diff --git a/app/meteor/skel/.meteor/packages b/app/meteor/skel/.meteor/packages
index 301b942bde..12c5f051c0 100644
--- a/app/meteor/skel/.meteor/packages
+++ b/app/meteor/skel/.meteor/packages
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 #
 # 'meteor add' and 'meteor remove' will edit this file for you,
 # but you can also edit it by hand.
+
+autopublish
diff --git a/packages/autopublish/autopublish.js b/packages/autopublish/autopublish.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f375450b3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/autopublish/autopublish.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+App._enable_autopublish();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/autopublish/package.js b/packages/autopublish/package.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7833caae42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/autopublish/package.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Package.describe({
+  summary: "Automatically publish all data in the database to every client"
+});
+
+Package.on_use(function (api, where) {
+  api.use('livedata', 'server');
+  api.add_files("autopublish.js", "server");
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/livedata/collection.js b/packages/livedata/collection.js
index 3f0d776bec..be0ceb750e 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/collection.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/collection.js
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Meteor.Collection = function (name, manager, driver) {
       throw new Error("There is already a collection named '" + name + "'");
   }
 
+  // mutation methods
   if (manager) {
     var m = {};
     // XXX what if name has illegal characters in it?
@@ -96,8 +97,17 @@ Meteor.Collection = function (name, manager, driver) {
   }
 
   // XXX temporary hack to provide sugar in LivedataServer.publish()
-  if (name && manager && manager._hack_collections)
+  if (name && manager && manager._hack_collections) {
+    if (name in manager._hack_collections)
+      throw new Error("There is already a collection named '" + name + "'");
     manager._hack_collections[name] = self;
+  }
+
+  // autopublish
+  if (name && manager.onAutopublish)
+    manager.onAutopublish(function () {
+      manager.publish(name, {is_auto: true});
+    });
 };
 
 
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
index 33fd0b06a4..3c5f1cfd26 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ Meteor._LivedataServer = function () {
   self._hack_collections = {}; // XXX hack. name => Collection
   self.method_handlers = {};
   self.stream_server = new Meteor._StreamServer;
+  self.on_autopublish = []; // array of func if AP disabled, null if enabled
+  self.warned_about_autopublish = false;
 
   self.stream_server.register(function (socket) {
     socket.meteor = {};
@@ -267,6 +269,10 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataServer.prototype, {
    *  - selector {Function<args> OR Object} either a mongodb selector,
    *    or a function that takes the argument object passed to
    *    Meteor.subscribe and returns a mongodb selector. default {}
+   *  - (mostly internal) is_auto: true if generated automatically
+   *    from an autopublish hook. this is for cosmetic purposes only
+   *    (it lets us determine whether to print a warning suggesting
+   *    that you turn off autopublish.)
    */
   publish: function (name, options) {
     var self = this;
@@ -278,6 +284,32 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataServer.prototype, {
     }
 
     options = options || {};
+
+    if (!self.onAutopublish && options.is_auto) {
+      // They have autopublish on, yet they're trying to manually
+      // picking stuff to publish. They probably should turn off
+      // autopublish. (This check isn't perfect -- if you create a
+      // publish before you turn on autopublish, it won't catch
+      // it. But this will definitely handle the simple case where
+      // you've added the autopublish package to your app, and are
+      // calling publish from your app code.)
+      if (!self.warned_about_autopublish) {
+        self.warned_about_autopublish = true;
+        Meteor._debug(
+"** You've set up some data subscriptions with Meteor.publish(), but\n" +
+"** you still have autopublish turned on. Because autopublish is still\n" +
+"** on, your Meteor.publish() calls won't have much effect. All data\n" +
+"** will still be sent to all clients.\n" +
+"**\n" +
+"** Turn off autopublish by removing the autopublish package:\n" +
+"**\n" +
+"**   $ meteor remove autopublish\n" +
+"**\n" +
+"** .. and make sure you have a Meteor.publish() call for each\n" +
+"** collection you want clients to be able to use.\n\n");
+      }
+    }
+
     var collection = options.collection || self._hack_collections[name];
     if (!collection)
       throw new Error("No collection '" + name + "' found to publish. " +
@@ -334,5 +366,24 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataServer.prototype, {
     if (result_func)
       result_func(ret); // XXX catch exception?
     return ret;
+  },
+
+  // A much more elegant way to do this would be: let any autopublish
+  // provider (eg, mongo-livedata) declare a weak package dependency
+  // on the autopublish package, then have that package simply set a
+  // flag that eg the Collection constructor checks, and autopublishes
+  // if necessary.
+  autopublish: function () {
+    var self = this;
+    _.each(self.on_autopublish || [], function (f) { f(); });
+    self.on_autopublish = null;
+  },
+
+  onAutopublish: function (f) {
+    var self = this;
+    if (self.on_autopublish)
+      self.on_autopublish.push(f);
+    else
+      f();
   }
 });
diff --git a/packages/logging/logging.js b/packages/logging/logging.js
index 430277f2e5..6a2dc83349 100644
--- a/packages/logging/logging.js
+++ b/packages/logging/logging.js
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ if (typeof Meteor === "undefined") Meteor = {};
   // replacement for console.log. This is a temporary API. We should
   // provide a real logging API soon (possibly just a polyfill for
   // console?)
-  Meteor._debug = function (/* varargs */) {
+  //
+  // NOTE: this is used on the server to print the warning about
+  // having autopublish enabled when you probably meant to turn it
+  // off. it's not really the proper use of something called
+  // _debug. the intent is for this message to go to the terminal and
+  // be very visible. if you change _debug to go someplace else, etc,
+  // please fix the autopublish code to do something reasonable.
+  Meteor._debug = function (/* arguments */) {
     if (typeof console !== 'undefined' &&
         typeof console.log !== 'undefined') {
       if (arguments.length == 0) {
@@ -13,5 +20,5 @@ if (typeof Meteor === "undefined") Meteor = {};
         console.log.apply(console, arguments);
       }
     }
-  }
+  };
 })();