diff --git a/paddle/framework/CMakeLists.txt b/paddle/framework/CMakeLists.txt
index 46439c2d2775d9de1e2bcc0cddd27b75d8bc9eb6..af4079875a50ffe6eb627492f834fb601bbee716 100644
--- a/paddle/framework/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/paddle/framework/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,6 @@ cc_library(init SRCS init.cc DEPS gflags device_context place stringpiece operat
 cc_test(init_test SRCS init_test.cc DEPS init)
 
 cc_test(op_kernel_type_test SRCS op_kernel_type_test.cc DEPS place device_context framework_proto)
-
+cc_test(cow_ptr_tests SRCS details/cow_ptr_test.cc)
 nv_test(device_data_transform_test SRCS device_data_transform_test.cu
         DEPS operator op_registry init math_function)
diff --git a/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr.h b/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7e308ffb5a49876aa2c1833b3b7e2a2c7eb137aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr.h
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserved.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License. */
+
+#pragma once
+#include <memory>
+#include <thread>
+
+namespace paddle {
+namespace framework {
+namespace details {
+
+// Change it to thread safe flags if needed.
+class ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags {
+ public:
+  ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags(bool flag) : flag_(flag) {}
+
+  ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags(const ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags& other) = delete;
+  ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags& operator=(
+      const ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags& other) = delete;
+  ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags(ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags&& other) = default;
+
+  void SetOwnership(bool flag) { flag_ = flag; }
+
+  // Invoke the callback if it is not owned.
+  template <typename Callback>
+  void AcquireOwnershipOnce(Callback acquire) {
+    if (!flag_) {
+      acquire();
+      flag_ = true;
+    }
+  }
+
+ private:
+  bool flag_;
+};
+
+// Copy-On-Write pointer.
+// It will hold a T* pointer, and only copy once when `MutableData` is invoked.
+//
+// The template parameter OwnershipFlags should have:
+//   * a constructor takes a bool. True if own.
+//   * SetOwnership(bool flag).
+//   * AcquireOwnershipOnce(Callback). It will invoke the callback if it is not
+//     owned.
+//
+// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy-on-write
+template <typename T, typename OwnershipFlags = ThreadUnsafeOwnershipFlags>
+class COWPtr {
+ public:
+  // Ctor from raw pointer.
+  explicit COWPtr(T* ptr) : payload_(ptr), ownership_{true} {}
+
+  // Move methods. Steal ownership from origin
+  COWPtr(COWPtr&& other)
+      : payload_(other.payload_), ownership_{std::move(other.ownership_)} {}
+  COWPtr& operator=(COWPtr&& origin) = default;
+
+  // Copy methods. Not own payload
+  COWPtr(const COWPtr& other) : payload_(other.payload_), ownership_{false} {}
+  COWPtr& operator=(const COWPtr& other) {
+    payload_ = other.payload_;
+    ownership_.SetOwnership(false);
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  // Access read only data.
+  const T& Data() const { return *payload_; }
+
+  // Access mutable data. If the data is not owned, the data will be copied
+  // before.
+  T* MutableData() {
+    ownership_.AcquireOwnershipOnce(
+        [this] { payload_.reset(new T(*payload_)); });
+    return payload_.get();
+  }
+
+ private:
+  // Actual data pointer.
+  std::shared_ptr<T> payload_;
+
+  // Ownership flag.
+  OwnershipFlags ownership_;
+};
+
+}  // namespace details
+}  // namespace framework
+}  // namespace paddle
diff --git a/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr_test.cc b/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr_test.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..936954a2333e7e5d2a932abad641279db9ef7b9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr_test.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserved.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License. */
+
+#include "paddle/framework/details/cow_ptr.h"
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+
+namespace paddle {
+namespace framework {
+namespace details {
+
+TEST(COWPtr, all) {
+  COWPtr<int> ptr(new int{0});
+  ASSERT_EQ(ptr.Data(), 0);
+  COWPtr<int> ptr2 = ptr;
+  ASSERT_EQ(ptr2.Data(), 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(&ptr2.Data(), &ptr.Data());
+  *ptr2.MutableData() = 10;
+  ASSERT_EQ(ptr.Data(), 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(ptr2.Data(), 10);
+}
+
+}  // namespace details
+}  // namespace framework
+}  // namespace paddle