diff --git a/src/_premake_main.lua b/src/_premake_main.lua
index 9d3053de..d8a17404 100644
--- a/src/_premake_main.lua
+++ b/src/_premake_main.lua
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 	p.main.elements = function()
 		return {
+			p.main.locateUserScript,
 			p.main.installModuleLoader,
 		}
 	end
@@ -48,14 +49,6 @@
 		_PREMAKE_DIR = path.getdirectory(_PREMAKE_COMMAND)
 		premake.path = premake.path .. ";" .. _PREMAKE_DIR
 
-		local file = _OPTIONS["file"] or "premake5.lua"
-		_MAIN_SCRIPT = os.locate(file, file .. ".lua", "premake4.lua")
-		if _MAIN_SCRIPT then
-			_MAIN_SCRIPT_DIR = path.getdirectory(_MAIN_SCRIPT)
-		else
-			_MAIN_SCRIPT_DIR = _WORKING_DIR
-		end
-
 		p.callArray(p.main.elements)
 
 		-- Look for and run the system-wide configuration script; make sure any
@@ -79,7 +72,7 @@
 		-- If there is a project script available, run it to get the
 		-- project information, available options and actions, etc.
 
-		if _MAIN_SCRIPT then
+		if os.isfile(_MAIN_SCRIPT) then
 			dofile(_MAIN_SCRIPT)
 		end
 
@@ -119,8 +112,8 @@
 				return 1
 			end
 
-			if not _MAIN_SCRIPT then
-				print("No Premake script (premake5.lua) found!")
+			if not os.isfile(_MAIN_SCRIPT) then
+				print(string.format("No Premake script (%s) found!", path.getname(_MAIN_SCRIPT)))
 				return 1
 			end
 		end
@@ -153,6 +146,34 @@
 
 
 
+---
+-- Look for a user project script, and set up the related global
+-- variables if I can find one.
+---
+
+	function p.main.locateUserScript()
+		local defaults = { "premake5.lua", "premake4.lua" }
+		for i = 1, #defaults do
+			if os.isfile(defaults[i]) then
+				_MAIN_SCRIPT = defaults[i]
+				break
+			end
+		end
+
+		if not _MAIN_SCRIPT then
+			_MAIN_SCRIPT = defaults[1]
+		end
+
+		if _OPTIONS.file then
+			_MAIN_SCRIPT = _OPTIONS.file
+		end
+
+		_MAIN_SCRIPT = path.getabsolute(_MAIN_SCRIPT)
+		_MAIN_SCRIPT_DIR = path.getdirectory(_MAIN_SCRIPT)
+	end
+
+
+
 ---
 -- Add a new module loader that knows how to use the Premake paths like
 -- PREMAKE_PATH and the --scripts option, and follows the module/module.lua
diff --git a/src/host/lua_auxlib.c b/src/host/lua_auxlib.c
index 3815f195..eb5d4920 100644
--- a/src/host/lua_auxlib.c
+++ b/src/host/lua_auxlib.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * \file   lua_auxlib.c
  * \brief  Modifications and extensions to Lua's library functions.
- * \author Copyright (c) 2014 Jason Perkins and the Premake project
+ * \author Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Jason Perkins and the Premake project
  */
 
 #include "premake.h"
@@ -33,29 +33,38 @@ LUALIB_API int luaL_loadfile (lua_State* L, const char* filename)
 	int bottom = lua_gettop(L);
 	int z = !OKAY;
 
-	/* If the currently running script was embedded, try to load this file
-	 * as it if were embedded too. */
-	lua_getglobal(L, "_SCRIPT_DIR");
-	script_dir = lua_tostring(L, -1);
-
-	if (script_dir && script_dir[0] == '$') {
-		/* Call `path.getabsolute(filename, _SCRIPT_DIR)` to resolve any
-		 * "../" sequences in the filename */
-		lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
-		lua_pushstring(L, filename);
-		lua_pushvalue(L, -3);
-		lua_call(L, 2, 1);
-		test_name = lua_tostring(L, -1);
-
-		/* if successful, filename and chunk will be on top of stack */
-		z = premake_load_embedded_script(L, test_name + 2); /* Skip over leading "$/" */
-
-		/* remove test_name */
-		lua_remove(L, bottom + 1);
+	/* If filename is starts with "$/" then we want to load the version that
+	 * was embedded into the executable and skip the local file system */
+	if (filename[0] == '$') {
+		z = premake_load_embedded_script(L, filename + 2); /* Skip over leading "$/" */
+		if (z != OKAY) return z;
 	}
 
-	/* remove _SCRIPT_DIR */
-	lua_remove(L, bottom);
+	/* If the currently running script was embedded, try to load this file
+	 * as it if were embedded too. */
+	if (z != OKAY) {
+		lua_getglobal(L, "_SCRIPT_DIR");
+		script_dir = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+
+		if (script_dir && script_dir[0] == '$') {
+			/* Call `path.getabsolute(filename, _SCRIPT_DIR)` to resolve any
+			 * "../" sequences in the filename */
+			lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
+			lua_pushstring(L, filename);
+			lua_pushvalue(L, -3);
+			lua_call(L, 2, 1);
+			test_name = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+
+			/* if successful, filename and chunk will be on top of stack */
+			z = premake_load_embedded_script(L, test_name + 2); /* Skip over leading "$/" */
+
+			/* remove test_name */
+			lua_remove(L, bottom + 1);
+		}
+
+		/* remove _SCRIPT_DIR */
+		lua_remove(L, bottom);
+	}
 
 	/* Try to locate the script on the filesystem */
 	if (z != OKAY) {
diff --git a/src/host/os_locate.c b/src/host/os_locate.c
index 606e10df..9aa33b38 100644
--- a/src/host/os_locate.c
+++ b/src/host/os_locate.c
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@
 #include "premake.h"
 
 
+int do_locate(lua_State* L, const char* filename, const char* path)
+{
+	if (do_pathsearch(L, filename, path)) {
+		lua_pushstring(L, "/");
+		lua_pushstring(L, filename);
+		lua_concat(L, 3);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
+
 int os_locate(lua_State* L)
 {
 	int i;
@@ -26,22 +40,10 @@ int os_locate(lua_State* L)
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		/* Call os.pathsearch(arg[i], premake.path) */
-		lua_pushcfunction(L, os_pathsearch);
-		lua_pushvalue(L, i);
-		lua_pushvalue(L, -3);
-		lua_call(L, 2, 1);
-
-		/* os.pathsearch() returns the directory containing the file;
-		 * append the filename to complete the path */
-		if (!lua_isnil(L, -1)) {
-			lua_pushstring(L, "/");
-			lua_pushvalue(L, 1);
-			lua_concat(L, 3);
+		/* do_locate(arg[i], premake.path) */
+		if (do_locate(L, lua_tostring(L, i), lua_tostring(L, -1))) {
 			return 1;
 		}
-
-		lua_pop(L, 1);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/host/os_pathsearch.c b/src/host/os_pathsearch.c
index ec11e579..ec152258 100644
--- a/src/host/os_pathsearch.c
+++ b/src/host/os_pathsearch.c
@@ -11,76 +11,82 @@
 #include "premake.h"
 
 
+int do_pathsearch(lua_State* L, const char* filename, const char* path)
+{
+	do
+	{
+		const char* split;
+
+		/* look for the closest path separator ; or : */
+		/* can't use : on windows because it breaks on C:\path */
+		const char* semi = strchr(path, ';');
+#if !defined(PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
+		const char* full = strchr(path, ':');
+#else
+		const char* full = NULL;
+#endif
+
+		if (!semi)
+		{
+			split = full;
+		}
+		else if (!full)
+		{
+			split = semi;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			split = (semi < full) ? semi : full;
+		}
+
+		/* push this piece of the full search string onto the stack */
+		if (split)
+		{
+			lua_pushlstring(L, path, split - path);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			lua_pushstring(L, path);
+		}
+
+		/* keep an extra copy around, so I can return it if I have a match */
+		lua_pushvalue(L, -1);
+
+		/* append the filename to make the full test path */
+		lua_pushstring(L, "/");
+		lua_pushstring(L, filename);
+		lua_concat(L, 3);
+
+		/* test it - if it exists, return the absolute path */
+		if (do_isfile(lua_tostring(L, -1)))
+		{
+			lua_pop(L, 1);
+			lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
+			lua_pushvalue(L, -2);
+			lua_call(L, 1, 1);
+			return 1;
+		}
+
+		/* no match, set up the next try */
+		lua_pop(L, 2);
+		path = (split) ? split + 1 : NULL;
+	}
+	while (path);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
+
 int os_pathsearch(lua_State* L)
 {
 	int i;
+
+	const char* filename = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
 	for (i = 2; i <= lua_gettop(L); ++i)
 	{
-		const char* path;
-
-		if (lua_isnil(L, i))
-			continue;
-
-		path = luaL_checkstring(L, i);
-		do
-		{
-			const char* split;
-
-			/* look for the closest path separator ; or : */
-			/* can't use : on windows because it breaks on C:\path */
-			const char* semi = strchr(path, ';');
-#if !defined(PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
-			const char* full = strchr(path, ':');
-#else
-			const char* full = NULL;
-#endif
-
-			if (!semi)
-			{
-				split = full;
-			}
-			else if (!full)
-			{
-				split = semi;
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				split = (semi < full) ? semi : full;
-			}
-
-			/* push this piece of the full search string onto the stack */
-			if (split)
-			{
-				lua_pushlstring(L, path, split - path);
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				lua_pushstring(L, path);
-			}
-
-			/* keep an extra copy around, so I can return it if I have a match */
-			lua_pushvalue(L, -1);
-
-			/* append the filename to make the full test path */
-			lua_pushstring(L, "/");
-			lua_pushvalue(L, 1);
-			lua_concat(L, 3);
-
-			/* test it - if it exists, return the absolute path */
-			if (do_isfile(lua_tostring(L, -1)))
-			{
-				lua_pop(L, 1);
-				lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
-				lua_pushvalue(L, -2);
-				lua_call(L, 1, 1);
-				return 1;
-			}
-
-			/* no match, set up the next try */
-			lua_pop(L, 2);
-			path = (split) ? split + 1 : NULL;
-		}
-		while (path);
+		if (lua_isnil(L, i)) continue;
+		if (do_pathsearch(L, filename, luaL_checkstring(L, i))) return 1;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/host/premake.c b/src/host/premake.c
index cab7269f..847986ee 100644
--- a/src/host/premake.c
+++ b/src/host/premake.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 static void build_premake_path(lua_State* L);
 static int process_arguments(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv);
+static int run_premake_main(lua_State* L, const char* script);
 
 
 /* A search path for script files */
@@ -132,13 +133,14 @@ int premake_init(lua_State* L)
 }
 
 
+
 int premake_execute(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv, const char* script)
 {
 	int iErrFunc;
 
 	/* push the absolute path to the Premake executable */
 	lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
-	premake_locate(L, argv[0]);
+	premake_locate_executable(L, argv[0]);
 	lua_call(L, 1, 1);
 	lua_setglobal(L, "_PREMAKE_COMMAND");
 
@@ -150,8 +152,8 @@ int premake_execute(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv, const char* scrip
 	/* Use --scripts and PREMAKE_PATH to populate premake.path */
 	build_premake_path(L);
 
-	/* load the main script */
-	if (luaL_dofile(L, script) != OKAY) {
+	/* Find and run the main Premake bootstrapping script */
+	if (run_premake_main(L, script) != OKAY) {
 		printf(ERROR_MESSAGE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
 		return !OKAY;
 	}
@@ -185,7 +187,7 @@ int premake_execute(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv, const char* scrip
  * http://stackoverflow.com/questions/933850/how-to-find-the-location-of-the-executable-in-c
  * http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1023306/finding-current-executables-path-without-proc-self-exe
  */
-int premake_locate(lua_State* L, const char* argv0)
+int premake_locate_executable(lua_State* L, const char* argv0)
 {
 	char buffer[PATH_MAX];
 	const char* path = NULL;
@@ -262,6 +264,50 @@ int premake_locate(lua_State* L, const char* argv0)
 
 
 
+/**
+ * Checks one or more of the standard script search locations to locate the
+ * specified file. If found, returns the discovered path to the script on
+ * the top of the Lua stack.
+ */
+int premake_test_file(lua_State* L, const char* filename, int searchMask)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	if (searchMask & TEST_LOCAL) {
+		if (do_isfile(filename)) {
+			lua_pushcfunction(L, path_getabsolute);
+			lua_pushstring(L, filename);
+			lua_call(L, 1, 1);
+			return OKAY;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (scripts_path && (searchMask & TEST_SCRIPTS)) {
+		if (do_locate(L, filename, scripts_path)) return OKAY;
+	}
+
+	if (searchMask & TEST_PATH) {
+		const char* path = getenv("PREMAKE_PATH");
+		if (path && do_locate(L, filename, path)) return OKAY;
+	}
+
+	if ((searchMask & TEST_EMBEDDED) != 0) {
+		/* Try to locate a record matching the filename */
+		for (i = 0; builtin_scripts_index[i] != NULL; ++i) {
+			if (strcmp(builtin_scripts_index[i], filename) == 0) {
+				lua_pushstring(L, "$/");
+				lua_pushstring(L, filename);
+				lua_concat(L, 2);
+				return OKAY;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return !OKAY;
+}
+
+
+
 static const char* set_scripts_path(const char* relativePath)
 {
 	char* path = (char*)malloc(PATH_MAX);
@@ -376,6 +422,41 @@ static int process_arguments(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv)
 
 
 
+/**
+ * Find and run the main Premake bootstrapping script. The loading of the
+ * bootstrap and the other core scripts use a limited set of search paths
+ * to avoid mismatches between the native host code and the scripts
+ * themselves.
+ */
+static int run_premake_main(lua_State* L, const char* script)
+{
+	/* Release builds want to load the embedded scripts, with --scripts
+	 * argument allowed as an override. Debug builds will look at the
+	 * local file system first, then fall back to embedded. */
+#if defined(NDEBUG)
+	 int z = premake_test_file(L, script,
+	 	TEST_SCRIPTS | TEST_EMBEDDED);
+#else
+	int z = premake_test_file(L, script,
+		TEST_LOCAL | TEST_SCRIPTS | TEST_PATH | TEST_EMBEDDED);
+#endif
+
+	/* If no embedded script can be found, release builds will then
+	 * try to fall back to the local file system, just in case */
+#if defined(NDEBUG)
+	if (z != OKAY) {
+		z = premake_test_file(L, script, TEST_LOCAL | TEST_PATH);
+	}
+#endif
+
+	if (z == OKAY) {
+		z = luaL_dofile(L, lua_tostring(L, -1));
+	}
+	return z;
+}
+
+
+
 /**
  * Load a script that was previously embedded into the executable. If
  * successful, a function containing the new script chunk is pushed to
diff --git a/src/host/premake.h b/src/host/premake.h
index a9df7345..1a3c2bd3 100644
--- a/src/host/premake.h
+++ b/src/host/premake.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * \file   premake.h
  * \brief  Program-wide constants and definitions.
- * \author Copyright (c) 2002-2014 Jason Perkins and the Premake project
+ * \author Copyright (c) 2002-2015 Jason Perkins and the Premake project
  */
 
 #define lua_c
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@
 #define OKAY   (0)
 
 
+/* Bitmasks for the different script file search locations */
+#define TEST_LOCAL     (0x01)
+#define TEST_SCRIPTS   (0x02)
+#define TEST_PATH      (0x04)
+#define TEST_EMBEDDED  (0x08)
+
+
 /* If a /scripts argument is present, its value */
 extern const char* scripts_path;
 
@@ -71,7 +78,9 @@ void do_getabsolute(char* result, const char* value, const char* relative_to);
 int do_getcwd(char* buffer, size_t size);
 int do_isabsolute(const char* path);
 int do_isfile(const char* filename);
+int do_locate(lua_State* L, const char* filename, const char* path);
 void do_normalize(lua_State* L, char* buffer, const char* path);
+int do_pathsearch(lua_State* L, const char* filename, const char* path);
 void do_translate(char* value, const char sep);
 
 
@@ -113,10 +122,10 @@ int string_startswith(lua_State* L);
 
 /* Engine interface */
 int premake_init(lua_State* L);
-int premake_locate(lua_State* L, const char* argv0);
 int premake_execute(lua_State* L, int argc, const char** argv, const char* script);
-int premake_find_exe(lua_State* L, const char* argv0);
 int premake_load_embedded_script(lua_State* L, const char* filename);
+int premake_locate_executable(lua_State* L, const char* argv0);
+int premake_test_file(lua_State* L, const char* filename, int searchMask);
 
 
 extern const char* builtin_scripts_index[];