diff --git a/assembly/pom.xml b/assembly/pom.xml
index 82978b476..0344cd93e 100644
--- a/assembly/pom.xml
+++ b/assembly/pom.xml
@@ -130,7 +130,219 @@
         </dependency>
 
         <!-- Include optional dependencies -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jsp-api</artifactId>
+            <version>2.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
 
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-lang</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-lang</artifactId>
+            <version>2.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Ajax -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>uk.ltd.getahead</groupId>
+            <artifactId>dwr</artifactId>
+            <version>1.1-beta-3</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Velocity -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>velocity</groupId>
+            <artifactId>velocity</artifactId>
+            <version>1.4</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>velocity-tools</groupId>
+            <artifactId>velocity-tools</artifactId>
+            <version>1.1</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- File upload -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-fileupload</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-fileupload</artifactId>
+            <version>1.1</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Sitemesh -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>opensymphony</groupId>
+            <artifactId>sitemesh</artifactId>
+            <version>2.2.1</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Quickstart -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>jetty</groupId>
+            <artifactId>org.mortbay.jetty</artifactId>
+            <version>5.1.4</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>eclipse</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jdtcore</artifactId>
+            <version>3.1.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>ant</groupId>
+            <artifactId>ant</artifactId>
+            <version>1.6.5</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>tomcat</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jasper-compiler</artifactId>
+            <version>5.5.12</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>tomcat</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jasper-runtime</artifactId>
+            <version>5.5.12</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>tomcat</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jasper-compiler-jdt</artifactId>
+            <version>5.5.12</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-el</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-el</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-lang</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-lang</artifactId>
+            <version>2.1</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- QuickStart -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>xstream</groupId>
+            <artifactId>xstream</artifactId>
+            <version>1.1.2</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Tiles -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.struts.tiles</groupId>
+            <artifactId>tiles-core</artifactId>
+            <version>0.2-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-digester</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-digester</artifactId>
+            <version>1.7</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Portlet -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>portlet-api</groupId>
+            <artifactId>portlet-api</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.pluto</groupId>
+            <artifactId>pluto</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0.1-rc4</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Plexus -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.plexus</groupId>
+            <artifactId>plexus-container-default</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0-alpha-10-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <!-- Spring -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-beans</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.6</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-core</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.6</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-context</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.6</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-web</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.6</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-mock</artifactId>
+            <version>1.2.6</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>myfaces</groupId>
+            <artifactId>myfaces-jsf-api</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0.9</version>
+            <scope>provided</scope>
+        </dependency>
+
+      <dependency>
+         <groupId>org.rifers</groupId>
+         <artifactId>rife-continuations</artifactId>
+         <version>0.0.2</version>
+         <scope>provided</scope>
+     </dependency>
+ 
         <!-- Exclude transitive dependencies -->
         <dependency>
             <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
diff --git a/assembly/src/main/assembly/src.xml b/assembly/src/main/assembly/src.xml
index 031588c88..5bd898fee 100644
--- a/assembly/src/main/assembly/src.xml
+++ b/assembly/src/main/assembly/src.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@
     <format>zip</format>
   </formats>
   <includeBaseDirectory>true</includeBaseDirectory>
+  <dependencySets>
+    <dependencySet>
+      <outputDirectory>lib</outputDirectory>
+      <scope>optional</scope>
+    </dependencySet>
+    <dependencySet>
+      <outputDirectory>lib</outputDirectory>
+      <scope>compile</scope>
+    </dependencySet>
+    <dependencySet>
+      <outputDirectory>lib</outputDirectory>
+      <scope>provided</scope>
+    </dependencySet>
+  </dependencySets>
   <fileSets>
 
       <fileSet>
@@ -33,6 +47,7 @@
               <include>README*</include>
               <include>LICENSE*</include>
               <include>NOTICE*</include>
+              <include>build.xml</include>
           </includes>
       </fileSet>
 
diff --git a/assembly/src/main/resources/build.xml b/assembly/src/main/resources/build.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d93200b75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assembly/src/main/resources/build.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<project name="struts2-core" default="default">
+
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <!--                   directories                     -->
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <property name="src.dir" value="src/core/src/main/java"/>
+  <property name="build.dir" value="build"/>
+  <property name="build.classes.dir" value="${build.dir}/classes"/>
+  <property name="dist.dir" value="dist"/>
+  <property name="lib.dir" value="lib"/>
+  		
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <!--                    paths                          -->
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <path id="compile.classpath">
+    <pathelement location="${build.classes.dir}"/>
+    <fileset dir="${lib.dir}">
+      <include name="**/*.jar" />
+    </fileset>
+  </path>
+  
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <!--                  targets                          -->
+  <!-- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -->
+  <target name="default" 
+          depends="dist" 
+          description="default: build everything"
+  />
+  
+  <target name="clean" description="remove all built files">
+    <delete dir="${build.dir}" />
+    <delete dir="${dist.dir}" />
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="dist" 
+          depends="compile" 
+          description="create distributables (jars etc)">
+    <mkdir dir="${dist.dir}" />
+    <jar jarfile="${dist.dir}/struts2-core.jar"> 
+      <fileset dir="${build.classes.dir}"/>
+    </jar>
+  </target>
+  <target name="compile" description="compile java">
+    <mkdir dir="${build.classes.dir}" />
+    <javac srcdir="${src.dir}" 
+           destdir="${build.classes.dir}" 
+           classpathref="compile.classpath" 
+           debug="on" 
+           deprecation="on"/>
+  </target>
+
+</project>