diff --git a/src/helma/framework/repository/FileRepository.java b/src/helma/framework/repository/FileRepository.java
index 29536b20..d615ae23 100644
--- a/src/helma/framework/repository/FileRepository.java
+++ b/src/helma/framework/repository/FileRepository.java
@@ -27,16 +27,16 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 public class FileRepository extends AbstractRepository {
 
     // Directory serving sub-repositories and file resources
-    private File directory;
+    protected File directory;
 
-    private long lastModified = -1;
-    private long lastChecksum = 0;
-    private long lastChecksumTime = 0;
+    protected long lastModified = -1;
+    protected long lastChecksum = 0;
+    protected long lastChecksumTime = 0;
 
     /**
      * Defines how long the checksum of the repository will be cached
      */
-    private final long cacheTime = 1000L;
+    final long cacheTime = 1000L;
 
     /**
      * Constructs a FileRepository using the given argument
diff --git a/src/helma/framework/repository/MultiFileRepository.java b/src/helma/framework/repository/MultiFileRepository.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c58aa62d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helma/framework/repository/MultiFileRepository.java
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+/*
+ * Helma License Notice
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the Helma License
+ * Version 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in
+ * compliance with the License. A copy of the License is available at
+ * http://adele.helma.org/download/helma/license.txt
+ *
+ * Copyright 2005 Helma Software. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * $RCSfile$
+ * $Author$
+ * $Revision$
+ * $Date$
+ */
+
+package helma.framework.repository;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+
+/**
+ * Repository implementation that provides all of its subdirectories
+ * as top-level FileRepositories
+ *
+ * @author Barbara Ondrisek
+ */
+public class MultiFileRepository extends FileRepository {
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a MultiFileRepository using the given argument
+     * @param initArgs absolute path to the directory
+     */
+    public MultiFileRepository(String initArgs) {
+        this(new File(initArgs));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a MultiFileRepository using the given directory as top-level
+     * repository
+     * @param dir directory
+     */
+    public MultiFileRepository(File dir) {
+        super(dir, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Updates the content cache of the repository. We override this
+     * to create child repositories that act as top-level script repositories
+     * rather than prototype repositories. Zip files are handled as top-level
+     * script repositories like in FileRepository, while resources are ignored.
+     */
+    public synchronized void update() {
+        if (!directory.exists()) {
+            repositories = new Repository[0];
+            if (resources != null)
+                resources.clear();
+            lastModified = 0;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (directory.lastModified() != lastModified) {
+            lastModified = directory.lastModified();
+
+            File[] list = directory.listFiles();
+
+            ArrayList newRepositories = new ArrayList(list.length);
+            HashMap newResources = new HashMap(list.length);
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+                // create both directories and zip files as top-level repositories,
+                // while resources (files) are ignored.
+                if (list[i].isDirectory()) {
+                    // a nested directory aka child file repository
+                    newRepositories.add(new FileRepository(list[i], null));
+                } else if (list[i].getName().endsWith(".zip")) {
+                    // a nested zip repository
+                    newRepositories.add(new ZipRepository(list[i], this));
+                }
+            }
+
+            repositories = (Repository[])
+                    newRepositories.toArray(new Repository[newRepositories.size()]);
+            resources = newResources;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * get hashcode
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return 37 + (37 * directory.hashCode());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * equals object
+     * @param obj Object
+     * @return boolean
+     */
+    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+        return obj instanceof MultiFileRepository &&
+               directory.equals(((MultiFileRepository) obj).directory);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * get object serialized as string
+     * @return String
+     */
+    public String toString() {
+        return new StringBuffer("MultiFileRepository[").append(name).append("]").toString();
+    }
+}