diff --git a/bin/xsbt b/bin/xsbt
index 2ef442719..ec13fb472 100755
--- a/bin/xsbt
+++ b/bin/xsbt
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 declare -r script_name="$(basename $BASH_SOURCE)"
 declare -r sbt_jar=/soft/inst/sbt/xsbt-launch.jar
-
-jvm_opts_standard="-XX:+CMSClassUnloadingEnabled -XX:ReservedCodeCacheSize=1g"
-jvm_opts_memory="-XX:MaxPermSize=512m -Xmx4g -Xss4m"
+declare -r default_java_opts="-Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
+declare -r default_sbt_opts="-XX:+CMSClassUnloadingEnabled -XX:MaxPermSize=512m -Xmx2g -Xss2m"
+declare -r latest_28="2.8.1"
+declare -r latest_29="2.9.0-1"
+declare -r latest_210="2.10.0-SNAPSHOT"
 
 # get completion if present
 [[ -f .sbt_completion.sh ]] && source .sbt_completion.sh
@@ -15,33 +17,64 @@ usage () {
 Usage: $script_name [options]
 
   -help      prints this message
-  -create    creates a new project
-  -version   <version> project initial version
-  -28        latest release of scala 2.8.x
-  -29        latest release of scala 2.9.x
-  -210       latest snapshot of scala 2.10
+  -boot      path to shared sbt boot directory (default: none)
+  -debug     set sbt log level to debug
+  -global    path to directory containing global settings and plugins (default: ~/.sbt)
+  -ivy       path to local Ivy repository (default: ~/.ivy2)
+  -nocolor   disable ANSI color codes
+
+  -28        set scala version to $latest_28
+  -29        set scala version to $latest_29
+  -210       set scala version to $latest_210
+
+  -Dkey=val  pass -Dkey=val directly to the jvm
+  -J-X       pass option -X directly to the jvm
+
+The contents of the following environment variables, if any, will be
+passed to the jvm. Later variables take priority over earlier ones, and
+command line options (-D/-J) take priority over all of them.
+
+  JAVA_OPTS   # defaults: $default_java_opts
+  SBT_OPTS    # defaults: $default_sbt_opts
+
+If an environment variable is set, its defaults are not given.
 EOM
 }
 
-# no args
-[[ $# -gt 0 ]] || echo "Starting $script_name: invoke with -help for other options"
+# no args - alert them there's stuff in here
+[[ $# -gt 0 ]] || {
+  echo "Starting $script_name: invoke with -help for other options"
+  # so it still starts if we injected any sbt commands
+  set -- "shell"
+}
 
 # pull -J and -D options to give to java.
 declare -a args
 declare -a java_args
-addJavaArg () {
+declare -a sbt_commands
+addJava () {
   java_args=("${java_args[@]}" "$1")
 }
+addSbt () {
+  sbt_commands=("${sbt_commands[@]}" "$1")
+}
 
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   case "$1" in
-   -help) usage; exit 1 ;;
-     -D*) addJavaArg "$1"; shift ;;
-     -J*) addJavaArg "${1:2}"; shift ;;
-     -28) addJavaArg "-Dsbt-create.scalaVersion=2.8.1"; shift ;;
-     -29) addJavaArg "-Dsbt-create.scalaVersion=2.9.1"; shift ;;
-    -210) addJavaArg "-Dsbt-create.scalaVersion=2.10.0-SNAPSHOT"; shift ;;
-       *) args=("${args[@]}" "$1") ; shift ;;
+        -help) usage; exit 1 ;;
+      -global) addJava "-Dsbt.global.base=$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        -boot) addJava "-Dsbt.boot.directory=$2"; shift 2 ;;
+         -ivy) addJava "-Dsbt.ivy.home=$2"; shift 2 ;;
+    -nocolors) addJava "-Dsbt.log.noformat=true"; shift ;;
+          -28) addJava "-Dsbt.scala.version=$latest_28"; shift ;;
+          -29) addJava "-Dsbt.scala.version=$latest_29"; shift ;;
+         -210) addJava "-Dsbt.scala.version=$latest_210"; shift ;;
+
+          -D*) addJava "$1"; shift ;;
+          -J*) addJava "${1:2}"; shift ;;
+       -debug) addSbt "set logLevel := Level.Debug"; shift ;;
+
+            *) args=("${args[@]}" "$1") ; shift ;;
   esac
 done
 
@@ -51,9 +84,8 @@ set -- "${args[@]}"
 # run sbt
 java \
   $JAVA_OPTS \
-  $jvm_opts_standard \
-  $jvm_opts_memory \
-  $SBT_OPTS \
+  ${SBT_OPTS:-$default_sbt_opts} \
   ${java_args[@]} \
   -jar "$sbt_jar" \
+  "${sbt_commands[@]}" \
   "$@"
diff --git a/project/Build.scala b/project/Build.scala
index 4a18be5bb..c11f8f71a 100644
--- a/project/Build.scala
+++ b/project/Build.scala
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ object SbtCreateConfig {
     def name         = prop("sbt-create.name", "project-name-here")
     def organization = prop("sbt-create.organization", "your.organization.here")
     def version      = prop("sbt-create.version", "0.1-SNAPSHOT")
-    def scalaVersion = prop("sbt-create.scalaVersion", "2.9.0-1")
+    def scalaVersion = prop("sbt.scala.version", "2.9.0-1")
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/Main.scala b/src/main/scala/Main.scala
index ff9395182..bff37c687 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/Main.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/Main.scala
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package template
 
 object Main {
   def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
-    // Your code here
-    args foreach println
+    println("Skeleton main, reporting for duty on " + util.Properties.versionString)
   }
 }