diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index ea5de4ae..d98953ff 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ members = [
     "binaries/*",
     "examples/rust-dataflow/*",
     "examples/iceoryx/*",
-    "libraries/communication-layer",
+    "libraries/communication-layer/*",
     "libraries/core",
     "libraries/message",
     "libraries/extensions/download",
diff --git a/apis/rust/node/Cargo.toml b/apis/rust/node/Cargo.toml
index bc7f2f34..4ae127d8 100644
--- a/apis/rust/node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/apis/rust/node/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ thiserror = "1.0.30"
 tracing = "0.1.33"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.15", optional = true }
 flume = "0.10.14"
-communication-layer-pub-sub = { path = "../../../libraries/communication-layer", default-features = false }
+communication-layer-pub-sub = { path = "../../../libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub", default-features = false }
 uuid = { version = "1.1.2", features = ["v4"] }
 capnp = "0.14.9"
 dora-message = { path = "../../../libraries/message" }
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/Cargo.toml b/libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/Cargo.toml
similarity index 100%
rename from libraries/communication-layer/Cargo.toml
rename to libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/Cargo.toml
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/src/iceoryx.rs b/libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/iceoryx.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from libraries/communication-layer/src/iceoryx.rs
rename to libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/iceoryx.rs
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/src/lib.rs b/libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/lib.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from libraries/communication-layer/src/lib.rs
rename to libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/lib.rs
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/src/zenoh.rs b/libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/zenoh.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from libraries/communication-layer/src/zenoh.rs
rename to libraries/communication-layer/pub-sub/src/zenoh.rs
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/Cargo.toml b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f4a9392
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+[package]
+name = "communication-layer-request-reply"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[features]
+
+[dependencies]
+eyre = "0.6.8"
+
+[package.metadata.docs.rs]
+all-features = true
+rustdoc-args = ["--cfg", "docsrs"]
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/lib.rs b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f205462
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#![cfg_attr(docsrs, feature(doc_auto_cfg))]
+
+//! Abstraction of various request/reply communication backends.
+//!
+//! Provides a [`RequestReplyLayer`] trait as an abstraction for different request/reply
+//! systems. The following set of backends are currently supported:
+//!
+//! TODO
+
+pub use tcp::*;
+
+mod tcp;
+
+/// Abstraction trait for different publisher/subscriber implementations.
+pub trait RequestReplyLayer: Send + Sync {
+    type Address;
+    type RequestData;
+    type ReplyData;
+    type Error;
+
+    fn listen(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: Self::Address,
+    ) -> Result<
+        Box<
+            dyn Iterator<
+                Item = Result<
+                    Box<
+                        dyn ListenConnection<
+                            RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                            ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                            Error = Self::Error,
+                        >,
+                    >,
+                    Self::Error,
+                >,
+            >,
+        >,
+        Self::Error,
+    >;
+
+    fn connect(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: Self::Address,
+    ) -> Result<
+        Box<
+            dyn RequestReplyConnection<
+                RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                Error = Self::Error,
+            >,
+        >,
+        Self::Error,
+    >;
+}
+
+pub trait ListenConnection: Send + Sync {
+    type RequestData;
+    type ReplyData;
+    type Error;
+
+    fn handle_next(
+        &mut self,
+        handler: Box<dyn FnOnce(Self::RequestData) -> Result<Self::ReplyData, Self::Error>>,
+    ) -> Result<(), Self::Error>;
+}
+
+pub trait RequestReplyConnection: Send + Sync {
+    type RequestData;
+    type ReplyData;
+    type Error;
+
+    fn request(&mut self, request: &Self::RequestData) -> Result<Self::ReplyData, Self::Error>;
+}
diff --git a/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/tcp.rs b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/tcp.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..515b5684
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/communication-layer/request-reply/src/tcp.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+use std::{
+    io::{Read, Write},
+    net::{SocketAddr, TcpListener, TcpStream},
+};
+
+use crate::{ListenConnection, RequestReplyConnection, RequestReplyLayer};
+
+pub type TcpRequestReplyConnection =
+    dyn RequestReplyConnection<RequestData = Vec<u8>, ReplyData = Vec<u8>, Error = std::io::Error>;
+
+pub struct TcpLayer {}
+
+impl TcpLayer {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {}
+    }
+}
+
+impl RequestReplyLayer for TcpLayer {
+    type Address = SocketAddr;
+    type RequestData = Vec<u8>;
+    type ReplyData = Vec<u8>;
+    type Error = std::io::Error;
+
+    fn listen(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: Self::Address,
+    ) -> Result<
+        Box<
+            dyn Iterator<
+                Item = Result<
+                    Box<
+                        dyn crate::ListenConnection<
+                            RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                            ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                            Error = Self::Error,
+                        >,
+                    >,
+                    Self::Error,
+                >,
+            >,
+        >,
+        Self::Error,
+    > {
+        let incoming: Box<dyn Iterator<Item = Result<_, _>>> = Box::new(
+            IntoIncoming {
+                listener: TcpListener::bind(addr)?,
+            }
+            .map(|r| {
+                r.map(|stream| {
+                    let connection: Box<
+                        dyn ListenConnection<
+                            RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                            ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                            Error = Self::Error,
+                        >,
+                    > = Box::new(TcpConnection { stream });
+                    connection
+                })
+            }),
+        );
+        Ok(incoming)
+    }
+
+    fn connect(
+        &mut self,
+        addr: Self::Address,
+    ) -> Result<
+        Box<
+            dyn crate::RequestReplyConnection<
+                RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                Error = Self::Error,
+            >,
+        >,
+        Self::Error,
+    > {
+        TcpStream::connect(addr).map(|s| {
+            let connection: Box<
+                dyn RequestReplyConnection<
+                    RequestData = Self::RequestData,
+                    ReplyData = Self::ReplyData,
+                    Error = Self::Error,
+                >,
+            > = Box::new(TcpConnection { stream: s });
+            connection
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+struct TcpConnection {
+    stream: TcpStream,
+}
+
+impl ListenConnection for TcpConnection {
+    type RequestData = Vec<u8>;
+    type ReplyData = Vec<u8>;
+    type Error = std::io::Error;
+
+    fn handle_next(
+        &mut self,
+        handler: Box<dyn FnOnce(Self::RequestData) -> Result<Self::ReplyData, Self::Error>>,
+    ) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
+        let request = self.receive()?;
+        let reply = handler(request)?;
+        self.send(&reply)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl RequestReplyConnection for TcpConnection {
+    type RequestData = Vec<u8>;
+    type ReplyData = Vec<u8>;
+    type Error = std::io::Error;
+
+    fn request(&mut self, request: &Self::RequestData) -> Result<Self::ReplyData, Self::Error> {
+        self.send(request)?;
+        let reply = self.receive()?;
+
+        Ok(reply)
+    }
+}
+
+impl TcpConnection {
+    fn send(&mut self, request: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        let len_raw = (request.len() as u64).to_le_bytes();
+        self.stream.write_all(&len_raw)?;
+        self.stream.write_all(&request)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn receive(&mut self) -> std::io::Result<Vec<u8>> {
+        let reply_len = {
+            let mut raw = [0; 8];
+            self.stream.read_exact(&mut raw)?;
+            u64::from_le_bytes(raw) as usize
+        };
+        let mut reply = vec![0; reply_len];
+        self.stream.read_exact(&mut reply)?;
+        Ok(reply)
+    }
+}
+
+// taken from `std::net::tcp` module (still unstable)
+pub struct IntoIncoming {
+    listener: TcpListener,
+}
+
+impl Iterator for IntoIncoming {
+    type Item = std::io::Result<TcpStream>;
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<std::io::Result<TcpStream>> {
+        Some(self.listener.accept().map(|p| p.0))
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::iter::FusedIterator for IntoIncoming {}