diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
index 415537b..f883d05 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@ public class Application
         _auxrsrcs.clear();
         _jvmargs.clear();
         _appargs.clear();
+        _txtJvmArgs.clear();
 
         // parse our code resources
         if (ConfigUtil.getMultiValue(cdata, "code") == null) {
@@ -578,6 +579,9 @@ public class Application
             _jvmargs.add(arg);
         }
 
+        // get the set of optimum JVM arguments
+        _optimumJvmArgs = ConfigUtil.getMultiValue(cdata, "optimum_jvmarg");
+
         // transfer our application arguments
         String[] appargs = ConfigUtil.getMultiValue(cdata, prefix + "apparg");
         if (appargs != null) {
@@ -592,7 +596,7 @@ public class Application
         }
 
         // look for custom arguments
-        fillAssignmentListFromPairs("extra.txt", _jvmargs);
+        fillAssignmentListFromPairs("extra.txt", _txtJvmArgs);
 
         // determine whether we want to allow offline operation (defaults to false)
         _allowOffline = Boolean.parseBoolean((String)cdata.get("allow_offline"));
@@ -712,6 +716,16 @@ public class Application
         return version >= _javaVersion;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Checks whether the app has a set of "optimum" JVM args that we wish to try first, detecting
+     * whether the launch is successful and, if necessary, trying again without the optimum
+     * arguments.
+     */
+    public boolean hasOptimumJvmArgs ()
+    {
+        return _optimumJvmArgs != null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Attempts to redownload the <code>getdown.txt</code> file based on information parsed from a
      * previous call to {@link #init}.
@@ -764,8 +778,11 @@ public class Application
 
     /**
      * Invokes the process associated with this application definition.
+     *
+     * @param optimum whether or not to include the set of optimum arguments (as opposed to falling
+     * back).
      */
-    public Process createProcess ()
+    public Process createProcess (boolean optimum)
         throws IOException
     {
         // create our classpath
@@ -816,6 +833,18 @@ public class Application
             args.add(processArg(string));
         }
 
+        // add the optimum arguments if requested and available
+        if (optimum && _optimumJvmArgs != null) {
+            for (String string : _optimumJvmArgs) {
+                args.add(processArg(string));
+            }
+        }
+
+        // add the arguments from extra.txt (after the optimum ones, in case they override them)
+        for (String string : _txtJvmArgs) {
+            args.add(processArg(string));
+        }
+
         // add the application class name
         args.add(_class);
 
@@ -1548,6 +1577,10 @@ public class Application
     protected String[] _extraJvmArgs;
     protected String[] _extraAppArgs;
 
+    protected String[] _optimumJvmArgs;
+
+    protected List<String> _txtJvmArgs = new ArrayList<String>();
+
     protected List<Certificate> _signers;
 
     /** If a warning has been issued about not being able to set modtimes. */
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
index f54a505..e099127 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.Timer;
+import java.util.TimerTask;
 
 import ca.beq.util.win32.registry.RegistryKey;
 import ca.beq.util.win32.registry.RegistryValue;
@@ -748,7 +750,33 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
                 _app.invokeDirect(getApplet());
 
             } else {
-                Process proc = _app.createProcess();
+                Process proc;
+                if (_app.hasOptimumJvmArgs()) {
+                    // if we have "optimum" arguments, we want to try launching with them first
+                    proc = _app.createProcess(true);
+
+                    // wait a short amount of time for the process to exit; if it doesn't (or it
+                    // exits with a success code), assume everything's good
+                    Timer timer = new Timer("fallbackCheck", true);
+                    timer.schedule(new TimerTask() {
+                        @Override public void run () {
+                            Getdown.this.interrupt();
+                        }
+                    }, FALLBACK_CHECK_TIME);
+                    boolean error;
+                    try {
+                        error = (proc.waitFor() != 0);
+                    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                        error = false;
+                    }
+                    timer.cancel();
+                    if (error) {
+                        log.info("Failed to launch with optimum arguments; falling back.");
+                        proc = _app.createProcess(false);
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    proc = _app.createProcess(false);
+                }
 
                 // close standard in to avoid choking standard out of the launched process
                 proc.getInputStream().close();
@@ -1081,6 +1109,7 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
 
     protected static final int MAX_LOOPS = 5;
     protected static final long MIN_EXIST_TIME = 5000L;
+    protected static final long FALLBACK_CHECK_TIME = 1000L;
     protected static final String PROXY_REGISTRY =
         "Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings";
 }