diff --git a/__init__.py b/__init__.py
index 4e6209c..cea2ede 100644
--- a/__init__.py
+++ b/__init__.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 from mediagoblin import processing
 
+from . import ratings
 from .storage import _is_cachefile, _ensure_in_cache_dir
 
 
@@ -64,4 +65,5 @@ def setup_plugin():
 
 hooks = {
     'setup': setup_plugin,
+    'add_media_to_collection': ratings.media_added_to_collection,
     }
diff --git a/import_files.py b/import_files.py
index 8c43ec9..37e5aa1 100644
--- a/import_files.py
+++ b/import_files.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 from mediagoblin.tools.text import convert_to_tag_list_of_dicts
 from mediagoblin.user_pages.lib import add_media_to_collection
 
+from . import ratings
 
 
 CACHE_DIR = 'mg_cache'
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ def handle(self):
                 if not entry:
                     continue
                 added_entries.append(entry)
+                rating = ratings.get_rating(path)
+                if rating:
+                    self.add_to_collection('rating:{}'.format(rating),
+                                           [entry])
             self.add_to_collection(u'roll:{}'.format(folder_path),
                                    added_entries)
 
diff --git a/metadata.py b/metadata.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb3eddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metadata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import os
+
+import pyexiv2
+
+
+class Metadata(object):
+    lookups = {
+        'rating': ('Xmp.xmp.Rating', ),
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self, path):
+        self.path = path
+        self.md = pyexiv2.ImageMetadata(path)
+        self.dirty = False
+
+        self.read()
+
+    def read(self):
+        self.md.read()
+
+    def save(self):
+        if self.dirty:
+            self.md.write()
+            self.dirty = False
+
+    def _get_metadata_item(self, lookup):
+        existing_keys = self.md.keys()
+        for key in self.lookups[lookup]:
+            if key in existing_keys:
+                return self.md.get(key)
+
+    @property
+    def rating(self):
+        tag = self._get_metadata_item('rating')
+        return tag.value if tag else None
+
+    @rating.setter
+    def rating(self, value):
+        tag = self._get_metadata_item('rating')
+        if tag is None:
+            tag_key = self.lookups['rating'][0]
+            tag = pyexiv2.XmpTag(tag_key, value)
+            self.md[tag_key] = tag
+        else:
+            tag.value = value
+        self.dirty = True
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_potential_sidecar(self, filepath):
+        xmp_filepath = u'{}.xmp'.format(filepath)
+        if os.path.exists(xmp_filepath):
+            return Metadata(xmp_filepath)
+        return Metadata(filepath)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    path = sys.argv[1].decode('utf8')
+    md = Metadata.from_potential_sidecar(path)
+    print md.path
+    print u"  rating:", md.rating
+    if len(sys.argv) > 2:
+        md.rating = int(sys.argv[2])
+        md.save()
+        print u"  set rating to:", md.rating
diff --git a/ratings.py b/ratings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6049ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ratings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#from sqlalchemy import event
+#
+#from mediagoblin.db.models import MediaEntry
+#
+#@event.listens_for(MediaEntry.collections, 'append')
+#def test(target, value, initiator):
+#    print "RECV event"
+#    import ipdb; ipdb.set_trace()
+
+import re
+
+from mediagoblin import mg_globals as mgg
+
+from .metadata import Metadata
+
+
+def media_added_to_collection(collection, media_entry, note):
+    m = re.match(r'rating:(\d+)', collection.title)
+    if not m:
+        return
+    rating_number = int(m.group(1))
+    set_rating_from_media_entry(media_entry, rating_number)
+
+
+def set_rating_from_media_entry(media_entry, rating):
+    filepath = (mgg.public_store
+                ._cachefile_to_original_filepath(
+                    media_entry.media_files['original']))
+    path = mgg.public_store._resolve_filepath(filepath)
+    set_rating(path)
+
+
+def set_rating(path, rating):
+    md = Metadata.from_potential_sidecar(path)
+    md.rating = rating
+    md.save()
+
+
+def get_rating(path):
+    md = Metadata.from_potential_sidecar(path)
+    return md.rating
diff --git a/storage.py b/storage.py
index 6c26cd7..3ea91a9 100644
--- a/storage.py
+++ b/storage.py
@@ -48,6 +48,16 @@ class PersistentFileStorage(BasicFileStorage):
     Local filesystem implementation of storage API that doesn't delete files
     """
 
+    def _cachefile_to_original_filepath(self, filepath):
+        """
+        Custom function taking a cache file and returns original filepath.
+        """
+        if CACHE_DIR == filepath[0]:
+            filepath = filepath[1:]
+        filename = self._re_raw_from_preview.sub(r'\1.\2', filepath[-1])
+        return list(filepath[:-1]) + [filename]
+    _re_raw_from_preview = re.compile(r'^(.*)\.(nef|cr2)(\.jpg)$', re.I)
+
     def _resolve_filepath(self, filepath):
         """
         Transform the given filepath into a local filesystem path.
@@ -108,7 +118,7 @@ def get_file(self, filepath, mode='r'):
         mode = mode.replace("w", "r")
         # Grab and return the file in the mode specified
         return PersistentStorageObjectWrapper(
-                open(self._resolve_filepath(filepath), mode))
+            open(self._resolve_filepath(filepath), mode))
 
     def delete_file(self, filepath):
         _log.info(u'Not removing {0} as requested.'.format(