diff --git a/Remote.hs b/Remote.hs
index f281d565a4..71bc08c8ae 100644
--- a/Remote.hs
+++ b/Remote.hs
@@ -44,17 +44,16 @@ import LocationLog
 import Locations
 import Messages
 
-{- Add generators for new Remotes here. -}
-generators :: [Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)]
-generators =
-	[ Remote.Git.generate
-	, Remote.S3.generate
+remoteTypes :: [RemoteType Annex]
+remoteTypes =
+	[ Remote.Git.remote
+	, Remote.S3.remote
 	]
 
-{- Runs a list of generators. -}
-runGenerators :: [Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)] -> Annex [Remote Annex]
-runGenerators gs = do
-	(actions, expensive) <- collect ([], []) gs
+{- Runs the generators of each type of Remote -}
+runGenerators :: Annex [Remote Annex]
+runGenerators = do
+	(actions, expensive) <- collect ([], []) $ map generator remoteTypes
 	when (not $ null expensive) $
 		showNote $ "getting UUID for " ++ join ", " expensive
 	sequence actions
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ genList = do
 	rs <- Annex.getState Annex.remotes
 	if null rs
 		then do
-			rs' <- runGenerators generators
+			rs' <- runGenerators
 			Annex.changeState $ \s -> s { Annex.remotes = rs' }
 			return rs'
 		else return rs
diff --git a/Remote/Git.hs b/Remote/Git.hs
index 9021a2230c..68bd172e91 100644
--- a/Remote/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Git.hs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  -}
 
 module Remote.Git (
-	generate,
+	remote,
 	onRemote
 ) where
 
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ import RsyncFile
 import Ssh
 import Config
 
-generate :: Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)
-generate = do
+remote :: RemoteType Annex
+remote = RemoteType { typename = "git", generator = gen }
+
+gen :: Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)
+gen = do
 	g <- Annex.gitRepo
 	allremotes <- filterM remoteNotIgnored $ Git.remotes g
 
@@ -64,7 +67,10 @@ genRemote r = do
 		retrieveKeyFile = copyFromRemote r,
 		removeKey = dropKey r,
 		hasKey = inAnnex r,
-		hasKeyCheap = not (Git.repoIsUrl r)
+		hasKeyCheap = not (Git.repoIsUrl r),
+		hasConfig = False,
+		config = Nothing,
+		setup = \_ -> return ()
 	}
 
 {- Tries to read the config for a specified remote, updates state, and
diff --git a/Remote/S3.hs b/Remote/S3.hs
index 23ec33bb59..4aa1bc639b 100644
--- a/Remote/S3.hs
+++ b/Remote/S3.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
 
-module Remote.S3 (generate) where
+module Remote.S3 (remote) where
 
 import Network.AWS.AWSConnection
 import Network.AWS.S3Object
@@ -27,8 +27,11 @@ import qualified Annex
 import UUID
 import Config
 
-generate :: Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)
-generate = do
+remote :: RemoteType Annex
+remote = RemoteType { typename = "S3", generator = gen }
+
+gen :: Annex (RemoteGenerator Annex)
+gen = do
 	g <- Annex.gitRepo
 	remotes <- filterM remoteNotIgnored $ findS3Remotes g
 	todo <- filterM cachedUUID remotes
@@ -64,7 +67,10 @@ genRemote r u = do
 		retrieveKeyFile = error "TODO",
 		removeKey = error "TODO",
 		hasKey = error "TODO",
-		hasKeyCheap = False
+		hasKeyCheap = False,
+		hasConfig = True,
+		config = Nothing,
+		setup = \_ -> return ()
 	}
 
 s3Connection :: Git.Repo -> Annex (Maybe AWSConnection)
diff --git a/RemoteClass.hs b/RemoteClass.hs
index eb4a017486..f3cc9379b0 100644
--- a/RemoteClass.hs
+++ b/RemoteClass.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 module RemoteClass where
 
 import Control.Exception
+import Data.Map as M
 
 import Key
 
@@ -18,6 +19,15 @@ import Key
  - that are not cheap to set up. -}
 type RemoteGenerator a = ([a (Remote a)], [String])
 
+{- There are different types of remotes. -}
+data RemoteType a = RemoteType {
+	-- human visible type name
+	typename :: String,
+	-- generates remotes of this type
+	generator :: a (RemoteGenerator a)
+}
+
+{- An individual remote. -}
 data Remote a = Remote {
 	-- each Remote has a unique uuid
 	uuid :: String,
@@ -36,7 +46,12 @@ data Remote a = Remote {
 	hasKey :: Key -> a (Either IOException Bool),
 	-- Some remotes can check hasKey without an expensive network
 	-- operation.
-	hasKeyCheap :: Bool
+	hasKeyCheap :: Bool,
+	-- a Remote may have a persistent configuration store
+	hasConfig :: Bool,
+	config :: Maybe (M.Map String String),
+	-- initializes or changes the config of a remote
+	setup :: M.Map String String -> a ()
 }
 
 instance Show (Remote a) where