diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/AshScriptPlugin.scala b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/AshScriptPlugin.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1fa9502db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/AshScriptPlugin.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+package com.typesafe.sbt
+package packager
+package archetypes
+
+import sbt._
+import sbt.Keys.{ mappings, target, name, mainClass, sourceDirectory, javaOptions, streams }
+import packager.Keys.{ packageName, executableScriptName }
+import linux.{ LinuxFileMetaData, LinuxPackageMapping }
+import linux.LinuxPlugin.autoImport.{ linuxPackageMappings, defaultLinuxInstallLocation }
+import SbtNativePackager.{ Universal, Debian }
+
+/**
+ * == Java Application ==
+ *
+ * This class is an alternate to JavaAppPackaging designed to support the ash shell.  JavaAppPackaging
+ * generates bash-specific code that is not compatible with ash, a very stripped-down, lightweight shell
+ * used by popular micro base Docker images like BusyBox.  The AshScriptPlugin will generate simple
+ * ash-compatible output.
+ *
+ * Just like with JavaAppPackaging you can override the bash-template file by creating a src/templates
+ * directory and adding your own bash-template file.  Actually this isn't a bad idea as the default
+ * bash-template file inherited from JavaAppPackaging has a lot of stuff you probably don't want/need
+ * in a highly-constrained environment like ash+BusyBox.  Something much simpler will do, for example:
+ *
+ * #!/usr/bin/env sh
+ * 
+ * realpath () {
+ * (
+ *   TARGET_FILE="$1"
+ * 
+ *   cd "$(dirname "$TARGET_FILE")"
+ *   TARGET_FILE=$(basename "$TARGET_FILE")
+ * 
+ *   COUNT=0
+ *   while [ -L "$TARGET_FILE" -a $COUNT -lt 100 ]
+ *   do
+ *       TARGET_FILE=$(readlink "$TARGET_FILE")
+ *       cd "$(dirname "$TARGET_FILE")"
+ *       TARGET_FILE=$(basename "$TARGET_FILE")
+ *       COUNT=$(($COUNT + 1))
+ *   done
+ * 
+ *   if [ "$TARGET_FILE" == "." -o "$TARGET_FILE" == ".." ]; then
+ *     cd "$TARGET_FILE"
+ *     TARGET_FILEPATH=
+ *   else
+ *     TARGET_FILEPATH=/$TARGET_FILE
+ *   fi
+ * 
+ *   echo "$(pwd -P)/$TARGET_FILE"
+ * )
+ * }
+ * 
+ * real_script_path="$(realpath "$0")"
+ * app_home="$(realpath "$(dirname "$real_script_path")")"
+ * lib_dir="$(realpath "${app_home}/../lib")"
+ * 
+ * ${{template_declares}}
+ * 
+ * java -classpath $app_classpath $app_mainclass $@ 
+ *
+ *
+ * == Configuration ==
+ *
+ * This plugin adds new settings to configure your packaged application.
+ * The keys are defined in [[com.typesafe.sbt.packager.archetypes.JavaAppKeys]]
+ *
+ * @example Enable this plugin in your `build.sbt` with
+ *
+ * {{{
+ *  enablePlugins(AshScriptPlugin)
+ * }}}
+ */
+object AshScriptPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
+
+  val bashTemplate = "bash-template"
+
+  override def requires = JavaAppPackaging
+
+  //object autoImport extends JavaAppKeys
+
+  import JavaAppPackaging.autoImport._
+
+  override def projectSettings = Seq(
+    makeBashScript <<= (bashScriptTemplateLocation, bashScriptDefines, target in Universal, executableScriptName, sourceDirectory) map makeUniversalAshScript,
+    bashScriptDefines <<= (Keys.mainClass in (Compile, bashScriptDefines), scriptClasspath in bashScriptDefines, bashScriptExtraDefines, bashScriptConfigLocation) map { (mainClass, cp, extras, config) =>
+      val hasMain =
+        for {
+          cn <- mainClass
+        } yield JavaAppAshScript.makeDefines(cn, appClasspath = cp, extras = extras, configFile = config)
+      hasMain getOrElse Nil
+    }
+    )
+
+  def makeUniversalAshScript(defaultTemplateLocation: File, defines: Seq[String], tmpDir: File, name: String, sourceDir: File): Option[File] =
+    if (defines.isEmpty) None
+    else {
+      val template = resolveTemplate(defaultTemplateLocation)
+      val scriptBits = JavaAppAshScript.generateScript(defines, template)
+      val script = tmpDir / "tmp" / "bin" / name
+      IO.write(script, scriptBits)
+      // TODO - Better control over this!
+      script.setExecutable(true)
+      Some(script)
+    }
+
+  private def resolveTemplate(defaultTemplateLocation: File): URL = {
+    if (defaultTemplateLocation.exists)
+      defaultTemplateLocation.toURI.toURL
+    else
+      getClass.getResource(defaultTemplateLocation.getName)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/JavaAppAshScript.scala b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/JavaAppAshScript.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..853372b52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/archetypes/JavaAppAshScript.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package com.typesafe.sbt.packager.archetypes
+
+import java.net.URL
+
+/**
+ * Constructs a bash script for running a java application.
+ *
+ * Makes use of the associated bash-template, with a few hooks
+ *
+ */
+object JavaAppAshScript {
+
+  private[this] def bashTemplateSource =
+    getClass.getResource("bash-template")
+
+  /**
+   * Creates the block of defines for a script.
+   *
+   * @param mainClass The required "main" method class we use to run the program.
+   * @param appClasspath A sequence of relative-locations (to the lib/ folder) of jars
+   *                     to include on the classpath.
+   * @param configFile An (optional) filename from which the script will read arguments.
+   * @param extras  Any additional defines/commands that should be run in this script.
+   */
+  def makeDefines(
+    mainClass: String,
+    appClasspath: Seq[String] = Seq("*"),
+    configFile: Option[String] = None,
+    extras: Seq[String] = Nil): Seq[String] =
+    Seq(mainClassDefine(mainClass)) ++
+      (configFile map configFileDefine).toSeq ++
+      Seq(makeClasspathDefine(appClasspath)) ++
+      extras
+
+  private def makeClasspathDefine(cp: Seq[String]): String = {
+    val fullString = cp map (n => "$lib_dir/" + n) mkString ":"
+    "app_classpath=\"" + fullString + "\"\n"
+  }
+  def generateScript(defines: Seq[String], template: URL = bashTemplateSource): String = {
+    val defineString = defines mkString "\n"
+    val replacements = Seq("template_declares" -> defineString)
+    TemplateWriter.generateScript(template, replacements)
+  }
+
+  def configFileDefine(configFile: String) =
+    "script_conf_file=\"%s\"" format (configFile)
+
+  def mainClassDefine(mainClass: String) = {
+    val jarPrefixed = """^\-jar (.*)""".r
+    val args = mainClass match {
+      case jarPrefixed(jarName) => Seq("-jar", jarName)
+      case className            => Seq(className)
+    }
+    val quotedArgsSpaceSeparated = args.map(s => "\"" + s + "\"").mkString(" ")
+    "app_mainclass=%s\n" format (quotedArgsSpaceSeparated)
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6b4980c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import scala.io.Source
+
+enablePlugins(AshScriptPlugin)
+
+name := "override-templates"
+
+version := "0.1.0"
+
+bashScriptTemplateLocation := baseDirectory.value / "custom-templates" / "custom-ash-template"
+
+TaskKey[Unit]("run-check-ash") := {
+  val cwd = (stagingDirectory in Universal).value
+  val source = scala.io.Source.fromFile((cwd / "bin" / packageName.value).getAbsolutePath)
+  val contents = try source.getLines mkString "\n" finally source.close()
+  assert(contents contains "this is the custom bash template", "Bash template didn't contain the right text: \n" + contents)
+  assert(contents contains "app_mainclass=","Template didn't contain the right text: \n"+contents)
+  assert( !(contents contains "declare"),"Template didn't contain the right text: \n"+contents)
+}
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/custom-templates/custom-ash-template b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/custom-templates/custom-ash-template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4fce6467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/custom-templates/custom-ash-template
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+
+# this is the custom bash template
+
+${{template_declares}}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/project/plugins.sbt b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/project/plugins.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b53de154c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe.sbt" % "sbt-native-packager" % sys.props("project.version"))
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0325f9cb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+object MainApp extends App {
+  println("SUCCESS!")
+}
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/test b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa3b5ad81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/override-templates/test
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Run the staging and check the script.
+> stage
+> run-check-ash
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..277d38d7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+enablePlugins(AshScriptPlugin)
+
+name := "simple-app"
+
+version := "0.1.0"
+
+TaskKey[Unit]("run-check") := { 
+  val cwd = (stagingDirectory in Universal).value
+  val cmd = Seq((cwd / "bin" / packageName.value).getAbsolutePath)
+  val output = Process(cmd, cwd).!!
+  assert(output contains "SUCCESS!", "Output didn't contain success: " + output)
+}
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/project/plugins.sbt b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/project/plugins.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b53de154c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+addSbtPlugin("com.typesafe.sbt" % "sbt-native-packager" % sys.props("project.version"))
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0325f9cb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/src/main/scala/MainApp.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+object MainApp extends App {
+  println("SUCCESS!")
+}
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/test b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..877989c06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbt-test/ash/simple-app/test
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Run the staging and check the script.
+> stage
+> run-check
\ No newline at end of file