diff --git a/tests/build.xml b/tests/build.xml
index c3c3d9ba9..fff1d2f7f 100644
--- a/tests/build.xml
+++ b/tests/build.xml
@@ -99,6 +99,34 @@
     </javac>
   </target>
 
+  <!-- builds our Flash (abc) library -->
+  <target name="abclib">
+    <loadfile property="ascfiles" srcFile="etc/asc-files.txt">
+      <filterchain>
+        <prefixlines prefix="src/as/"/>
+        <tokenfilter delimOutput=" "/>
+      </filterchain>
+    </loadfile>
+    <java classname="macromedia.asc.embedding.ScriptCompiler" fork="true" failonerror="true">
+      <classpath>
+        <fileset dir="../lib" includes="asc.jar"/>
+      </classpath>
+      <arg value="-AS3"/>
+      <arg value="-strict"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../lib/builtin.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../lib/thane.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../dist/naryalib.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-outdir"/>
+      <arg value="${deploy.dir}"/>
+      <arg value="-out"/>
+      <arg value="testslib"/>
+      <arg line="${ascfiles}"/>
+    </java>
+  </target>
+
   <!-- test the component metadata bundling process -->
   <target name="cbundles" description="Build component bundles.">
     <!-- define our tasks -->
@@ -180,6 +208,38 @@
     </junit>
   </target>
 
+  <!-- builds the bureau thane test client -->
+  <target name="bureau-compile-thane-client" depends="abclib"
+	description="Compiles the thane client for testing the bureau library">
+    <java classname="macromedia.asc.embedding.ScriptCompiler" fork="true" failonerror="true">
+      <classpath>
+        <fileset dir="../lib" includes="asc.jar"/>
+      </classpath>
+      <arg value="-AS3"/>
+      <arg value="-strict"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../lib/builtin.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../lib/thane.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="../dist/naryalib.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-import"/>
+      <arg value="dist/testslib.abc"/>
+      <arg value="-outdir"/>
+      <arg value="${deploy.dir}/thane/"/>
+      <arg value="-out"/>
+      <arg value="main-bureau-client"/>
+      <arg value="src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClientMain.as"/>
+    </java>
+  </target>
+
+  <!-- runs the thane test client -->
+  <target name="bureau-run-thane-client" depends="bureau-compile-thane-client"
+	description="Runs the thane client for testing the bureau library">
+    <!-- TODO: use a ${thane.path} property to launch the thane shell with 
+      -- dist/main-bureau-client.abc as input -->
+  </target>
+
   <target name="bureau-runserver" depends="compile"
     description="Run the bureau test server.">
     <java fork="true" classname="com.threerings.bureau.server.TestServer">
diff --git a/tests/etc/asc-files.txt b/tests/etc/asc-files.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9da2d836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/etc/asc-files.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClient.as
diff --git a/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClient.as b/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClient.as
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..811950266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClient.as
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package com.threerings.bureau.client {
+
+public class TestClient extends BureauClient
+{
+    public function TestClient (token :String, bureauId :String)
+    {
+        super(token, bureauId);
+    }
+
+    protected override function createDirector () :BureauDirector
+    {
+        return new TestDirector(_ctx);
+    }
+}
+
+}
+
+import com.threerings.bureau.client.Agent;
+import com.threerings.bureau.client.BureauDirector;
+import com.threerings.bureau.Log;
+import com.threerings.bureau.data.AgentObject;
+import com.threerings.bureau.util.BureauContext;
+
+class TestAgent extends Agent
+{
+    public override function start () :void
+    {
+        Log.info("Starting agent " + _agentObj.getOid());
+    }
+
+    public override function stop () :void
+    {
+        Log.info("Stopping agent " + _agentObj.getOid());
+    }
+}
+
+class TestDirector extends BureauDirector
+{
+    public function TestDirector (ctx :BureauContext)
+    {
+        super(ctx);
+    }
+
+    // just use our test agent exclusively - in the real world, the agent created would depend 
+    // on the object's type and/or properties
+    protected override function createAgent (agentObj :AgentObject) :Agent
+    {
+        return new TestAgent();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClientMain.as b/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClientMain.as
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5390fb026
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/as/com/threerings/bureau/client/TestClientMain.as
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+
+/**
+ * The main entry point for the bureau test client to be run in thane. Arguments:
+ *   0: the token to use to log back into the server
+ *   1: the bureau id of this instance
+ *   2: the name of the server to log into
+ *   3: the port to connect to on the server
+ */
+
+import avmplus.System;
+
+for (var i :int = 0; i < System.argv.length; ++i) {
+    print("Argv[" + i + "] = " + System.argv[i]);
+}
+
+/*
+// create the client and log on
+var client :TestClient = new TestClient(
+    System.getProperty("token"), 
+    System.getProperty("bureauId"));
+client.setServer(
+    System.getProperty("serverName"), 
+    new int[] {Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty("serverPort"))});
+client.logon();
+
+// run it
+client.run();
+*/