diff --git a/app/app.c b/app/app.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c80f0973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/app.c
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2009 Travis Geiselbrecht
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+ * a copy of this software and associated documentation files
+ * (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction,
+ * including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
+ * publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software,
+ * and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
+ * subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+ * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+ * MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
+ * IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
+ * CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
+ * TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
+ * SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+#include <debug.h>
+#include <app.h>
+#include <kernel/thread.h>
+
+extern const struct _app_descriptor __apps_start;
+extern const struct _app_descriptor __apps_end;
+
+static void start_app(const struct _app_descriptor *app);
+
+/* one time setup */
+void apps_init(void)
+{
+	const struct _app_descriptor *app;
+	for (app = &__apps_start; app != &__apps_end; app++) {
+//		printf("app '%s'\n", app->name);
+
+		if (app->entry && app->flags & APP_FLAG_BOOT_START) {
+			start_app(app);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+static int app_thread_entry(void *arg)
+{
+	const struct _app_descriptor *app = (const struct _app_descriptor *)arg;
+
+	app->entry(app, NULL);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void start_app(const struct _app_descriptor *app)
+{
+	printf("starting app %s\n", app->name);
+	if (app->flags & APP_FLAG_THREAD) {
+		thread_resume(thread_create(app->name, &app_thread_entry, (void *)app, DEFAULT_PRIORITY, DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE));
+	} else {
+		app->entry(app, NULL);
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/app/rules.mk b/app/rules.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74abd568
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/rules.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+LOCAL_DIR := $(GET_LOCAL_DIR)
+
+OBJS += \
+	$(LOCAL_DIR)/app.o
+
diff --git a/arch/arm/system-onesegment.ld b/arch/arm/system-onesegment.ld
index 643ecbd8..9f0e7fc6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/system-onesegment.ld
+++ b/arch/arm/system-onesegment.ld
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ SECTIONS
 		__commands_start = .;
 		KEEP (*(.commands))
 		__commands_end = .;
+		. = ALIGN(4);
+		__apps_start = .;
+		KEEP (*(.apps))
+		__apps_end = .;
 		. = ALIGN(4); 
 		__rodata_end = . ;		
 	}
diff --git a/arch/arm/system-twosegment.ld b/arch/arm/system-twosegment.ld
index 748d5653..3a1c04c6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/system-twosegment.ld
+++ b/arch/arm/system-twosegment.ld
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ SECTIONS
 		__commands_start = .;
 		KEEP (*(.commands))
 		__commands_end = .;
+		. = ALIGN(4);
+		__apps_start = .;
+		KEEP (*(.apps))
+		__apps_end = .;
 		. = ALIGN(4); 
 		__rodata_end = . ;
 	}
diff --git a/include/app.h b/include/app.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a9a93cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/app.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2009 Travis Geiselbrecht
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+ * a copy of this software and associated documentation files
+ * (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction,
+ * including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
+ * publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software,
+ * and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
+ * subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+ * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+ * MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
+ * IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
+ * CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
+ * TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
+ * SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+#ifndef __APP_H
+#define __APP_H
+
+/* app support api */
+void apps_init(void); /* one time setup */
+
+/* app entry point */
+struct _app_descriptor;
+typedef void (*app_entry)(const struct _app_descriptor *, void *args);
+
+/* app startup flags */
+#define APP_FLAG_BOOT_START 0x1
+#define APP_FLAG_THREAD     0x2
+
+/* each app needs to define one of these to define its startup conditions */
+struct _app_descriptor {
+	const char *name;
+	app_entry entry;
+	unsigned int flags;
+};
+
+#define APP_START(appname) struct _app_descriptor _app_##appname __SECTION(".apps") = { .name = #appname,
+#define APP_END };
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index 16a4099c..77e6a5d1 100644
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <compiler.h>
 #include <debug.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <app.h>
 #include <arch.h>
 #include <platform.h>
 #include <target.h>
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ static int bootstrap2(void *arg)
 	dprintf(SPEW, "initializing target\n");
 	target_init();
 
+	dprintf(SPEW, "calling apps_init()\n");
+	apps_init();
+
 	dprintf(SPEW, "calling project_init()\n");
 	project_init();
 
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index b045e719..33cd10ec 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ include platform/rules.mk
 include target/rules.mk
 include kernel/rules.mk
 include dev/rules.mk
+include app/rules.mk
 
 # recursively include any modules in the MODULE variable, leaving a trail of included
 # modules in the ALLMODULES list