diff --git a/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp b/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
index b06211777f..4842ab8581 100644
--- a/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
+++ b/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
@@ -439,17 +439,20 @@ class MyClasspath : public Classpath {
     unsigned libraryPathOffset = sb.offset;
     sb.append(javaHome);
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
-    sb.append("/bin");
+#  define LIB_DIR "/bin"
 #elif defined __APPLE__
-    sb.append("/lib");
+#  define LIB_DIR "/lib"
 #elif defined ARCH_x86_64
-    sb.append("/lib/amd64");
+#  define LIB_DIR "/lib/amd64"
 #elif defined ARCH_arm
-    sb.append("/lib/arm");
+#  define LIB_DIR "/lib/arm"
 #else
     // todo: handle other architectures
-    sb.append("/lib/i386");
+#  define LIB_DIR "/lib/i386"
 #endif
+    sb.append(LIB_DIR ":");
+    sb.append(javaHome);
+    sb.append(LIB_DIR "/xawt");
     sb.append('\0');
 
     unsigned tzMappingsOffset = sb.offset;
@@ -635,6 +638,7 @@ class MyClasspath : public Classpath {
 #else // not AVIAN_OPENJDK_SRC
     expect(t, loadLibrary(t, libraryPath, "verify", true, true));
     expect(t, loadLibrary(t, libraryPath, "java", true, true));
+    loadLibrary(t, libraryPath, "mawt", true, true);
 #endif // not AVIAN_OPENJDK_SRC
 
     { object assertionLock = resolveField
diff --git a/src/jnienv.cpp b/src/jnienv.cpp
index 9d73a233df..f8a0ff3987 100644
--- a/src/jnienv.cpp
+++ b/src/jnienv.cpp
@@ -396,6 +396,14 @@ Throw(Thread* t, jthrowable throwable)
   return 0;
 }
 
+jobject JNICALL
+NewLocalRef(Thread* t, jobject o)
+{  
+  ENTER(t, Thread::ActiveState);
+
+  return makeLocalReference(t, *o);
+}
+
 void JNICALL
 DeleteLocalRef(Thread* t, jobject r)
 {
@@ -3513,6 +3521,7 @@ populateJNITables(JavaVMVTable* vmTable, JNIEnvVTable* envTable)
   envTable->NewDirectByteBuffer = local::NewDirectByteBuffer;
   envTable->GetDirectBufferAddress = local::GetDirectBufferAddress;
   envTable->GetDirectBufferCapacity = local::GetDirectBufferCapacity;
+  envTable->NewLocalRef = local::NewLocalRef;
   envTable->DeleteLocalRef = local::DeleteLocalRef;
   envTable->GetObjectClass = local::GetObjectClass;
   envTable->GetSuperclass = local::GetSuperclass;
diff --git a/test/JNI.java b/test/JNI.java
index cbb17cc925..955bfc9052 100644
--- a/test/JNI.java
+++ b/test/JNI.java
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ public class JNI {
 
   private static native int getStaticIntField(Class c, long id);
 
+  private static native Object testLocalRef(Object o);
+
   public static int method242() { return 242; }
   
   public static final int field950 = 950;
@@ -106,5 +108,9 @@ public class JNI {
            (JNI.class, fromReflectedField
             (JNI.class.getField("field950")), true)
            .getName().equals("field950"));
+
+    { Object o = new Object();
+      expect(testLocalRef(o) == o);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/jni.cpp b/test/jni.cpp
index eacf9e31bc..8b8d6dc8c9 100644
--- a/test/jni.cpp
+++ b/test/jni.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ Java_JNI_getStaticIntField(JNIEnv* e, jclass, jclass c, jlong id)
   return e->GetStaticIntField(c, reinterpret_cast<jfieldID>(id));
 }
 
+extern "C" JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL
+Java_JNI_testLocalRef(JNIEnv* e, jclass, jobject o)
+{
+  return e->NewLocalRef(o);
+}
+
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL
 Java_Buffers_allocateNative(JNIEnv* e, jclass, jint capacity)
 {