diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/IUmbracoContextFactory.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/IUmbracoContextFactory.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d89578da7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/IUmbracoContextFactory.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+using System.Web;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Web
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates and manages <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> instances.
+    /// </summary>
+    public interface IUmbracoContextFactory
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Ensures that a current <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> exists.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// <para>If an <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> is already registered in the
+        /// <see cref="IUmbracoContextAccessor"/>, returns a non-root reference to it.
+        /// Otherwise, create a new instance, registers it, and return a root reference
+        /// to it.</para>
+        /// <para>If <paramref name="httpContext"/> is null, the factory tries to use
+        /// <see cref="HttpContext.Current"/> if it exists. Otherwise, it uses a dummy
+        /// <see cref="HttpContextBase"/>.</para>
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <example>
+        /// using (var contextReference = contextFactory.EnsureUmbracoContext())
+        /// {
+        ///   var umbracoContext = contextReference.UmbracoContext;
+        ///   // use umbracoContext...
+        /// }
+        /// </example>
+        /// <param name="httpContext">An optional http context.</param>
+        UmbracoContextReference EnsureUmbracoContext(HttpContextBase httpContext = null);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextFactory.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextFactory.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86b8740931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextFactory.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Web;
+using System.Web.Hosting;
+using Umbraco.Core.Configuration;
+using Umbraco.Core.Configuration.UmbracoSettings;
+using Umbraco.Core.Models.PublishedContent;
+using Umbraco.Core.Services;
+using Umbraco.Web.PublishedCache;
+using Umbraco.Web.Routing;
+using Umbraco.Web.Security;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Web
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates and manages <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> instances.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class UmbracoContextFactory : IUmbracoContextFactory
+    {
+        private static readonly NulWriter NulWriterInstance = new NulWriter();
+
+        private readonly IUmbracoContextAccessor _umbracoContextAccessor;
+        private readonly IPublishedSnapshotService _publishedSnapshotService;
+        private readonly IVariationContextAccessor _variationContextAccessor;
+        private readonly IDefaultCultureAccessor _defaultCultureAccessor;
+
+        private readonly IUmbracoSettingsSection _umbracoSettings;
+        private readonly IGlobalSettings _globalSettings;
+        private readonly IEnumerable<IUrlProvider> _urlProviders;
+        private readonly IUserService _userService;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="UmbracoContextFactory"/> class.
+        /// </summary>
+        public UmbracoContextFactory(IUmbracoContextAccessor umbracoContextAccessor, IPublishedSnapshotService publishedSnapshotService, IVariationContextAccessor variationContextAccessor, IDefaultCultureAccessor defaultCultureAccessor, IUmbracoSettingsSection umbracoSettings, IGlobalSettings globalSettings, IEnumerable<IUrlProvider> urlProviders, IUserService userService)
+        {
+            _umbracoContextAccessor = umbracoContextAccessor ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(umbracoContextAccessor));
+            _publishedSnapshotService = publishedSnapshotService ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(publishedSnapshotService));
+            _variationContextAccessor = variationContextAccessor ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(variationContextAccessor));
+            _defaultCultureAccessor = defaultCultureAccessor ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(defaultCultureAccessor));
+
+            _umbracoSettings = umbracoSettings ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(umbracoSettings));
+            _globalSettings = globalSettings ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(globalSettings));
+            _urlProviders = urlProviders ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(urlProviders));
+            _userService = userService ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(userService));
+        }
+
+        private UmbracoContext CreateUmbracoContext(HttpContextBase httpContext)
+        {
+            // make sure we have a variation context
+            if (_variationContextAccessor.VariationContext == null)
+                _variationContextAccessor.VariationContext = new VariationContext(_defaultCultureAccessor.DefaultCulture);
+
+            var webSecurity = new WebSecurity(httpContext, _userService, _globalSettings);
+
+            return new UmbracoContext(httpContext, _publishedSnapshotService, webSecurity, _umbracoSettings, _urlProviders, _globalSettings, _variationContextAccessor);
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public UmbracoContextReference EnsureUmbracoContext(HttpContextBase httpContext = null)
+        {
+            var currentUmbracoContext = _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext;
+            if (currentUmbracoContext != null)
+                return new UmbracoContextReference(currentUmbracoContext, false, _umbracoContextAccessor);
+
+            httpContext = httpContext ?? new HttpContextWrapper(HttpContext.Current ?? new HttpContext(new SimpleWorkerRequest("nul.aspx", "", NulWriterInstance)));
+
+            var umbracoContext = CreateUmbracoContext(httpContext);
+            _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext = umbracoContext;
+
+            return new UmbracoContextReference(umbracoContext, true, _umbracoContextAccessor);
+        }
+
+        // dummy TextWriter that does not write
+        private class NulWriter : TextWriter
+        {
+            public override Encoding Encoding => Encoding.UTF8;
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextReference.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextReference.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be0458c3a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/UmbracoContextReference.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+using System;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Web
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Represents a reference to an <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> instance.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    /// <para>A reference points to an <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> and it may own it (when it
+    /// is a root reference) or just reference it. A reference must be disposed after it has
+    /// been used. Disposing does nothing if the reference is not a root reference. Otherwise,
+    /// it disposes the <see cref="UmbracoContext"/> and clears the
+    /// <see cref="IUmbracoContextAccessor"/>.</para>
+    /// </remarks>
+    public class UmbracoContextReference : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly IUmbracoContextAccessor _umbracoContextAccessor;
+        private bool _disposed;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="UmbracoContextReference"/> class.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal UmbracoContextReference(UmbracoContext umbracoContext, bool isRoot, IUmbracoContextAccessor umbracoContextAccessor)
+        {
+            UmbracoContext = umbracoContext;
+            IsRoot = isRoot;
+
+            _umbracoContextAccessor = umbracoContextAccessor;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets the <see cref="UmbracoContext"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        public UmbracoContext UmbracoContext { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets a value indicating whether the reference is a root reference.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// <para></para>
+        /// </remarks>
+        public bool IsRoot { get; }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            if (_disposed)
+                return;
+            _disposed = true;
+
+            if (IsRoot)
+            {
+                UmbracoContext.Dispose();
+                _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext = null;
+            }
+
+            GC.SuppressFinalize(this);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file