diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
index ce7107e..8b6e695 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.codec.binary.Base64;
 
 import com.samskivert.io.StreamUtil;
 import com.samskivert.text.MessageUtil;
+import com.samskivert.util.ArrayUtil;
 import com.samskivert.util.RandomUtil;
 import com.samskivert.util.RunAnywhere;
 import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
@@ -179,26 +180,22 @@ public class Application
      * configuration file from the supplied application directory.
      *
      * @param appid usually null but a string identifier if a secondary application is desired to
-     * be launched. That application will use <code>appid.class</code> and
-     * <code>appid.apparg</code> to configure itself but all other parameters will be the same as
-     * the primary application.
+     * be launched. That application will use {@code appid.class} and {@code appid.apparg} to
+     * configure itself but all other parameters will be the same as the primary application.
      * @param signers an array of possible signers of this application. Used to verify the digest.
-     * @param jvmargs arguments to pass on to launched jvms
-     * @param appargs arguments to pass on to launched application
+     * @param jvmargs additional arguments to pass on to launched jvms.
+     * @param appargs additional arguments to pass on to launched application; these will be added
+     * after the args in the getdown.txt file.
      */
-    public Application (
-        File appdir, String appid, Object[] signers, String[] jvmargs, String[] appargs)
+    public Application (File appdir, String appid, Object[] signers,
+                        String[] jvmargs, String[] appargs)
     {
         _appdir = appdir;
         _appid = appid;
         _signers = signers;
         _config = getLocalPath(CONFIG_FILE);
-        if (jvmargs != null) {
-            _baseJvmArgs = jvmargs;
-        }
-        if (appargs != null) {
-            _baseAppArgs = appargs;
-        }
+        _extraJvmArgs = (jvmargs == null) ? ArrayUtil.EMPTY_STRING : jvmargs;
+        _extraAppArgs = (appargs == null) ? ArrayUtil.EMPTY_STRING : appargs;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -567,7 +564,7 @@ public class Application
         }
 
         // Add the launch specific JVM arguments
-        for (String arg : _baseJvmArgs) {
+        for (String arg : _extraJvmArgs) {
             _jvmargs.add(arg);
         }
 
@@ -580,7 +577,7 @@ public class Application
         }
 
         // add the launch specific application arguments
-        for (String arg : _baseAppArgs) {
+        for (String arg : _extraAppArgs) {
             _appargs.add(arg);
         }
 
@@ -1411,7 +1408,7 @@ public class Application
     protected String[] parseList (Map<String, Object> cdata, String name)
     {
         String value = (String)cdata.get(name);
-        return (value == null) ? new String[0] : StringUtil.parseStringArray(value);
+        return (value == null) ? ArrayUtil.EMPTY_STRING : StringUtil.parseStringArray(value);
     }
 
     /** Possibly generates and returns a google analytics tracking cookie. */
@@ -1476,15 +1473,15 @@ public class Application
     protected List<String> _jvmargs = new ArrayList<String>();
     protected List<String> _appargs = new ArrayList<String>();
 
-    protected String[] _baseJvmArgs = new String[0];
-    protected String[] _baseAppArgs = new String[0];
+    protected String[] _extraJvmArgs;
+    protected String[] _extraAppArgs;
 
     protected Object[] _signers;
 
     /** If a warning has been issued about not being able to set modtimes. */
     protected boolean _warnedAboutSetLastModified;
 
-    protected static final String[] SA_PROTO = new String[0];
+    protected static final String[] SA_PROTO = ArrayUtil.EMPTY_STRING;
 
     /** Locks gettingdown.lock in the app dir. Held the entire time updating is going on.*/
     protected FileLock _lock;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
index f4f8173..e4f512f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
@@ -93,8 +93,7 @@ public abstract class Getdown extends Thread
         this(appDir, appId, null, null, null);
     }
 
-    public Getdown (
-        File appDir, String appId, Object[] signers, String[] jvmargs, String[] appargs)
+    public Getdown (File appDir, String appId, Object[] signers, String[] jvmargs, String[] appargs)
     {
         super("Getdown");
         try {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApp.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApp.java
index e3d05b0..8840531 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApp.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApp.java
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ import java.util.List;
 import javax.swing.JFrame;
 import javax.swing.WindowConstants;
 
-import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
-
 import com.samskivert.swing.util.SwingUtil;
+import com.samskivert.util.ArrayUtil;
+import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
 
 import static com.threerings.getdown.Log.log;
 
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ public class GetdownApp
         String appId = (aidx < args.size()) ? args.get(aidx++) : null;
 
         // pass along anything after that as app args
-        String[] appArgs = (aidx < args.size())
-            ? args.subList(aidx, args.size()).toArray(new String[0]) : null;
+        String[] appArgs = (aidx < args.size()) ?
+            args.subList(aidx, args.size()).toArray(ArrayUtil.EMPTY_STRING) : null;
 
         // ensure a valid directory was supplied
         File appDir = new File(adarg);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApplet.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApplet.java
index 93736c2..a9da88c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApplet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/GetdownApplet.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class GetdownApplet extends JApplet
             // a third party to insert a trusted certificate. This should be replaced with
             // statically included trusted keys.
             _getdown = new Getdown(_config.appdir, null, GetdownApplet.class.getSigners(),
-                _config.jvmargs, null) {
+                                   _config.jvmargs, _config.appargs) {
                 @Override
                 protected Container createContainer () {
                     getContentPane().removeAll();