diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f9b3db0..6b4391a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ npm-debug.log
 # ==============================================================================
 
 # Python
+local_virtualenv/
 *.egg-info
 build/
 dist/
diff --git a/anvil-local.sh b/anvil-local.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..32cc4ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/anvil-local.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright 2012 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+
+# Runs the local virtualenv copy of anvil instead of the global one.
+# Requires that things be setup with ./setup-local.sh (which this will attempt
+# to invoke if it notices things not quite right).
+
+
+# Check to see if setup.
+if [ ! -d "local_virtualenv" ]; then
+  echo "Missing local virtualenv - setting up..."
+  ./setup-local.sh
+fi
+
+
+source local_virtualenv/bin/activate
+python anvil/manage.py "$@"
diff --git a/setup-local.sh b/setup-local.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5a68d3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup-local.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright 2012 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+
+# Sets up a local virtualenv for anvil.
+# This places all dependencies within the anvil-build/ path such that nothing
+# from site-packages is used. In order to make use of this consumers should
+# invoke anvil-local.sh instead of the global 'anvil'.
+
+
+# Ensure virtualenv is present.
+if [ ! -e "$(which virtualenv)" ]; then
+  echo "virtualenv not found - installing..."
+  if [ -e "$(which pip)" ]; then
+    sudo pip install virtualenv
+  elif [-e "$(which easyinstall)" ]; then
+    sudo easy_install virtualenv
+  else
+    echo "No python package installer found - aborting"
+    echo "(get pip or easy_install)"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Setup the virtual environment.
+/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtualenv-1.8.2-py2.6.egg/virtualenv.py local_virtualenv
+
+# Install there.
+source local_virtualenv/bin/activate
+python setup.py develop