diff --git a/racket/src/cs/c/Makefile.in b/racket/src/cs/c/Makefile.in
index b047b0bc8a..b0b2645453 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/c/Makefile.in
+++ b/racket/src/cs/c/Makefile.in
@@ -110,16 +110,19 @@ $(SCHEME_BIN):
 	cd @SCHEME_SRC@ && ./configure @SCHEME_CONFIG_ARGS@
 	cd @SCHEME_SRC@ && make
 
+racket.boot: racket.so
+	$(SCHEME) --script $(srcdir)/convert-to-boot.ss @COMPRESS_COMP@ racket.so racket.boot
+
 # ----------------------------------------
 # Unix
 
 EMBED_DEPS = $(srcdir)/embed-boot.rkt
 
 racketcs@NOT_OSX@: raw_racketcs racket.so $(EMBED_DEPS)
-	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/embed-boot.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ raw_racketcs racketcs $(SCHEME_INC) racket.so
+	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/embed-boot.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ raw_racketcs racketcs $(SCHEME_INC) racket.boot
 
 gracketcs@NOT_OSX@: raw_gracketcs racket.so $(EMBED_DEPS)
-	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/embed-boot.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ raw_gracketcs gracketcs $(SCHEME_INC) racket.so
+	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/embed-boot.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ raw_gracketcs gracketcs $(SCHEME_INC) racket.boot
 
 BOOT_OBJS = boot.o $(SCHEME_INC)/kernel.o rktio/librktio.a
 
@@ -152,7 +155,7 @@ $(GRACKET_BIN): grmain.o $(RKTFW) $(GRAPPSKEL)
 $(GRAPPSKEL): $(srcdir)/../../mac/osx_appl.rkt  $(srcdir)/../../racket/src/schvers.h $(srcdir)/../../mac/icon/GRacket.icns
 	env $(RACKET) $(srcdir)/../../mac/osx_appl.rkt $(srcdir)/../.. "CS"
 
-BOOT_FILES = $(SCHEME_INC)/petite.boot $(SCHEME_INC)/scheme.boot racket.so
+BOOT_FILES = $(SCHEME_INC)/petite.boot $(SCHEME_INC)/scheme.boot racket.boot
 FW_BOOT_DEST = Racket.framework/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot
 
 $(RKTFW): $(BOOT_OBJS) $(BOOT_FILES)
@@ -162,8 +165,8 @@ $(RKTFW): $(BOOT_OBJS) $(BOOT_FILES)
 	ln -s Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/Racket Racket.framework/Racket
 	mkdir -p Racket.framework/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot
 	cp $(SCHEME_INC)/petite.boot $(SCHEME_INC)/scheme.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)
-	cp racket.so $(FW_BOOT_DEST)
-	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/adjust-compress.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/petite.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/scheme.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/racket.so
+	cp racket.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)
+	$(RACKET) $(srcdir)/adjust-compress.rkt @COMPRESS_COMP@ $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/petite.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/scheme.boot $(FW_BOOT_DEST)/racket.boot
 
 # ----------------------------------------
 # Common
@@ -222,7 +225,7 @@ macos-install:
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)"$(RKTFWDEST)/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot"
 	cp $(RKTFWDIR)/boot/petite.boot $(DESTDIR)$(RKTFWDEST)/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot/
 	cp $(RKTFWDIR)/boot/scheme.boot $(DESTDIR)$(RKTFWDEST)/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot/
-	cp $(RKTFWDIR)/boot/racket.so $(DESTDIR)$(RKTFWDEST)/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot/
+	cp $(RKTFWDIR)/boot/racket.boot $(DESTDIR)$(RKTFWDEST)/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/boot/
 	/usr/bin/install_name_tool -change "@executable_path/Racket.framework/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/Racket" "@FRAMEWORK_PREFIX@Racket.framework/Versions/$(FWVERSION)_CS/Racket" $(DESTDIR)"$(bindir)/racket$(CS_GR_INSTALLED)"
 	rm -rf $(DESTDIR)"$(libpltdir)/GRacket$(CS_GR_INSTALLED).app"
 	$(ICP) -r "GRacketCS.app" $(DESTDIR)"$(libpltdir)/GRacket$(CS_GR_INSTALLED).app"
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/c/boot.c b/racket/src/cs/c/boot.c
index dee4e0cb9a..67c2d3a15d 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/c/boot.c
+++ b/racket/src/cs/c/boot.c
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include "rktio.h"
 #include "boot.h"
 
+#define RACKET_AS_BOOT
+
 #if defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__MINGW32__)
 # define BOOT_O_BINARY O_BINARY
 #endif
@@ -70,13 +72,21 @@ static void racket_exit(int v)
   exit(v);
 }
 
+static void init_foreign()
+{
+# include "rktio.inc"
+  Sforeign_symbol("racket_exit", (void *)racket_exit);
+}
+
 void racket_boot(int argc, char **argv, char *self, long segment_offset,
                  char *coldir, char *configdir,
                  int pos1, int pos2, int pos3,
                  int is_gui)
 /* exe argument already stripped from argv */
 {
-  int fd; 
+#if !defined(RACKET_USE_FRAMEWORK) || !defined(RACKET_AS_BOOT)
+  int fd;
+#endif
 #ifdef RACKET_USE_FRAMEWORK
   const char *fw_path;
 #endif
@@ -87,6 +97,9 @@ void racket_boot(int argc, char **argv, char *self, long segment_offset,
   fw_path = get_framework_path();
   Sregister_boot_file(path_append(fw_path, "petite.boot"));
   Sregister_boot_file(path_append(fw_path, "scheme.boot"));
+# ifdef RACKET_AS_BOOT
+  Sregister_boot_file(path_append(fw_path, "racket.boot"));
+# endif
 #else
   fd = open(self, O_RDONLY | BOOT_O_BINARY);
 
@@ -100,13 +113,16 @@ void racket_boot(int argc, char **argv, char *self, long segment_offset,
     fd2 = open(self, O_RDONLY | BOOT_O_BINARY);
     lseek(fd2, pos2, SEEK_SET);
     Sregister_boot_file_fd("scheme", fd2);
+
+# ifdef RACKET_AS_BOOT
+    fd = open(self, O_RDONLY | BOOT_O_BINARY);
+    lseek(fd, pos3, SEEK_SET);
+    Sregister_boot_file_fd("racket", fd);
+# endif
   }
 #endif
-  
-  Sbuild_heap(NULL, NULL);
 
-# include "rktio.inc"
-  Sforeign_symbol("racket_exit", (void *)racket_exit);
+  Sbuild_heap(NULL, init_foreign);
   
   {
     ptr l = Snil;
@@ -122,13 +138,25 @@ void racket_boot(int argc, char **argv, char *self, long segment_offset,
     l = Scons(Sbytevector(configdir), l);
     l = Scons(Sbytevector(coldir), l);
     l = Scons(Sbytevector(self), l);
+
+#ifdef RACKET_AS_BOOT
+    {
+      ptr c, start, apply;
+      c = Stop_level_value(Sstring_to_symbol("scheme-start"));
+      start = Scall0(c);
+      apply = Stop_level_value(Sstring_to_symbol("apply"));
+      Scall2(apply, start, l);
+    }
+#else
     Sset_top_level_value(Sstring_to_symbol("bytes-command-line-arguments"), l);
+#endif
   }
 
-#ifdef RACKET_USE_FRAMEWORK
+#ifndef RACKET_AS_BOOT
+# ifdef RACKET_USE_FRAMEWORK
   fd = open(path_append(fw_path, "racket.so"), O_RDONLY);
   pos3 = 0;
-#endif
+# endif
   
   {
     ptr c, p;
@@ -143,4 +171,5 @@ void racket_boot(int argc, char **argv, char *self, long segment_offset,
     c = Stop_level_value(Sstring_to_symbol("load-compiled-from-port"));
     Scall1(c, p);
   }
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/c/convert-to-boot.ss b/racket/src/cs/c/convert-to-boot.ss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14373b438e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/racket/src/cs/c/convert-to-boot.ss
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+(compile-compressed #f)
+
+(define-values (src dest)
+  (let loop ([args (command-line-arguments)])
+    (cond
+      [(and (pair? args)
+            (equal? (car args) "--compress"))
+       (compile-compressed #t)
+       (loop (cdr args))]
+      [(null? args)
+       (error 'convert-to-boot "missing file arguments")]
+      [(and (pair? (cdr args)) (null? (cddr args)))
+       (values (car args) (cadr args))]
+      [else
+       (error 'convert-to-boot "extra arguments after files")])))
+
+(make-boot-file dest '("petite" "scheme") src)
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt b/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
index 90eff99c74..2524c3132c 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
  #:once-each
  [("--compress") "Leave compiled code files as compressed"
   (enable-compress!)]
- #:args (src-file dest-file boot-dir racket.so)
+ #:args (src-file dest-file boot-dir racket.boot)
 
  (define bstr1 (adjust-compress (file->bytes (build-path boot-dir "petite.boot"))))
  (define bstr2 (adjust-compress (file->bytes (build-path boot-dir "scheme.boot"))))
- (define bstr3 (adjust-compress (file->bytes racket.so)))
+ (define bstr3 (adjust-compress (file->bytes racket.boot)))
 
  (with-handlers ([exn? (lambda (x)
                          (when (file-exists? dest-file)
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/main.sps b/racket/src/cs/main.sps
index 0d0da1366d..3a6a0e9556 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/main.sps
+++ b/racket/src/cs/main.sps
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@
 
  (define-syntax seq (syntax-rules () [(_ expr ...) (define dummy (let () expr ... (void)))]))
 
- (define (run the-command-line-arguments)
+ (define (run the-command-line-arguments/maybe-bytes)
+   (define the-command-line-arguments
+     (map (lambda (s) (if (bytes? s)
+                          (bytes->string/locale s #\?)
+                          s))
+          the-command-line-arguments/maybe-bytes))
+
    (seq
     (unless (>= (length the-command-line-arguments) 5)
       (error 'racket "expected `self`, `collects`, and `libs` paths plus `segment-offset` and `is-gui?` to start"))
@@ -518,8 +524,7 @@
 
  (define the-command-line-arguments
    (or (and (top-level-bound? 'bytes-command-line-arguments)
-            (map (lambda (s) (bytes->string/locale s #\?))
-                 (top-level-value 'bytes-command-line-arguments)))
+            (top-level-value 'bytes-command-line-arguments))
        (command-line-arguments)))
 
  (if (null? the-command-line-arguments)
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/racket.boot b/racket/src/cs/racket.boot
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f71e724bd
Binary files /dev/null and b/racket/src/cs/racket.boot differ