diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index ee17d9a21ca..e1f40cbf0b7 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -5827,6 +5827,7 @@ src/mess/drivers/mccpm.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/megadriv.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/mekd2.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/mephisto.c svneol=native#text/plain
+src/mess/drivers/merlin.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/mes.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/microdec.c svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/drivers/micronic.c svneol=native#text/plain
@@ -6389,6 +6390,7 @@ src/mess/layout/lynx.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mac.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mekd2.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mephisto.lay svneol=native#text/plain
+src/mess/layout/merlin.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mk1.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mk14.lay svneol=native#text/plain
 src/mess/layout/mk2.lay svneol=native#text/plain
diff --git a/src/mess/drivers/merlin.c b/src/mess/drivers/merlin.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf9faf3d957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mess/drivers/merlin.c
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#include "emu.h"
+#include "cpu/tms0980/tms0980.h"
+
+/* Layout */
+#include "merlin.lh"
+
+
+class merlin_state : public driver_device
+{
+public:
+	merlin_state(const machine_config &mconfig, device_type type, const char *tag)
+		: driver_device(mconfig, type, tag) { }
+
+	DECLARE_READ8_MEMBER(read_k);
+	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(write_o);
+	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(write_r);
+};
+
+
+
+#define LOG 1
+
+static INPUT_PORTS_START( merlin )
+INPUT_PORTS_END
+
+
+READ8_MEMBER(merlin_state::read_k)
+{
+	UINT8 data = 0xFF;
+
+	if (LOG)
+		logerror( "read_k\n" );
+
+	return data;
+}
+
+
+WRITE16_MEMBER(merlin_state::write_o)
+{
+	if (LOG)
+		logerror( "write_o: write %02x\n", data );
+}
+
+
+WRITE16_MEMBER(merlin_state::write_r)
+{
+	if (LOG)
+		logerror( "write_r: write %04x\n", data );
+}
+
+
+static const tms0980_config merlin_tms0980_config =
+{
+	{
+		/* O output PLA configuration currently unknown */
+		{ 0x01, 0x01 }, { 0x02, 0x02 }, { 0x03, 0x03 }, { 0x04, 0x04 },
+		{ 0x05, 0x05 }, { 0x06, 0x06 }, { 0x07, 0x07 }, { 0x08, 0x08 },
+		{ 0x09, 0x09 }, { 0x0a, 0x0a }, { 0x0b, 0x0b }, { 0x0c, 0x0c },
+		{ 0x0d, 0x0d }, { 0x0e, 0x0e }, { 0x0f, 0x0f }, { 0x10, 0x10 },
+		{ 0x11, 0x11 }, { 0x12, 0x12 }, { 0x13, 0x13 }, { 0x14, 0x14 }
+	},
+	DEVCB_DRIVER_MEMBER(merlin_state, read_k),
+	DEVCB_DRIVER_MEMBER16(merlin_state, write_o),
+	DEVCB_DRIVER_MEMBER16(merlin_state, write_r)
+};
+
+
+static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( merlin, merlin_state )
+	MCFG_CPU_ADD( "maincpu", TMS1100, 5000000 )	/* Clock is wrong */
+	MCFG_CPU_CONFIG( merlin_tms0980_config )
+
+	MCFG_DEFAULT_LAYOUT(layout_merlin)
+MACHINE_CONFIG_END
+
+ROM_START( merlin )
+	ROM_REGION( 0x800, "maincpu", 0 )
+	ROM_LOAD( "mp3404", 0x0000, 0x800, CRC(9362d9f9) SHA1(266d2a4a98cc33944a4fc7ed073ba9321bba8e05) )
+ROM_END
+
+/***************************************************************************
+
+  Game driver(s)
+
+***************************************************************************/
+
+/*    YEAR  NAME        PARENT  COMPAT  MACHINE     INPUT   INIT    COMPANY            FULLNAME      FLAGS */
+CONS( 1978, merlin,     0,      0,      merlin,     merlin, driver_device,  0,      "Parker Brothers", "Merlin", GAME_IS_SKELETON )
+
+
diff --git a/src/mess/layout/merlin.lay b/src/mess/layout/merlin.lay
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b54c4d84e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mess/layout/merlin.lay
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<mamelayout version="2">
+	<element name="background">
+		<rect>
+			<bounds left="0" top="0" right="1" bottom="1" />
+			<color red="0.0" green="0.0" blue="0.0" />
+		</rect>
+	</element>
+
+	<view name="Default Layout">
+
+		<!-- Black background -->
+		<bezel element="background">
+			<bounds left="0" top="0" right="200" bottom="200" />
+		</bezel>
+
+	</view>
+</mamelayout>
diff --git a/src/mess/mess.lst b/src/mess/mess.lst
index 09f476a7d4d..087835f652d 100644
--- a/src/mess/mess.lst
+++ b/src/mess/mess.lst
@@ -2151,3 +2151,4 @@ vax785
 ms0515
 alphasma
 altos5
+merlin
diff --git a/src/mess/mess.mak b/src/mess/mess.mak
index 525e7974ad1..f56eda090d6 100644
--- a/src/mess/mess.mak
+++ b/src/mess/mess.mak
@@ -1428,6 +1428,7 @@ $(MESSOBJ)/palm.a:				\
 	$(MESS_DRIVERS)/palmz22.o	\
 
 $(MESSOBJ)/parker.a:			\
+	$(MESS_DRIVERS)/merlin.o	\
 	$(MESS_DRIVERS)/stopthie.o	\
 
 $(MESSOBJ)/pitronic.a:			\
@@ -2171,6 +2172,7 @@ $(MAME_MACHINE)/megadriv.o:	$(MAME_LAYOUT)/megacd.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/megadriv.o:	$(MAME_LAYOUT)/megacd.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/mekd2.o:	$(MESS_LAYOUT)/mekd2.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/mephisto.o:	$(MESS_LAYOUT)/mephisto.lh
+$(MESS_DRIVERS)/merlin.o:	$(MESS_LAYOUT)/merlin.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/mikrolab.o:	$(MESS_LAYOUT)/mikrolab.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/mk1.o:		$(MESS_LAYOUT)/mk1.lh
 $(MESS_DRIVERS)/mk14.o:		$(MESS_LAYOUT)/mk14.lh