diff --git a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Map.cs b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Map.cs
index b013a42673..830cf5364e 100644
--- a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Map.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Map.cs
@@ -116,16 +116,18 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 			return MapTiles[i, j].overlay < overlayIsOre.Length;
 		}
 
-		public bool ContainsOre(int i, int j)
+		bool ContainsOre(int i, int j)
 		{
 			return HasOverlay(i,j) && overlayIsOre[MapTiles[i,j].overlay];
 		}
 
-		public bool ContainsGem(int i, int j)
+		bool ContainsGem(int i, int j)
 		{
 			return HasOverlay(i, j) && overlayIsGems[MapTiles[i, j].overlay];
 		}
 
+		public bool ContainsResource(int2 p) { return ContainsGem(p.X,p.Y) || ContainsOre(p.X, p.Y); }
+		
 		const float oreRate = .02f;
 		const float gemRate = .01f;
 
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Cursor.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Cursor.cs
index 77049a3e7d..537f223f31 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Cursor.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Cursor.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		public Sprite GetSprite(int frame) { return sequence.GetSprite(frame); }
 		public int2 GetHotspot() { return sequence.Hotspot; }
 
+		public static Cursor None { get { return null; } }
 		public static Cursor Default { get { return new Cursor("default"); } }
 		public static Cursor Move { get { return new Cursor("move"); } }
 		public static Cursor Select { get { return new Cursor("select"); } }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
index 0fe7ec6899..1ee5847d00 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		public static Order PlaceBuilding(Player subject, int2 target, string buildingName)
 		{
-			return new Order(subject, "PlaceBuilding", null, null, target, buildingName, Cursor.Default);
+			return new Order(subject, "PlaceBuilding", null, null, target, buildingName, Cursor.None);
 		}
 
 		public static Order DeliverOre(Actor subject, Actor target)
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			return new Order(subject.Owner, "DeliverOre", subject, target, int2.Zero, null, Cursor.Enter);
 		}
 
+		public static Order Harvest(Actor subject, int2 target)
+		{
+			return new Order(subject.Owner, "Harvest", subject, null, target, null, Cursor.Attack);		/* todo: special `harvest` cursor? */
+		}
+
 		public static Order StartProduction(Player subject, string item)
 		{
 			return new Order(subject, "StartProduction", null, null, int2.Zero, item, Cursor.Default );
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Harvester.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Harvester.cs
index a41b70b40d..4e9ad43f95 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Harvester.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Harvester.cs
@@ -7,14 +7,22 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Traits
 {
 	class Harvester : IOrder
 	{
+		const int capacity = 28;
+		int oreCarried = 0;					/* sum of these must not exceed capacity */
+		int gemsCarried = 0;
+
+		bool IsFull { get { return oreCarried + gemsCarried == capacity; } }
+		bool IsEmpty { get { return oreCarried == 0 && gemsCarried == 0; } }
+
 		public Order Order(Actor self, int2 xy, bool lmb, Actor underCursor)
 		{
 			if (underCursor != null 
 				&& underCursor.Owner == self.Owner 
-				&& underCursor.traits.Contains<AcceptsOre>())
+				&& underCursor.traits.Contains<AcceptsOre>() && !IsEmpty)
 				return OpenRa.Game.Order.DeliverOre(self, underCursor);
 
-			/* todo: harvest order when on ore */
+			if (underCursor == null && Game.map.ContainsResource(xy) && !IsFull)
+				return OpenRa.Game.Order.Harvest(self, xy);
 
 			return null;
 		}