diff --git a/r2/r2/commands.py b/r2/r2/commands.py
index 21eea57e1..5afd7f109 100644
--- a/r2/r2/commands.py
+++ b/r2/r2/commands.py
@@ -51,16 +51,20 @@ class RunCommand(command.Command):
                       help="execute command in module")
 
     def command(self):
-        config_name = 'config:%s' % self.args[0]
         here_dir = os.getcwd()
 
-        conf = appconfig(config_name, relative_to=here_dir)
-        conf.global_conf['running_as_script'] = True
-        conf.update(dict(app_conf=conf.local_conf,
-                         global_conf=conf.global_conf))
-        paste.deploy.config.CONFIG.push_thread_config(conf)
+        if self.args[0].lower() == 'standalone':
+            load_environment(setup_globals=False)
+        else:
+            config_name = 'config:%s' % self.args[0]
 
-        load_environment(conf.global_conf, conf.local_conf)
+            conf = appconfig(config_name, relative_to=here_dir)
+            conf.global_conf['running_as_script'] = True
+            conf.update(dict(app_conf=conf.local_conf,
+                             global_conf=conf.global_conf))
+            paste.deploy.config.CONFIG.push_thread_config(conf)
+
+            load_environment(conf.global_conf, conf.local_conf)
 
         # Load locals and populate with objects for use in shell
         sys.path.insert(0, here_dir)
diff --git a/r2/r2/config/environment.py b/r2/r2/config/environment.py
index dd1df235a..ad7bada07 100644
--- a/r2/r2/config/environment.py
+++ b/r2/r2/config/environment.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import r2.config as reddit_config
 
 from r2.templates import tmpl_dirs
 
-def load_environment(global_conf={}, app_conf={}):
+def load_environment(global_conf={}, app_conf={}, setup_globals=True):
     map = make_map(global_conf, app_conf)
     # Setup our paths
     root_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ def load_environment(global_conf={}, app_conf={}):
     config.init_app(global_conf, app_conf, package='r2',
                     template_engine='mako', paths=paths)
 
-    config['pylons.g'] = app_globals.Globals(global_conf, app_conf, paths)
+    g = config['pylons.g'] = app_globals.Globals(global_conf, app_conf, paths)
+    if setup_globals:
+        g.setup(global_conf)
+        reddit_config.cache = g.cache
+
     config['pylons.h'] = r2.lib.helpers
     config['routes.map'] = map
 
@@ -74,8 +78,6 @@ def load_environment(global_conf={}, app_conf={}):
     # Add your own template options config options here,
     # note that all config options will override
     # any Pylons config options
-    g = config['pylons.g']
-    reddit_config.cache = g.cache
 
     # Return our loaded config object
     #return config.Config(tmpl_options, map, paths)
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
index a0ba00c99..03d038149 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
@@ -161,9 +161,28 @@ class Globals(object):
                                          % (k, v, self.choice_props[k]))
                     v = self.choice_props[k][v]
                 setattr(self, k, v)
+        
+        self.paths = paths
 
         self.running_as_script = global_conf.get('running_as_script', False)
+        
+        # turn on for language support
+        if not hasattr(self, 'lang'): self.lang = 'en'
+        self.languages, self.lang_name = \
+                        get_active_langs(default_lang= self.lang)
 
+        all_languages = self.lang_name.keys()
+        all_languages.sort()
+        self.all_languages = all_languages
+        
+        # set default time zone if one is not set
+        tz = global_conf.get('timezone', 'UTC')
+        self.tz = pytz.timezone(tz)
+        
+        dtz = global_conf.get('display_timezone', tz)
+        self.display_tz = pytz.timezone(dtz)
+
+    def setup(self, global_conf):
         if hasattr(signal, 'SIGUSR1'):
             # not all platforms have user signals
             signal.signal(signal.SIGUSR1, thread_dump)
@@ -227,13 +246,6 @@ class Globals(object):
         self.thing_cache = CacheChain((localcache_cls(),))
         self.cache_chains.append(self.thing_cache)
 
-        # set default time zone if one is not set
-        tz = global_conf.get('timezone')
-        dtz = global_conf.get('display_timezone', tz)
-
-        self.tz = pytz.timezone(tz)
-        self.display_tz = pytz.timezone(dtz)
-
         #load the database info
         self.dbm = self.load_db_params(global_conf)
 
@@ -264,20 +276,10 @@ class Globals(object):
 
         self.REDDIT_MAIN = bool(os.environ.get('REDDIT_MAIN'))
 
-        # turn on for language support
-        self.languages, self.lang_name = \
-                        get_active_langs(default_lang= self.lang)
-
-        all_languages = self.lang_name.keys()
-        all_languages.sort()
-        self.all_languages = all_languages
-
-        self.paths = paths
-
         self.secure_domains = set([urlparse(self.payment_domain).netloc])
 
         # load the md5 hashes of files under static
-        static_files = os.path.join(paths.get('static_files'), 'static')
+        static_files = os.path.join(self.paths.get('static_files'), 'static')
         self.static_md5 = {}
         if os.path.exists(static_files):
             for f in os.listdir(static_files):
@@ -320,7 +322,7 @@ class Globals(object):
 
         #read in our CSS so that it can become a default for subreddit
         #stylesheets
-        stylesheet_path = os.path.join(paths.get('static_files'),
+        stylesheet_path = os.path.join(self.paths.get('static_files'),
                                        self.static_path.lstrip('/'),
                                        self.stylesheet)
         with open(stylesheet_path) as s: