diff --git a/backend.native/tests/build.gradle b/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
index 186bc6d85b4..c413fb6e47f 100644
--- a/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
+++ b/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ abstract class KonanTest extends DefaultTask {
     def runtimeProject = project.project(":runtime")
     def llvmLlc = llvmTool("llc")
     def runtimeBc = new File("${runtimeProject.buildDir.canonicalPath}/runtime.bc")
+    def launcherBc = new File("${runtimeProject.buildDir.canonicalPath}/launcher.bc")
     def stdlibKtBc = new File("${runtimeProject.buildDir.canonicalPath}/stdlib.kt.bc")
     def mainC = 'main.c'
     String goldValue = null
     String testData = null
+    List<String> arguments = null
 
     public KonanTest(){
         dependsOn([project.project(":runtime").tasks['build'],
@@ -59,6 +61,9 @@ abstract class KonanTest extends DefaultTask {
         def out = null
         project.exec {
             commandLine "${exe.absolutePath}"
+            if (arguments != null) {
+                args arguments
+            }
             if (testData != null) {
                 standardInput = new ByteArrayInputStream(testData.bytes)
             }
@@ -131,8 +136,8 @@ class UnitKonanTest extends KonanTest {
 class RunKonanTest extends KonanTest {
     void compileTest(File sourceS, File runtimeS, File libraryPath, File exe) {
         project.execClang {
-            commandLine "clang++", "-DRUN_TEST", runtimeS.absolutePath, stdlibKtBc.absolutePath, sourceS.absolutePath,
-                    "-o", exe.absolutePath, linkDl(), linkM(), rdynamic(), '-xc', mainC
+            commandLine "clang++", launcherBc.absolutePath, runtimeS.absolutePath, stdlibKtBc.absolutePath, sourceS.absolutePath,
+                    "-o", exe.absolutePath, linkDl(), linkM(), rdynamic(), '-xc'
         }
     }
 }
@@ -599,3 +604,10 @@ task range0(type: RunKonanTest) {
     goldValue = "123\nabcd\n"
     source = "runtime/collections/range0.kt"
 }
+
+task args0(type: RunKonanTest) {
+    arguments = ["AAA", "BB", "C"]
+    goldValue = "AAA\nBB\nC\n"
+    source = "runtime/basic/args0.kt"
+}
+
diff --git a/backend.native/tests/main.c b/backend.native/tests/main.c
index f12ebf38b83..ba6c5429eb1 100644
--- a/backend.native/tests/main.c
+++ b/backend.native/tests/main.c
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@
 #include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-/**
- * > llc-mp-3.8 b.out -o b.S
- * > /opt/local/libexec/llvm-3.8/bin/clang main.c b.S -o sum-test
- */
 
 extern int run_test();
 
@@ -24,13 +20,6 @@ void * resolve_symbol(char *name) {
 }
 
 int
-kotlinNativeMain() {
-#ifdef RUN_TEST
-  void (*main)(void *) = resolve_symbol("kfun:main(Array<String>)");
-  main((void *)0);
-  return 0;
-#else
+main() {
   exit(run_test());
-#endif
 }
-
diff --git a/backend.native/tests/runtime/basic/args0.kt b/backend.native/tests/runtime/basic/args0.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..29eb6a6baa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend.native/tests/runtime/basic/args0.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+fun main(args : Array<String>) {
+  for (s in args) {
+      println(s)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/build.gradle b/runtime/build.gradle
index 2ff0e26d2d7..b0f42ba7b57 100644
--- a/runtime/build.gradle
+++ b/runtime/build.gradle
@@ -8,10 +8,18 @@ task build(type: CompileCppToBitcode) {
     srcRoot file('src/main')
 
     dependsOn ':common:compileHash'
+    dependsOn 'launcher'
     compilerArgs '-I' + project.file('../common/src/hash/headers') // TODO: copy-pasted from 'common'
     linkerArgs project.file('../common/build/hash.bc').path
 }
 
+task launcher(type: CompileCppToBitcode) {
+    name 'launcher'
+    srcRoot file('src/launcher')
+    compilerArgs '-I' + project.file('../common/src/hash/headers') // TODO: copy-pasted from 'common'
+    compilerArgs '-I' + project.file('src/main/cpp')
+}
+
 task clean << {
     delete buildDir
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/launcher/cpp/launcher.cpp b/runtime/src/launcher/cpp/launcher.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..958a33ebe5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/launcher/cpp/launcher.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#include <string.h>
+#include "Memory.h"
+#include "Natives.h"
+#include "Types.h"
+
+extern "C" ArrayHeader* konanArrayInit(ArrayHeader*, int) 
+    asm("_kfun:kotlin.Array.<init>(Int)");
+
+extern "C" const TypeInfo konanArrayType 
+    asm("_ktype:kotlin.Array");
+
+ArrayHeader* setupArgs(int argc, char** argv) {
+
+    // The count is one less, because we skip argv[0] which is the binary name.
+    ArrayHeader* array = AllocArrayInstance(&konanArrayType, SCOPE_GLOBAL, argc-1);
+    ArrayHeader* args = konanArrayInit(array, argc-1);
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < argc-1; i++) {
+        Kotlin_Array_set(args, i, (ArrayHeader*) makeString( argv[i+1] ));
+    }
+
+    return args;
+}
+        
+extern "C" void konanMain(void*) asm("_kfun:main(Array<String>)");
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+
+    InitMemory();
+
+    ArrayHeader* args = setupArgs(argc, argv);
+    konanMain(args);
+
+    // Yes, we have to follow Java convention and return zero.
+    return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.cpp b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.cpp
index baae7e3ba37..7bd969785d3 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.cpp
+++ b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.cpp
@@ -180,4 +180,15 @@ KString Kotlin_String_subSequence(KString thiz, KInt startIndex, KInt endIndex)
   return result;
 }
 
+KString makeString(const char* cstring) {
+  uint32_t length = strlen(cstring);
+  ArrayHeader* result = ArrayContainer(
+      theStringTypeInfo, length).GetPlace();
+  memcpy(
+      ByteArrayAddressOfElementAt(result, 0),
+      cstring,
+      length);
+  return result;
+}
+
 }  // extern "C"
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.h b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.h
index a707eb7ef39..aa3b7e7f2eb 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.h
+++ b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Natives.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
 KString TheEmptyString();
 
+KString makeString(const char* cstring);
+
 // Any.kt
 KBoolean Kotlin_Any_equals(KConstRef thiz, KConstRef other);
 KInt Kotlin_Any_hashCode(KConstRef thiz);
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/ToString.cpp b/runtime/src/main/cpp/ToString.cpp
index d73279e2878..806c89c7903 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/ToString.cpp
+++ b/runtime/src/main/cpp/ToString.cpp
@@ -7,21 +7,6 @@
 #include "Natives.h"
 #include "Types.h"
 
-namespace {
-
-KString makeString(const char* cstring) {
-  uint32_t length = strlen(cstring);
-  ArrayHeader* result = ArrayContainer(
-      theStringTypeInfo, length).GetPlace();
-  memcpy(
-      ByteArrayAddressOfElementAt(result, 0),
-      cstring,
-      length);
-  return result;
-}
-
-} // namespace
-
 extern "C" {
 
 KString Kotlin_Byte_toString(KByte value) {
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/launcher.cpp b/runtime/src/main/cpp/launcher.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index e84c2ef645e..00000000000
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/launcher.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-#include "Memory.h"
-
-extern "C" void kotlinNativeMain();
-
-int main() {
-  InitMemory();
-  kotlinNativeMain();
-  return 0;
-}