diff --git a/scripts/jw-build-create-project.sh b/scripts/jw-build-create-project.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d160096b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/jw-build-create-project.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+log()
+{
+	echo $@
+}
+
+err()
+{
+	log $@
+}
+
+fatal()
+{
+	err $@
+	exit 1
+}
+
+usage()
+{
+	echo "$myname [-h] [-s summary] [-d description] [-g pkg-group] name"
+	[ "$1" ] && exit $1
+}
+
+cat_Makefile()
+{
+	cat <<-EOT
+	TOPDIR = .
+
+	include \$(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+	include \$(JWBDIR)/make/topdir.mk
+	EOT
+}
+
+cat_VERSION()
+{
+	cat <<-EOT
+	1.0.0-0-dev
+	EOT
+}
+
+cat_make_Makefile()
+{
+	cat <<-EOT
+	TOPDIR = ..
+
+	include \$(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+	include \$(JWBDIR)/make/make.mk
+	EOT
+}
+
+cat_make_proj_mk()
+{
+	cat <<-EOT
+	# to be included from inside the project directory
+
+	DEV_PROJECTS_DIR            ?= \$(TOPDIR)/..
+	ifeq (\$(TARGET),mingw)
+	  FLAVOUR_PATH_PREFIX        = win32/
+	endif
+	JWBDIR                      ?= \$(firstword \$(wildcard \$(DEV_PROJECTS_DIR)/jw-build \$(BUILD_TOOLS_PREFIX)/opt/\$(FLAVOUR_PATH_PREFIX)jw-build))
+
+	USE_PROJECT_LIB              = false
+	HDRDIR_SCOPE_SUFFIX          = \$(PROJECT)
+	EOT
+}
+
+cat_make_project_conf()
+{
+	local login=$JANWARE_USER
+	[ "$login" ] || login=`whoami`
+
+	local fullname=`getent passwd $login | cut -d: -f5`
+	[ "$fullname" ] || fullname=$JANWARE_USER
+	[ "$fullname" ] || fullname=`whoami | xargs getent passwd | cut -d: -f5`
+	[ "$fullname" ] || fullname=`whoami`
+
+	cat <<-EOT
+	[summary]
+	$summary
+
+	[description]
+	$description
+
+	[global]
+	group = "$pkg_group"
+	subpackages = $subpackages
+	license = Copyright (c) $fullname, all rights reserved
+	jw-maintainer = $JANWARE_USER
+
+	[build]
+	libname = none
+
+	[pkg.requires.jw]
+	devel = $name-run = VERSION-REVISION, jw-build-devel = VERSION
+	build = jw-build-devel
+	EOT
+}
+
+cat_gitignore()
+{
+	cat <<-EOT
+	*.done
+	*.dist
+	*.dep.mk
+	.cache.mk
+	*.o
+	*.so.*
+	*.so
+	*.a
+	*.rep
+	ld-*.conf
+	*.ldscript
+	*.pc
+	$name
+	*_generated_*
+	*.secret
+	local.mk
+	.gdb_history
+	dist
+	mkspec.sh
+	*.out
+	*.orig
+	*.old
+	.feedfs_history
+	.exrc
+	*.swp
+	*tmp*
+	__init__.py
+	__pycache__
+	EOT
+}
+
+# ---------------------- here we go
+
+myname=`basename $0`
+projdir=.
+
+summary=
+description=
+subpackages="run"
+
+eval set -- `getopt -- hd:s:p:g: "$@"`
+
+while [ "$1" != -- ]; do
+case $1 in
+	-d)
+		eval description=\"$2\"
+		shift;;
+	-s)
+		eval summary=\"$2\"
+		shift;;
+	-p)
+		eval subpackages=\"$2\"
+		shift;;
+	-g)
+		eval pkg_group=\"$2\"
+		shift;;
+	-h)
+		usage 0;;
+	*)
+		usage 1;;
+esac
+shift
+done
+shift
+
+[ -z "$description" ] && description="$summary"
+[ -z "$summary" ] && summary="$description"
+[ -z "$pkg_group" ] && pkg_group="Amusements/Teaching/Other"
+
+[ -f $projdir/Makefile ] || {
+	fatal "$projdir doesn't contain a Makefile"
+}
+
+name="$1"
+
+[ -d $projdir/$name ] && {
+	fatal "$projdir/$name already exists"
+}
+
+set -e
+
+mkdir -p $projdir
+mkdir $name
+cd $projdir/$name
+
+mkdir make
+cat_Makefile > Makefile
+cat_make_Makefile > make/Makefile
+cat_VERSION > VERSION
+cat_make_proj_mk > make/proj.mk
+cat_make_project_conf > make/project.conf
+cat_gitignore > .gitignore
+
+log Successfully created project template \"$name\".
+