diff --git a/src/guacenc/Makefile.am b/src/guacenc/Makefile.am
index 39b31e0e..7a6ec48f 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/guacenc/Makefile.am
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ guacenc_SOURCES =          \
     instruction-size.c     \
     instruction-sync.c     \
     instruction-transfer.c \
+    layer.c                \
     log.c
 
 guacenc_CFLAGS =            \
diff --git a/src/guacenc/display.c b/src/guacenc/display.c
index 9e18bd01..8a17eadf 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/display.c
+++ b/src/guacenc/display.c
@@ -46,12 +46,80 @@ int guacenc_display_sync(guacenc_display* display, guac_timestamp timestamp) {
 
 }
 
+guacenc_layer* guacenc_display_get_layer(guacenc_display* display,
+        int index) {
+
+    /* Do not lookup / allocate if index is invalid */
+    if (index < 0 || index > GUACENC_DISPLAY_MAX_LAYERS) {
+        guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "Layer index out of bounds: %i", index);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    /* Lookup layer, allocating a new layer if necessary */
+    guacenc_layer* layer = display->layers[index];
+    if (layer == NULL) {
+
+        /* Attempt to allocate layer */
+        layer = guacenc_layer_alloc();
+        if (layer == NULL) {
+            guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "Layer allocation failed");
+            return NULL;
+        }
+
+        /* Store layer within display for future retrieval / management */
+        display->layers[index] = layer;
+
+    }
+
+    return layer;
+
+}
+
+int guacenc_display_free_layer(guacenc_display* display,
+        int index) {
+
+    /* Do not lookup / allocate if index is invalid */
+    if (index < 0 || index > GUACENC_DISPLAY_MAX_LAYERS) {
+        guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "Layer index out of bounds: %i", index);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    /* Free layer (if allocated) */
+    guacenc_layer_free(display->layers[index]);
+
+    /* Mark layer as freed */
+    display->layers[index] = NULL;
+
+    return 0;
+
+}
+
 guacenc_display* guacenc_display_alloc() {
     return (guacenc_display*) calloc(1, sizeof(guacenc_display));
 }
 
 int guacenc_display_free(guacenc_display* display) {
+
+    int i;
+
+    /* Ignore NULL display */
+    if (display == NULL)
+        return 0;
+
+    /* Free all buffers */
+    for (i = 0; i < GUACENC_DISPLAY_MAX_BUFFERS; i++)
+        free(display->buffers[i]);
+
+    /* Free all layers */
+    for (i = 0; i < GUACENC_DISPLAY_MAX_LAYERS; i++)
+        guacenc_layer_free(display->layers[i]);
+
+    /* Free all streams */
+    for (i = 0; i < GUACENC_DISPLAY_MAX_STREAMS; i++)
+        free(display->image_streams[i]);
+
     free(display);
     return 0;
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/guacenc/display.h b/src/guacenc/display.h
index e4638db0..b5fb1ca4 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/display.h
+++ b/src/guacenc/display.h
@@ -114,15 +114,45 @@ guacenc_display* guacenc_display_alloc();
 
 /**
  * Frees all memory associated with the given Guacamole video encoder display,
- * and finishes any underlying encoding process.
+ * and finishes any underlying encoding process. If the given display is NULL,
+ * this function has no effect.
  *
  * @param display
- *     The Guacamole video encoder display to free.
+ *     The Guacamole video encoder display to free, which may be NULL.
  *
  * @return
  *     Zero if the encoding process completed successfully, non-zero otherwise.
  */
 int guacenc_display_free(guacenc_display* display);
 
+/**
+ * Returns the layer having the given index. A new layer will be allocated if
+ * necessary. If the layer having the given index already exists, it will be
+ * returned.
+ *
+ * @param index
+ *     The index of the layer to retrieve.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     The layer having the given index, or NULL if the index is invalid or
+ *     a new layer cannot be allocated.
+ */
+guacenc_layer* guacenc_display_get_layer(guacenc_display* display,
+        int index);
+
+/**
+ * Frees all resources associated with the layer having the given index. If
+ * the layer has not been allocated, this function has no effect.
+ *
+ * @param index
+ *     The index of the layer to free.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     Zero if the layer was successfully freed or was not allocated, non-zero
+ *     if the layer could not be freed as the index was invalid.
+ */
+int guacenc_display_free_layer(guacenc_display* display,
+        int index);
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/guacenc/instruction-dispose.c b/src/guacenc/instruction-dispose.c
index 8d8333f3..fef6f363 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/instruction-dispose.c
+++ b/src/guacenc/instruction-dispose.c
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ int guacenc_handle_dispose(guacenc_display* display, int argc, char** argv) {
     /* Parse arguments */
     int index = atoi(argv[0]);
 
-    /* STUB */
-    guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "dispose: layer=%i", index);
-    return 0;
+    /* Dispose of layer */
+    return guacenc_display_free_layer(display, index);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/guacenc/instruction-move.c b/src/guacenc/instruction-move.c
index 88e5d606..f929ee83 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/instruction-move.c
+++ b/src/guacenc/instruction-move.c
@@ -43,9 +43,21 @@ int guacenc_handle_move(guacenc_display* display, int argc, char** argv) {
     int y = atoi(argv[3]);
     int z = atoi(argv[4]);
 
-    /* STUB */
-    guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "move: layer=%i parent=%i (%i, %i) z=%i",
-            layer_index, parent_index, x, y, z);
+    /* Retrieve requested layer */
+    guacenc_layer* layer = guacenc_display_get_layer(display, layer_index);
+    if (layer == NULL)
+        return 1;
+
+    /* Validate parent layer */
+    if (guacenc_display_get_layer(display, parent_index) == NULL)
+        return 1;
+
+    /* Update layer properties */
+    layer->parent_index = parent_index;
+    layer->x = x;
+    layer->y = y;
+    layer->z = z;
+
     return 0;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/guacenc/instruction-shade.c b/src/guacenc/instruction-shade.c
index 466568c9..414eafbc 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/instruction-shade.c
+++ b/src/guacenc/instruction-shade.c
@@ -40,8 +40,14 @@ int guacenc_handle_shade(guacenc_display* display, int argc, char** argv) {
     int index = atoi(argv[0]);
     int opacity = atoi(argv[1]);
 
-    /* STUB */
-    guacenc_log(GUAC_LOG_DEBUG, "shade: layer=%i opacity=0x%X", index, opacity);
+    /* Retrieve requested layer */
+    guacenc_layer* layer = guacenc_display_get_layer(display, index);
+    if (layer == NULL)
+        return 1;
+
+    /* Update layer properties */
+    layer->opacity = opacity;
+
     return 0;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/guacenc/layer.c b/src/guacenc/layer.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1265622b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/guacenc/layer.c
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Glyptodon, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "layer.h"
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+guacenc_layer* guacenc_layer_alloc() {
+
+    /* Allocate new layer */
+    guacenc_layer* layer = (guacenc_layer*) calloc(1, sizeof(guacenc_layer));
+    if (layer == NULL)
+        return NULL;
+
+    /* Layers default to fully opaque */
+    layer->opacity = 0xFF;
+
+    return layer;
+
+}
+
+void guacenc_layer_free(guacenc_layer* layer) {
+    free(layer);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/guacenc/layer.h b/src/guacenc/layer.h
index 739d2aa1..50f47040 100644
--- a/src/guacenc/layer.h
+++ b/src/guacenc/layer.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ typedef struct guacenc_layer {
      * The actual image contents of this layer, as well as this layer's size
      * (width and height).
      */
-    guacenc_buffer buffer;
+    guacenc_buffer* buffer;
 
     /**
      * The index of the layer that contains this layer. If this layer is the
@@ -76,5 +76,25 @@ typedef struct guacenc_layer {
 
 } guacenc_layer;
 
+/**
+ * Allocates and initializes a new layer object. This allocation is independent
+ * of the Guacamole video encoder display; the allocated guacenc_layer will not
+ * automatically be associated with the active display.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     A newly-allocated and initialized guacenc_layer, or NULL if allocation
+ *     fails.
+ */
+guacenc_layer* guacenc_layer_alloc();
+
+/**
+ * Frees all memory associated with the given layer object. If the layer
+ * provided is NULL, this function has no effect.
+ *
+ * @param layer
+ *     The layer to free, which may be NULL.
+ */
+void guacenc_layer_free(guacenc_layer* layer);
+
 #endif