diff --git a/services/blob/src/database/client.rs b/services/blob/src/database/client.rs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/blob/src/database/client.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+// TODO: Remove this when possible
+#![allow(unused)]
+
+use aws_sdk_dynamodb::{
+  operation::put_item::PutItemOutput,
+  types::{
+    AttributeValue, Delete, DeleteRequest, KeysAndAttributes, PutRequest,
+    TransactWriteItem, Update, WriteRequest,
+  },
+  Error as DynamoDBError,
+};
+use chrono::Utc;
+use comm_services_lib::database::parse_string_attribute;
+use std::{collections::HashMap, sync::Arc};
+use tracing::{debug, error, trace};
+
+use crate::constants::db::*;
+
+use super::errors::{BlobDBError, Error as DBError};
+use super::types::*;
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct DatabaseClient {
+  ddb: Arc<aws_sdk_dynamodb::Client>,
+}
+
+/// public interface implementation
+impl DatabaseClient {
+  pub fn new(aws_config: &aws_types::SdkConfig) -> Self {
+    DatabaseClient {
+      ddb: Arc::new(aws_sdk_dynamodb::Client::new(aws_config)),
+    }
+  }
+
+  /// Gets a blob item row from the database by its blob hash
+  /// Returns None if the blob item is not found
+  pub async fn get_blob_item(
+    &self,
+    blob_hash: impl Into<String>,
+  ) -> DBResult<Option<BlobItemRow>> {
+    let key = PrimaryKey::for_blob_item(blob_hash);
+    self
+      .get_raw_item(key.clone())
+      .await?
+      .map(BlobItemRow::try_from)
+      .transpose()
+  }
+
+  /// Inserts a new blob item row into the database. Returns Error
+  /// if the item already exists.
+  pub async fn put_blob_item(&self, blob_item: BlobItemInput) -> DBResult<()> {
+    let item = HashMap::from([
+      (
+        ATTR_BLOB_HASH.to_string(),
+        AttributeValue::S(blob_item.blob_hash),
+      ),
+      (
+        ATTR_HOLDER.to_string(),
+        AttributeValue::S(BLOB_ITEM_ROW_HOLDER_VALUE.into()),
+      ),
+      (
+        ATTR_S3_PATH.to_string(),
+        AttributeValue::S(blob_item.s3_path.to_full_path()),
+      ),
+      (ATTR_UNCHECKED.to_string(), UncheckedKind::Blob.into()),
+    ]);
+
+    self.insert_item(item).await?;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+
+  /// Deletes blob item row. Doesn't delete its holders.
+  pub async fn delete_blob_item(
+    &self,
+    blob_hash: impl Into<String>,
+  ) -> DBResult<()> {
+    let key = PrimaryKey::for_blob_item(blob_hash);
+    self
+      .ddb
+      .delete_item()
+      .table_name(BLOB_TABLE_NAME)
+      .set_key(Some(key.into()))
+      .send()
+      .await
+      .map_err(|err| {
+        debug!("DynamoDB client failed to delete blob item: {:?}", err);
+        DBError::AwsSdk(err.into())
+      })?;
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
+
+// private helpers
+impl DatabaseClient {
+  /// inserts a new item into the table using PutItem. Returns
+  /// error if the item already exists
+  async fn insert_item(
+    &self,
+    mut item: RawAttributes,
+  ) -> DBResult<PutItemOutput> {
+    // add metadata attributes common for all types of rows
+    let now = Utc::now().timestamp_millis();
+    item.insert(
+      ATTR_CREATED_AT.to_string(),
+      AttributeValue::N(now.to_string()),
+    );
+    item.insert(
+      ATTR_LAST_MODIFIED.to_string(),
+      AttributeValue::N(now.to_string()),
+    );
+
+    self
+      .ddb
+      .put_item()
+      .table_name(BLOB_TABLE_NAME)
+      .set_item(Some(item))
+      // make sure we don't accidentaly overwrite existing row
+      .condition_expression(
+        "attribute_not_exists(#blob_hash) AND attribute_not_exists(#holder)",
+      )
+      .expression_attribute_names("#blob_hash", ATTR_BLOB_HASH)
+      .expression_attribute_names("#holder", ATTR_HOLDER)
+      .send()
+      .await
+      .map_err(|err| match DynamoDBError::from(err) {
+        DynamoDBError::ConditionalCheckFailedException(e) => {
+          debug!("DynamoDB client failed to insert: item already exists");
+          trace!("Conditional check failed with error: {}", e);
+          DBError::ItemAlreadyExists
+        }
+        err => {
+          debug!("DynamoDB client failed to insert: {:?}", err);
+          DBError::AwsSdk(err)
+        }
+      })
+  }
+
+  /// Gets a single row from the table using GetItem, without parsing it
+  async fn get_raw_item(
+    &self,
+    key: PrimaryKey,
+  ) -> DBResult<Option<RawAttributes>> {
+    self
+      .ddb
+      .get_item()
+      .table_name(BLOB_TABLE_NAME)
+      .set_key(Some(key.into()))
+      .send()
+      .await
+      .map_err(|err| {
+        debug!("DynamoDB client failed to get item: {:?}", err);
+        DBError::AwsSdk(err.into())
+      })
+      .map(|response| response.item)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/services/blob/src/database/mod.rs b/services/blob/src/database/mod.rs
--- a/services/blob/src/database/mod.rs
+++ b/services/blob/src/database/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+pub mod client;
 pub mod errors;
 pub mod old;
 pub mod types;
+
+pub use client::DatabaseClient;
+pub use errors::Error as DBError;