diff --git a/ColtPlugin/PluginMain.cs b/ColtPlugin/PluginMain.cs
index 992788b..6bb296b 100644
--- a/ColtPlugin/PluginMain.cs
+++ b/ColtPlugin/PluginMain.cs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ public class PluginMain : IPlugin
         private String pathToLog;
         private System.Timers.Timer timer;
         private Keys MakeItLiveKeys = Keys.Control | Keys.Shift | Keys.L;
+        private Boolean allowBuildInterception = true;
 
 	    #region Required Properties
 
@@ -148,6 +149,16 @@ public void HandleEvent(Object sender, NotifyEvent e, HandlingPriority prority)
                         toolbarButton = CreateToolbarButton(toolStrip as ToolStrip, "colt_save.png", "Menu.ExportToCOLT", new EventHandler(OnClick));
                         toolbarButton2 = CreateToolbarButton(toolStrip as ToolStrip, "colt_run.png", "Menu.OpenInCOLT", new EventHandler(OnClick2));
                     }
+                    else if ((cmd == "ProjectManager.BuildingProject") || (cmd == "ProjectManager.TestingProject"))
+                    {
+                        // todo: FD might send this for projects other than PluginBase.CurrentProject - figure out how to catch that
+                        if (settingObject.InterceptBuilds && allowBuildInterception)
+                        {
+                            new AppStarter(ProductionBuild, cmd == "ProjectManager.TestingProject");
+
+                            e.Handled = true;
+                        }
+                    }
                     break;
                 
                 case EventType.FileSave:
@@ -258,12 +269,12 @@ private static Image GetImage(String imageName)
 
         private void OnClick(Object sender, System.EventArgs e)
         {
-            new AppStarter(ExportAndOpen);
+            new AppStarter(ExportAndOpen, settingObject.AutoRun);
         }
 
         private void OnClick2(Object sender, System.EventArgs e)
         {
-            new AppStarter(FindAndOpen);
+            new AppStarter(FindAndOpen, settingObject.AutoRun);
         }
 
         #endregion
@@ -440,7 +451,7 @@ private string LineIndentPosition(ScintillaNet.ScintillaControl sci, int line)
         #endregion
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Connects to COLT
+        /// Connects to COLT (todo: rename)
         /// </summary>
         private void ConnectToCOLT(Boolean create = false)
         {
@@ -466,10 +477,38 @@ private void ConnectToCOLT(Boolean create = false)
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Makes production build and optionally runs it
+        /// </summary>
+        private void ProductionBuild(Boolean run)
+        {
+            // make sure the COLT project is open
+            // todo: currently no way to know if this fails, check the state before running the build in the future
+            if (toolbarButton2.Enabled) FindAndOpen(false); else ExportAndOpen(false);
+
+            try
+            {
+                JsonRpcClient client = new JsonRpcClient();
+                client.Invoke("runProductionCompilation", new Object[] { "TEST", /*run*/false });
+
+                // leverage FD launch mechanism
+                // todo: does runProductionCompilation block? no idea atm
+                if (run)
+                {
+                    EventManager.DispatchEvent(this, new DataEvent(EventType.Command, "ProjectManager.PlayOutput", null));
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception details)
+            {
+                TraceManager.Add(details.ToString(), -1);
+            }
+        }
+
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Opens the project in COLT
         /// </summary>
-        private void FindAndOpen()
+        private void FindAndOpen(Boolean run)
         {
             // Create COLT subfolder if does not exist yet
             // While at that, start listening for colt/compile_errors.log changes
@@ -485,10 +524,11 @@ private void FindAndOpen()
                 {
                     JsonRpcClient client = new JsonRpcClient();
                     client.Invoke("loadProject", new Object[] { "TEST", coltFileName });
+                    if (run) client.Invoke("runBaseCompilation", new Object[] { "TEST" });
                 }
                 catch (Exception details)
                 {
-                    TraceManager.Add("FindAndOpen failed\n" + details, -1);
+                    TraceManager.Add(details.ToString(), -1);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -499,7 +539,7 @@ private void FindAndOpen()
 
         }
 
-        private void ExportAndOpen()
+        private void ExportAndOpen(Boolean run)
         {
             // Create COLT subfolder if does not exist yet
             // While at that, start listening for colt/compile_errors.log changes
@@ -507,29 +547,31 @@ private void ExportAndOpen()
 
             // Create COLT project in it
             COLTRemoteProject project = ExportCOLTProject();
-            try
+            if (project != null)
             {
-                JsonRpcClient client = new JsonRpcClient();
-                client.Invoke("createProject", new Object[] { "TEST", project });
-//Object state = client.Invoke("getState", new Object[] { "TEST" });
-//TraceManager.Add("State: " + state);
-            }
-            catch (Exception details)
-            {
-                TraceManager.Add("ExportAndOpen failed\n" + details, -1);
-            }
+                try
+                {
+                    JsonRpcClient client = new JsonRpcClient();
+                    client.Invoke("createProject", new Object[] { "TEST", project });
+                    if (run) client.Invoke("runBaseCompilation", new Object[] { "TEST" });
+                }
+                catch (Exception details)
+                {
+                    TraceManager.Add(details.ToString(), -1);
+                }
 
-            // Remove older *.colt files
-            foreach (String oldFile in Directory.GetFiles(Path.GetDirectoryName(project.path), "*.colt"))
-            {
-                if (!project.path.Contains(Path.GetFileName(oldFile)))
+                // Remove older *.colt files
+                foreach (String oldFile in Directory.GetFiles(Path.GetDirectoryName(project.path), "*.colt"))
                 {
-                    File.Delete(oldFile);
+                    if (!project.path.Contains(Path.GetFileName(oldFile)))
+                    {
+                        File.Delete(oldFile);
+                    }
                 }
-            }
 
-            // Enable "open" button
-            toolbarButton2.Enabled = true;
+                // Enable "open" button
+                toolbarButton2.Enabled = true;
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -568,7 +610,16 @@ private COLTRemoteProject ExportCOLTProject()
                 {
                     TraceManager.Add("Required file (" + projectName + "Config.xml) does not exist, project must be built first...", -1);
 
-                    EventManager.DispatchEvent(this, new DataEvent(EventType.Command, "ProjectManager.BuildProject", null));
+                    try
+                    {
+                        allowBuildInterception = false;
+                        EventManager.DispatchEvent(this, new DataEvent(EventType.Command, "ProjectManager.BuildProject", null));
+                    }
+
+                    finally
+                    {
+                        allowBuildInterception = true;
+                    }
 
                     return null;
                 }
diff --git a/ColtPlugin/Rpc/AppStarter.cs b/ColtPlugin/Rpc/AppStarter.cs
index 232df80..b28b4d4 100644
--- a/ColtPlugin/Rpc/AppStarter.cs
+++ b/ColtPlugin/Rpc/AppStarter.cs
@@ -6,25 +6,27 @@
     using System.Net;
     using System.Timers;
 
-    public delegate void AppStarterDelegate ();
+    public delegate void AppStarterDelegate(Boolean param);
 
-    class AppStarter
+    public class AppStarter
     {
         private AppStarterDelegate callback;
+        private Boolean callbackParam;
         private String tempColtFile;
         private Timer timer;
         private int count;
 
-        public AppStarter(AppStarterDelegate onConnected)
+        public AppStarter(AppStarterDelegate onConnected, Boolean onConnectedParam)
         {
             if (COLTIsRunning())
             {
-                onConnected();
+                onConnected(onConnectedParam);
             }
 
             else
             {
                 callback = onConnected;
+                callbackParam = onConnectedParam;
                 tempColtFile = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".colt");
 
                 File.CreateText(tempColtFile).Close();
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ private void OnTimer(Object sender = null, EventArgs e = null)
             if (COLTIsRunning())
             {
                 // we are good to go
-                callback();
+                callback(callbackParam);
 
                 CleanUp();
                 return;
@@ -88,12 +90,21 @@ private Boolean COLTIsRunning ()
             WebClient client = new WebClient();
             try
             {
-                client.DownloadString("http://127.0.0.1:8091/crossdomain.xml");
-                return true;
+                // this must always throw
+                client.DownloadString("http://127.0.0.1:8091/rpc/coltService");
             }
 
-            catch (Exception)
+            catch (WebException e)
             {
+                if (e.Status == WebExceptionStatus.ProtocolError)
+                {
+                    if (((HttpWebResponse)e.Response).StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.InternalServerError)
+                    {
+                        // until rpc is ready, this should be 404, not 500
+                        // todo: still does not work - colt crashes :S
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             return false;
diff --git a/ColtPlugin/Settings.cs b/ColtPlugin/Settings.cs
index 47090cd..9500690 100644
--- a/ColtPlugin/Settings.cs
+++ b/ColtPlugin/Settings.cs
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ namespace ColtPlugin
     public class Settings
     {
         private String workingFolder = "colt";
+        private Boolean autorun = true;
         private Boolean fullConfig = false;
+        private Boolean interceptBuilds = false;
         
         /// <summary> 
         /// Get and sets colt folder
@@ -23,6 +25,17 @@ public String WorkingFolder
             set { this.workingFolder = value; }
         }
 
+        /// <summary> 
+        /// Get and sets full autorun flag
+        /// </summary>
+        [DisplayName("Automatically run COLT project")]
+        [Description("Automatically compile and run COLT project after opening it in COLT."), DefaultValue(true)]
+        public Boolean AutoRun
+        {
+            get { return this.autorun; }
+            set { this.autorun = value; }
+        }
+
         /// <summary> 
         /// Get and sets full config flag
         /// </summary>
@@ -34,6 +47,16 @@ public Boolean FullConfig
             set { this.fullConfig = value; }
         }
 
+        /// <summary> 
+        /// Get and sets production builds flag
+        /// </summary>
+        [DisplayName("Use COLT for FD builds")]
+        [Description("Use COLT fast compiler to build your FD projects."), DefaultValue(false)]
+        public Boolean InterceptBuilds
+        {
+            get { return this.interceptBuilds; }
+            set { this.interceptBuilds = value; }
+        }
     }
 
 }