diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/abc.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/abc.py
index ccbb16256fb..1b29b19b451 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/abc.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/abc.py
@@ -1 +1,56 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2020, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+
+import abc
+import pickle
+from abc import abstractmethod
+
+import rmm
+
+
+class Serializable(abc.ABC):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def serialize(self):
+        pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    @abstractmethod
+    def deserialize(cls, header, frames):
+        pass
+
+    def device_serialize(self):
+        header, frames = self.serialize()
+        assert all((type(f) is cudf.core.buffer.Buffer) for f in frames)
+        header["type-serialized"] = pickle.dumps(type(self))
+        header["lengths"] = [f.nbytes for f in frames]
+        return header, frames
+
+    @classmethod
+    def device_deserialize(cls, header, frames):
+        for f in frames:
+            # some frames are empty -- meta/empty partitions/etc
+            if len(f) > 0:
+                assert hasattr(f, "__cuda_array_interface__")
+
+        typ = pickle.loads(header["type-serialized"])
+        obj = typ.deserialize(header, frames)
+
+        return obj
+
+    def host_serialize(self):
+        header, frames = self.device_serialize()
+        frames = [f.to_host_array().data for f in frames]
+        return header, frames
+
+    @classmethod
+    def host_deserialize(cls, header, frames):
+        frames = [
+            rmm.DeviceBuffer.to_device(memoryview(f).cast("B")) for f in frames
+        ]
+        obj = cls.device_deserialize(header, frames)
+        return obj
+
+    def __reduce_ex__(self, protocol):
+        header, frames = self.host_serialize()
+        if protocol >= 5:
+            frames = [pickle.PickleBuffer(f) for f in frames]
+        return self.host_deserialize, (header, frames)