diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/ConfigUtil.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/ConfigUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6bf07477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/ConfigUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+//
+// $Id: ConfigUtil.java,v 1.1 2001/02/15 01:09:57 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.samskivert.util;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+/**
+ * The config util class provides routines for loading configuration
+ * information out of a file that lives somewhere in the classpath.
+ */
+public class ConfigUtil
+{
+    /**
+     * Loads a properties file from the named file that exists somewhere
+     * in the classpath. A full path should be supplied, but variations
+     * including and not including a leading slash will be used because
+     * JVMs differ on their opinion of whether this is necessary.
+     *
+     * <p> The classloader that loaded the <code>ConfigUtil</code> class
+     * is searched first, followed by the system classpath. If you wish to
+     * provide an additional classloader, use the version of this function
+     * that takes a classloader as an argument.
+     *
+     * @param path The path to the properties file, relative to the root
+     * of the classpath entry from which it will be loaded
+     * (e.g. /conf/foo.properties or perhaps just bar.properties).
+     */
+    public static Properties loadProperties (String path)
+	throws IOException
+    {
+	return loadProperties(path, ConfigUtil.class.getClassLoader());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Loads a properties file from the named file that exists somewhere
+     * in the classpath. A full path should be supplied, but variations
+     * including and not including a leading slash will be used because
+     * JVMs differ on their opinion of whether this is necessary.
+     *
+     * <p> The supplied classloader is searched first, followed by the
+     * system classloader.
+     *
+     * @param path The path to the properties file, relative to the root
+     * of the classpath entry from which it will be loaded
+     * (e.g. /conf/foo.properties or perhaps just bar.properties).
+     */
+    public static Properties loadProperties (String name, ClassLoader loader)
+	throws IOException
+    {
+	return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an input stream referencing a file that exists somewhere in
+     * the classpath. A full path (relative to the classpath directories)
+     * should be supplied, but variations including and not including a
+     * leading slash will be used because JVMs differ on their opinion of
+     * whether this is necessary.
+     *
+     * <p> The classloader that loaded the <code>ConfigUtil</code> class
+     * is searched first, followed by the system classpath. If you wish to
+     * provide an additional classloader, use the version of this function
+     * that takes a classloader as an argument.
+     *
+     * @param path The path to the file, relative to the root of the
+     * classpath directory from which it will be loaded
+     * (e.g. /conf/foo.gif or perhaps just bar.gif if the file is at the
+     * top level).
+     */
+    public static InputStream getStream (String path)
+    {
+	return getStream(path, ConfigUtil.class.getClassLoader());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an input stream referencing a file that exists somewhere in
+     * the classpath. A full path (relative to the classpath directories)
+     * should be supplied, but variations including and not including a
+     * leading slash will be used because JVMs differ on their opinion of
+     * whether this is necessary.
+     *
+     * <p> The supplied classloader is searched first, followed by the
+     * system classloader.
+     *
+     * @param path The path to the file, relative to the root of the
+     * classpath directory from which it will be loaded
+     * (e.g. /conf/foo.gif or perhaps just bar.gif if the file is at the
+     * top level).
+     */
+    public static InputStream getStream (String path, ClassLoader loader)
+    {
+	// first try the supplied class loader
+	InputStream in = loader.getResourceAsStream(path);
+	if (in == null) {
+	    // if that didn't work, try the system classloader
+            in = Class.class.getResourceAsStream(path);
+	}
+	return in;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/Makefile b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/Makefile
index cd38926f..b2354e64 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/Makefile
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #
-# $Id: Makefile,v 1.4 2000/12/06 03:21:59 mdb Exp $
+# $Id: Makefile,v 1.5 2001/02/15 01:09:57 mdb Exp $
 
 ROOT = ../../..
 
 SRCS = \
+	ConfigUtil.java \
 	DefaultLogProvider.java \
 	Log.java \
 	LogProvider.java \