diff --git a/src/helma/main/launcher/Main.java b/src/helma/main/launcher/Main.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..96abb1fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helma/main/launcher/Main.java
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// helma.main.Main
+
+package helma.main.launcher;
+
+import java.net.URLClassLoader;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FilenameFilter;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
+/** 
+ *  Helma bootstrap class. Figures out Helma home directory, sets up class path and 
+ *  lauchnes main class.
+ */
+public class Main {
+
+
+    public static void main (String[] args) throws Exception {
+
+	// try to get Helma installation directory
+	try {
+	    URLClassLoader apploader = (URLClassLoader) Main.class.getClassLoader();
+	    // (URLClassLoader) Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+	    URL homeUrl = apploader.findResource("helma/main/launcher/Main.class");
+	    String home = homeUrl.toString().substring(4);
+	    int excl = home.indexOf ("!");
+	    if (excl > -1) {
+	        home = home.substring(0, excl);
+	        homeUrl = new URL (home);
+	        File f = new File (homeUrl.getPath());
+	        f = f.getParentFile();
+	        System.err.println ("GOT HOME: "+f);
+	    }
+	} catch (Exception ignore) {
+	    // unable to get Helma home dir from launcher jar
+	}
+	File libdir = new File ("lib");
+	File[] files = libdir.listFiles (new FilenameFilter() {
+	    public boolean accept (File dir, String name) {
+	        if (name.startsWith ("helma"))
+	            return "helma.jar".equals (name);
+	        return name.endsWith (".jar");
+	    }
+	});
+	URL[] urls = new URL[files.length];
+	for (int i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
+	    urls[i] = new URL ("file:"+files[i].getAbsolutePath());
+	}
+	URLClassLoader loader = new URLClassLoader (urls);
+	Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader (loader);
+	Class clazz = loader.loadClass ("helma.main.Server");
+	Class[] cargs = new Class[] { args.getClass() };
+	Method main = clazz.getMethod ("main", cargs);
+	Object[] nargs = new Object[] { args };
+	main.invoke (null, nargs);
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/helma/main/launcher/manifest.txt b/src/helma/main/launcher/manifest.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..37df267c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helma/main/launcher/manifest.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Main-Class: helma.main.launcher.Main
+
+