diff --git a/src/helma/framework/core/Application.java b/src/helma/framework/core/Application.java
index f6f631f7..f6793bfe 100644
--- a/src/helma/framework/core/Application.java
+++ b/src/helma/framework/core/Application.java
@@ -291,11 +291,22 @@ public final class Application implements IPathElement, Runnable {
     public synchronized void init()
             throws DatabaseException, IllegalAccessException,
                    InstantiationException, ClassNotFoundException {
+        init(null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the application ready to run, initializing the evaluators and type manager.
+     *
+     * @param ignoreDirs comma separated list of directory names to ignore
+     */
+    public synchronized void init(String ignoreDirs)
+            throws DatabaseException, IllegalAccessException,
+                   InstantiationException, ClassNotFoundException {
 
         running = true;
 
         // create and init type mananger
-        typemgr = new TypeManager(this);
+        typemgr = new TypeManager(this, ignoreDirs);
         try {
             typemgr.createPrototypes();
         } catch (Exception x) {
diff --git a/src/helma/framework/core/TypeManager.java b/src/helma/framework/core/TypeManager.java
index 0db4dfcb..6ded8edb 100644
--- a/src/helma/framework/core/TypeManager.java
+++ b/src/helma/framework/core/TypeManager.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package helma.framework.core;
 import helma.objectmodel.db.DbMapping;
 import helma.framework.repository.Resource;
 import helma.framework.repository.Repository;
+import helma.util.StringUtils;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.net.URL;
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ public final class TypeManager {
     // set of Java archives
     private HashSet jarfiles;
 
+    // set of directory names to ignore
+    private HashSet ignoreDirs;
+
     private long lastCheck = 0;
     private long lastCodeUpdate;
     private long[] lastRepoScan;
@@ -57,10 +61,17 @@ public final class TypeManager {
      *
      * @throws RuntimeException ...
      */
-    public TypeManager(Application app) {
+    public TypeManager(Application app, String ignore) {
         this.app = app;
         prototypes = new HashMap();
         jarfiles = new HashSet();
+        ignoreDirs = new HashSet();
+        // split ignore dirs list and add to hash set
+        if (ignore != null) {
+            String[] arr = StringUtils.split(ignore, ",");
+            for (int i=0; i<arr.length; i++)
+                ignoreDirs.add(arr[i].trim());
+        }
 
         URL helmajar = TypeManager.class.getResource("/");
 
@@ -116,6 +127,16 @@ public final class TypeManager {
     private void checkRepository(Repository repository) throws IOException {
         Repository[] list = repository.getRepositories();
         for (int i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+ 
+            // ignore dir name found - compare to shortname (= Prototype name)
+            if (ignoreDirs.contains(list[i].getShortName())) {
+                // jump this repository
+                if (app.debug) {
+                    app.logEvent("Repository " + list[i].getName() + " ignored");
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
+
             if (list[i].isScriptRoot()) {
                 // this is an embedded top-level script repository 
                 if (app.addRepository(list[i])) {
diff --git a/src/helma/main/ApplicationManager.java b/src/helma/main/ApplicationManager.java
index 639d51da..f81bdc19 100644
--- a/src/helma/main/ApplicationManager.java
+++ b/src/helma/main/ApplicationManager.java
@@ -288,6 +288,11 @@ public class ApplicationManager implements XmlRpcHandler {
         boolean encode;
         Repository[] repositories;
 
+        /**
+         * extend apps.properties, add [appname].ignore
+         */
+        String ignoreDirs;
+
         /**
          *  Creates an AppDescriptor from the properties.
          */
@@ -321,6 +326,9 @@ public class ApplicationManager implements XmlRpcHandler {
             String dbDirName = props.getProperty(name + ".dbdir");
             dbDir = (dbDirName == null) ? null : new File(dbDirName);
 
+            // got ignore dirs
+            ignoreDirs = props.getProperty(name + ".ignore");
+
             // read and configure app repositories
             ArrayList repositoryList = new ArrayList();
             for (int i = 0; true; i++) {
@@ -348,7 +356,7 @@ public class ApplicationManager implements XmlRpcHandler {
                                 .newInstance((Object[]) repositoryArgs);
                         repositoryList.add(newRepository);
                     } catch (Exception ex) {
-                        System.out.println("Adding repository " + repositoryArgs + " failed. " +
+                        System.out.println("Adding repository " + repositoryArgs[0] + " failed. " +
                                            "Will not use that repository. Check your initArgs!");
                     }
                 } else {
@@ -392,7 +400,7 @@ public class ApplicationManager implements XmlRpcHandler {
                 applications.put(appName, app);
 
                 // the application is started later in the register method, when it's bound
-                app.init();
+                app.init(ignoreDirs);
 
                 // set application URL prefix if it isn't set in app.properties
                 if (!app.hasExplicitBaseURI()) {