diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7a290fc..f7daf70 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
 	src/tupleHash.h
 	src/ThreadPool.cpp src/ThreadPool.h
 	src/ObjectPool.h
+	src/Lazy.h
 )
 add_executable(rhubarb ${SOURCE_FILES})
 target_link_libraries(rhubarb ${Boost_LIBRARIES} cppFormat sphinxbase pocketSphinx flite webRTC)
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ set(TEST_FILES
 	tests/pairsTests.cpp
 	tests/tokenizationTests.cpp
 	tests/g2pTests.cpp
+	tests/LazyTests.cpp
 	src/stringTools.cpp src/stringTools.h
 	src/Timeline.h
 	src/TimeRange.cpp src/TimeRange.h
@@ -249,6 +251,7 @@ set(TEST_FILES
 	src/g2p.cpp src/g2p.h
 	src/logging.cpp src/logging.h
 	src/tools.cpp src/tools.h
+	src/Lazy.h
 )
 add_executable(runTests ${TEST_FILES})
 target_link_libraries(runTests gtest gmock gmock_main flite cppFormat)
diff --git a/src/Lazy.h b/src/Lazy.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41f25ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Lazy.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <memory>
+#include <mutex>
+
+template<typename T>
+class Lazy {
+public:
+	using value_type = T;
+
+	explicit Lazy(std::function<T()> createValue) :
+		createValue(createValue)
+	{}
+
+	explicit operator bool() const {
+		return static_cast<bool>(_value);
+	}
+
+	T& value() {
+		init();
+		return *_value;
+	}
+
+	const T& value() const {
+		init();
+		return *_value;
+	}
+
+	T* operator->() {
+		return &value();
+	}
+
+	const T* operator->() const {
+		return &value();
+	}
+
+	T& operator*() {
+		return value();
+	}
+
+	const T& operator*() const {
+		return value();
+	}
+private:
+	void init() const {
+		std::call_once(initialized, [&] { _value = std::make_unique<T>(createValue()); });
+	}
+
+	std::function<T()> createValue;
+	mutable std::once_flag initialized;
+	mutable std::unique_ptr<T> _value;
+};
diff --git a/tests/LazyTests.cpp b/tests/LazyTests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5172ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/LazyTests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#include <gmock/gmock.h>
+#include "Lazy.h"
+
+using namespace testing;
+using std::make_unique;
+
+// Not copyable, no default constrctor, movable
+struct Foo {
+	const int value;
+	Foo(int value) : value(value) {}
+
+	Foo() = delete;
+	Foo(const Foo&) = delete;
+	Foo& operator=(const Foo &) = delete;
+
+	Foo(Foo&&) = default;
+	Foo& operator=(Foo&&) = default;
+};
+
+TEST(Lazy, basicUsage) {
+	bool lambdaCalled = false;
+	Lazy<Foo> lazy([&lambdaCalled] { lambdaCalled = true; return Foo(42); });
+	EXPECT_FALSE(lambdaCalled);
+	EXPECT_FALSE(static_cast<bool>(lazy));
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, (*lazy).value);
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, lazy.value().value);
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, lazy->value);
+	EXPECT_TRUE(lambdaCalled);
+	EXPECT_TRUE(static_cast<bool>(lazy));
+}
+
+TEST(Lazy, constUsage) {
+	bool lambdaCalled = false;
+	const Lazy<Foo> lazy([&lambdaCalled] { lambdaCalled = true; return Foo(42); });
+	EXPECT_FALSE(lambdaCalled);
+	EXPECT_FALSE(static_cast<bool>(lazy));
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, (*lazy).value);
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, lazy.value().value);
+	EXPECT_EQ(42, lazy->value);
+	EXPECT_TRUE(lambdaCalled);
+	EXPECT_TRUE(static_cast<bool>(lazy));
+}
+
+using Expensive = Foo;
+#define member value;
+
+TEST(Lazy, demo) {
+	// Constructor takes function
+	Lazy<Expensive> lazy([] { return Expensive(42); });
+
+	// Multiple ways to access value
+	Expensive& a = *lazy;
+	Expensive& b = lazy.value();
+	auto c = lazy->member;
+
+	// Check if initialized
+	if (lazy) { /* ... */ }
+}
\ No newline at end of file