diff --git a/src/pvxs/server.h b/src/pvxs/server.h
index f20e841..6f6abce 100644
--- a/src/pvxs/server.h
+++ b/src/pvxs/server.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 namespace pvxs {
 namespace server {
 
+struct SharedPV;
 struct Source;
 class Server;
 
@@ -63,13 +64,18 @@ struct Config {
  *
  * In order to be useful, a Server will have one or more Source instances added
  * to it with addSource().
+ *
+ * As a convienence, each Server instance automatically contains a "builtin" StaticSource
+ * to which SharedPV instances can be directly added.
+ * The "builtin" has priority zero, and can be accessed or even removed like any Source
+ * explicitly added with addSource().
  */
 class PVXS_API Server
 {
 public:
 
     //! An empty/dummy Server
-    Server();
+    constexpr Server() = default;
     //! Create/allocate, but do not start, a new server with the provided config.
     explicit Server(Config&&);
     ~Server();
@@ -91,6 +97,11 @@ public:
     //! effective config
     const Config& config() const;
 
+    //! Add a SharedPV to the builtin StaticSource
+    Server& addPV(const std::string& name, const SharedPV& pv);
+    //! Remove a SharedPV from the builtin StaticSource
+    Server& removePV(const std::string& name);
+
     //! Add a Source to this server with an arbitrary source name.
     //!
     //! @param name Source name
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 41a4c7d..7093301 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -126,8 +126,6 @@ Server Config::build()
     return ret;
 }
 
-Server::Server() {}
-
 Server::Server(Config&& conf)
 {
     /* Here be dragons.
@@ -231,6 +229,22 @@ const Config& Server::config() const
     return pvt->effective;
 }
 
+Server& Server::addPV(const std::string& name, const SharedPV& pv)
+{
+    if(!pvt)
+        throw std::logic_error("NULL Server");
+    pvt->builtinsrc.add(name, pv);
+    return *this;
+}
+
+Server& Server::removePV(const std::string& name)
+{
+    if(!pvt)
+        throw std::logic_error("NULL Server");
+    pvt->builtinsrc.remove(name);
+    return *this;
+}
+
 Server& Server::start()
 {
     if(!pvt)
@@ -312,6 +326,7 @@ Server::Pvt::Pvt(Config&& conf)
     ,beaconSender(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0)
     ,beaconTimer(event_new(acceptor_loop.base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT, doBeaconsS, this))
     ,searchReply(0x10000)
+    ,builtinsrc(StaticSource::build())
     ,state(Stopped)
 {
     // empty interface address list implies the wildcard
@@ -453,6 +468,7 @@ Server::Pvt::Pvt(Config&& conf)
     {
         auto L = sourcesLock.lockWriter();
         sources[std::make_pair(-1, "server")] = std::make_shared<ServerSource>(this);
+        sources[std::make_pair(-1, "builtin")] = builtinsrc.source();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/serverconn.h b/src/serverconn.h
index dc1e431..47b2cf8 100644
--- a/src/serverconn.h
+++ b/src/serverconn.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include <pvxs/server.h>
 #include <pvxs/source.h>
+#include <pvxs/sharedpv.h>
 #include "evhelper.h"
 #include "utilpvt.h"
 #include "dataimpl.h"
@@ -222,6 +223,8 @@ struct Server::Pvt
 
     Source::Search searchOp;
 
+    StaticSource builtinsrc;
+
     RWLock sourcesLock;
     std::map<std::pair<int, std::string>, std::shared_ptr<Source> > sources;
 
diff --git a/test/mailbox.cpp b/test/mailbox.cpp
index 60a9163..319a93b 100644
--- a/test/mailbox.cpp
+++ b/test/mailbox.cpp
@@ -36,17 +36,16 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     auto initial = nt::NTScalar{TypeCode::Float64}.create();
     initial["value"] = 42.0;
-
-    auto src(StaticSource::build());
+    initial["alarm.severity"] = 0;
+    initial["alarm.status"] = 0;
+    initial["alarm.message"] = "";
 
     auto pv(SharedPV::buildMailbox());
     pv.open(initial);
 
-    src.add(argv[1], pv);
-
     auto serv = Config::from_env()
             .build()
-            .addSource("box", src.source());
+            .addPV(argv[1], pv);
 
     auto& conf = serv.config();