diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e1e4457adbb44..c2bb8e49336d6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -274,6 +274,8 @@ endif
 	$(INSTALL_M) $(build_private_libdir)/sys.$(SHLIB_EXT) $(DESTDIR)$(private_libdir)
 	# Copy in system image build script
 	$(INSTALL_M) contrib/build_sysimg.jl $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/julia/
+	# Copy in standalone executable build script
+	$(INSTALL_M) contrib/build_executable.jl $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/julia/
 	# Copy in all .jl sources as well
 	cp -R -L $(build_datarootdir)/julia $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/
 	# Copy documentation
diff --git a/contrib/build_executable.jl b/contrib/build_executable.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f1ef3ad23397b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/build_executable.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env julia
+
+# Builds an executable that doesn't require any julia source code.
+# The user needs to provide a julia script that contains a function main(),
+# taking no argument, which will be run when executing the
+# produced executable.
+
+# Note on packages:
+# Even if the script contains using statements, exported functions
+# will not be available in main(). Full qualification of names is
+# required. It's suggested to replace using statements with import
+# statements to produce a consistent result between running main() in
+# the REPL and running the executable.
+
+# Windows note:
+# gcc is required to compile the program. gcc can be installed using WinRPM.
+# $ Pkg.add("WinRPM")
+# $ using WinRPM
+# $ WinRPM.install("gcc")
+
+type Executable
+    name
+    filename
+    buildfile
+    targetfile
+    libjulia
+end
+
+function Executable(exename, targetdir, debug)
+    if debug
+        exename = exename * "-debug"
+    end
+    filename = exename
+    @windows_only filename = filename * ".exe"
+    buildfile = abspath(joinpath(JULIA_HOME, filename))
+    targetfile = targetdir == nothing ? buildfile : joinpath(targetdir, filename)
+    libjulia = debug ? "-ljulia-debug" : "-ljulia"
+
+    Executable(exename, filename, buildfile, targetfile, libjulia)
+end
+
+type SysFile
+    buildpath
+    buildfile
+    buildfile0
+end
+
+function SysFile(exename)
+    buildpath = abspath(dirname(Sys.dlpath("libjulia")))
+    buildfile = joinpath(buildpath, "lib"*exename)
+    buildfile0 = joinpath(buildpath, "sys0")
+
+    SysFile(buildpath, buildfile, buildfile0)
+end
+
+function build_executable(exename, script_file, targetdir=nothing; force=false)
+    julia = abspath(joinpath(JULIA_HOME, "julia"))
+    build_sysimg = abspath(joinpath(dirname(@__FILE__), "build_sysimg.jl"))
+
+    patchelf = nothing
+    if targetdir != nothing
+        patchelf = find_patchelf()
+        if patchelf == nothing
+            println("ERROR: Using the 'targetdir' option requires the 'patchelf' utility. Please install it.")
+            return 1
+        end
+    end
+
+    if !isfile(script_file)
+        println("ERROR: $(script_file) not found.")
+        return 1
+    end
+
+    tmpdir = mktempdir()
+    cfile = joinpath(tmpdir, "start_func.c")
+    userimgjl = joinpath(tmpdir, "userimg.jl")
+    script_file = abspath(script_file)
+
+    if targetdir != nothing
+        targetdir = abspath(targetdir)
+        if !isdir(targetdir)
+            println("ERROR: targetdir is not a directory.")
+            return 1
+        end
+    end
+
+    exe_release = Executable(exename, targetdir, false)
+    exe_debug   = Executable(exename, targetdir, true)
+    sys = SysFile(exename)
+
+    if !force
+        for f in [cfile, userimgjl, "$(sys.buildfile).$(Sys.dlext)", "$(sys.buildfile).ji", exe_release.buildfile, exe_debug.buildfile]
+            if isfile(f)
+                println("ERROR: File '$(f)' already exists. Delete it or use --force.")
+                return 1
+            end
+        end
+
+        if targetdir != nothing && !isempty(readdir(targetdir))
+            println("ERROR: targetdir is not an empty diectory. Delete all contained files or use --force.")
+            return 1
+        end
+    end
+
+    emit_cmain(cfile, exename, targetdir != nothing)
+    emit_userimgjl(userimgjl, script_file)
+
+    println("running: $(julia) $(build_sysimg) $(sys.buildfile) native $(userimgjl) --force")
+    run(`$(julia) $(build_sysimg) $(sys.buildfile) native $(userimgjl) --force`)
+    println()
+
+    for exe in [exe_release, exe_debug]
+        incs = join(get_includes(), " ")
+        println("running: gcc -g -Wl,--no-as-needed $(incs) $(cfile) -o $(exe.buildfile) -Wl,-rpath,$(sys.buildpath) -L$(sys.buildpath) $(exe.libjulia) -l$(exename)")
+        run(`gcc -g -Wl,--no-as-needed $(get_includes()) $(cfile) -o $(exe.buildfile) -Wl,-rpath,$(sys.buildpath) -L$(sys.buildpath) $(exe.libjulia) -l$(exename)`)
+        println()
+    end
+
+    println("running: rm -rf $(tmpdir) $(sys.buildfile).o $(sys.buildfile0).o $(sys.buildfile0).ji")
+    run(`rm -rf $(tmpdir) $(sys.buildfile).o $(sys.buildfile0).o $(sys.buildfile0).ji`)
+    println()
+
+    if targetdir != nothing
+        # Move created files to target directory
+        run(`mv $(exe_release.buildfile) $(exe_debug.buildfile) $(sys.buildfile).$(Sys.dlext) $(sys.buildfile).ji $(targetdir)`)
+
+        # Copy needed shared libraries to the target directory
+        tmp = ".*\.$(Sys.dlext).*"
+        shlibs = filter(Regex(tmp),readdir(sys.buildpath))
+        for shlib in shlibs
+            run(`cp $(joinpath(sys.buildpath, shlib)) $(targetdir)`)
+        end
+
+        # Fix rpath in executable and shared libraries
+        shlibs = filter(Regex(tmp),readdir(targetdir))
+        push!(shlibs, exe_release.filename)
+        push!(shlibs, exe_debug.filename)
+
+        for shlib in shlibs
+            rpath = readall(`$(patchelf) --print-rpath $(joinpath(targetdir, shlib))`)[1:end-1]
+            if Base.samefile(rpath, sys.buildpath)
+                run(`$(patchelf) --set-rpath $(targetdir) $(joinpath(targetdir, shlib))`)
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    for exe in [exe_release, exe_debug]
+        println("$(exe.targetfile) successfully created.")
+    end
+    return 0
+end
+
+function find_patchelf()
+    patchelf = nothing
+
+    for x in [joinpath(JULIA_HOME, "patchelf"), "patchelf"]
+        patchelf = x
+        works = true
+        try
+            x=readall(`$(patchelf) --version`)
+        catch
+            works = false
+        end
+        works && break
+    end
+
+    patchelf
+end
+
+function get_includes()
+    ret = []
+
+    # binary install
+    incpath = abspath(joinpath(JULIA_HOME, "..", "include", "julia"))
+    push!(ret, "-I$(incpath)")
+
+    # Git checkout
+    julia_root = abspath(joinpath(JULIA_HOME, "..", ".."))
+    push!(ret, "-I$(julia_root)src")
+    push!(ret, "-I$(julia_root)src/support")
+    push!(ret, "-I$(julia_root)usr/include")
+
+    ret
+end
+
+function emit_cmain(cfile, exename, relocation)
+    if relocation
+        sysji = joinpath("lib"*exename)
+    else
+        sysji = joinpath("..", "lib", "lib"*exename)
+    end
+
+    f = open(cfile, "w")
+    write( f, """
+        #include <julia.h>
+        #include <stdio.h>
+
+        int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+        {
+            char sysji[] = \"$(sysji).ji\";
+            char mainfunc[] = \"main()\";
+            jl_init_with_image(NULL, sysji);
+            jl_eval_string(mainfunc);
+
+            int ret = 0;
+            if (jl_exception_occurred())
+            {
+                jl_show(jl_stderr_obj(), jl_exception_occurred());
+                JL_PRINTF(jl_stderr_stream(), \"\\n\");
+                ret = 1;
+            }
+
+            jl_atexit_hook();
+            return ret;
+        }
+        """
+    )
+    close(f)
+end
+
+function emit_userimgjl(userimgjl, script_file)
+    f = open(userimgjl, "w")
+    write( f, """
+        include(\"$(script_file)\")
+        """
+    )
+    close(f)
+end
+
+if !isinteractive()
+    if length(ARGS) < 2 || ("--help" in ARGS || "-h" in ARGS)
+        println("Usage: build_executable.jl <exename> <script_file> [targetdir] [--help]")
+        println("   <exename>        is the filename of the resulting executable and the resulting sysimg")
+        println("   <script_file>    is the path to a jl file containing a main() function.")
+        println("   [targetdir]     (optional) is the path to a directory to put the executable and other")
+        println("                    needed files into (default: julia directory structure)")
+        println("   --force          Set if you wish to overwrite existing files")
+        println("   --help           Print out this help text and exit")
+        println()
+        println(" Example:")
+        println("   julia build_executable.jl standalone_test hello_world.jl")
+        return 0
+    end
+
+    force_flag = "--force" in ARGS
+    filter!(x -> x != "--force", ARGS)
+    build_executable(ARGS..., force=force_flag)
+end