ops );
+    fprintf( stderr, "Device id=%08x\n", dev->id );
+}
+
+static int device_get_info( struct object *obj, struct get_file_info_reply *reply )
+{
+    struct device *dev = (struct device *)obj;
+    assert( obj->ops == &device_ops );
+    memset( reply, 0, sizeof(*reply) );
+    reply->type = FILE_TYPE_UNKNOWN;
+    reply->attr = dev->id;  /* hack! */
+    return 1;
+}
+
+static void device_destroy( struct object *obj )
+{
+    struct device *dev = (struct device *)obj;
+    assert( obj->ops == &device_ops );
+    free( dev );
+}