diff --git a/src/bci_build/package/__init__.py b/src/bci_build/package/__init__.py
index 356d75124..f33750fb3 100644
--- a/src/bci_build/package/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bci_build/package/__init__.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 from bci_build.registry import ApplicationCollectionRegistry
 from bci_build.registry import Registry
 from bci_build.registry import publish_registry
+from bci_build.service import Service
 from bci_build.templates import DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE
 from bci_build.templates import INFOHEADER_TEMPLATE
 from bci_build.templates import KIWI_TEMPLATE
@@ -107,6 +108,21 @@ def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         if self.file_name and "readme" in self.file_name.lower():
             raise ValueError(f"Cannot replace variables in {self.file_name}!")
 
+    def to_service(self, default_file_name: str) -> Service:
+        """Convert this replacement into a
+        :py:class:`~bci__build.service.Service`.
+
+        """
+        return Service(
+            name="replace_using_package_version",
+            param=[
+                ("file", self.file_name or default_file_name),
+                ("regex", self.regex_in_build_description),
+                ("package", self.package_name),
+            ]
+            + ([("parse-version", self.parse_version)] if self.parse_version else []),
+        )
+
 
 def _build_tag_prefix(os_version: OsVersion) -> str:
     if os_version == OsVersion.TUMBLEWEED:
diff --git a/src/bci_build/service.py b/src/bci_build/service.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24dea7348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bci_build/service.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""This module includes an abstraction over source services in the Open Build
+Service.
+
+"""
+
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from dataclasses import field
+from typing import Literal
+
+
+@dataclass(kw_only=True, frozen=True)
+class Service:
+    """Representation of an arbitrary source service in the Open Build Service."""
+
+    #: name of this service
+    name: str
+
+    #: unsorted list of parameters of this source service as a list of tuples
+    #: where the first value is the parameter's name and the second is the
+    #: parameter's value
+    param: list[tuple[str, str]] = field(default_factory=list)
+
+    #: service mode (i.e. when the service runs)
+    mode: Literal["buildtime"] = "buildtime"
+
+    def as_xml_element(self) -> ET.Element:
+        """Coverts this source service into a
+        :py:class:`~xml.etree.ElementTree.Element`.
+
+        """
+        root = ET.Element("service", attrib={"name": self.name, "mode": self.mode})
+
+        for param in self.param:
+            (p := ET.Element("param", attrib={"name": param[0]})).text = param[1]
+            root.append(p)
+
+        return root
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return ET.tostring(self.as_xml_element()).decode("utf-8")
diff --git a/tests/test_service.py b/tests/test_service.py
index 10ab80d7f..7dd59d2c7 100644
--- a/tests/test_service.py
+++ b/tests/test_service.py
@@ -1,11 +1,69 @@
+import pytest
+
 from bci_build.container_attributes import BuildType
 from bci_build.containercrate import ContainerCrate
 from bci_build.os_version import OsVersion
 from bci_build.package import DevelopmentContainer
 from bci_build.package import ParseVersion
 from bci_build.package import Replacement
+from bci_build.service import Service
 from bci_build.templates import SERVICE_TEMPLATE
 
+
+def test_service_without_params_as_xml():
+    assert """<service name="foo" mode="buildtime" />""" == str(Service(name="foo"))
+
+
+def test_service_with_params_as_xml():
+    assert (
+        """<service name="foo" mode="buildtime"><param name="baz">bar</param><param name="baz">foo</param></service>"""
+        == str(Service(name="foo", param=[("baz", "bar"), ("baz", "foo")]))
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "replacement, default_file_name, service",
+    [
+        # bare bone example
+        (
+            Replacement(regex := "%%ver%%", pkg := "pkgFoo"),
+            "Dockerfile",
+            Service(
+                name=(name := "replace_using_package_version"),
+                param=[("file", "Dockerfile"), ("regex", regex), ("package", pkg)],
+            ),
+        ),
+        # the default file name is ignored if the parameter file_name is given
+        (
+            Replacement(regex, pkg, file_name=(fname := "testfile")),
+            "Dockerfile",
+            Service(
+                name=name,
+                param=[("file", fname), ("regex", regex), ("package", pkg)],
+            ),
+        ),
+        # specify a parse_version
+        (
+            Replacement(regex, pkg, parse_version=ParseVersion.MAJOR),
+            "Dockerfile",
+            Service(
+                name=name,
+                param=[
+                    ("file", "Dockerfile"),
+                    ("regex", regex),
+                    ("package", pkg),
+                    ("parse-version", "major"),
+                ],
+            ),
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_replacement_to_service(
+    replacement: Replacement, default_file_name: str, service: Service
+):
+    assert replacement.to_service(default_file_name) == service
+
+
 _BASE_KWARGS = {
     "name": "test",
     "package_name": "test-image",