diff --git a/src/bootstrap.coffee b/src/bootstrap.coffee
index fe3344a1b..e7daa6055 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap.coffee
+++ b/src/bootstrap.coffee
@@ -1,51 +1,16 @@
 # This file is the first thing loaded on startup.
 
-console.log = (thing) -> OSX.NSLog thing.toString()
+console.log = (thing) -> OSX.NSLog thing.toString() if thing?
 
-modules = {}
-paths = ['src', 'vendor']
-read = (path) ->
-  OSX.NSString.stringWithContentsOfFile path
-this.require = (file) ->
-  # hack for stupid requirejs
-  if file.indexOf('ace/requirejs/text!') > -1
-    file = file.replace 'ace/requirejs/text!', ''
-    text = true
+# load require() function
+root = OSX.NSBundle.mainBundle.resourcePath
+code = OSX.NSString.stringWithContentsOfFile "#{root}/src/require.js"
+eval "(function(){ #{code} })(this);"
 
-  return modules[file] if modules[file]
-
-  code = null
-  if file[0] is '/'
-    code = read("#{file}.js") or read("#{file}/index.js")
-  else
-    root = OSX.NSBundle.mainBundle.resourcePath
-    paths.forEach (path) ->
-      return code if code
-      if text
-        code = read "#{root}/#{path}/#{file}"
-      else
-        code = read("#{root}/#{path}/#{file}.js") or
-               read("#{root}/#{path}/#{file}/index.js")
-
-  if text
-    modules[file] = code.toString()
-    return modules[file]
-
-  exports = {}
-  module  = exports: exports
-
-  src  = "function define(cb){cb.call(this,require,exports)};"
-  src += """(function(exports, define, module){
-    #{code}
-  }).call(exports, exports, define, module);
-  """
-  eval src
-
-  modules[file] = module.exports or exports
-  modules[file]
-
-this.require.paths = paths
-
-this.require.nameToUrl = (path) -> "#{path}.js"
+console.log 'require tests:'
+console.log require.resolve 'underscore'
+console.log require.resolve 'osx'
+console.log require.resolve 'ace/requirejs/text!ace/css/editor.css'
+console.log require.resolve 'ace/keyboard/keybinding'
 
 this._ = require 'underscore'
diff --git a/src/require.coffee b/src/require.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a76f34839
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/require.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+resourcePath = OSX.NSBundle.mainBundle.resourcePath
+
+paths = [
+  "#{resourcePath}/src",
+  "#{resourcePath}/plugins",
+  "#{resourcePath}/vendor"
+]
+
+require = (file) ->
+  return __modules[file] if __modules[file]?
+
+  file  = resolve file
+  parts = file.split '.'
+  ext   = parts[parts.length-1]
+
+  __modules[file] = exts[ext]? file
+  __modules[file]
+
+exts =
+  css: (file) -> __read file
+  js:  (file) ->
+    code    = __read file
+    exports = {}
+    module  = exports: exports
+
+    src  = "function define(cb){cb.call(this,require,exports)};"
+    src += """(function(exports, define, module){
+      #{code}
+      /*close open comments*/
+    }).call(exports, exports, define, module);
+    """
+    eval src
+
+    module.exports or exports
+
+resolve = (file) ->
+  if /!/.test file
+    parts = file.split '!'
+    file = parts[parts.length-1]
+
+  if file[0..1] is './'
+    throw "require: ./ prefix not yet implemented"
+
+  if file[0..2] is '../'
+    throw "require: ../ prefix not yet implemented"
+
+  if file[0] isnt '/'
+    paths.forEach (path) ->
+      if /\.(.+)$/.test(file) and __exists "#{path}/#{file}"
+        file = "#{path}/#{file}"
+      else
+        for ext, handler of exts
+          if __exists "#{path}/#{file}.#{ext}"
+            file = "#{path}/#{file}.#{ext}"
+          else if __exists "#{path}/#{file}/index.#{ext}"
+            file = "#{path}/#{file}/index.#{ext}"
+
+  if file[0] isnt '/'
+    throw "require: Can't find '#{file}'"
+
+  return file
+
+
+__exists = (path) ->
+  OSX.NSFileManager.defaultManager.fileExistsAtPath path
+
+__read = (path) ->
+  OSX.NSString.stringWithContentsOfFile path
+
+__modules = {}
+
+
+this.require = require
+
+this.require.paths = paths
+this.require.exts  = exts
+
+this.require.resolve   = resolve
+this.require.nameToUrl = (path) -> "#{path}.js"