diff --git a/otree_startup/zipserver.py b/otree_startup/zipserver.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15898b1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/otree_startup/zipserver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+import socket
+from typing import Optional
+import logging
+import os.path
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
+from otree.management.commands.unzip import unzip
+import os.path
+import os
+import subprocess
+import shutil
+from time import sleep
+import http.client
+import urllib.error
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# to make patching easy without modifying global sys.stdout.write which is essential
+stdout_write = print
+
+PORT = '8000'
+
+
+def main(remaining_argv):
+    '''
+    - top-level process that keeps checking for new files
+    - subprocess is manage.py devserver
+    - this is adapted from django autoreload
+    '''
+    try:
+        if remaining_argv:
+            [path] = remaining_argv
+            exit_code = run_single_zipfile(path)
+        else:
+            exit_code = autoreload_for_new_zipfiles()
+        # the rest is adapted from django autoreload, not sure why it's done
+        # this way
+        if exit_code < 0:
+            os.kill(os.getpid(), -exit_code)
+        else:
+            sys.exit(exit_code)
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        pass
+
+
+def run_single_zipfile(fn: str) -> int:
+    project = Project(Path(fn))
+    project.unzip_to_tempdir()
+    project.start()
+    # from experimenting, this responds to Ctrl+C,
+    # and there is no zombie subprocess
+    return project.wait()
+
+
+MSG_NO_OTREEZIP_YET = 'No *.otreezip file found in this folder yet, waiting...'
+MSG_FOUND_NEWER_OTREEZIP = 'Newer project found'
+MSG_RUNNING_OTREEZIP_NAME = "Running {}"
+
+
+def autoreload_for_new_zipfiles() -> int:
+    exit_code = None
+    project = get_newest_project()
+    newer_project = None
+    if not project:
+        stdout_write(MSG_NO_OTREEZIP_YET)
+        while True:
+            project = get_newest_project()
+            if project:
+                break
+            sleep(1)
+
+    tempdirs = []
+    try:
+        while True:
+            if newer_project:
+                project = newer_project
+            stdout_write(MSG_RUNNING_OTREEZIP_NAME.format(project.zipname()))
+            project.unzip_to_tempdir()
+            if tempdirs:
+                project.take_db_from_previous(tempdirs[-1].name)
+
+            tempdirs.append(project.tmpdir)
+            project.start()
+            try:
+                while True:
+                    # if process is still running, poll() returns None
+                    exit_code = project.poll()
+                    if exit_code != None:
+                        return exit_code
+                    sleep(1)
+                    latest_project = get_newest_project()
+                    # it's possible that zipfile was deleted while the program
+                    # was running
+                    if latest_project and latest_project != project:
+                        newer_project = latest_project
+                        # use stdout.write because logger is not configured
+                        # (django setup has not even been run)
+                        stdout_write(MSG_FOUND_NEWER_OTREEZIP)
+                        break
+            finally:
+                if exit_code is None:
+                    project.terminate_through_http()
+    finally:
+        for td in tempdirs:
+            td.cleanup()
+
+
+class Project:
+    tmpdir: TemporaryDirectory = None
+    _proc: subprocess.Popen
+
+    def __init__(self, otreezip: Path):
+        self._otreezip = otreezip
+
+    def zipname(self):
+        return self._otreezip.name
+
+    def mtime(self):
+        return self._otreezip.stat().st_mtime
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        return self._otreezip == other._otreezip
+
+    def unzip_to_tempdir(self):
+        self.tmpdir = TemporaryDirectory()
+        unzip(str(self._otreezip), self.tmpdir.name)
+
+    def start(self):
+        self._proc = subprocess.Popen(
+            [
+                sys.executable,
+                'manage.py',
+                'devserver',
+                PORT,
+                '--noreload',
+                '--inside-zipserver',
+            ],
+            cwd=self.tmpdir.name,
+            env=os.environ.copy(),
+        )
+
+    def delete_otreezip(self):
+        self._otreezip.unlink()
+
+    def poll(self):
+        return self._proc.poll()
+
+    def terminate(self):
+        return self._proc.terminate()
+
+    def terminate_through_http(self):
+        from urllib.request import urlopen
+
+        try:
+            urlopen(f'http://localhost:{PORT}/KillZipServer/', data=b'foo')
+        except (http.client.RemoteDisconnected, urllib.error.URLError):
+            # - by design, RemoteDisconnected will happen because it sys.exit()
+            # before returning an HttpResponse
+            # - URLError may happen if the server didn't even start up yet
+            #  (if you stop it right away)
+            pass
+        self._proc.wait()
+
+    def wait(self) -> int:
+        return self._proc.wait()
+
+    def take_db_from_previous(self, other_tmpdir: str):
+        for item in ['__temp_migrations', 'db.sqlite3']:
+            item_path = Path(other_tmpdir) / item
+            if item_path.exists():
+                shutil.move(str(item_path), self.tmpdir.name)
+
+
+MAX_OTREEZIP_FILES = 10
+MSG_DELETING_OLD_OTREEZIP = 'Deleting old file: {}'
+
+# returning the time together with object makes it easier to test
+def get_newest_project() -> Optional[Project]:
+
+    projects = [Project(path) for path in Path('.').glob('*.otreezip')]
+    if not projects:
+        return None
+
+    sorted_projects = sorted(projects, key=lambda proj: proj.mtime(), reverse=True)
+    newest_project = sorted_projects[0]
+
+    # cleanup so they don't end up with hundreds of zipfiles
+    for old_proj in sorted_projects[MAX_OTREEZIP_FILES:]:
+        stdout_write(MSG_DELETING_OLD_OTREEZIP.format(old_proj.zipname()))
+        old_proj.delete_otreezip()
+
+    return newest_project