diff --git a/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/Bootstrap.scala b/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/Bootstrap.scala
index 6e2072a1e..0de4519c3 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/Bootstrap.scala
+++ b/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/Bootstrap.scala
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 package coursier
 package cli
 
-import java.io.{ByteArrayInputStream, ByteArrayOutputStream, File, FileInputStream, IOException}
+import java.io.{ByteArrayInputStream, ByteArrayOutputStream, File, FileInputStream, FileOutputStream, IOException}
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8
 import java.nio.file.Files
 import java.nio.file.attribute.PosixFilePermission
 import java.util.Properties
+import java.util.jar.{JarFile, Attributes => JarAttributes}
 import java.util.zip.{ZipEntry, ZipInputStream, ZipOutputStream}
 
 import caseapp._
 import coursier.cli.options.BootstrapOptions
-import coursier.cli.util.Zip
+import coursier.cli.util.{Assembly, Zip}
 import coursier.internal.FileUtil
 
 import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
@@ -224,6 +225,52 @@ object Bootstrap extends CaseApp[BootstrapOptions] {
     )
   }
 
+  private def defaultRules = Seq(
+    Assembly.Rule.Append("reference.conf"),
+    Assembly.Rule.AppendPattern("META-INF/services/.*"),
+    Assembly.Rule.Exclude("log4j.properties"),
+    Assembly.Rule.Exclude(JarFile.MANIFEST_NAME),
+    Assembly.Rule.ExcludePattern("META-INF/.*\\.[sS][fF]"),
+    Assembly.Rule.ExcludePattern("META-INF/.*\\.[dD][sS][aA]"),
+    Assembly.Rule.ExcludePattern("META-INF/.*\\.[rR][sS][aA]")
+  )
+
+  private def createAssemblyJar(
+    options: BootstrapOptions,
+    files: Seq[File],
+    javaOpts: Seq[String],
+    mainClass: String,
+    output: File
+  ): Unit = {
+
+    val parsedRules = options.options.rule.map { s =>
+      s.split(":", 2) match {
+        case Array("append", v) => Assembly.Rule.Append(v)
+        case Array("append-pattern", v) => Assembly.Rule.AppendPattern(v)
+        case Array("exclude", v) => Assembly.Rule.Exclude(v)
+        case Array("exclude-pattern", v) => Assembly.Rule.ExcludePattern(v)
+        case _ =>
+          sys.error(s"Malformed assembly rule: $s")
+      }
+    }
+
+    val rules =
+      (if (options.options.defaultRules) defaultRules else Nil) ++ parsedRules
+
+    val attrs = Seq(
+      JarAttributes.Name.MAIN_CLASS -> mainClass
+    )
+
+    val baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream
+    Assembly.make(files, baos, attrs, rules)
+
+    createJarBootstrap(
+      javaOpts,
+      output,
+      baos.toByteArray
+    )
+  }
+
   def run(options: BootstrapOptions, args: RemainingArgs): Unit = {
 
     val helper = new Helper(
@@ -262,6 +309,9 @@ object Bootstrap extends CaseApp[BootstrapOptions] {
         }
       }
 
+      val javaOpts = options.options.javaOpt ++
+        properties0.map { case (k, v) => s"-D$k=$v" }
+
       val (urls, files) =
         helper.fetchMap(
           sources = false,
@@ -269,21 +319,23 @@ object Bootstrap extends CaseApp[BootstrapOptions] {
           artifactTypes = options.artifactOptions.artifactTypes(sources = false, javadoc = false)
         ).toList.foldLeft((List.empty[String], List.empty[File])){
           case ((urls, files), (url, file)) =>
-            if (options.options.standalone) (urls, file :: files)
+            if (options.options.assembly || options.options.standalone) (urls, file :: files)
             else if (url.startsWith("file:/")) (urls, file :: files)
             else (url :: urls, files)
         }
 
-      createOneJarLikeJarBootstrap(
-        options,
-        helper,
-        mainClass,
-        options.options.javaOpt ++
-          properties0.map { case (k, v) => s"-D$k=$v" },
-        urls,
-        files,
-        output0
-      )
+      if (options.options.assembly)
+        createAssemblyJar(options, files, javaOpts, mainClass, output0)
+      else
+        createOneJarLikeJarBootstrap(
+          options,
+          helper,
+          mainClass,
+          javaOpts,
+          urls,
+          files,
+          output0
+        )
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/options/BootstrapSpecificOptions.scala b/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/options/BootstrapSpecificOptions.scala
index ba6241bc6..4ee172c77 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/options/BootstrapSpecificOptions.scala
+++ b/cli/src/main/scala-2.12/coursier/cli/options/BootstrapSpecificOptions.scala
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ final case class BootstrapSpecificOptions(
     target: String = "native-target",
   @Help("Don't wipe native compilation target directory (for debug purposes)")
     keepTarget: Boolean = false,
+  @Help("Generate an assembly rather than a bootstrap jar")
+  @Short("a")
+    assembly: Boolean = false,
+  @Help("Add assembly rule")
+  @Value("append:$path|append-pattern:$pattern|exclude:$path|exclude-pattern:$pattern")
+  @Short("R")
+    rule: List[String] = Nil,
+  @Help("Add default rules to assembly rule list")
+    defaultRules: Boolean = true,
   @Recurse
     isolated: IsolatedLoaderOptions = IsolatedLoaderOptions(),
   @Recurse
diff --git a/scripts/travis.sh b/scripts/travis.sh
index 496145c24..2a8ee09ce 100755
--- a/scripts/travis.sh
+++ b/scripts/travis.sh
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ testBootstrap() {
       echo -e "Error: unexpected output from bootstrapped props command.\n$OUT" 1>&2
       exit 1
     fi
+
+    # assembly tests
+    ./coursier-test bootstrap -a -o cs-props-assembly -D other=thing -J -Dfoo=baz io.get-coursier:props:1.0.2
+    local OUT="$(./cs-props-assembly foo)"
+    if [ "$OUT" != baz ]; then
+      echo -e "Error: unexpected output from assembly props command.\n$OUT" 1>&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    local OUT="$(./cs-props-assembly other)"
+    if [ "$OUT" != thing ]; then
+      echo -e "Error: unexpected output from assembly props command.\n$OUT" 1>&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
   fi
 }