diff --git a/build/shared/lib/languages/PDE.properties b/build/shared/lib/languages/PDE.properties
index 98e43f742..c93dfa68e 100644
--- a/build/shared/lib/languages/PDE.properties
+++ b/build/shared/lib/languages/PDE.properties
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ menu.help.about = About Processing
 menu.help.environment = Environment
 menu.help.reference = Reference
 menu.help.find_in_reference = Find in Reference
+menu.help.reference.download = Download Offline Reference
 menu.help.libraries_reference = Libraries Reference
 menu.help.tools_reference = Tools Reference
 menu.help.empty = (empty)
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
index efb37b180..4cc29bdf9 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ package processing.mode.java;
 import java.awt.*;
 import java.awt.event.*;
 import java.io.*;
+import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -90,6 +92,9 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
 
   /** P5 in decimal; if there are complaints, move to preferences.txt */
   static final int REFERENCE_PORT = 8053;
+  // weird to link to a specific location like this, but it's versioned, so:
+  static final String REFERENCE_URL =
+    "https://github.com/processing/processing-website/releases/download/2022-10-05-1459/reference.zip";
   Boolean useReferenceServer;
   WebServer referenceServer;
 
@@ -284,7 +289,6 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
     item.addActionListener(e -> {
       try {
         new Welcome(base);
-        //new Welcome(base, Preferences.getSketchbookPath().equals(Preferences.getOldSketchbookPath()));
       } catch (IOException ioe) {
         Messages.showWarning("Unwelcome Error",
                              "Please report this error to\n" +
@@ -294,13 +298,11 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
     menu.add(item);
 
     item = new JMenuItem(Language.text("menu.help.environment"));
-    //item.addActionListener(e -> showReference("environment/index.html"));
-    item.addActionListener(e -> Platform.openURL("https://processing.org/environment/"));
+    item.addActionListener(e -> showReference("../environment/index.html"));
     menu.add(item);
 
     item = new JMenuItem(Language.text("menu.help.reference"));
-    //item.addActionListener(e -> showReference("index.html"));
-    item.addActionListener(e -> Platform.openURL("https://processing.org/reference/"));
+    item.addActionListener(e -> showReference("index.html"));
     menu.add(item);
 
     item = Toolkit.newJMenuItemShift(Language.text("menu.help.find_in_reference"), 'F');
@@ -313,6 +315,15 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
     });
     menu.add(item);
 
+    // Not gonna use "update" since it's more about re-downloading:
+    // it doesn't make sense to "update" the reference because it's
+    // specific to a version of the software anyway. [fry 221125]
+//    item = new JMenuItem(isReferenceDownloaded() ?
+//      "menu.help.reference.update" : "menu.help.reference.download");
+    item = new JMenuItem("menu.help.reference.download");
+    item.addActionListener(e -> new Thread(this::downloadReference).start());
+    menu.add(item);
+
     menu.addSeparator();
 
     final JMenu libRefSubmenu = new JMenu(Language.text("menu.help.libraries_reference"));
@@ -783,7 +794,15 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
 
   public void showReference(String name) {
     if (useReferenceServer == null) {
+      // Because of this, it should be possible to create your own dist
+      // that includes the reference by simply adding it to modes/java.
       File referenceZip = new File(mode.getFolder(), "reference.zip");
+      if (!referenceZip.exists()) {
+        // For Java Mode (the default), check for a reference.zip in the root
+        // of the sketchbook folder. If other Modes subclass JavaEditor and
+        // don't override this function, it may cause a little trouble.
+        referenceZip = getOfflineReferenceFile();
+      }
       if (referenceZip.exists()) {
         try {
           referenceServer = new WebServer(referenceZip, REFERENCE_PORT);
@@ -815,6 +834,45 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
   }
 
 
+  private File getOfflineReferenceFile() {
+    return new File(Base.getSketchbookFolder(), "reference.zip");
+  }
+
+
+  /*
+  private boolean isReferenceDownloaded() {
+    return getOfflineReferenceFile().exists();
+  }
+  */
+
+
+  private void downloadReference() {
+    try {
+      URL source = new URL(REFERENCE_URL);
+      HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) source.openConnection();
+      HttpURLConnection.setFollowRedirects(true);
+      conn.setConnectTimeout(15 * 1000);
+      conn.setReadTimeout(60 * 1000);
+      conn.setRequestMethod("GET");
+      conn.connect();
+
+      ProgressMonitorInputStream input =
+        new ProgressMonitorInputStream(this,
+          "Downloading reference…", conn.getInputStream());
+      input.getProgressMonitor().setMaximum(conn.getContentLength());
+      PApplet.saveStream(getOfflineReferenceFile(), input);
+      useReferenceServer = null;
+
+    } catch (InterruptedIOException iioe) {
+      // download canceled
+
+    } catch (IOException e) {
+      Messages.showWarning("Error downloading reference",
+        "Could not download the reference. Try again later.", e);
+    }
+  }
+
+
   public void statusError(String what) {
     super.statusError(what);
 //    new Exception("deactivating RUN").printStackTrace();
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index becfe2cc1..bb9a2f13d 100755
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ X   https://github.com/processing/processing4/issues/600
 _ update wiki
 _   https://github.com/processing/processing4/wiki/Translations
 _   https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/jdk17-suported-locales.html
+X implement offline reference download
+X   https://github.com/processing/processing-website/releases/download/2022-10-05-1459/reference.zip
+_   add a note about the file size to the progress window
+_   document and grab other notes from elsewhere here
 
 
 _ "Show Sketch Folder" for libraries needs to treat the sketch as Untitled