diff --git a/util/runfw/Makefile b/util/runfw/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd5a1f7e7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/runfw/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#
+# runfw -- run firmware in user mode. 
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2013 The ChromiumOS Authors.  All rights reserved.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA, 02110-1301 USA
+#
+
+all: googlesnow
+
+googlesnow: googlesnow.c
+	cc -g -o googlesnow googlesnow.c
diff --git a/util/runfw/googlesnow.c b/util/runfw/googlesnow.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..25ef3a2d02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/runfw/googlesnow.c
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+/*
+ * googlesnow - run google snow firmware in user mode
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 The ChromiumOS Authors.  All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA, 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <err.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+enum addresses {
+	regs = 0x10000000,
+	sram = 0x2020000,
+	sramsize = 0x77fff,
+};
+
+// 0x20234b0
+main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	int fd;
+	int devmem;
+	void *regbase;
+	void *srambase;
+	void (*coreboot)(void) = (void *)0x2023400;
+
+	if (argc != 3)
+		errx(1, "usage: runbios rom-file start-address");
+
+	fd = open(argv[1], 2);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		err(1, argv[1]);
+	devmem = open("/dev/mem", 2);
+	if (devmem < 0)
+		err(1, argv[1]);
+	srambase = mmap((void *)sram, sramsize, PROT_EXEC|PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_ANONYMOUS|MAP_PRIVATE, -1, 0);
+	if (-1 == (int)sram)
+		err(1, "mmap");
+	memset((void *)sram, 0xff, sramsize);
+
+	/* now sort of do what bl1 does: read the 'rom' into the sram */
+	/* skip the bl1. We don't run it. */
+	if (pread(fd, coreboot, 30*1024, 0x2000) < 30*1024)
+		err(1, "read 'rom'");
+	/* you want to be in gdb at this point. */
+	coreboot = (void *) (strtoul(argv[2], 0, 0));
+	coreboot();
+}
+#if 0
+/* cc -g googlesnow.c */
+/* typical run
+gdb a.out
+(gdb) list 50
+
+45              i2c = mmap((void *)0x12c60000, 0x10000, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_ANONYMOUS|MAP_PRIVATE, devmem, (off_t) 0x12c60000);
+46              if (-1 == (int)i2c)
+47                      err(1, "mmap i2c");
+48
+49              /* now sort of do what bl1 does: read the 'rom' into the sram */
+50              if (pread(fd, coreboot, 30*1024, 0x2000) < 30*1024)
+51                      err(1, "read 'rom'");
+52              /* you want to be in gdb at this point. */
+53              coreboot = (void *) strtoull(argv[2], 0, 0);
+54              coreboot();
+(gdb) br 54
+Breakpoint 3 at 0x8798: file runbios.c, line 54.
+(gdb) run ~/coreboot/build/coreboot.rom  0x020234b0
+The program being debugged has been started already.
+Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
+
+Starting program: /root/coreboot/util/runarmbios/a.out ~/coreboot/build/coreboot.rom  0x020234b0
+
+Breakpoint 3, main (argc=3, argv=0x7efff7c4) at runbios.c:54
+54              coreboot();
+(gdb) symbol-file ~/coreboot/build/cbfs/fallback/bootblock.debug 
+Load new symbol table from "/root/coreboot/build/cbfs/fallback/bootblock.debug"? (y or n) y
+Reading symbols from /root/coreboot/build/cbfs/fallback/bootblock.debug...done.
+Error in re-setting breakpoint 3: No source file named runbios.c.
+(gdb) display/i $pc
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x8798:      ldr     r3, [r11, #-8]
+(gdb) stepi
+0x0000879c in ?? ()
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x879c:      blx     r3
+(gdb) 
+0x020234b0 in call_bootblock ()
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20234b0 <call_bootblock>:  ldr     sp, [pc, #3800] ; 0x2024390
+(gdb) 
+0x020234b4 in call_bootblock ()
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20234b4 <call_bootblock+4>:        bic     sp, sp, #7
+(gdb) 
+0x020234b8 in call_bootblock ()
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20234b8 <call_bootblock+8>:        mov     r0, #0
+(gdb) 
+0x020234bc in call_bootblock ()
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20234bc <call_bootblock+12>:       blx     0x20244b8 <main>
+(gdb) 
+main (bist=0) at src/arch/armv7/bootblock_simple.c:37
+37      {
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20244b8 <main>:    push    {r3, lr}
+(gdb) 
+42                      bootblock_mainboard_init();
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x20244ba <main+2>:  bl      0x2023c08 <bootblock_mainboard_init>
+(gdb) 
+bootblock_mainboard_init () at src/mainboard/google/snow/bootblock.c:2124
+2124    {
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x2023c08 <bootblock_mainboard_init>:        stmdb   sp!, {r4, r5, r6, r7, r9, r10, r11, lr}
+(gdb) 
+2127            i2c_init(CONFIG_SYS_I2C_SPEED, CONFIG_SYS_I2C_SLAVE);
+1: x/i $pc
+=> 0x2023c0c <bootblock_mainboard_init+4>:      movs    r1, #0
+
+Note you are now debugging source, and pretty much all commands work.
+*/
+#endif