diff --git a/src/gui/GUI.cc b/src/gui/GUI.cc
index 51e63e5..546a7c2 100644
--- a/src/gui/GUI.cc
+++ b/src/gui/GUI.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "GUI.h"
 #include "gl3w.h"
 #include <iostream>
+#include "jes/Runtime.h"
 
 #define WIDTH   500
 #define HEIGHT  500
@@ -53,6 +54,47 @@ namespace jes
         if (!m_font_manager->load())
             return false;
 
+        if (!load_shaders())
+            return false;
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    bool GUI::load_shaders()
+    {
+        static const char * shader_sources[PROGRAM_COUNT][2] = {
+            {"text.v.glsl", "text.f.glsl"},
+            {"basic.v.glsl", "basic.f.glsl"},
+            {"rect.v.glsl", "basic.f.glsl"},
+        };
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < PROGRAM_COUNT; i++)
+        {
+            PathRef shader_paths[2];
+            GLShaderRef shaders[2];
+
+            m_programs[i] = new GLProgram();
+
+            for (int j = 0; j < 2; j++)
+            {
+                shader_paths[j] = Runtime::locate(Runtime::SHADER, shader_sources[i][j]);
+                if (shader_paths[j] == NULL)
+                {
+                    std::cerr << "Could not find shader source " << shader_sources[i][j] << std::endl;
+                    return false;
+                }
+                shaders[j] = new GLShader();
+                if (!shaders[j]->create(j == 0 ? GL_VERTEX_SHADER : GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, shader_paths[j]))
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                m_programs[i]->attach_shader(shaders[j]);
+            }
+            if (!m_programs[i]->link())
+                return false;
+        }
+
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/GUI.h b/src/gui/GUI.h
index f4fcf42..9b466c5 100644
--- a/src/gui/GUI.h
+++ b/src/gui/GUI.h
@@ -4,17 +4,28 @@
 #include "jes/Ref.h"
 #include <SDL.h>
 #include "FontManager.h"
+#include "GLProgram.h"
 
 namespace jes
 {
     class GUI
     {
     public:
+        enum
+        {
+            PROGRAM_TEXT,
+            PROGRAM_BASIC,
+            PROGRAM_RECT,
+            PROGRAM_COUNT,
+        };
         bool load();
         int run();
     protected:
+        bool load_shaders();
+
         SDL_Window * m_window;
         FontManagerRef m_font_manager;
+        GLProgramRef m_programs[PROGRAM_COUNT];
     };
 
     typedef Ref<GUI> GUIRef;