diff --git a/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read.rs b/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read.rs
index 3f4a7a2eb48da..80a6c41d1130f 100644
--- a/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read.rs
+++ b/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-#[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
-use polars_core::toggle_string_cache;
-
 use super::*;
 use crate::csv::read_impl::BatchedCsvReader;
 
@@ -375,7 +372,7 @@ impl<'a, R: MmapBytesReader + 'a> CsvReader<'a, R> {
         // We only support a few dtypes in the parser and later cast to the required dtype
         let mut to_cast = Vec::with_capacity(overwriting_schema.len());
 
-        let mut has_categorical = false;
+        let mut _has_categorical = false;
 
         #[allow(clippy::unnecessary_filter_map)]
         let fields: Vec<_> = overwriting_schema
@@ -396,7 +393,7 @@ impl<'a, R: MmapBytesReader + 'a> CsvReader<'a, R> {
                     }
                     #[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
                     Categorical(_) => {
-                        has_categorical = true;
+                        _has_categorical = true;
                         Some(fld)
                     }
                     _ => Some(fld),
@@ -404,12 +401,12 @@ impl<'a, R: MmapBytesReader + 'a> CsvReader<'a, R> {
             })
             .collect();
         let schema = Schema::from(fields);
-        (schema, to_cast, has_categorical)
+        (schema, to_cast, _has_categorical)
     }
 
     pub fn batched(&'a mut self) -> PolarsResult<BatchedCsvReader<'a>> {
         if let Some(schema) = self.schema_overwrite {
-            let (schema, to_cast) = self.prepare_schema_overwrite(schema);
+            let (schema, to_cast, has_cat) = self.prepare_schema_overwrite(schema);
             self.owned_schema = Some(Box::new(schema));
 
             // safety
@@ -423,10 +420,10 @@ impl<'a, R: MmapBytesReader + 'a> CsvReader<'a, R> {
             };
 
             let csv_reader = self.core_reader(schema, to_cast)?;
-            csv_reader.batched()
+            csv_reader.batched(has_cat)
         } else {
             let csv_reader = self.core_reader(self.schema, vec![])?;
-            csv_reader.batched()
+            csv_reader.batched(false)
         }
     }
 }
@@ -479,14 +476,14 @@ where
         let low_memory = self.low_memory;
 
         #[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
-        let mut cat_lock = None;
+        let mut _cat_lock = None;
 
         let mut df = if let Some(schema) = schema_overwrite {
-            let (schema, to_cast, has_cat) = self.prepare_schema_overwrite(schema);
+            let (schema, to_cast, _has_cat) = self.prepare_schema_overwrite(schema);
 
             #[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
-            if has_cat {
-                cat_lock = Some(polars_core::IUseStringCache::new())
+            if _has_cat {
+                _cat_lock = Some(polars_core::IUseStringCache::new())
             }
 
             let mut csv_reader = self.core_reader(Some(&schema), to_cast)?;
diff --git a/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read_impl.rs b/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read_impl.rs
index 772a9f9a1b147..26bba417dfaef 100644
--- a/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read_impl.rs
+++ b/polars/polars-io/src/csv/read_impl.rs
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ impl<'a> CoreReader<'a> {
         Ok(df)
     }
 
-    pub fn batched(mut self) -> PolarsResult<BatchedCsvReader<'a>> {
+    pub fn batched(mut self, _has_cat: bool) -> PolarsResult<BatchedCsvReader<'a>> {
         let mut n_threads = self.n_threads.unwrap_or_else(|| POOL.current_num_threads());
         let reader_bytes = self.reader_bytes.take().unwrap();
         let logging = std::env::var("POLARS_VERBOSE").is_ok();
@@ -721,6 +721,17 @@ impl<'a> CoreReader<'a> {
             std::mem::transmute::<Vec<&str>, Vec<&'a str>>(self.get_string_columns(&projection)?)
         };
 
+        // RAII structure that will ensure we maintain a global stringcache
+        #[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
+        let _cat_lock = if _has_cat {
+            Some(polars_core::IUseStringCache::new())
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "dtype-categorical"))]
+        let _cat_lock = None;
+
         Ok(BatchedCsvReader {
             reader_bytes,
             chunk_size,
@@ -742,6 +753,7 @@ impl<'a> CoreReader<'a> {
             delimiter: self.delimiter,
             schema: self.schema,
             rows_read: 0,
+            _cat_lock,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -767,6 +779,10 @@ pub struct BatchedCsvReader<'a> {
     delimiter: u8,
     schema: Cow<'a, Schema>,
     rows_read: IdxSize,
+    #[cfg(feature = "dtype-categorical")]
+    _cat_lock: Option<polars_core::IUseStringCache>,
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "dtype-categorical"))]
+    _cat_lock: Option<u8>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> BatchedCsvReader<'a> {
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/lib.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/lib.rs
index 2edd6151b4401..938b092581713 100644
--- a/polars/polars-pipe/src/lib.rs
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/lib.rs
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+mod operators;
 mod source;
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/chunks.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/chunks.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7de3d425bf8b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/chunks.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+use super::*;
+
+pub struct DataChunk {
+    chunk_index: IdxSize,
+    data: DataFrame,
+}
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/context.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/context.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ea85335ff5ff1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/context.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub struct PExecutionContext {}
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/mod.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2e2cfc4b1578f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+mod chunks;
+mod context;
+mod operator;
+mod sink;
+mod source;
+
+use chunks::*;
+use context::*;
+use operator::*;
+use polars_core::prelude::*;
+use sink::*;
+use source::*;
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/operator.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/operator.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c1561f9c44426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/operator.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+use super::*;
+
+enum OperatorResult {
+    NeedMoreInput(Option<DataChunk>),
+    HaveMoreOutPut(Option<DataChunk>),
+    Finished(Option<DataChunk>),
+}
+
+pub trait Operator {
+    fn execute(
+        &self,
+        context: &PExecutionContext,
+        chunk: DataChunk,
+    ) -> PolarsResult<OperatorResult>;
+}
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/sink.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/sink.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2366e66a90885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/sink.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+use super::*;
+
+pub enum SinkResult {
+    Finished,
+    NeedMoreInput,
+}
+
+pub trait Sink {
+    fn sink(context: &PExecutionContext, chunk: DataChunk) -> PolarsResult<SinkResult>;
+}
diff --git a/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/source.rs b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/source.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e9bb232502c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polars/polars-pipe/src/operators/source.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+use super::*;
+
+pub enum SourceResult {
+    Finished,
+    GotMoreData(DataChunk),
+}
+
+pub trait Source {
+    fn get_batches(context: &PExecutionContext) -> PolarsResult<SourceResult>;
+}