diff --git a/thead/ipns/ipns.go b/thead/ipns/ipns.go
index b7e3f88..5e9df20 100644
--- a/thead/ipns/ipns.go
+++ b/thead/ipns/ipns.go
@@ -1,2 +1,105 @@
 // Package ipns provides implementation for pdcl head management based on ipns protocol.
 package ipns
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"path"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
+	shell "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-api"
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multibase"
+
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/thead"
+)
+
+var _ thead.Reader = (*BasicHeadReader)(nil)
+
+// BasicHeadReader get's topic head from given IPNS address
+type BasicHeadReader struct {
+	sh       *shell.Shell
+	resolver resolver
+	ipnsAddr string
+}
+
+func NewBasicHeadReader(sh *shell.Shell, ipnsAddr string) *BasicHeadReader {
+	bhr := &BasicHeadReader{
+		sh:       sh,
+		resolver: newShellResolver(sh),
+		ipnsAddr: ipnsAddr,
+	}
+	bhr.ipnsAddr = ipnsAddr
+	return bhr
+}
+
+func (hr *BasicHeadReader) ReadHead(ctx context.Context) (cid.Cid, error) {
+	id, err := hr.resolver.resolveIPNS(hr.ipnsAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return cid.Cid{}, err
+	}
+	return id, nil
+}
+
+// BasicHeadSetter sets default IPFS daemon's IPNS key address to point to given CID
+type BasicHeadSetter struct {
+	sh *shell.Shell
+}
+
+func NewBasicHeadSetter(sh *shell.Shell) *BasicHeadSetter {
+	return &BasicHeadSetter{sh: sh}
+}
+
+func (bhs *BasicHeadSetter) SetHead(ctx context.Context, cid cid.Cid) error {
+	ipfsAddr := path.Join("/ipfs/", cid.String())
+	_, err := bhs.sh.PublishWithDetails(ipfsAddr, "", 24*time.Hour, 10*time.Minute, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("publishing ipns update to ipfs daemon: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// BasicHeadManager can be used by Sentinel to manage topic head
+// Since consumers don't set topic's head, it should not be used by them.
+// Use HeadReader implementation to get topic head for consumer
+// and some other (e.g. memory or disk) implementation to store internal consumer offset
+type BasicHeadManager struct {
+	*BasicHeadReader
+	*BasicHeadSetter
+}
+
+// NewBasicHeadManager initializes BasicHeadManager with default daemon's key used as PK for topic's head
+func NewBasicHeadManager(sh *shell.Shell) (BasicHeadManager, error) {
+	ipnsAddr, err := GetDaemonIPNSAddress(sh)
+	if err != nil {
+		return BasicHeadManager{}, fmt.Errorf("get daemon IPNS address: %w", err)
+	}
+	return BasicHeadManager{
+		BasicHeadReader: NewBasicHeadReader(sh, ipnsAddr),
+		BasicHeadSetter: NewBasicHeadSetter(sh),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// GetDaemonIPNSAddress gets IPNS address attached to daemon's default key.
+//	In most scenarios it's to be used when initializing
+//  sentinel with some existing daemon to use its default
+//  ipns address as IPNS head.
+func GetDaemonIPNSAddress(sh *shell.Shell) (string, error) {
+	// this implementation is extremely non-obvious
+	// because IPFS doesn't normally allow for finding IPNS address
+	// of given key unless some file is added to it.
+	resp, err := sh.ID()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("get IPFS ID: %w", err)
+	}
+	pid, err := peer.Decode(resp.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("decode peer ID: %w", err)
+	}
+	ipnsAddr, err := peer.ToCid(pid).StringOfBase(multibase.Base36)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("encode ipns address: %w", err)
+	}
+	return ipnsAddr, nil
+}
diff --git a/thead/ipns/resolver.go b/thead/ipns/resolver.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97fd989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thead/ipns/resolver.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package ipns
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"path"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/pdcl"
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
+	shell "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-api"
+)
+
+type resolver interface {
+	// resolveIPNS finds IPFS address that's pointed by given IPNS address
+	resolveIPNS(ipnsName string) (ipfsAddress cid.Cid, err error)
+}
+
+type shellResolver struct {
+	shell *shell.Shell
+}
+
+func newShellResolver(shell *shell.Shell) *shellResolver {
+	return &shellResolver{shell: shell}
+}
+
+func (m *shellResolver) resolveIPNS(ipnsName string) (ipfsAddress cid.Cid, err error) {
+	resolvedAddr, err := m.shell.Resolve(path.Join("/ipns/", ipnsName))
+	if err != nil {
+		return cid.Undef, fmt.Errorf("resolve %s from IPNS: %w", ipnsName, err)
+	}
+	resolvedCid, err := pdcl.ParseCID(strings.TrimPrefix(resolvedAddr, "/ipfs/"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return cid.Undef, fmt.Errorf("parse resolved IPNS address to CID: %w", err)
+	}
+	return resolvedCid, nil
+}
diff --git a/thead/ipns/test/ipns_test.go b/thead/ipns/test/ipns_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1685d9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thead/ipns/test/ipns_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Package ipns provides implementation for pdcl head management based on ipns protocol.
+package ipns
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/storage/message/ipfs"
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/storage/pbcodec"
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/test/testpb"
+	"github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/thead"
+	. "github.com/areknoster/public-distributed-commit-log/thead/ipns"
+	shell "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-api"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestHeadManager_WriteReadHead(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("skipping because ipfs daemon is needed")
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Minute)
+	t.Cleanup(cancel)
+
+	sh := shell.NewShell("localhost:5001")
+
+	storage := ipfs.NewStorage(sh, pbcodec.ProtoBuf{})
+	msg := testpb.MakeCurrentRandomTestMessage()
+	id, err := storage.Write(ctx, msg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Log("message written")
+
+	var headManager thead.Manager
+	headManager, err = NewBasicHeadManager(sh)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, headManager.SetHead(ctx, id))
+
+	headCid, err := headManager.ReadHead(ctx)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, id, headCid)
+}