diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index dbdf5e9db..df2b3cebe 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -318,6 +318,21 @@ impl<Types: IpfsTypes> Ipfs<Types> {
         Ok(self.repo.remove_block(cid).await?)
     }
 
+    /// Pins a given Cid
+    pub async fn pin_block(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Ok(self.repo.pin_block(cid).await?)
+    }
+
+    /// Unpins a given Cid
+    pub async fn unpin_block(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Ok(self.repo.unpin_block(cid).await?)
+    }
+
+    /// Checks whether a given block is pinned
+    pub async fn is_pinned(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<bool, Error> {
+        Ok(self.repo.is_pinned(cid).await?)
+    }
+
     /// Puts an ipld dag node into the ipfs repo.
     pub async fn put_dag(&self, ipld: Ipld) -> Result<Cid, Error> {
         Ok(self.dag.put(ipld, Codec::DagCBOR).await?)
@@ -696,4 +711,22 @@ mod tests {
 
         ipfs.exit_daemon().await;
     }
+
+    #[async_std::test]
+    async fn test_pin_and_unpin() {
+        let options = IpfsOptions::<TestTypes>::default();
+
+        let (ipfs, fut) = UninitializedIpfs::new(options).await.start().await.unwrap();
+        task::spawn(fut);
+
+        let data = ipld!([-1, -2, -3]);
+        let cid = ipfs.put_dag(data.clone()).await.unwrap();
+
+        ipfs.pin_block(&cid).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(ipfs.is_pinned(&cid).await.unwrap());
+        ipfs.unpin_block(&cid).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(!ipfs.is_pinned(&cid).await.unwrap());
+
+        ipfs.exit_daemon().await;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/repo/mem.rs b/src/repo/mem.rs
index 3758527eb..6d4077cca 100644
--- a/src/repo/mem.rs
+++ b/src/repo/mem.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ impl BlockStore for MemBlockStore {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct MemDataStore {
     ipns: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<Vec<u8>, Vec<u8>>>>,
+    pin: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<Vec<u8>, Vec<u8>>>>,
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ impl DataStore for MemDataStore {
     fn new(_path: PathBuf) -> Self {
         MemDataStore {
             ipns: Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::new())),
+            pin: Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::new())),
         }
     }
 
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ impl DataStore for MemDataStore {
     async fn contains(&self, col: Column, key: &[u8]) -> Result<bool, Error> {
         let map = match col {
             Column::Ipns => &self.ipns,
+            Column::Pin => &self.pin,
         };
         let contains = map.lock().await.contains_key(key);
         Ok(contains)
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ impl DataStore for MemDataStore {
     async fn get(&self, col: Column, key: &[u8]) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, Error> {
         let map = match col {
             Column::Ipns => &self.ipns,
+            Column::Pin => &self.pin,
         };
         let value = map.lock().await.get(key).map(|value| value.to_owned());
         Ok(value)
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ impl DataStore for MemDataStore {
     async fn put(&self, col: Column, key: &[u8], value: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let map = match col {
             Column::Ipns => &self.ipns,
+            Column::Pin => &self.pin,
         };
         map.lock().await.insert(key.to_owned(), value.to_owned());
         Ok(())
@@ -104,6 +109,7 @@ impl DataStore for MemDataStore {
     async fn remove(&self, col: Column, key: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let map = match col {
             Column::Ipns => &self.ipns,
+            Column::Pin => &self.pin,
         };
         map.lock().await.remove(key);
         Ok(())
diff --git a/src/repo/mod.rs b/src/repo/mod.rs
index c08ce964e..9441f7cf0 100644
--- a/src/repo/mod.rs
+++ b/src/repo/mod.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ pub trait DataStore: Debug + Clone + Send + Sync + Unpin + 'static {
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
 pub enum Column {
     Ipns,
+    Pin,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -168,6 +169,9 @@ impl<TRepoTypes: RepoTypes> Repo<TRepoTypes> {
 
     /// Remove block from the block store.
     pub async fn remove_block(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        if self.is_pinned(cid).await? {
+            return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("block to remove is pinned"));
+        }
         // sending only fails if the background task has exited
         self.events
             .clone()
@@ -208,6 +212,47 @@ impl<TRepoTypes: RepoTypes> Repo<TRepoTypes> {
     pub async fn remove_ipns(&self, ipns: &PeerId) -> Result<(), Error> {
         self.data_store.remove(Column::Ipns, ipns.as_bytes()).await
     }
+
+    pub async fn pin_block(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let pin_value = self.data_store.get(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes()).await?;
+
+        match pin_value {
+            Some(pin_count) => {
+                if pin_count[0] == std::u8::MAX {
+                    return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("Block cannot be pinned more times"));
+                }
+                self.data_store
+                    .put(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes(), &[pin_count[0] + 1])
+                    .await
+            }
+            None => {
+                self.data_store
+                    .put(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes(), &[1])
+                    .await
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub async fn is_pinned(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<bool, Error> {
+        self.data_store.contains(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes()).await
+    }
+
+    pub async fn unpin_block(&self, cid: &Cid) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let pin_value = self.data_store.get(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes()).await?;
+
+        match pin_value {
+            Some(pin_count) if pin_count[0] == 1 => {
+                self.data_store.remove(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes()).await
+            }
+            Some(pin_count) => {
+                self.data_store
+                    .put(Column::Pin, &cid.to_bytes(), &[pin_count[0] - 1])
+                    .await
+            }
+            // This is a no-op
+            None => Ok(()),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[async_trait]