diff --git a/programs/light_client/Wallet.cpp b/programs/light_client/Wallet.cpp
index 9fd4e43c..ffaa7673 100644
--- a/programs/light_client/Wallet.cpp
+++ b/programs/light_client/Wallet.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #include "Wallet.hpp"
+#include <fc/crypto/aes.hpp>
+#include <fc/io/json.hpp>
 
 Wallet::Wallet()
 {
@@ -11,52 +13,122 @@ Wallet::~Wallet()
 
 bool Wallet::open( QString file_path )
 {
-   return false;
+   fc::path p( file_path.toStdString() );
+   if( !fc::exists( p ) )
+   {
+      ilog( "Unable to open wallet file '${f}', it does not exist", ("f",p) );
+      return false;
+   }
+   _wallet_file_path = p;
+   return true;
+}
+
+bool Wallet::isOpen()const
+{
+   return _wallet_file_path != fc::path();
 }
 
 bool Wallet::close()
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    save();
+   _wallet_file_path = fc::path();
    return false;
 }
 
 bool Wallet::save()
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
+   /// TODO: backup existing wallet file first.
+   fc::json::save_to_file( _data, _wallet_file_path );
    return false;
 }
 
 bool Wallet::saveAs( QString file_path )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
-bool Wallet::create( QString file_path, QString brain_key )
+bool Wallet::create( QString file_path, QString password, QString brain_key )
 {
+   if( isOpen() ) return false;
+   if( password == QString() ) return false;
+
+   fc::path p( file_path.toStdString() );
+   if( fc::exists( p ) )
+   {
+      ilog( "Unable to create wallet file '${f}' because a file with that name already exists.", ("f",p) );
+      return false;
+   }
+
+   if( brain_key == QString() )
+   {
+      auto key = fc::ecc::private_key::generate().get_secret();
+      brain_key.fromStdString( fc::variant(key).as_string() );
+   }
+   auto brainkey = brain_key.toStdString();
+   auto pw_str = password.toStdString();
+
+   auto password_hash                = fc::sha512::hash( pw_str.c_str(), pw_str.size() );
+   _decrypted_master_key             = fc::sha512::hash( fc::ecc::private_key::generate().get_secret() );
+   _data.master_key_digest           = fc::sha512::hash( _decrypted_master_key );
+   _data.encrypted_master_key        = fc::aes_encrypt( password_hash, fc::raw::pack(_decrypted_master_key) );
+
+   _data.brain_key_digest            = fc::sha512::hash( brainkey.c_str(), brainkey.size() );
+   _data.encrypted_brain_key         = fc::aes_encrypt( _decrypted_master_key, fc::raw::pack( brainkey ) );
+
+   fc::json::save_to_file( _data, p );
+   _wallet_file_path = p;
+
    return false;
 }
 
 bool Wallet::loadBrainKey( QString brain_key )
 {
-   return false;
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
+
+   if( brain_key == QString() ) return false;
+   auto brainkey = brain_key.toStdString();
+
+   if( _data.brain_key_digest  != fc::sha512::hash( brainkey.c_str(), brainkey.size() ) )
+      return false;
+
+   _brain_key = brain_key;
+   return true;
 }
 
 bool Wallet::purgeBrainKey()
 {
-   return false;
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
+   _data.encrypted_brain_key.resize(0);
+   _brain_key = QString();
+   return save();
 }
 
 bool Wallet::hasBrainKey()const
 {
-   return false;
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
+   return _brain_key != QString() || _data.encrypted_brain_key.size();
 }
 
-QString Wallet::getBrainKey()const
+QString Wallet::getBrainKey()
 {
-   return QString();
+   if( !isOpen() ) return QString();
+   if( isLocked() ) return QString();
+
+   if( _brain_key != QString() )
+      return _brain_key;
+
+   auto dec_brain_key = fc::aes_decrypt( _decrypted_master_key, _data.encrypted_brain_key );
+   auto dec_brain_key_str = fc::raw::unpack<string>(dec_brain_key);
+   _brain_key.fromStdString( dec_brain_key_str );
+   return _brain_key;
 }
 
 bool Wallet::isLocked()const
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return true;
    return false;
 }
 QString Wallet::unlock( QString password )
@@ -66,37 +138,46 @@ QString Wallet::unlock( QString password )
 
 bool Wallet::lock()
 {
-   return false;
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
+   _brain_key            = QString();
+   _decrypted_master_key = fc::sha512();
+   return true;
 }
 bool  Wallet::changePassword( QString new_password )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
 QString Wallet::getActivePrivateKey( QString owner_pub_key, uint32_t seq )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return QString();
    return QString();
 }
 
 QString Wallet::getOwnerPrivateKey( uint32_t seq )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return QString();
    return QString();
 }
 
 
 QString Wallet::getKeyLabel( QString pubkey )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return QString();
    return QString();
 }
 
 QString Wallet::getPublicKey( QString label )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return QString();
    return QString();
 }
 
 /** imports a public key and assigns it a label */
 bool    Wallet::importPublicKey( QString pubkey, QString label)
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
@@ -106,18 +187,21 @@ bool    Wallet::importPublicKey( QString pubkey, QString label)
  **/
 bool    Wallet::importPrivateKey( QString wifkey, QString label  )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
 /** removes the key, its lablel and its private key */
 bool    Wallet::removePublicKey( QString pubkey )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
 /** removes only the private key, keeping the public key and label */
 bool    Wallet::removePrivateKey( QString pubkey )
 {
+   if( !isOpen() ) return false;
    return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/programs/light_client/Wallet.hpp b/programs/light_client/Wallet.hpp
index 3c229365..acc25838 100644
--- a/programs/light_client/Wallet.hpp
+++ b/programs/light_client/Wallet.hpp
@@ -23,14 +23,18 @@ FC_REFLECT( key_data, (label)(encrypted_private_key) );
 
 struct wallet_file
 {
-   optional<vector<char>>          encrypted_brain_key;
-   optional<vector<char>>          encrypted_master_key;
+   vector<char>                    encrypted_brain_key;
+   fc::sha512                      brain_key_digest;
+   vector<char>                    encrypted_master_key;
+   fc::sha512                      master_key_digest;
    map<public_key_type, key_data>  encrypted_private_keys;
 };
 
 FC_REFLECT( wallet_file, 
             (encrypted_brain_key)
+            (brain_key_digest)
             (encrypted_master_key)
+            (master_key_digest)
             (encrypted_private_keys) 
           );
 
@@ -49,9 +53,10 @@ class Wallet : public QObject
 
       Q_INVOKABLE bool open( QString file_path );
       Q_INVOKABLE bool close();
+      Q_INVOKABLE bool isOpen()const;
       Q_INVOKABLE bool save();
       Q_INVOKABLE bool saveAs( QString file_path );
-      Q_INVOKABLE bool create( QString file_path, QString brain_key = QString() );
+      Q_INVOKABLE bool create( QString file_path, QString password, QString brain_key = QString() );
 
       /** required to generate new owner keys */
       Q_INVOKABLE bool loadBrainKey( QString brain_key );
@@ -61,7 +66,7 @@ class Wallet : public QObject
       Q_INVOKABLE bool hasBrainKey()const;
 
       /** @pre hasBrainKey() */
-      Q_INVOKABLE QString getBrainKey()const;
+      Q_INVOKABLE QString getBrainKey();
 
       Q_INVOKABLE bool    isLocked()const;
       Q_INVOKABLE QString unlock( QString password );
@@ -113,9 +118,11 @@ class Wallet : public QObject
    private:
       fc::path                  _wallet_file_path;
       wallet_file               _data;
+      /** used to decrypt all of the encrypted private keys */
       fc::sha512                _decrypted_master_key;
       flat_set<public_key_type> _available_private_keys;
       map<QString,QString>      _label_to_key;
+      QString                   _brain_key;
 };