diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/launcher/SIPCommunicatorJWS.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/launcher/SIPCommunicatorJWS.java
index 51c02c43d..0ba3dd916 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/launcher/SIPCommunicatorJWS.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/launcher/SIPCommunicatorJWS.java
@@ -23,6 +23,48 @@ public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
         // allow access to everything
         System.setSecurityManager(null);
 
+        // optional: the name of another class with a main method
+        // that should be started in the same JVM:
+        String chainMain = System.getProperty("chain.main.class");
+        if(chainMain != null)
+        {
+            // optional: a space-separated list of arguments to be passed
+            // to the chained main() method:
+            String chainArgs = System.getProperty("chain.main.args");
+            if(chainArgs == null)
+            {
+                chainArgs = "";
+            }
+            final String[] _chainArgs = chainArgs.split("\\s");
+            try
+            {
+                Class<?> c = Class.forName(chainMain);
+                final Method m = c.getMethod("main", _chainArgs.getClass());
+                new Thread()
+                {
+                    public void run()
+                    {
+                        try
+                        {
+                            m.invoke(null, new Object[]{_chainArgs});
+                        }
+                        catch (Exception ex)
+                        {
+                            ex.printStackTrace();
+                            System.err.println("Exception running the " +
+                               "chained main class, will continue anyway.");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }.start();
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                ex.printStackTrace();
+                System.err.println("Exception finding the chained main " +
+                    "class, will continue anyway.");
+            }
+        }
+
         // prepare the logger
         // needed by the FileHandler-Logger
         SIPCommunicator.setScHomeDir(System.getProperty("os.name"));
diff --git a/web-start/client.jnlp_template b/web-start/client.jnlp_template
index 58079dd5f..b58519f34 100644
--- a/web-start/client.jnlp_template
+++ b/web-start/client.jnlp_template
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@
 	<resources>
 		<j2se version="1.6+" href="http://java.sun.com/products/autodl/j2se"/>
 		<property name="net.java.sip.communicator.SC_JWS_BASEDIR" value="@URL@"/>
+                <!-- to run an additional application in the same JVM,
+                     declare the main class and any arguments here and
+                     add the JARs to the list below. -->
+		<!-- <property name="chain.main.class" value="com.example.MyApp"/> -->
+		<!-- <property name="chain.main.args" value="arg1 arg2"/> -->
         <!-- INTERNAL_COMMENT 
              Use compressed Jars if available -->
         <property name="jnlp.packEnabled" value="@PACKENABLED@"/>
@@ -95,6 +100,11 @@
 		<jar href="lib/bundle/log4j.jar" />
 		<jar href="lib/bundle/commons-logging.jar" />
 		@COMMON@
+
+                <!-- here, add any other JARs that are needed for
+                     a chained main class or any other purpose -->
+                <!-- <jar href="com.example.foo.jar" /> -->
+
 	</resources>
 
 	<application-desc main-class="net.java.sip.communicator.launcher.SIPCommunicatorJWS"/>