diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index d0d451c9ae..9cbd83b65a 100755
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ ifeq ($(continuations),true)
 	asmflags += -DAVIAN_CONTINUATIONS
 endif
 
-bootimage-generator-sources = $(src)/bootimage.cpp
+bootimage-generator-sources = $(src)/bootimage.cpp $(src)/util/arg-parser.cpp
 ifneq ($(lzma),)
 	bootimage-generator-sources += $(src)/lzma-encode.cpp
 endif
diff --git a/src/bootimage.cpp b/src/bootimage.cpp
index c2879403a2..d32ca69281 100644
--- a/src/bootimage.cpp
+++ b/src/bootimage.cpp
@@ -19,12 +19,16 @@
 #include "binaryToObject/tools.h"
 #include "lzma.h"
 
+#include "util/arg-parser.h"
+#include "util/abort.h"
+
 // since we aren't linking against libstdc++, we must implement this
 // ourselves:
 extern "C" void __cxa_pure_virtual(void) { abort(); }
 
 using namespace vm;
 using namespace avian::tools;
+using namespace avian::util;
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -1714,105 +1718,6 @@ writeBootImage(Thread* t, uintptr_t* arguments)
   return 1;
 }
 
-class Arg;
-
-class ArgParser {
-public:
-  Arg* first;
-  Arg** last;
-
-  ArgParser():
-    first(0),
-    last(&first) {}
-
-  bool parse(int ac, const char** av);
-  void printUsage(const char* exe);
-};
-
-class Arg {
-public:
-  Arg* next;
-  bool required;
-  const char* name;
-  const char* desc;
-
-  const char* value;
-
-  Arg(ArgParser& parser, bool required, const char* name, const char* desc):
-    next(0),
-    required(required),
-    name(name),
-    desc(desc),
-    value(0)
-  {
-    *parser.last = this;
-    parser.last = &next;
-  }
-};
-
-bool ArgParser::parse(int ac, const char** av) {
-  Arg* state = 0;
-
-  for(int i = 1; i < ac; i++) {
-    if(state) {
-      if(state->value) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "duplicate parameter %s: '%s' and '%s'\n", state->name, state->value, av[i]);
-        return false;
-      }
-      state->value = av[i];
-      state = 0;
-    } else {
-      if(av[i][0] != '-') {
-        fprintf(stderr, "expected -parameter\n");
-        return false;
-      }
-      bool found = false;
-      for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
-        if(::strcmp(arg->name, &av[i][1]) == 0) {
-          found = true;
-          if (arg->desc == 0) {
-            arg->value = "true";
-          } else {
-            state = arg;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-      if (not found) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "unrecognized parameter %s\n", av[i]);
-        return false;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  if(state) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "expected argument after -%s\n", state->name);
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
-    if(arg->required && !arg->value) {
-      fprintf(stderr, "expected value for %s\n", arg->name);
-      return false;
-    }
-  }
-
-  return true;
-}
-
-void ArgParser::printUsage(const char* exe) {
-  fprintf(stderr, "usage:\n%s \\\n", exe);
-  for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
-    const char* lineEnd = arg->next ? " \\" : "";
-    if(arg->required) {
-      fprintf(stderr, "  -%s\t%s%s\n", arg->name, arg->desc, lineEnd);
-    } else if (arg->desc) {
-      fprintf(stderr, "  [-%s\t%s]%s\n", arg->name, arg->desc, lineEnd);
-    } else {
-      fprintf(stderr, "  [-%s]%s\n", arg->name, lineEnd);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 char*
 myStrndup(const char* src, unsigned length)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/arg-parser.cpp b/src/util/arg-parser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..697bfd4fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/arg-parser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2008-2012, Avian Contributors
+
+   Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software
+   for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided
+   that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear
+   in all copies.
+
+   There is NO WARRANTY for this software.  See license.txt for
+   details. */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "util/arg-parser.h"
+
+namespace avian {
+namespace util {
+
+Arg::Arg(ArgParser& parser, bool required, const char* name, const char* desc):
+  next(0),
+  required(required),
+  name(name),
+  desc(desc),
+  value(0)
+{
+  *parser.last = this;
+  parser.last = &next;
+}
+
+bool ArgParser::parse(int ac, const char** av) {
+  Arg* state = 0;
+
+  for(int i = 1; i < ac; i++) {
+    if(state) {
+      if(state->value) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "duplicate parameter %s: '%s' and '%s'\n", state->name, state->value, av[i]);
+        return false;
+      }
+      state->value = av[i];
+      state = 0;
+    } else {
+      if(av[i][0] != '-') {
+        fprintf(stderr, "expected -parameter\n");
+        return false;
+      }
+      bool found = false;
+      for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
+        if(strcmp(arg->name, &av[i][1]) == 0) {
+          found = true;
+          if (arg->desc == 0) {
+            arg->value = "true";
+          } else {
+            state = arg;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      if (not found) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "unrecognized parameter %s\n", av[i]);
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if(state) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "expected argument after -%s\n", state->name);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
+    if(arg->required && !arg->value) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "expected value for %s\n", arg->name);
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+void ArgParser::printUsage(const char* exe) {
+  fprintf(stderr, "usage:\n%s \\\n", exe);
+  for(Arg* arg = first; arg; arg = arg->next) {
+    const char* lineEnd = arg->next ? " \\" : "";
+    if(arg->required) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "  -%s\t%s%s\n", arg->name, arg->desc, lineEnd);
+    } else if (arg->desc) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "  [-%s\t%s]%s\n", arg->name, arg->desc, lineEnd);
+    } else {
+      fprintf(stderr, "  [-%s]%s\n", arg->name, lineEnd);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+} // namespace util
+} // namespace avian
diff --git a/src/util/arg-parser.h b/src/util/arg-parser.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bba913c4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/arg-parser.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2008-2011, Avian Contributors
+
+   Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software
+   for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided
+   that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear
+   in all copies.
+
+   There is NO WARRANTY for this software.  See license.txt for
+   details. */
+
+#ifndef AVIAN_UTIL_ARG_PARSER_H
+#define AVIAN_UTIL_ARG_PARSER_H
+
+namespace avian {
+namespace util {
+
+class Arg;
+
+class ArgParser {
+public:
+  Arg* first;
+  Arg** last;
+
+  ArgParser();
+
+  bool parse(int ac, const char** av);
+  void printUsage(const char* exe);
+};
+
+class Arg {
+public:
+  Arg* next;
+  bool required;
+  const char* name;
+  const char* desc;
+
+  const char* value;
+
+  Arg(ArgParser& parser, bool required, const char* name, const char* desc);
+};
+
+
+} // namespace avian
+} // namespace util
+
+#endif // AVIAN_UTIL_ARG_PARSER_H
\ No newline at end of file