diff --git a/core/views/welcome.html.php b/core/views/welcome.html.php
index bf7ba455..9b3d9d88 100644
--- a/core/views/welcome.html.php
+++ b/core/views/welcome.html.php
@@ -173,6 +173,13 @@
               <? endforeach ?>
               ] photos and albums
             </p>
+            <p>
+              add: [
+              <? foreach (array(1, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000) as $count): ?>
+              <?= html::anchor("comment/add/$count", "$count") ?>
+              <? endforeach ?>
+              ] comments
+            </p>
             <fieldset>
               <legend>Photos</legend>
               <form method="post" action="<?= url::site("album/1") ?>" enctype="multipart/form-data">
diff --git a/modules/comment/controllers/comment.php b/modules/comment/controllers/comment.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e6b4dc47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/comment/controllers/comment.php
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?php defined("SYSPATH") or die("No direct script access.");
+/**
+ * Gallery - a web based photo album viewer and editor
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Bharat Mediratta
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street - Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+class Comment_Controller extends Controller {
+  function add($count) {
+    $photos = ORM::factory("item")->where("type", "photo")->find_all()->as_array();
+
+    $sample_text = "Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium
+      doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi
+      architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas
+      sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione
+      voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit,
+      amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut
+      labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum
+      exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi
+      consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam
+      nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur?
+      At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus, qui blanditiis praesentium
+      voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti, quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint, obcaecati
+      cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa, qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id
+      est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam
+      libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio, cumque nihil impedit, quo minus id,
+      quod maxime placeat, facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus.
+      Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet,
+      ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic
+      tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut
+      perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.";
+    $seconds_in_a_year = 31556926;
+
+    if (empty($photos)) {
+      url::redirect("welcome");
+    }
+
+    for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
+      $photo = $photos[array_rand($photos)];
+      comment::create("John Doe", "johndoe@example.com",
+        substr($sample_text, 0, rand(30, strlen($sample_text))), $photo->id,
+        time() - rand(0, 2 * $seconds_in_a_year));
+    }
+
+    url::redirect("welcome");
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/comment/helpers/comment.php b/modules/comment/helpers/comment.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36a07106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/comment/helpers/comment.php
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?php defined("SYSPATH") or die("No direct script access.");
+/**
+ * Gallery - a web based photo album viewer and editor
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Bharat Mediratta
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street - Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * This is the API for handling comments.
+ *
+ * Note: by design, this class does not do any permission checking.
+ */
+class Comment_Core {
+  /**
+   * Create a new photo.
+   * @param string  $author author's name
+   * @param string  $email author's email
+   * @param string  $text comment body
+   * @param integer $item_id id of parent item
+   * @param integer $datetime optional comment date and time in Unix format
+   * @return Comment_Model
+   */
+  static function create($author, $email, $text, $item_id, $datetime = NULL) {
+    if (is_null($datetime)) {
+      $datetime = time();
+    }
+
+    $comment = ORM::factory("comment");
+    $comment->author = $author;
+    $comment->email = $email;
+    $comment->text = $text;
+    $comment->datetime = $datetime;
+    $comment->item_id = $item_id;
+
+    return $comment->save();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/comment/tests/Comment_Helper_Test.php b/modules/comment/tests/Comment_Helper_Test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2a112a7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/comment/tests/Comment_Helper_Test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<?php defined("SYSPATH") or die("No direct script access.");
+/**
+ * Gallery - a web based photo album viewer and editor
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Bharat Mediratta
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street - Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+class Comment_Helper_Test extends Unit_Test_Case {
+  public function create_comment_test() {
+    $rand = rand();
+    $comment = comment::create($rand, $rand, $rand, $rand, $rand);
+
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->author);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->email);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->text);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->item_id);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->datetime);
+  }
+
+  public function create_comment_using_current_time_test() {
+    $rand = rand();
+    $comment = comment::create($rand, $rand, $rand, $rand);
+
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->author);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->email);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->text);
+    $this->assert_equal($rand, $comment->item_id);
+    $this->assert_true($comment->datetime > time() - 10 && $comment->datetime <= time());
+  }
+}