diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5be3fadf43b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+// Copyright 2018-2021 CERN
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+//
+// In applying this license, CERN does not waive the privileges and immunities
+// granted to it by virtue of its status as an Intergovernmental Organization
+// or submit itself to any jurisdiction.
+
+package lookup
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	provider "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/storage/provider/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/appctx"
+	ctxpkg "github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/ctx"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/errtypes"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/xattrs"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/templates"
+)
+
+// Lookup implements transformations from filepath to node and back
+type Lookup struct {
+	Options *options.Options
+}
+
+// NodeFromResource takes in a request path or request id and converts it to a Node
+func (lu *Lookup) NodeFromResource(ctx context.Context, ref *provider.Reference) (*node.Node, error) {
+	if ref.ResourceId != nil {
+		// check if a storage space reference is used
+		// currently, the decomposed fs uses the root node id as the space id
+		n, err := lu.NodeFromID(ctx, ref.ResourceId)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		// is this a relative reference?
+		if ref.Path != "" {
+			p := filepath.Clean(ref.Path)
+			if p != "." && p != "/" {
+				// walk the relative path
+				n, err = lu.WalkPath(ctx, n, p, false, func(ctx context.Context, n *node.Node) error { return nil })
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				n.SpaceID = ref.ResourceId.StorageId
+			}
+		}
+		return n, nil
+	}
+
+	// reference is invalid
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid reference %+v. resource_id must be set", ref)
+}
+
+// NodeFromID returns the internal path for the id
+func (lu *Lookup) NodeFromID(ctx context.Context, id *provider.ResourceId) (n *node.Node, err error) {
+	if id == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid resource id %+v", id)
+	}
+	if id.OpaqueId == "" {
+		// The Resource references the root of a space
+		return lu.NodeFromSpaceID(ctx, id)
+	}
+	n, err = node.ReadNode(ctx, lu, id.StorageId, id.OpaqueId)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return n, n.FindStorageSpaceRoot()
+}
+
+// Pathify segments the beginning of a string into depth segments of width length
+// Pathify("aabbccdd", 3, 1) will return "a/a/b/bccdd"
+func Pathify(id string, depth, width int) string {
+	b := strings.Builder{}
+	i := 0
+	for ; i < depth; i++ {
+		if len(id) <= i*width+width {
+			break
+		}
+		b.WriteString(id[i*width : i*width+width])
+		b.WriteRune(filepath.Separator)
+	}
+	b.WriteString(id[i*width:])
+	return b.String()
+}
+
+// NodeFromSpaceID converts a resource id without an opaque id into a Node
+func (lu *Lookup) NodeFromSpaceID(ctx context.Context, id *provider.ResourceId) (n *node.Node, err error) {
+	node, err := node.ReadNode(ctx, lu, id.StorageId, id.StorageId)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	node.SpaceRoot = node
+	return node, nil
+}
+
+// Path returns the path for node
+func (lu *Lookup) Path(ctx context.Context, n *node.Node) (p string, err error) {
+	root := n.SpaceRoot
+	for n.ID != root.ID {
+		p = filepath.Join(n.Name, p)
+		if n, err = n.Parent(); err != nil {
+			appctx.GetLogger(ctx).
+				Error().Err(err).
+				Str("path", p).
+				Interface("node", n).
+				Msg("Path()")
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	p = filepath.Join("/", p)
+	return
+}
+
+// RootNode returns the root node of the storage
+func (lu *Lookup) RootNode(ctx context.Context) (*node.Node, error) {
+	n := node.New(node.NoSpaceID, node.RootID, "", "", 0, "", nil, lu)
+	n.Exists = true
+	return n, nil
+}
+
+// WalkPath calls n.Child(segment) on every path segment in p starting at the node r.
+// If a function f is given it will be executed for every segment node, but not the root node r.
+// If followReferences is given the current visited reference node is replaced by the referenced node.
+func (lu *Lookup) WalkPath(ctx context.Context, r *node.Node, p string, followReferences bool, f func(ctx context.Context, n *node.Node) error) (*node.Node, error) {
+	segments := strings.Split(strings.Trim(p, "/"), "/")
+	var err error
+	for i := range segments {
+		if r, err = r.Child(ctx, segments[i]); err != nil {
+			return r, err
+		}
+
+		if followReferences {
+			if attrBytes, err := r.GetMetadata(xattrs.ReferenceAttr); err == nil {
+				realNodeID := attrBytes
+				ref, err := xattrs.ReferenceFromAttr([]byte(realNodeID))
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+
+				r, err = lu.NodeFromID(ctx, ref.ResourceId)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if node.IsSpaceRoot(r) {
+			r.SpaceRoot = r
+		}
+
+		if !r.Exists && i < len(segments)-1 {
+			return r, errtypes.NotFound(segments[i])
+		}
+		if f != nil {
+			if err = f(ctx, r); err != nil {
+				return r, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return r, nil
+}
+
+// InternalRoot returns the internal storage root directory
+func (lu *Lookup) InternalRoot() string {
+	return lu.Options.Root
+}
+
+// InternalPath returns the internal path for a given ID
+func (lu *Lookup) InternalPath(spaceID, nodeID string) string {
+	return filepath.Join(lu.Options.Root, "spaces", Pathify(spaceID, 1, 2), "nodes", Pathify(nodeID, 4, 2))
+}
+
+func (lu *Lookup) mustGetUserLayout(ctx context.Context) string {
+	u := ctxpkg.ContextMustGetUser(ctx)
+	return templates.WithUser(u, lu.Options.UserLayout)
+}
+
+// ShareFolder returns the internal storage root directory
+func (lu *Lookup) ShareFolder() string {
+	return lu.Options.ShareFolder
+}
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup_test.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4faf6f58acb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+// Copyright 2018-2021 CERN
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+//
+// In applying this license, CERN does not waive the privileges and immunities
+// granted to it by virtue of its status as an Intergovernmental Organization
+// or submit itself to any jurisdiction.
+
+package lookup_test
+
+import (
+	provider "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/storage/provider/v1beta1"
+	helpers "github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/testhelpers"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/xattrs"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("Lookup", func() {
+	var (
+		env *helpers.TestEnv
+	)
+
+	JustBeforeEach(func() {
+		var err error
+		env, err = helpers.NewTestEnv()
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+	})
+
+	AfterEach(func() {
+		if env != nil {
+			env.Cleanup()
+		}
+	})
+
+	Describe("Node from path", func() {
+		It("returns the path including a leading slash", func() {
+			n, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{
+				ResourceId: env.SpaceRootRes,
+				Path:       "/dir1/file1",
+			})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			path, err := env.Lookup.Path(env.Ctx, n)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(path).To(Equal("/dir1/file1"))
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("Node From Resource only by path", func() {
+		It("returns the path including a leading slash and the space root is set", func() {
+			n, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{
+				ResourceId: env.SpaceRootRes,
+				Path:       "/dir1/subdir1/file2",
+			})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			path, err := env.Lookup.Path(env.Ctx, n)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(path).To(Equal("/dir1/subdir1/file2"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.Name).To(Equal("userid"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.ParentID).To(Equal("root"))
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("Node From Resource only by id", func() {
+		It("returns the path including a leading slash and the space root is set", func() {
+			// do a node lookup by path
+			nRef, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{
+				ResourceId: env.SpaceRootRes,
+				Path:       "/dir1/file1",
+			})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			// try to find the same node by id
+			n, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{ResourceId: &provider.ResourceId{OpaqueId: nRef.ID}})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot).ToNot(BeNil())
+
+			// Check if we got the right node and spaceRoot
+			path, err := env.Lookup.Path(env.Ctx, n)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(path).To(Equal("/dir1/file1"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.Name).To(Equal("userid"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.ParentID).To(Equal("root"))
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("Node From Resource by id and relative path", func() {
+		It("returns the path including a leading slash and the space root is set", func() {
+			// do a node lookup by path for the parent
+			nRef, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{
+				ResourceId: env.SpaceRootRes,
+				Path:       "/dir1",
+			})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			// try to find the child node by parent id and relative path
+			n, err := env.Lookup.NodeFromResource(env.Ctx, &provider.Reference{ResourceId: &provider.ResourceId{OpaqueId: nRef.ID}, Path: "./file1"})
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot).ToNot(BeNil())
+
+			// Check if we got the right node and spaceRoot
+			path, err := env.Lookup.Path(env.Ctx, n)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(path).To(Equal("/dir1/file1"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.Name).To(Equal("userid"))
+			Expect(n.SpaceRoot.ParentID).To(Equal("root"))
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("Reference Parsing", func() {
+		It("parses a valid cs3 reference", func() {
+			in := []byte("cs3:bede11a0-ea3d-11eb-a78b-bf907adce8ed/c402d01c-ea3d-11eb-a0fc-c32f9d32528f")
+			ref, err := xattrs.ReferenceFromAttr(in)
+
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(ref.ResourceId.StorageId).To(Equal("bede11a0-ea3d-11eb-a78b-bf907adce8ed"))
+			Expect(ref.ResourceId.OpaqueId).To(Equal("c402d01c-ea3d-11eb-a0fc-c32f9d32528f"))
+		})
+	})
+})