diff --git a/src/FileUtils.cpp b/src/FileUtils.cpp
index 9028663..0e41856 100644
--- a/src/FileUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/FileUtils.cpp
@@ -419,6 +419,39 @@ bool FileUtils::isRelative(const char* path)
 #endif
 }
 
+void FileUtils::copyFile(const char* src, const char* dest) throw (IOException)
+{
+#ifdef PLATFORM_UNIX
+	std::ifstream inputFile(src,std::ios::binary);
+	std::ofstream outputFile(dest,std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
+
+	if (!inputFile.good())
+	{
+		throw IOException("Failed to read file " + std::string(src));
+	}
+	if (!outputFile.good())
+	{
+		throw IOException("Failed to write file " + std::string(dest));
+	}
+	
+	outputFile << inputFile.rdbuf();
+
+	if (inputFile.bad())
+	{
+		throw IOException("Error reading file " + std::string(src));
+	}
+	if (outputFile.bad())
+	{
+		throw IOException("Error writing file " + std::string(dest));
+	}
+#else
+	if (!CopyFile(src,dest,FALSE))
+	{
+		throw IOException("Failed to copy " + std::string(src) + " to " + std::string(dest));
+	}
+#endif
+}
+
 std::string FileUtils::makeAbsolute(const char* path, const char* basePath)
 {
 	if (isRelative(path))
diff --git a/src/FileUtils.h b/src/FileUtils.h
index fd2c74c..2ddad18 100644
--- a/src/FileUtils.h
+++ b/src/FileUtils.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class FileUtils
 		static void rmdir(const char* dir) throw (IOException);
 		static void createSymLink(const char* link, const char* target) throw (IOException);
 		static void touch(const char* path) throw (IOException);
+		static void copyFile(const char* src, const char* dest) throw (IOException);
 
 		/** Create all the directories in @p path which do not yet exist.
 		  * @p path may be relative or absolute.
diff --git a/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp b/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
index e7e45be..24c832a 100644
--- a/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
+++ b/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
@@ -224,15 +224,29 @@ void UpdateInstaller::installFile(const UpdateScriptFile& file)
 	if (target.empty())
 	{
 		// locate the package containing the file
-		std::string packageFile = m_packageDir + '/' + file.package + ".zip";
-		if (!FileUtils::fileExists(packageFile.c_str()))
+		if (!file.package.empty())
 		{
-			throw "Package file does not exist: " + packageFile;
-		}
+			std::string packageFile = m_packageDir + '/' + file.package + ".zip";
+			if (!FileUtils::fileExists(packageFile.c_str()))
+			{
+				throw "Package file does not exist: " + packageFile;
+			}
 
-		// extract the file from the package and copy it to
-		// the destination
-		FileUtils::extractFromZip(packageFile.c_str(),file.path.c_str(),destPath.c_str());
+			// extract the file from the package and copy it to
+			// the destination
+			FileUtils::extractFromZip(packageFile.c_str(),file.path.c_str(),destPath.c_str());
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// if no package is specified, look for an uncompressed file in the
+			// root of the package directory
+			std::string sourceFile = m_packageDir + '/' + FileUtils::fileName(file.path.c_str());
+			if (!FileUtils::fileExists(sourceFile.c_str()))
+			{
+				throw "Source file does not exist: " + sourceFile;
+			}
+			FileUtils::copyFile(sourceFile.c_str(),destPath.c_str());
+		}
 
 		// set the permissions on the newly extracted file
 		FileUtils::chmod(destPath.c_str(),file.permissions);
diff --git a/src/tests/file_list.xml b/src/tests/file_list.xml
index 21b9ca7..256f3d7 100644
--- a/src/tests/file_list.xml
+++ b/src/tests/file_list.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@
    <package>app-pkg</package>
    <is-main-binary>true</is-main-binary>
   </file>
+  <file>
+   <name>$UPDATER_FILENAME</name>
+   <hash>$UPDATER_HASH</hash>
+   <size>$UPDATER_SIZE</size>
+   <permissions>0755</permissions>
+  </file>
   <!-- Test symlink !-->
   <file>
    <name>test-dir/app-symlink</name>
diff --git a/src/tests/test-update.rb b/src/tests/test-update.rb
index db8b7d4..0472f21 100755
--- a/src/tests/test-update.rb
+++ b/src/tests/test-update.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ else
 end
 
 file_list_vars = {
-  "APP_FILENAME" => APP_NAME
+  "APP_FILENAME" => APP_NAME,
+  "UPDATER_FILENAME" => UPDATER_NAME
 }
 
 def replace_vars(src_file,dest_file,vars)
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ FileUtils.cp("../#{UPDATER_NAME}","#{PACKAGE_DIR}/#{UPDATER_NAME}")
 # make sure that it looks in the correct directory for
 # the file_list.xml file and packages
 #
-install_path = File.absolute_path(INSTALL_DIR)
+install_path = File.expand_path(INSTALL_DIR)
 Dir.chdir(INSTALL_DIR) do
 	cmd = "#{PACKAGE_DIR}/#{UPDATER_NAME} --install-dir \"#{install_path}\" --package-dir \"#{PACKAGE_DIR}\" --script file_list.xml"
 	puts "Running '#{cmd}'"
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ sleep(1)
 
 # Check that the app was updated
 app_path = "#{INSTALL_DIR}/#{APP_NAME}"
-output = `#{app_path}`
+output = `"#{app_path}"`
 if (output.strip != "new app starting")
 	throw "Updated app produced unexpected output: #{output}"
 end
diff --git a/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml b/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
index ad40e89..128bd8e 100644
--- a/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
+++ b/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@
    <package>app-pkg</package>
    <is-main-binary>true</is-main-binary>
   </file>
+  <file>
+   <name>$UPDATER_FILENAME</name>
+   <hash>$UPDATER_HASH</hash>
+   <size>$UPDATER_SIZE</size>
+   <permissions>0755</permissions>
+  </file>
+
   <!-- Test symlink !-->
   <file>
    <name>test-dir/app-symlink</name>