diff --git a/generator/rust.ml b/generator/rust.ml
index a1735602c..1f5cefa62 100644
--- a/generator/rust.ml
+++ b/generator/rust.ml
@@ -72,6 +72,42 @@ extern \"C\" {
 }
 ";
 
+  (* event enum *)
+  pr "\n";
+  pr "pub enum Event {\n";
+  List.iter (
+    fun (name, _) ->
+      pr "    %s,\n" (snake2caml name)
+  ) events;
+  pr "}\n\n";
+
+  pr "impl Event {\n";
+  pr "    pub fn to_u64(&self) -> u64 {\n";
+  pr "        match self {\n";
+  List.iter (
+    fun (name, i) ->
+      pr "            Event::%s => %d,\n" (snake2caml name) i
+  ) events;
+  pr "        }\n";
+  pr "    }\n";
+  pr "    pub fn from_bitmask(bitmask: u64) -> Option<Event> {\n";
+  pr "        match bitmask {\n";
+  List.iter (
+    fun (name, i) ->
+      pr "            %d => Some(Event::%s),\n" i (snake2caml name)
+  ) events;
+  pr "            _ => None,\n";
+  pr "        }\n";
+  pr "    }\n";
+  pr "}\n\n";
+
+  pr "pub const EVENT_ALL: [Event; %d] = [\n" (List.length events);
+  List.iter (
+    fun (name, _) ->
+      pr "    Event::%s,\n" (snake2caml name)
+  ) events;
+  pr "];\n";
+
   List.iter (
     fun { s_camel_name = name; s_name = c_name; s_cols = cols } ->
       pr "\n";
@@ -356,7 +392,7 @@ extern \"C\" {
   pr "}\n";
 
 
-  pr "impl Handle {\n";
+  pr "impl<'a> Handle<'a> {\n";
   List.iter (
     fun ({ name = name; shortdesc = shortdesc; longdesc = longdesc;
           style = (ret, args, optargs) } as f) ->
diff --git a/rust/src/base.rs b/rust/src/base.rs
index 02ad33535..c17607cb3 100644
--- a/rust/src/base.rs
+++ b/rust/src/base.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
  */
 
 use crate::error;
+use crate::event;
+use crate::guestfs;
+use std::collections;
 
 #[allow(non_camel_case_types)]
 #[repr(C)]
@@ -34,31 +37,37 @@ extern "C" {
 const GUESTFS_CREATE_NO_ENVIRONMENT: i64 = 1;
 const GUESTFS_CREATE_NO_CLOSE_ON_EXIT: i64 = 2;
 
-pub struct Handle {
+pub struct Handle<'a> {
     pub(crate) g: *mut guestfs_h,
+    pub(crate) callbacks: collections::HashMap<
+        event::EventHandle,
+        Box<Box<dyn Fn(guestfs::Event, event::EventHandle, &[u8], &[u64]) + 'a>>,
+    >,
 }
 
-impl Handle {
-    pub fn create() -> Result<Handle, error::Error> {
+impl<'a> Handle<'a> {
+    pub fn create() -> Result<Handle<'a>, error::Error> {
         let g = unsafe { guestfs_create() };
         if g.is_null() {
             Err(error::Error::Create)
         } else {
-            Ok(Handle { g })
+            let callbacks = collections::HashMap::new();
+            Ok(Handle { g, callbacks })
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn create_flags(flags: CreateFlags) -> Result<Handle, error::Error> {
+    pub fn create_flags(flags: CreateFlags) -> Result<Handle<'a>, error::Error> {
         let g = unsafe { guestfs_create_flags(flags.to_libc_int()) };
         if g.is_null() {
             Err(error::Error::Create)
         } else {
-            Ok(Handle { g })
+            let callbacks = collections::HashMap::new();
+            Ok(Handle { g, callbacks })
         }
     }
 }
 
-impl Drop for Handle {
+impl<'a> Drop for Handle<'a> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         unsafe { guestfs_close(self.g) }
     }
diff --git a/rust/src/error.rs b/rust/src/error.rs
index 705ee1735..e526121e8 100644
--- a/rust/src/error.rs
+++ b/rust/src/error.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ impl convert::From<str::Utf8Error> for Error {
     }
 }
 
-impl base::Handle {
+impl<'a> base::Handle<'a> {
     pub(crate) fn get_error_from_handle(&self, operation: &'static str) -> Error {
         let c_msg = unsafe { guestfs_last_error(self.g) };
         let message = unsafe { utils::char_ptr_to_string(c_msg).unwrap() };
diff --git a/rust/src/event.rs b/rust/src/event.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c363e913a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/event.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct EventHandle {
+    eh: i32,
+}
diff --git a/rust/src/lib.rs b/rust/src/lib.rs
index cc41a99f8..81adef2a3 100644
--- a/rust/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/src/lib.rs
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@
 
 mod base;
 mod error;
+mod event;
 mod guestfs;
 mod utils;
 
 pub use crate::base::*;
 pub use crate::error::*;
+pub use crate::event::*;
 pub use crate::guestfs::*;
diff --git a/rust/tests/040_create_multiple.rs b/rust/tests/040_create_multiple.rs
index cc93554a3..970c988af 100644
--- a/rust/tests/040_create_multiple.rs
+++ b/rust/tests/040_create_multiple.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 extern crate guestfs;
 
-fn create() -> guestfs::Handle {
+fn create<'a>() -> guestfs::Handle<'a> {
     match guestfs::Handle::create() {
         Ok(g) => g,
         Err(e) => panic!("fail: {:?}", e),