diff --git a/agency/agency.go b/agency/agency.go
index 22d686c8..c660fd73 100644
--- a/agency/agency.go
+++ b/agency/agency.go
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ import (
 	driver "github.com/arangodb/go-driver"
 )
 
+type LeaderElectionCell interface {
+	// Update checks the current leader cell and if no leader is present
+	// it ties to put itself in there. Will return the value currently present,
+	// wether we are leader and a duration after which Updated should be called again.
+	// If value is nil, we do not try to become leader.
+	Update(ctx context.Context, value interface{}) (interface{}, bool, time.Duration, error)
+
+	// Resign tries to resign leadership
+	Resign(ctx context.Context) error
+}
+
 // Agency provides API implemented by the ArangoDB agency.
 type Agency interface {
 	// Connection returns the connection used by this api.
@@ -74,6 +85,8 @@ type Agency interface {
 	// Deprecated: use 'WriteTransaction' instead
 	// Register a URL to receive notification callbacks when the value of the given key changes
 	UnregisterChangeCallback(ctx context.Context, key []string, cbURL string) error
+
+	LeaderElectionCell(key []string, ttl time.Duration) LeaderElectionCell
 }
 
 // Deprecated: use 'agency.KeyConditioner' instead
diff --git a/agency/agency_impl.go b/agency/agency_impl.go
index b7e7fbad..5f9c2173 100644
--- a/agency/agency_impl.go
+++ b/agency/agency_impl.go
@@ -355,3 +355,104 @@ func (c *agency) UnregisterChangeCallback(ctx context.Context, key []string, cbU
 func createFullKey(key []string) string {
 	return "/" + strings.Join(key, "/")
 }
+
+func (c *agency) LeaderElectionCell(key []string, ttl time.Duration) LeaderElectionCell {
+	return &leaderElectionCellData{
+		agency:  c,
+		lastTTL: 0,
+		leading: false,
+		key:     key,
+		ttl:     ttl,
+	}
+}
+
+type leaderElectionCellData struct {
+	agency  Agency
+	lastTTL int64
+	leading bool
+	key     []string
+	ttl     time.Duration
+}
+
+type leaderStruct struct {
+	Data interface{} `json:"data,omitempty"`
+	TTL  int64       `json:"ttl,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func (l *leaderElectionCellData) tryBecomeLeader(ctx context.Context, value interface{}, assumeEmpty bool) error {
+	trx := NewTransaction("", TransactionOptions{})
+
+	newTTL := time.Now().Add(l.ttl).Unix()
+	trx.AddKey(NewKeySet(l.key, leaderStruct{Data: value, TTL: newTTL}, 0))
+	if assumeEmpty {
+		trx.AddCondition(l.key, NewConditionOldEmpty(true))
+	} else {
+		key := append(l.key, "ttl")
+		trx.AddCondition(key, NewConditionIfEqual(l.lastTTL))
+	}
+
+	if err := l.agency.WriteTransaction(ctx, trx); err == nil {
+		l.lastTTL = newTTL
+		l.leading = true
+	} else {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (l *leaderElectionCellData) Update(ctx context.Context, value interface{}) (interface{}, bool, time.Duration, error) {
+	for {
+		assumeEmpty := false
+		var result leaderStruct
+		if err := l.agency.ReadKey(ctx, l.key, &result); err != nil {
+			if IsKeyNotFound(err) {
+				assumeEmpty = true
+				goto tryLeaderElection
+			}
+			assumeEmpty = false
+		}
+
+		{
+			now := time.Now()
+			if result.TTL < now.Unix() {
+				l.lastTTL = result.TTL
+				l.leading = false
+				goto tryLeaderElection
+			}
+
+			if result.TTL == l.lastTTL && l.leading {
+				// try to update the ttl
+				goto tryLeaderElection
+			} else {
+				// some new leader has been established
+				l.lastTTL = result.TTL
+				l.leading = false
+				return result.Data, false, time.Duration(l.lastTTL - now.Unix()), nil
+			}
+		}
+
+	tryLeaderElection:
+		if value == nil {
+			return nil, false, time.Second, nil
+		}
+		if err := l.tryBecomeLeader(ctx, value, assumeEmpty); err == nil {
+			return value, true, l.ttl / 2, nil
+		} else if !driver.IsPreconditionFailed(err) {
+			return nil, false, 0, err
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *leaderElectionCellData) Resign(ctx context.Context) error {
+	// delete the key with precondition that ttl is as expected
+	if !l.leading {
+		return nil
+	}
+	l.leading = false
+	trx := NewTransaction("", TransactionOptions{})
+	key := append(l.key, "ttl")
+	trx.AddCondition(key, NewConditionIfEqual(l.lastTTL))
+	trx.AddKey(NewKeyDelete(l.key))
+	return l.agency.WriteTransaction(ctx, trx)
+}