diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index f60530d0..45e0a3c2 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 Leiningen NEWS -- history of user-visible changes
 
+= 1.6.1 / TBD
+
+* Support for .classpath file to include context specific classpath elements.
+
 = 1.6.0 / 2011-06-29
 
 * Enforce project names as readable symbols.
diff --git a/bin/lein b/bin/lein
index 314e21cb..f6334909 100755
--- a/bin/lein
+++ b/bin/lein
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ LEIN_JAR="$HOME/.lein/self-installs/leiningen-$LEIN_VERSION-standalone.jar"
 CLOJURE_JAR="$HOME/.m2/repository/org/clojure/clojure/1.2.1/clojure-1.2.1.jar"
 NULL_DEVICE=/dev/null
 
+# apply context specific CLASSPATH entries
+if [ -f .classpath ]; then
+    CLASSPATH="`cat .classpath`:$CLASSPATH"
+fi
+
 # normalize $0 on certain BSDs
 if [ "$(dirname "$0")" = "." ]; then
     SCRIPT="$(which $(basename "$0"))"
diff --git a/bin/lein.bat b/bin/lein.bat
index b9a824b3..d63b23c8 100644
--- a/bin/lein.bat
+++ b/bin/lein.bat
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ set LEIN_USER_PLUGINS=!LEIN_USER_PLUGINS!"
 
 set CLASSPATH="%CLASSPATH%";%LEIN_USER_PLUGINS%;%LEIN_PLUGINS%;test;src
 
+rem Apply context specific CLASSPATH entries
+set CONTEXT_CP=""
+if exist ".classpath" set /P CONTEXT_CP=<.classpath
+if NOT "%CONTEXT_CP%"=="" set CLASSPATH="%CONTEXT_CP%";%CLASSPATH%
+
 if exist "%~f0\..\..\src\leiningen\core.clj" (
     rem Running from source checkout.
     call :SET_LEIN_ROOT "%~f0\..\.."