diff --git a/include/villas/node.h b/include/villas/node.h
index 54ce70e81..93e8f6b7c 100644
--- a/include/villas/node.h
+++ b/include/villas/node.h
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@
  *
  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- *
+ *********************************************************************************/
+
+/**
  * @addtogroup node Node
  * @{
- *********************************************************************************/
+ */
 
 #pragma once
 
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ struct node
 	struct stats *stats;	/**< Statistic counters. This is a pointer to the statistic hooks private data. */
 
 	struct list hooks;	/**< List of write hooks (struct hook). */
+	struct list signals;	/**< List of signal meta data such as signal names */
 
 	enum state state;
 
@@ -83,6 +86,21 @@ int node_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg, const char *name);
 /** Parse settings of a node from cmdline. */
 int node_parse_cli(struct node *n, int argc, char *argv[]);
 
+/** Parse an array or single node and checks if they exist in the "nodes" section.
+ *
+ * Examples:
+ *     out = [ "sintef", "scedu" ]
+ *     out = "acs"
+ *
+ * @param cfg A JSON array or string. See examples above.
+ * @param nodes The nodes will be added to this list.
+ * @param all This list contains all valid nodes.
+ */
+int node_parse_list(struct list *list, json_t *cfg, struct list *all);
+
+/** Parse the list of signal definitions. */
+int node_parse_signals(struct list *list, json_t *cfg);
+
 /** Validate node configuration. */
 int node_check(struct node *n);
 
@@ -134,16 +152,4 @@ int node_write(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt);
 
 int node_fd(struct node *n);
 
-/** Parse an array or single node and checks if they exist in the "nodes" section.
- *
- * Examples:
- *     out = [ "sintef", "scedu" ]
- *     out = "acs"
- *
- * @param cfg A JSON array or string. See examples above.
- * @param nodes The nodes will be added to this list.
- * @param all This list contains all valid nodes.
- */
-int node_parse_list(struct list *list, json_t *cfg, struct list *all);
-
 /** @} */
diff --git a/include/villas/signal.h b/include/villas/signal.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0d3d2610
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/villas/signal.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/** Signal meta data.
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @author Steffen Vogel <stvogel@eonerc.rwth-aachen.de>
+ * @copyright 2018, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
+ * @license GNU General Public License (version 3)
+ *
+ * VILLASnode
+ *
+ * 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 3 of the License, or
+ * 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, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *********************************************************************************/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <jansson.h>
+
+/* Forward declarations */
+struct list;
+
+struct signal {
+	char *name;	/**< The name of the signal. */
+	enum {
+		SIGNAL_FORMAT_INTEGER,
+		SIGNAL_FORMAT_REAL
+	} format;
+};
+
+int signal_destroy(struct signal *s);
+
+int signal_parse(struct signal *s, json_t *cfg);
+
+int signal_parse_list(struct list *list, json_t *cfg);
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.villas.inc b/lib/Makefile.villas.inc
index 7e212188a..013d0bad7 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.villas.inc
+++ b/lib/Makefile.villas.inc
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ LIB_SRCS += $(addprefix lib/kernel/, kernel.c rt.c) \
                utils.c super_node.c hist.c timing.c pool.c list.c queue.c \
                queue_signalled.c memory.c advio.c plugin.c node_type.c stats.c \
                mapping.c shmem.c config_helper.c crypt.c compat.c \
-               log_helper.c task.c buffer.c table.c bitset.c \
+               log_helper.c task.c buffer.c table.c bitset.c signal.c \
             )
 
 LIB_LDFLAGS += -shared
diff --git a/lib/node.c b/lib/node.c
index f5d2716d5..6c228ac0e 100644
--- a/lib/node.c
+++ b/lib/node.c
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 #include <villas/sample.h>
 #include <villas/node.h>
 #include <villas/utils.h>
-#include <villas/config.h>
 #include <villas/plugin.h>
 #include <villas/config_helper.h>
 #include <villas/mapping.h>
 #include <villas/timing.h>
+#include <villas/signal.h>
 
 int node_init(struct node *n, struct node_type *vt)
 {
@@ -104,17 +104,19 @@ int node_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg, const char *name)
 
 	json_error_t err;
 	json_t *json_hooks = NULL;
+	json_t *json_signals = NULL;
 
 	const char *type;
 
 	n->name = strdup(name);
 
-	ret = json_unpack_ex(cfg, &err, 0, "{ s: s, s?: i, s?: i, s?: o, s?: b }",
+	ret = json_unpack_ex(cfg, &err, 0, "{ s: s, s?: i, s?: i, s?: o, s?: b, s?: o }",
 		"type", &type,
 		"vectorize", &n->vectorize,
 		"samplelen", &n->samplelen,
 		"hooks", &json_hooks,
-		"no_builtin", &n->no_builtin
+		"no_builtin", &n->no_builtin,
+		"signals", &json_signals
 	);
 	if (ret)
 		jerror(&err, "Failed to parse node '%s'", node_name(n));
@@ -130,6 +132,12 @@ int node_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg, const char *name)
 	}
 #endif /* WITH_HOOKS */
 
+	if (json_signals) {
+		ret = signal_parse_list(&n->signals, json_signals);
+		if (ret)
+			error("Failed to parse signal definition of node '%s'", node_name(n));
+	}
+
 	ret = n->_vt->parse ? n->_vt->parse(n, cfg) : 0;
 	if (ret)
 		error("Failed to parse node '%s'", node_name(n));
@@ -253,6 +261,8 @@ int node_destroy(struct node *n)
 
 	list_remove(&n->_vt->instances, n);
 
+	list_destroy(&n->signals, (dtor_cb_t) signal_destroy, true);
+
 	if (n->_vd)
 		free(n->_vd);
 
diff --git a/lib/signal.c b/lib/signal.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5513b3356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/signal.c
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/** Signal meta data.
+ *
+ * @author Steffen Vogel <stvogel@eonerc.rwth-aachen.de>
+ * @copyright 2017, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
+ * @license GNU General Public License (version 3)
+ *
+ * VILLASnode
+ *
+ * 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 3 of the License, or
+ * 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, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *********************************************************************************/
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "villas/signal.h"
+#include "villas/list.h"
+#include "villas/utils.h"
+
+int signal_destroy(struct signal *s)
+{
+	if (s->name)
+		free(s->name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int signal_parse(struct signal *s, json_t *cfg)
+{
+	int ret;
+	json_error_t err;
+	const char *name;
+
+	ret = json_unpack_ex(cfg, &err, 0, "s: s",
+		"name", &name
+	);
+	if (ret)
+		return -1;
+
+	s->name = strdup(name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int signal_parse_list(struct list *list, json_t *cfg)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!json_is_array(cfg))
+		return -1;
+
+	size_t index;
+	json_t *json_signal;
+	json_array_foreach(cfg, index, json_signal) {
+		struct signal *s = alloc(sizeof(struct signal));
+
+		ret = signal_parse(s, json_signal);
+		if (ret)
+			return -1;
+
+		list_push(list, s);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}