diff --git a/install.pl b/install.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e828cd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env perl
+
+# install.pl
+# script to create symlinks from the checkout of davesdots to the home directory
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use File::Path 'mkpath';
+use File::Glob ':glob';
+use Cwd 'cwd';
+
+my $scriptdir = cwd() . '/' . $0;
+$scriptdir    =~ s{/ [^/]+ $}{}x;
+
+my $home = bsd_glob('~', GLOB_TILDE);
+
+if(grep /^(?:-h|--help|-\?)$/, @ARGV) {
+	print <<EOH;
+install.pl: installs symbollic links from dotfile repo into your home directory
+
+Options:
+  -f          force an overwrite existing files
+  -h, -?      print this help
+
+Destination directory is "$home".
+Source files are in "$scriptdir".
+EOH
+	exit;
+}
+
+my $force = 0;
+$force = 1 if grep /^(?:-f|--force)$/, @ARGV;
+
+unless(eval {symlink('', ''); 1;}) {
+	die "Your symbollic links are not very link-like.\n";
+}
+
+my %links = (
+	screenrc   => '.screenrc',
+	toprc      => '.toprc',
+	lessfilter => '.lessfilter',
+
+	vimrc    => '.vimrc',
+	vim      => '.vim',
+	zshrc    => '.zshrc',
+	zsh      => '.zsh',
+
+	Xdefaults  => '.Xdefaults',
+	Xresources => '.Xresources',
+
+	'uncrustify.cfg' => '.uncrustify.cfg',
+	'indent.pro'     => '.indent.pro',
+
+	xmobarrc    => '.xmobarrc',
+	'xmonad.hs' => '.xmonad/xmonad.hs',
+);
+
+for my $file (keys %links) {
+	my($path) = $links{$file} =~ m{^ (.+/)? [^/]+ $}x;
+	mkpath($path) if $path;
+
+	my $src  = "$scriptdir/$file";
+	my $dest = "$home/$links{$file}";
+
+	# Remove the destination if it exists and we were told to force
+	if($force && -e $dest) {
+		unlink($dest) || warn "Couldn't unlink '$dest': $!\n";
+	}
+
+	symlink($src => $dest) || warn "Couldn't link '$src' to '$dest': $!\n";
+}