diff --git a/core/util.inc.php b/core/util.inc.php
index 17895b26..7cb831dc 100644
--- a/core/util.inc.php
+++ b/core/util.inc.php
@@ -1725,7 +1725,26 @@ function _get_query() {
 	return @$_POST["q"]?:@$_GET["q"];
 }
 
+function _router() {
+	// custom routing for stand-alone mode
+	if(php_sapi_name() == 'cli-server') {
+		// warehouse files
+		$matches = array();
+		if(preg_match('/\/_(images|thumbs)\/([0-9a-f]{32}).*$/', $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"], $matches)) {
+			header('Content-Type: image/jpeg');
+			print(file_get_contents(warehouse_path($matches[1], $matches[2])));
+			exit;
+		}
 
+		// static files
+		if(preg_match('/\.(?:png|jpg|jpeg|gif|css|js)$/', $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"])) {
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		$_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] = '/';
+		$_GET['q'] = $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"];
+	}
+}
 
 /* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *\
 * Code coverage                                                             *
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index d386aa44..7d66cb38 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ require_once "core/util.inc.php";
 // set up and purify the environment
 _version_check();
 _sanitise_environment();
+if(_router()) return false;
 
 try {
 	// load base files