diff --git a/src/core/Runtime.cc b/src/core/Runtime.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f1b917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/Runtime.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#include "Runtime.h"
+#include "Path.h"
+
+static const std::initializer_list<const char *> Font_Extensions = {"", ".ttf", ".otf"};
+static const std::initializer_list<const char *> Shader_Extensions = {"", ".glsl"};
+
+static std::string System_Runtime_Dir;
+
+void Runtime::init(const char * argv_0, const char * appname)
+{
+    System_Runtime_Dir = Path::join(Path::dirname(Path::dirname(argv_0)), "share", appname);
+}
+
+std::string Runtime::find(Type t, const std::string & name)
+{
+    if (Path::is_file(name))
+    {
+        return name;
+    }
+
+    switch (t)
+    {
+    case FONT:
+        return find_first_under("fonts", name, Font_Extensions, true);
+
+    case SHADER:
+        return find_first_under("shaders", name, Shader_Extensions);
+    }
+
+    return "";
+}
+
+std::string Runtime::find_first_under(const std::string & runtime_subpath,
+                                      const std::string & name,
+                                      const std::initializer_list<const char *> & extensions,
+                                      bool look_in_subdirs)
+{
+    std::string system_runtime_path = Path::join(System_Runtime_Dir, runtime_subpath);
+    std::string first = find_first_in(system_runtime_path, name, extensions);
+    if (first.empty() && look_in_subdirs)
+    {
+        auto dir_ents = Path::listdir(system_runtime_path);
+        for (auto dir_ent : *dir_ents)
+        {
+            if ((*dir_ent)[0] != '.')
+            {
+                std::string subpath = Path::join(system_runtime_path, *dir_ent);
+                if (Path::is_dir(subpath))
+                {
+                    std::string p = find_first_in(subpath, name, extensions);
+                    if (!p.empty())
+                    {
+                        return p;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return first;
+}
+
+std::string Runtime::find_first_in(const std::string & path,
+                                   const std::string & name,
+                                   const std::initializer_list<const char *> & extensions)
+{
+    for (auto ext : extensions)
+    {
+        std::string attempt_path = Path::join(path, name + ext);
+        if (Path::is_file(attempt_path))
+        {
+            return attempt_path;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return "";
+}
diff --git a/src/core/Runtime.h b/src/core/Runtime.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e37983d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/Runtime.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#ifndef RUNTIME_H
+#define RUNTIME_H
+
+#include <string>
+#include <initializer_list>
+
+class Runtime
+{
+public:
+    enum Type
+    {
+        FONT,
+        SHADER,
+    };
+
+    static std::string find(Type t, const std::string & name);
+    static void init(const char * argv_0, const char * appname);
+
+protected:
+    static std::string find_first_under(const std::string & runtime_subpath,
+                                        const std::string & name,
+                                        const std::initializer_list<const char *> & extensions,
+                                        bool look_in_subdirs = false);
+    static std::string find_first_in(const std::string & path,
+                                     const std::string & name,
+                                     const std::initializer_list<const char *> & extensions);
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/jes.cc b/src/jes.cc
index b5ebb10..2604865 100644
--- a/src/jes.cc
+++ b/src/jes.cc
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include "Window.h"
+#include "Runtime.h"
 
 int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 {
+    Runtime::init(argv[0], "jes");
+
     Window w;
     if (!w.create())
     {