diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a2e30ec7..d15ab181 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,3 +15,8 @@ config/amazon_s3.yml
 config/initializers/recaptcha.rb
 config/config.yml
 config/initializers/site_keys.rb
+
+vendor/bundler_gems/gems
+vendor/bundler_gems/specifications
+vendor/bundler_gems/doc
+vendor/bundler_gems/environment.rb
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..62d7424a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+source "https://rubygems.org"
+
+ruby "1.8.7"
+gem "rails", "2.3.15"
+
+# dependencies
+gem "mysql", "2.9.1"
+gem "geokit-rails", "1.1.4"
+gem "image_science", "1.2.6"
+gem "recaptcha", "0.3.6"
+gem "will_paginate", "2.3.16"
+gem "oa-openid", "0.3.2"
+gem "httparty", "0.11.0"
+gem "RubyInline"
+gem "rdoc"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4f8fbfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+GEM
+  remote: https://rubygems.org/
+  specs:
+    RubyInline (3.12.3)
+      ZenTest (~> 4.3)
+    ZenTest (4.10.1)
+    actionmailer (2.3.15)
+      actionpack (= 2.3.15)
+    actionpack (2.3.15)
+      activesupport (= 2.3.15)
+      rack (~> 1.1.3)
+    activerecord (2.3.15)
+      activesupport (= 2.3.15)
+    activeresource (2.3.15)
+      activesupport (= 2.3.15)
+    activesupport (2.3.15)
+    geokit (1.8.5)
+      multi_json (>= 1.3.2)
+    geokit-rails (1.1.4)
+      geokit (>= 1.5.0)
+    httparty (0.11.0)
+      multi_json (~> 1.0)
+      multi_xml (>= 0.5.2)
+    image_science (1.2.6)
+      RubyInline (~> 3.9)
+    json (1.8.1)
+    multi_json (1.10.1)
+    multi_xml (0.5.5)
+    mysql (2.9.1)
+    oa-core (0.3.2)
+    oa-openid (0.3.2)
+      oa-core (= 0.3.2)
+      rack-openid (~> 1.3.1)
+      ruby-openid-apps-discovery (~> 1.2.0)
+    rack (1.1.6)
+    rack-openid (1.3.1)
+      rack (>= 1.1.0)
+      ruby-openid (>= 2.1.8)
+    rails (2.3.15)
+      actionmailer (= 2.3.15)
+      actionpack (= 2.3.15)
+      activerecord (= 2.3.15)
+      activeresource (= 2.3.15)
+      activesupport (= 2.3.15)
+      rake (>= 0.8.3)
+    rake (10.3.2)
+    rdoc (4.1.1)
+      json (~> 1.4)
+    recaptcha (0.3.6)
+    ruby-openid (2.5.0)
+    ruby-openid-apps-discovery (1.2.0)
+      ruby-openid (>= 2.1.7)
+    will_paginate (2.3.16)
+
+PLATFORMS
+  ruby
+
+DEPENDENCIES
+  RubyInline
+  geokit-rails (= 1.1.4)
+  httparty (= 0.11.0)
+  image_science (= 1.2.6)
+  mysql (= 2.9.1)
+  oa-openid (= 0.3.2)
+  rails (= 2.3.15)
+  rdoc
+  recaptcha (= 0.3.6)
+  will_paginate (= 2.3.16)
diff --git a/config/environment.rb b/config/environment.rb
index 46bb9456..f0278927 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb
+++ b/config/environment.rb
@@ -27,17 +27,22 @@ Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
   # config.gem "hpricot", :version => '0.6', :source => "http://code.whytheluckystiff.net"
   # config.gem "sqlite3-ruby", :lib => "sqlite3"
 
-  config.gem "mysql", :version => '~> 2.9.1'
-  #config.gem "json_pure"
-  config.gem "httparty", :version => '~> 0.11.0'
-  config.gem "geokit-rails", :version => '~> 1.1.4'
-  #config.gem "RubyInline"
-  config.gem "image_science", :version => '~> 1.2.6'
-  #Configure at config/initializers/recaptcha.rb, copy from recaptcha.rb.example
-  config.gem "recaptcha", :lib => "recaptcha/rails"
-  #config.gem "exifr" # didnt use as incompatible with ruby 1.8.6
-  config.gem 'will_paginate', :version => '~> 2.3.16'
-  config.gem 'oa-openid', :version => '~> 0.3.2'
+  # commented these out in order to use the Gemfile instead
+  # config.gem "mysql", :version => '~> 2.9.1'
+  # #config.gem "json_pure"
+  # config.gem "httparty", :version => '~> 0.11.0'
+  # config.gem "geokit-rails", :version => '~> 1.1.4'
+  # #config.gem "RubyInline"
+  # config.gem "image_science", :version => '~> 1.2.6'
+  # #Configure at config/initializers/recaptcha.rb, copy from recaptcha.rb.example
+  # config.gem "recaptcha", :lib => "recaptcha/rails"
+  # #config.gem "exifr" # didnt use as incompatible with ruby 1.8.6
+  # config.gem 'will_paginate', :version => '~> 2.3.16'
+  # config.gem 'oa-openid', :version => '~> 0.3.2'
+
+  # Directs bundler where to find our gems
+  require 'vendor/bundler_gems/environment.rb' # add dependencies to load paths
+  Bundler.require_env :optional_environment # require the files
 
   # config.gem "rubyzip"
   # if you're going to use Amazon s3 for image storage:
diff --git a/config/preinitializer.rb b/config/preinitializer.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a730dae3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/preinitializer.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+begin
+require 'rubygems'
+require 'bundler'
+
+rescue LoadError
+raise "Could not load the bundler gem.  Install it with `gem install bundler`."
+end
+
+if Gem::Version.new(Bundler::VERSION) <= Gem::Version.new("0.9.24")
+raise RuntimeError, "Your bundler version is too old for Rails 2.3.\n" + 
+"Run `gem bundler` to upgrade."
+end
+
+begin
+# Set up load paths for all bundled gems
+ENV["BUNDLE_GEMFILE"] = File.expand_path("../../Gemfile", __FILE__);
+Bundler.setup
+
+rescue Bundler::GemNotFound
+raise RuntimeError, "Bundler couldn't find some gems.\n" + 
+"Did you run `bundle install`?"
+end
\ No newline at end of file