diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundleUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundleUtil.java
index 89a7909a9..e53316a06 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundleUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundleUtil.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: BundleUtil.java,v 1.7 2004/02/25 14:39:34 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: BundleUtil.java,v 1.8 2004/07/03 03:25:48 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cast.bundle;
 
@@ -44,12 +44,19 @@ public class BundleUtil
      * Attempts to load an object from the supplied resource bundle with
      * the specified path.
      *
+     * @param wipeBundleOnFailure if there is an error reading the object
+     * from the bundle and this parameter is true, we will instruct the
+     * bundle to delete its underlying jar file before propagating the
+     * exception with the expectation that it will be redownloaded and
+     * repaired the next time the application is run.
+     *
      * @return the unserialized object in question.
      *
      * @exception IOException thrown if an I/O error occurs while reading
      * the object from the bundle.
      */     
-    public static Object loadObject (ResourceBundle bundle, String path)
+    public static Object loadObject (ResourceBundle bundle, String path,
+                                     boolean wipeBundleOnFailure)
         throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException
     {
         InputStream bin = null;
@@ -67,6 +74,17 @@ public class BundleUtil
                         ", error=" + ice.getMessage() + "].");
             return null;
 
+        } catch (IOException ioe) {
+            Log.warning("Error reading resource from bundle " +
+                        "[bundle=" + bundle + ", path=" + path +
+                        ", wiping?=" + wipeBundleOnFailure + "].");
+            if (wipeBundleOnFailure) {
+                StreamUtil.close(bin);
+                bin = null;
+                bundle.wipeBundle();
+            }
+            throw ioe;
+
         } finally {
             StreamUtil.close(bin);
         }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
index 431b1aa19..d79397d7c 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: BundledComponentRepository.java,v 1.30 2004/02/25 14:39:34 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: BundledComponentRepository.java,v 1.31 2004/07/03 03:25:48 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cast.bundle;
 
@@ -87,15 +87,15 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
             for (int i = 0; i < rcount; i++) {
                 if (_actions == null) {
                     _actions = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.ACTIONS_PATH);
+                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.ACTIONS_PATH, true);
                 }
                 if (_actionSets == null) {
                     _actionSets = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.ACTION_SETS_PATH);
+                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.ACTION_SETS_PATH, true);
                 }
                 if (_classes == null) {
                     _classes = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.CLASSES_PATH);
+                        rbundles[i], BundleUtil.CLASSES_PATH, true);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
             for (int i = 0; i < rbundles.length; i++) {
                 HashIntMap comps = null;
                 comps = (HashIntMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                    rbundles[i], BundleUtil.COMPONENTS_PATH);
+                    rbundles[i], BundleUtil.COMPONENTS_PATH, true);
                 if (comps == null) {
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -299,12 +299,14 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
             try {
                 // then try loading up a tileset customized for this action
                 if (aset == null) {
-                    aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(_bundle, cpath);
+                    aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(
+                        _bundle, cpath, false);
                 }
 
                 // if that failed, try loading the default tileset
                 if (aset == null) {
-                    aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(_bundle, dpath);
+                    aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(
+                        _bundle, dpath, false);
                     _setcache.put(dpath, aset);
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/tools/DumpBundle.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/tools/DumpBundle.java
index c026a3b48..465946afa 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/tools/DumpBundle.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/tools/DumpBundle.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DumpBundle.java,v 1.2 2002/02/05 20:29:09 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DumpBundle.java,v 1.3 2004/07/03 03:25:48 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cast.bundle.tools;
 
@@ -33,19 +33,19 @@ public class DumpBundle
                 ResourceBundle bundle = new ResourceBundle(file);
 
                 HashMap actions = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                    bundle, BundleUtil.ACTIONS_PATH);
+                    bundle, BundleUtil.ACTIONS_PATH, false);
                 dumpTable("actions: ", actions);
 
                 HashMap actionSets = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                    bundle, BundleUtil.ACTION_SETS_PATH);
+                    bundle, BundleUtil.ACTION_SETS_PATH, false);
                 dumpTable("actionSets: ", actionSets);
 
                 HashMap classes = (HashMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                    bundle, BundleUtil.CLASSES_PATH);
+                    bundle, BundleUtil.CLASSES_PATH, false);
                 dumpTable("classes: ", classes);
 
                 HashIntMap comps = (HashIntMap)BundleUtil.loadObject(
-                    bundle, BundleUtil.COMPONENTS_PATH);
+                    bundle, BundleUtil.COMPONENTS_PATH, false);
                 dumpTable("components: ", comps);
 
             } catch (Exception e) {