diff --git a/setup/argparser.sh b/setup/argparser.sh
index 3fb510e7f..9a20419ce 100644
--- a/setup/argparser.sh
+++ b/setup/argparser.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ arg_backup_config=""
 arg_dns_config=""
 arg_update_config=""
 arg_provider=""
+arg_app_bundle=""
 
 args=$(getopt -o "" -l "data:,retire" -n "$0" -- "$@")
 eval set -- "${args}"
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ while true; do
         $(echo "$2" | $json apiServerOrigin webServerOrigin fqdn isCustomDomain boxVersionsUrl version | tr '\n' ' ')
 EOF
         # read possibly empty parameters here
+        arg_app_bundle=$(echo "$2" | $json appBundle)
         arg_tls_cert=$(echo "$2" | $json tlsCert)
         arg_tls_key=$(echo "$2" | $json tlsKey)
         arg_token=$(echo "$2" | $json token)
diff --git a/setup/start.sh b/setup/start.sh
index 427e04483..040826451 100755
--- a/setup/start.sh
+++ b/setup/start.sh
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ cat > "${CONFIG_DIR}/cloudron.conf" <<CONF_END
         "password": "${mysql_root_password}",
         "port": 3306,
         "name": "box"
-    }
+    },
+    "appBundle": ${arg_app_bundle}
 }
 CONF_END
 
diff --git a/src/cloudron.js b/src/cloudron.js
index 8cca3abc6..e555d1c89 100644
--- a/src/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/cloudron.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-/* jslint node: true */
-
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
@@ -27,7 +25,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     events: new (require('events').EventEmitter)(),
 
     EVENT_ACTIVATED: 'activated',
-    EVENT_CONFIGURED: 'configured'
+    EVENT_CONFIGURED: 'configured',
+    EVENT_FIRST_RUN: 'firstrun'
 };
 
 var apps = require('./apps.js'),
@@ -59,6 +58,7 @@ var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     UserError = user.UserError,
     userdb = require('./userdb.js'),
     util = require('util'),
+    uuid = require('node-uuid'),
     webhooks = require('./webhooks.js');
 
 var REBOOT_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/reboot.sh'),
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ function initialize(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     exports.events.on(exports.EVENT_CONFIGURED, addDnsRecords);
+    exports.events.on(exports.EVENT_FIRST_RUN, installAppBundle);
+
+    if (!fs.existsSync(paths.FIRST_RUN_FILE)) {
+        // EE API is sync. do not keep the server waiting
+        process.nextTick(function () { exports.events.emit(exports.EVENT_FIRST_RUN); });
+        fs.writeFileSync(paths.FIRST_RUN_FILE, 'been there, done that', 'utf8');
+    }
 
     syncConfigState(callback);
 }
@@ -132,6 +139,7 @@ function uninitialize(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     exports.events.removeListener(exports.EVENT_CONFIGURED, addDnsRecords);
+    exports.events.removeListener(exports.EVENT_FIRST_RUN, installAppBundle);
 
     callback(null);
 }
@@ -724,6 +732,41 @@ function backupBoxAndApps(callback) {
     });
 }
 
+function installAppBundle(callback) {
+    callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
+
+    var bundle = config.get('appBundle');
+
+    if (!bundle || bundle.length === 0) {
+        debug('installAppBundle: no bundle set');
+        return callback();
+    }
+
+    async.eachSeries(bundle, function (appInfo, iteratorCallback) {
+        var appstoreId = appInfo.appstoreId;
+        var parts = appstoreId.split('@');
+
+        var url = config.apiServerOrigin() + '/api/v1/apps/' + parts[0] + (parts[1] ? '/versions/' + parts[1] : '');
+
+        superagent.get(url).end(function (error, result) {
+            if (error && !error.response) return iteratorCallback(new Error('Network error: ' + error.message));
+
+            if (result.statusCode !== 200) return iteratorCallback(util.format('Failed to get app info from store.', result.statusCode, result.text));
+
+            debug('autoInstall: installing %s at %s', appstoreId, appInfo.location);
+
+            apps.install(uuid.v4(), appstoreId, result.body.manifest, appInfo.location,
+                appInfo.portBindings || null, appInfo.accessRestriction || null,
+                null /* icon */, null /* cert */, null /* key */, 0 /* default mem limit */,
+                iteratorCallback);
+        });
+    }, function (error) {
+        if (error) debug('autoInstallApps: ', error);
+
+        callback();
+    });
+}
+
 function checkDiskSpace(callback) {
     callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
 
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index e0042db90..c105e81eb 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-/* jslint node: true */
-
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
@@ -84,6 +82,7 @@ function initConfig() {
     data.oauthProxyPort = 3003;
     data.simpleAuthPort = 3004;
     data.provider = 'caas';
+    data.appBundle = [ ];
 
     if (exports.CLOUDRON) {
         data.port = 3000;
diff --git a/src/paths.js b/src/paths.js
index d3acfbc23..13e18d58b 100644
--- a/src/paths.js
+++ b/src/paths.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-/* jslint node:true */
-
 'use strict';
 
 var config = require('./config.js'),
@@ -24,6 +22,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     CLOUDRON_AVATAR_FILE: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'data/box/avatar.png'),
     CLOUDRON_DEFAULT_AVATAR_FILE: path.join(__dirname + '/../assets/avatar.png'),
+    FIRST_RUN_FILE: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'data/box/first_run'),
 
     UPDATE_CHECKER_FILE: path.join(config.baseDir(), 'data/box/updatechecker.json'),