diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-item.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-item.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..610305dd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-item.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// This file contains models that are used to represent the databases.
+
+export enum DbItemKind {
+  RootLocal = 'RootLocal',
+  RootRemote = 'RootRemote',
+  RemoteSystemDefinedList = 'RemoteSystemDefinedList',
+  RemoteUserDefinedList = 'RemoteUserDefinedList',
+  RemoteOwner = 'RemoteOwner',
+  RemoteRepo = 'RemoteRepo'
+}
+
+export interface RootLocalDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RootLocal;
+}
+
+export interface RootRemoteDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RootRemote;
+  children: RemoteDbItem[];
+}
+
+export type DbItem =
+  | RootLocalDbItem
+  | RootRemoteDbItem
+  | RemoteDbItem
+
+export type RemoteDbItem =
+  | RemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem
+  | RemoteUserDefinedListDbItem
+  | RemoteOwnerDbItem
+  | RemoteRepoDbItem;
+
+export interface RemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList;
+  listName: string;
+  listDisplayName: string;
+  listDescription: string;
+}
+
+export interface RemoteUserDefinedListDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList;
+  listName: string;
+  repos: RemoteRepoDbItem[];
+}
+
+export interface RemoteOwnerDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RemoteOwner;
+  ownerName: string;
+}
+
+export interface RemoteRepoDbItem {
+  kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo;
+  repoFullName: string;
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-manager.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-manager.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a97388aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-manager.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { logger } from '../logging';
+import { DbConfigStore } from './db-config-store';
+import { DbItem } from './db-item';
+
+export class DbManager {
+  constructor(
+    private readonly dbConfigStore: DbConfigStore
+  ) {
+  }
+
+  public loadDatabases(): void {
+    const config = this.dbConfigStore.getConfig();
+    void logger.log(`Loaded databases: ${JSON.stringify(config)}`);
+
+    // This will be fleshed out in a future change.
+  }
+
+  public getDbItems(): DbItem[] {
+    // This will be fleshed out in a future change.
+    return [];
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-module.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-module.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37c9f155e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/db-module.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { isCanary, isNewQueryRunExperienceEnabled } from '../config';
+import { logger } from '../logging';
+import { DisposableObject } from '../pure/disposable-object';
+import { DbConfigStore } from './db-config-store';
+import { DbManager } from './db-manager';
+import { DbPanel } from './ui/db-panel';
+
+export class DbModule extends DisposableObject {
+  public async initialize(
+    extensionContext: vscode.ExtensionContext
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    if (extensionContext.extensionMode !== vscode.ExtensionMode.Development ||
+      !isCanary() ||
+      !isNewQueryRunExperienceEnabled()) {
+      // Currently, we only want to expose the new database panel when we
+      // are in development and canary mode and the developer has enabled the 
+      // new query run experience.
+      return;
+    }
+
+    void logger.log('Initializing database module');
+
+    const storagePath = extensionContext.storageUri?.fsPath || extensionContext.globalStorageUri.fsPath;
+    const dbConfigStore = new DbConfigStore(storagePath);
+    await dbConfigStore.initialize();
+
+    const dbManager = new DbManager(dbConfigStore);
+    dbManager.loadDatabases();
+
+    const dbPanel = new DbPanel(dbManager);
+
+    this.push(dbPanel);
+    this.push(dbConfigStore);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function initializeDbModule(
+  extensionContext: vscode.ExtensionContext
+): Promise<DbModule> {
+  const dbModule = new DbModule();
+  await dbModule.initialize(extensionContext);
+  return dbModule;
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-panel.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-panel.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f1896129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-panel.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { DisposableObject } from '../../pure/disposable-object';
+import { DbManager } from '../db-manager';
+import { DbTreeDataProvider } from './db-tree-data-provider';
+
+export class DbPanel extends DisposableObject {
+  private readonly dataProvider: DbTreeDataProvider;
+
+  public constructor(
+    dbManager: DbManager
+  ) {
+    super();
+
+    this.dataProvider = new DbTreeDataProvider(dbManager);
+
+    const treeView = vscode.window.createTreeView('codeQLDatabasesExperimental', {
+      treeDataProvider: this.dataProvider,
+      canSelectMany: false
+    });
+
+    this.push(treeView);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-data-provider.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-data-provider.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38ca55e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-data-provider.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { logger } from '../../logging';
+import { ProviderResult, TreeDataProvider, TreeItem } from 'vscode';
+import { DbTreeViewItem } from './db-tree-view-item';
+import { DbManager } from '../db-manager';
+
+export class DbTreeDataProvider implements TreeDataProvider<DbTreeViewItem> {
+  private dbTreeItems: DbTreeViewItem[];
+
+  public constructor(
+    private readonly dbManager: DbManager
+  ) {
+    this.dbTreeItems = this.createTree();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Called when expanding a node (including the root node).
+   * @param node The node to expand.
+   * @returns The children of the node.
+   */
+  public getChildren(node?: DbTreeViewItem): ProviderResult<DbTreeViewItem[]> {
+    if (!node) {
+      // We're at the root.
+      return Promise.resolve(this.dbTreeItems);
+    } else {
+      return Promise.resolve(node.children);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the UI presentation of the element that gets displayed in the view.
+   * @param node The node to represent.
+   * @returns The UI presentation of the node.
+   */
+  public getTreeItem(node: DbTreeViewItem): TreeItem | Thenable<TreeItem> {
+    return node;
+  }
+
+  private createTree(): DbTreeViewItem[] {
+    const dbItems = this.dbManager.getDbItems();
+
+    // This will be fleshed out in a future change.
+    void logger.log(`Creating database tree with ${dbItems.length} items`);
+
+    return [];
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-view-item.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-view-item.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5192dbcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/databases/ui/db-tree-view-item.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { DbItem } from '../db-item';
+
+/**
+ * Represents an item in the database tree view.
+ */
+export class DbTreeViewItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
+  constructor(
+    public readonly dbItem: DbItem,
+    public readonly label: string,
+    public readonly tooltip: string,
+    public readonly collapsibleState: vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState,
+    public readonly children: DbTreeViewItem[]
+  ) {
+    super(label, collapsibleState);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
index d771f45a9..455638ef2 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/extension.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ import { VariantAnalysisManager } from './remote-queries/variant-analysis-manage
 import { createVariantAnalysisContentProvider } from './remote-queries/variant-analysis-content-provider';
 import { VSCodeMockGitHubApiServer } from './mocks/vscode-mock-gh-api-server';
 import { VariantAnalysisResultsManager } from './remote-queries/variant-analysis-results-manager';
+import { initializeDbModule } from './databases/db-module';
 
 /**
  * extension.ts
@@ -1229,6 +1230,9 @@ async function activateWithInstalledDistribution(
   void logger.log('Reading query history');
   await qhm.readQueryHistory();
 
+  const dbModule = await initializeDbModule(ctx);
+  ctx.subscriptions.push(dbModule);
+
   void logger.log('Successfully finished extension initialization.');
 
   return {