diff --git a/include/libc.h b/include/libc.h
index 1440209e30a..5fd56b8bfe7 100644
--- a/include/libc.h
+++ b/include/libc.h
@@ -292,6 +292,10 @@ extern	char*	getgoversion(void);
 extern	char*	getgoarm(void);
 extern	char*	getgo386(void);
 
+extern	char*	mktempdir(void);
+extern	void	removeall(char*);
+extern	int	runcmd(char**);
+
 extern	void	flagcount(char*, char*, int*);
 extern	void	flagint32(char*, char*, int32*);
 extern	void	flagint64(char*, char*, int64*);
diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/windows.c b/src/cmd/dist/windows.c
index 7bcda4508f4..ba23a7ae828 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/windows.c
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/windows.c
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ static void bgwait1(void);
 static void
 genrun(Buf *b, char *dir, int mode, Vec *argv, int wait)
 {
+	// Another copy of this logic is in ../../lib9/run_windows.c.
+	// If there's a bug here, fix the logic there too.
 	int i, j, nslash;
 	Buf cmd;
 	char *q;
diff --git a/src/lib9/run_plan9.c b/src/lib9/run_plan9.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7feb48d981f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/run_plan9.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <libc.h>
+
+int
+runcmd(char **argv)
+{
+	int pid;
+	Waitmsg *w;
+	
+	switch(pid = fork()) {
+	case -1:
+		return -1;
+	case 0:
+		execvp(argv[0], argv);
+		fprint(2, "exec %s: %r", argv[0]);
+		_exit(1);
+	}
+	
+	w = wait();
+	if(w == nil)
+		return -1;
+	if(w->pid != pid) {
+		werrstr("unexpected pid in wait");
+		free(w);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if(w->msg[0]) {
+		werrstr("unsuccessful exit status: %s", w->msg);
+		free(w);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	free(w);
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib9/run_unix.c b/src/lib9/run_unix.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1b4c6de1b45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/run_unix.c
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build darwin freebsd linux netbsd openbsd
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#define NOPLAN9DEFINES
+#include <libc.h>
+
+int
+runcmd(char **argv)
+{
+	int pid, pid1, status;
+	
+	switch(pid = fork()) {
+	case -1:
+		return -1;
+	case 0:
+		execvp(argv[0], argv);
+		fprint(2, "exec %s: %r", argv[0]);
+		_exit(1);
+	}
+	
+	while((pid1 = wait(&status)) < 0) {
+		if(errno != EINTR) {
+			werrstr("waitpid: %r");
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+	if(pid1 != pid) {
+		werrstr("unexpected pid in wait");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if(!WIFEXITED(status) || WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
+		werrstr("unsuccessful exit status %#x", status);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/lib9/run_windows.c b/src/lib9/run_windows.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..87875b42dbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/run_windows.c
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <windows.h>
+#define NOPLAN9DEFINES
+#include <libc.h>
+#include "win.h"
+
+int
+runcmd(char **argv)
+{
+	// Mostly copied from ../cmd/dist/windows.c.
+	// If there's a bug here, fix the logic there too.
+	int i, j, nslash;
+	Fmt fmt;
+	char *q;
+	WinRune *r;
+	STARTUPINFOW si;
+	PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
+	DWORD code;
+
+	fmtstrinit(&fmt);
+	for(i=0; argv[i]; i++) {
+		if(i > 0)
+			fmtprint(&fmt, " ");
+		q = argv[i];
+		if(strstr(q, " ") || strstr(q, "\t") || strstr(q, "\"") || strstr(q, "\\\\") || (strlen(q) > 0 && q[strlen(q)-1] == '\\')) {
+			fmtprint(&fmt, "\"");
+			nslash = 0;
+			for(; *q; q++) {
+				if(*q == '\\') {
+					nslash++;
+					continue;
+				}
+				if(*q == '"') {
+					for(j=0; j<2*nslash+1; j++)
+						fmtprint(&fmt, "\\");
+					nslash = 0;
+				}
+				for(j=0; j<nslash; j++)
+					fmtprint(&fmt, "\\");
+				nslash = 0;
+				fmtprint(&fmt, "\"");
+			}
+			for(j=0; j<2*nslash; j++)
+				fmtprint(&fmt, "\\");
+			fmtprint(&fmt, "\"");
+		} else {
+			fmtprint(&fmt, "%s", q);
+		}
+	}
+	
+	q = fmtstrflush(&fmt);
+	r = torune(q);
+	free(q);
+
+	memset(&si, 0, sizeof si);
+	si.cb = sizeof si;
+	si.dwFlags = STARTF_USESTDHANDLES;
+	si.hStdOutput = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+	si.hStdError = GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
+
+	if(!CreateProcessW(nil, r, nil, nil, TRUE, 0, nil, nil, &si, &pi)) {
+		free(r);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	free(r);
+	if(WaitForMultipleObjects(1, &pi.hProcess, FALSE, INFINITE) != 0)
+		return -1;
+	i = GetExitCodeProcess(pi.hProcess, &code);
+	CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
+	CloseHandle(pi.hThread);
+	if(!i)
+		return -1;
+	if(code != 0) {
+		werrstr("unsuccessful exit status: %d", (int)code);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib9/tempdir_plan9.c b/src/lib9/tempdir_plan9.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9c14d6dd0e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/tempdir_plan9.c
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <libc.h>
+
+char*
+mktempdir(void)
+{
+	char *p;
+	int i;
+	
+	p = smprint("/tmp/go-link-XXXXXX");
+	for(i=0; i<1000; i++) {
+		sprint(p, "/tmp/go-link-%06x", nrand((1<<24)-1));
+		fd = create(p, OREAD|OEXCL, 0700|DMDIR);
+		if(fd >= 0) {
+			close(fd);
+			return p;
+		}
+	}
+	free(p);
+	return nil;
+}
+
+void
+removeall(char *p)
+{
+	int fd, n;
+	Dir *d;
+	char *q;
+	
+	if(remove(p) >= 0)
+		return;
+	if((d = dirstat(p)) == nil)
+		return;
+	if(!(d->mode & DMDIR)) {
+		free(d);
+		return;
+	}
+	free(d);
+	
+	if((fd = open(p, OREAD)) < 0)
+		return;
+	n = dirreadall(fd, &d);
+	close(fd);
+	for(i=0; i<n; i++) {
+		q = smprint("%s/%s", p, d[i].name);
+		removeall(q);
+		free(q);
+	}
+	free(d);
+}
diff --git a/src/lib9/tempdir_unix.c b/src/lib9/tempdir_unix.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b7e58b4d06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/tempdir_unix.c
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build darwin freebsd linux netbsd openbsd
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#define NOPLAN9DEFINES
+#include <libc.h>
+
+char*
+mktempdir(void)
+{
+	char *tmp, *p;
+	
+	tmp = getenv("TMPDIR");
+	if(tmp == nil)
+		tmp = "/var/tmp";
+	p = smprint("%s/go-link-XXXXXX", tmp);
+	if(mkdtemp(p) == nil)
+		return nil;
+	return p;
+}
+
+void
+removeall(char *p)
+{
+	DIR *d;
+	struct dirent *dp;
+	char *q;
+	struct stat st;
+
+	if(stat(p, &st) < 0)
+		return;
+	if(!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		unlink(p);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	d = opendir(p);
+	while((dp = readdir(d)) != nil) {
+		if(strcmp(dp->d_name, ".") == 0 || strcmp(dp->d_name, "..") == 0)
+			continue;
+		q = smprint("%s/%s", p, dp->d_name);
+		removeall(q);
+		free(q);
+	}
+	closedir(d);
+	rmdir(p);
+}
diff --git a/src/lib9/tempdir_windows.c b/src/lib9/tempdir_windows.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e9322dc825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/tempdir_windows.c
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include <u.h>
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <libc.h>
+#include "win.h"
+
+char*
+toutf(WinRune *r)
+{
+	Rune *r1;
+	int i, n;
+	char *p;
+	
+	n = 0;
+	while(r[n] != '\0')
+		n++;
+	n++;
+	r1 = malloc(n*sizeof r1[0]);
+	for(i=0; i<n; i++)
+		r1[i] = r[i];
+	p = smprint("%S", r1);
+	free(r1);
+	return p;
+}
+
+WinRune*
+torune(char *p)
+{
+	int i, n;
+	Rune *r1;
+	WinRune *r;
+	
+	r1 = runesmprint("%s", p);
+	n = 0;
+	while(r1[n] != '\0')
+		n++;
+	n++;
+	r = malloc(n*sizeof r[0]);
+	for(i=0; i<n; i++)
+		r[i] = r1[i];
+	free(r1);
+	return r;
+}
+
+char*
+mktempdir(void)
+{
+	WinRune buf[1024];
+	WinRune tmp[MAX_PATH];
+	WinRune golink[] = {'g', 'o', 'l', 'i', 'n', 'k', '\0'};
+	int n;
+	
+	n = GetTempPathW(nelem(buf), buf);
+	if(n <= 0)
+		return nil;
+	buf[n] = '\0';
+	
+	if(GetTempFileNameW(buf, golink, 0, tmp) == 0)
+		return nil;
+	DeleteFileW(tmp);
+	if(!CreateDirectoryW(tmp, nil))
+		return nil;
+	
+	return toutf(tmp);
+}
+
+void
+removeall(char *p)
+{
+	WinRune *r, *r1;
+	DWORD attr;
+	char *q, *elem;
+	HANDLE h;
+	WIN32_FIND_DATAW data;
+	
+	r = torune(p);
+	attr = GetFileAttributesW(r);
+	if(attr == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES || !(attr & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY)) {
+		DeleteFileW(r);
+		free(r);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	q = smprint("%s\\*", p);
+	r1 = torune(q);
+	free(q);
+	h = FindFirstFileW(r1, &data);
+	if(h == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+		goto done;
+	do{
+		q = toutf(data.cFileName);
+		elem = strrchr(q, '\\');
+		if(elem != nil) {
+			elem++;
+			if(strcmp(elem, ".") == 0 || strcmp(elem, "..") == 0) {
+				free(q);
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+		removeall(q);
+		free(q);		
+	}while(FindNextFileW(h, &data));
+	FindClose(h);
+
+done:
+	free(r1);
+	RemoveDirectoryW(r);
+	free(r);
+}
diff --git a/src/lib9/win.h b/src/lib9/win.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d9df319afbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib9/win.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Copyright 2013 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+typedef unsigned short WinRune;
+
+WinRune* torune(char*);
+char *toutf(WinRune*);