diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 97daa78499..6be9ef9059 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Drawing;
+using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Windows.Forms;
 using OpenRA.FileFormats;
@@ -30,9 +32,7 @@ using OpenRA.Network;
 using OpenRA.Support;
 using OpenRA.Traits;
 using Timer = OpenRA.Support.Timer;
-using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
-using System.IO;
-using System.Diagnostics;
+using OpenRA.Server;
 
 namespace OpenRA
 {
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		internal static Session LobbyInfo = new Session();
 		static bool changePending;
 		
-		internal static Process Server;
+		
 
 		public static void LoadModPackages(Manifest manifest)
 		{
@@ -151,15 +151,13 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		
 		internal static void CreateServer()
 		{
-			Server = new Process();
-			Server.StartInfo.FileName = "OpenRA.Server.exe";
-            Server.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Join(" ",Game.LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods);
-            Server.Start();
+			// todo: LobbyInfo is the wrong place for this.
+			InprocServer.Start(Game.LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods);
 		}
 		
 		internal static void CloseServer()
 		{
-			Server.Kill();	
+			InprocServer.Stop();
 		}
 		
 		static int lastTime = Environment.TickCount;
@@ -441,9 +439,6 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 		public static void Exit()
 		{
-			if (Server != null)
-				CloseServer();
-			
 			quit = true;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
index 16c5c88344..999bca3237 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
   <PropertyGroup>
     <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
@@ -277,6 +277,10 @@
       <Project>{BDAEAB25-991E-46A7-AF1E-4F0E03358DAA}</Project>
       <Name>OpenRA.FileFormats</Name>
     </ProjectReference>
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\OpenRA.Server\OpenRA.Server.csproj">
+      <Project>{76F621A1-3D8E-4A99-9F7E-B071EB657817}</Project>
+      <Name>OpenRA.Server</Name>
+    </ProjectReference>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Net.Framework.2.0">
diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/OpenRA.Server.csproj b/OpenRA.Server/OpenRA.Server.csproj
index d3e07b5e65..f045247896 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/OpenRA.Server.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/OpenRA.Server.csproj
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <ProductVersion>9.0.30729</ProductVersion>
     <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
     <ProjectGuid>{76F621A1-3D8E-4A99-9F7E-B071EB657817}</ProjectGuid>
-    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
+    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
     <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
     <RootNamespace>OpenRA.Server</RootNamespace>
     <AssemblyName>OpenRA.Server</AssemblyName>
@@ -68,4 +68,8 @@
   <Target Name="AfterBuild">
   </Target>
   -->
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <PostBuildEvent>
+    </PostBuildEvent>
+  </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
index 2cc907f41c..55cbdfc14c 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ using System.Net;
 using System.Net.Sockets;
 using System.Security.Cryptography;
 using OpenRA.FileFormats;
+using System.Threading;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Server
 {
@@ -38,16 +39,17 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 			= new Dictionary<int, List<Connection>>();
 		static Session lobbyInfo;
 		static bool GameStarted = false;
-		static string[] defaultMods = new string[] { "ra" };
+		static string[] initialMods;
 
 		const int DownloadChunkInterval = 20000;
 		const int DownloadChunkSize = 16384;
 
-		public static int Main(string[] args)
+		public static int ServerMain(string[] mods, AutoResetEvent e)
 		{
-			if (args.Length > 0) defaultMods = args;
+			initialMods = mods;
+
 			lobbyInfo = new Session();
-			lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods = defaultMods;
+			lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods = mods;
 
 			Console.WriteLine("Initial mods: ");
 			foreach( var m in lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods )
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				Console.WriteLine("Server failed to start.");
 				return 1;
 			}
+
+			e.Set();	// we're done starting up
 			
 			for (; ; )
 			{
@@ -510,7 +514,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 			Console.WriteLine("Server emptied out; doing a bit of housekeeping to prepare for next game..");
 			inFlightFrames.Clear();
 			lobbyInfo = new Session();
-			lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods = defaultMods;
+			lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods = initialMods;
 			GameStarted = false;
 		}
 
@@ -538,4 +542,25 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				new ServerOrder("SyncInfo", clientData.WriteToString()).Serialize());
 		}
 	}
+
+	// temporary threaded inproc server wrapper.
+	public static class InprocServer
+	{
+		static Thread t;
+
+		public static void Start( string[] mods )
+		{
+			var e = new AutoResetEvent(false);
+			t = new Thread(() => Server.ServerMain(mods, e)) { IsBackground = true };
+
+			t.Start();
+			e.WaitOne();	// when the event is signaled, the server is finished initializing
+		}
+
+		public static void Stop()
+		{
+			if (t != null)
+				t.Abort();
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.sln b/OpenRA.sln
index a3e27d272f..54edd52e8d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.sln
+++ b/OpenRA.sln
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "OpenRA.FileFormats", "OpenRA.FileFormats\OpenRA.FileFormats.csproj", "{BDAEAB25-991E-46A7-AF1E-4F0E03358DAA}"
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "OpenRA.Game", "OpenRA.Game\OpenRA.Game.csproj", "{0DFB103F-2962-400F-8C6D-E2C28CCBA633}"
+	ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject
+		{76F621A1-3D8E-4A99-9F7E-B071EB657817} = {76F621A1-3D8E-4A99-9F7E-B071EB657817}
+	EndProjectSection
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "SequenceEditor", "SequenceEditor\SequenceEditor.csproj", "{230F65CE-A6DE-4235-8B38-13A3D606C7F7}"
 EndProject