diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 6fec94e96b..c745cab9bc 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ BITCOIN_CORE_H = \
   consensus/consensus.h \
   core_io.h \
   core_memusage.h \
+  global/common.h \
   httprpc.h \
   httpserver.h \
   indirectmap.h \
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@ libbitcoin_common_a_SOURCES = \
   compressor.cpp \
   core_read.cpp \
   core_write.cpp \
+  global/common.cpp \
   key.cpp \
   keystore.cpp \
   merkleblock.cpp \
diff --git a/src/global/common.cpp b/src/global/common.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0fcb9d3002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/global/common.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2017-2017 The Elements Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#include "global/common.h"
+
+#include "assetsdir.h"
+
+CAssetsDir _gAssetsDir;
+const CAssetsDir& gAssetsDir = _gAssetsDir;
+
+void InitGlobalAssetDir(const std::vector<std::string>& assetsToInit)
+{
+    _gAssetsDir.InitFromStrings(assetsToInit);
+}
diff --git a/src/global/common.h b/src/global/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b695434058
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/global/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2017-2017 The Elements Core developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#ifndef BITCOIN_GLOBAL_COMMON_H
+#define BITCOIN_GLOBAL_COMMON_H
+
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+class CAssetsDir;
+
+extern const CAssetsDir& gAssetsDir;
+
+void InitGlobalAssetDir(const std::vector<std::string>& assetsToInit);
+
+#endif // BITCOIN_GLOBAL_COMMON_H