diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3247c35..358de67 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ endfunction()
 set(SAFECROWD_SRC_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src")
 
 add_library(ecs_engine STATIC
+    src/engine/Entity.h
+    src/engine/EntityRegistry.h
     src/engine/EngineConfig.h
     src/engine/EngineRuntime.h
     src/engine/EngineState.h
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ add_library(ecs_engine STATIC
     src/engine/EngineStepContext.h
     src/engine/EngineSystem.h
     src/engine/FrameClock.h
+    src/engine/EntityRegistry.cpp
     src/engine/EngineRuntime.cpp
     src/engine/FrameClock.cpp
 )
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ if (BUILD_TESTING)
     add_executable(safecrowd_tests
         tests/TestMain.cpp
         tests/TestSupport.h
+        tests/EngineRegistryTests.cpp
         tests/FrameClockTests.cpp
         tests/EngineRuntimeTests.cpp
         tests/SafeCrowdDomainTests.cpp
diff --git a/src/engine/Entity.h b/src/engine/Entity.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c25335b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/Entity.h
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <compare>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <limits>
+#include <ostream>
+
+namespace safecrowd::engine {
+
+using EntityIndex = std::uint32_t;
+using EntityGeneration = std::uint32_t;
+
+struct Entity {
+    static constexpr EntityIndex invalidIndex = std::numeric_limits<EntityIndex>::max();
+
+    EntityIndex index{invalidIndex};
+    EntityGeneration generation{0};
+
+    [[nodiscard]] constexpr bool isValid() const noexcept {
+        return index != invalidIndex;
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr Entity invalid() noexcept {
+        return {};
+    }
+
+    auto operator<=>(const Entity&) const = default;
+};
+
+inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const Entity& entity) {
+    stream << "Entity{index=" << entity.index << ", generation=" << entity.generation << "}";
+    return stream;
+}
+
+}  // namespace safecrowd::engine
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/engine/EntityRegistry.cpp b/src/engine/EntityRegistry.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7476d90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/EntityRegistry.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#include "engine/EntityRegistry.h"
+
+#include <sstream>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <utility>
+
+namespace safecrowd::engine {
+namespace {
+
+std::string describeEntity(Entity entity) {
+    std::ostringstream stream;
+    stream << entity;
+    return stream.str();
+}
+
+}  // namespace
+
+EntityRegistry::EntityRegistry(std::size_t maxEntityCount)
+    : entries_(maxEntityCount) {
+    freeIndices_.resize(maxEntityCount);
+
+    for (std::size_t index = 0; index < maxEntityCount; ++index) {
+        freeIndices_[index] = static_cast<EntityIndex>(index);
+    }
+}
+
+Entity EntityRegistry::allocate() {
+    if (freeIndices_.empty()) {
+        throw std::overflow_error("EntityRegistry capacity exhausted.");
+    }
+
+    const EntityIndex index = freeIndices_.front();
+    freeIndices_.pop_front();
+
+    Entry& entry = entries_[index];
+    entry.alive = true;
+    entry.signature.reset();
+
+    return Entity{index, entry.generation};
+}
+
+void EntityRegistry::release(Entity entity) {
+    Entry& entry = entryFor(entity);
+    entry.alive = false;
+    entry.signature.reset();
+    ++entry.generation;
+    freeIndices_.push_back(entity.index);
+}
+
+bool EntityRegistry::isAlive(Entity entity) const noexcept {
+    if (!entity.isValid()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const auto index = static_cast<std::size_t>(entity.index);
+    if (index >= entries_.size()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const Entry& entry = entries_[index];
+    return entry.alive && entry.generation == entity.generation;
+}
+
+void EntityRegistry::setSignature(Entity entity, Signature signature) {
+    Entry& entry = entryFor(entity);
+    entry.signature = signature;
+}
+
+Signature EntityRegistry::signatureOf(Entity entity) const {
+    return entryFor(entity).signature;
+}
+
+const EntityRegistry::Entry& EntityRegistry::entryFor(Entity entity) const {
+    if (!entity.isValid()) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid entity handle.");
+    }
+
+    const auto index = static_cast<std::size_t>(entity.index);
+    if (index >= entries_.size()) {
+        throw std::out_of_range("Entity index is out of range.");
+    }
+
+    const Entry& entry = entries_[index];
+    if (!entry.alive || entry.generation != entity.generation) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Stale or dead entity handle: " + describeEntity(entity));
+    }
+
+    return entry;
+}
+
+EntityRegistry::Entry& EntityRegistry::entryFor(Entity entity) {
+    return const_cast<Entry&>(std::as_const(*this).entryFor(entity));
+}
+
+}  // namespace safecrowd::engine
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/engine/EntityRegistry.h b/src/engine/EntityRegistry.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..392d487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/EntityRegistry.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <bitset>
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <deque>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "engine/Entity.h"
+
+namespace safecrowd::engine {
+
+inline constexpr std::size_t kMaxComponentTypes = 64;
+using Signature = std::bitset<kMaxComponentTypes>;
+
+class EntityRegistry {
+public:
+    explicit EntityRegistry(std::size_t maxEntityCount = 4096);
+
+    [[nodiscard]] Entity allocate();
+    void release(Entity entity);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool isAlive(Entity entity) const noexcept;
+    void setSignature(Entity entity, Signature signature);
+    [[nodiscard]] Signature signatureOf(Entity entity) const;
+
+private:
+    struct Entry {
+        EntityGeneration generation{0};
+        bool alive{false};
+        Signature signature{};
+    };
+
+    [[nodiscard]] const Entry& entryFor(Entity entity) const;
+    [[nodiscard]] Entry& entryFor(Entity entity);
+
+    std::vector<Entry> entries_;
+    std::deque<EntityIndex> freeIndices_;
+};
+
+}  // namespace safecrowd::engine
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/EngineRegistryTests.cpp b/tests/EngineRegistryTests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5aa753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/EngineRegistryTests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#include "TestSupport.h"
+
+#include "engine/EntityRegistry.h"
+
+SC_TEST(EntityRegistryReusesIndexWithNewGeneration) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EntityRegistry registry(1);
+
+    const auto first = registry.allocate();
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(registry.isAlive(first));
+
+    registry.release(first);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(!registry.isAlive(first));
+
+    const auto second = registry.allocate();
+    SC_EXPECT_EQ(second.index, first.index);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(second.generation > first.generation);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(registry.isAlive(second));
+}
+
+SC_TEST(EntityRegistryRejectsStaleEntityHandles) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EntityRegistry registry(1);
+
+    const auto entity = registry.allocate();
+    registry.release(entity);
+
+    bool threwOnRelease = false;
+    try {
+        registry.release(entity);
+    } catch (const std::invalid_argument&) {
+        threwOnRelease = true;
+    }
+
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(threwOnRelease);
+
+    bool threwOnSignatureRead = false;
+    try {
+        static_cast<void>(registry.signatureOf(entity));
+    } catch (const std::invalid_argument&) {
+        threwOnSignatureRead = true;
+    }
+
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(threwOnSignatureRead);
+}
+
+SC_TEST(EntityRegistryStoresSignaturesPerLiveEntity) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EntityRegistry registry(1);
+
+    const auto entity = registry.allocate();
+    safecrowd::engine::Signature signature;
+    signature.set(1);
+    signature.set(5);
+
+    registry.setSignature(entity, signature);
+
+    const auto stored = registry.signatureOf(entity);
+    SC_EXPECT_EQ(stored, signature);
+}
\ No newline at end of file