diff --git a/qqq-middleware-javalin/pom.xml b/qqq-middleware-javalin/pom.xml
index 3cfe058d..1099db78 100644
--- a/qqq-middleware-javalin/pom.xml
+++ b/qqq-middleware-javalin/pom.xml
@@ -122,6 +122,18 @@
    <build>
       <sourceDirectory>src/main/java</sourceDirectory>
       <plugins>
+         <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.5.3</version>
+            <configuration>
+               <additionalClasspathElements>
+                  <additionalClasspathElement>
+                     ${project.basedir}/src/test/resources/static-site.jar
+                  </additionalClasspathElement>
+               </additionalClasspathElements>
+            </configuration>
+         </plugin>
          <plugin>
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/routeproviders/SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.java b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/routeproviders/SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.java
index c6504be1..e30c94a9 100644
--- a/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/routeproviders/SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.java
+++ b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/routeproviders/SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.java
@@ -49,16 +49,14 @@ import static com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.LogUtils.logPair;
 public class SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter implements QJavalinRouteProviderInterface
 {
    private static final QLogger LOG = QLogger.getLogger(SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.class);
+   public static boolean loadStaticFilesFromJar = false;
+
 
    private final String hostedPath;
    private final String fileSystemPath;
-
    private QCodeReference routeAuthenticator;
-
    private QInstance qInstance;
 
-
-
    /*******************************************************************************
     ** Constructor
     **
@@ -67,6 +65,24 @@ public class SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter implements QJavalinRouteProviderInt
    {
       this.hostedPath = hostedPath;
       this.fileSystemPath = fileSystemPath;
+
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // read the property to see if we should load static files from the jar file or from the file system //
+      // Javan only supports loading via one method per path, so its a choice of one or the other...       //
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      try
+      {
+         String propertyName  = "qqq.javalin.enableStaticFilesFromJar";  // TODO: make a more general way to handle properties like this system-wide via a central config class
+         String propertyValue = System.getProperty(propertyName, "");
+         if(propertyValue.equals("true"))
+         {
+            loadStaticFilesFromJar = true;
+         }
+      }
+      catch(Exception e)
+      {
+         e.printStackTrace();
+      }
    }
 
 
@@ -98,25 +114,41 @@ public class SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter implements QJavalinRouteProviderInt
     ***************************************************************************/
    private void handleJavalinStaticFileConfig(StaticFileConfig staticFileConfig)
    {
-      URL resource = getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(fileSystemPath);
-      if(resource == null)
-      {
-         String message = "Could not find file system path: " + fileSystemPath;
-         if(fileSystemPath.startsWith("/") && getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(fileSystemPath.replaceFirst("^/+", "")) != null)
-         {
-            message += ".  For non-absolute paths, do not prefix with a leading slash.";
-         }
-         throw new RuntimeException(message);
-      }
 
       if(!hostedPath.startsWith("/"))
       {
          LOG.warn("hostedPath [" + hostedPath + "] should probably start with a leading slash...");
       }
 
-      staticFileConfig.directory = resource.getFile();
-      staticFileConfig.hostedPath = hostedPath;
-      staticFileConfig.location = Location.EXTERNAL;
+      /// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // Handle loading static files from the jar OR the filesystem based on system property //
+      /// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      if(SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter.loadStaticFilesFromJar)
+      {
+         staticFileConfig.directory = fileSystemPath;
+         staticFileConfig.hostedPath = hostedPath;
+         staticFileConfig.location = Location.CLASSPATH;
+         LOG.info("Static File Config : hostedPath [" + hostedPath + "] : directory [" + staticFileConfig.directory + "] : location [CLASSPATH]");
+      }
+      else
+      {
+         URL resource = getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(fileSystemPath);
+         if(resource == null)
+         {
+            String message = "Could not find file system path: " + fileSystemPath;
+            if(fileSystemPath.startsWith("/") && getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(fileSystemPath.replaceFirst("^/+", "")) != null)
+            {
+               message += ".  For non-absolute paths, do not prefix with a leading slash.";
+            }
+            throw new RuntimeException(message);
+         }
+
+         staticFileConfig.directory = resource.getFile();
+         staticFileConfig.hostedPath = hostedPath;
+         staticFileConfig.location = Location.EXTERNAL;
+         LOG.info("Static File Config : hostedPath [" + hostedPath + "] : directory [" + staticFileConfig.directory + "] : location [EXTERNAL]");
+      }
+
    }
 
 
diff --git a/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/QApplicationJavalinServerTest.java b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/QApplicationJavalinServerTest.java
index a6bf4085..a9524022 100644
--- a/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/QApplicationJavalinServerTest.java
+++ b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/middleware/javalin/QApplicationJavalinServerTest.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QException;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.instances.AbstractQQQApplication;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.QInstance;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.javalin.TestUtils;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.middleware.javalin.routeproviders.SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.middleware.javalin.specs.v1.MiddlewareVersionV1;
 import io.javalin.http.HttpStatus;
 import kong.unirest.HttpResponse;
@@ -52,6 +53,16 @@ class QApplicationJavalinServerTest
 
 
 
+   /***************************************************************************
+    **
+    ***************************************************************************/
+   private static AbstractQQQApplication getQqqApplication()
+   {
+      return new TestApplication();
+   }
+
+
+
    /*******************************************************************************
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
@@ -60,6 +71,7 @@ class QApplicationJavalinServerTest
    {
       javalinServer.stop();
       TestApplication.callCount = 0;
+      System.clearProperty("qqq.javalin.enableStaticFilesFromJar");
    }
 
 
@@ -196,6 +208,48 @@ class QApplicationJavalinServerTest
 
 
 
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testStaticRouterFilesFromExternal() throws Exception
+   {
+      System.setProperty("qqq.javalin.enableStaticFilesFromJar", "false");
+
+      javalinServer = new QApplicationJavalinServer(getQqqApplication())
+         .withServeFrontendMaterialDashboard(false)
+         .withPort(PORT);
+      javalinServer.start();
+
+      Unirest.config().setDefaultResponseEncoding("UTF-8");
+      HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.get("http://localhost:" + PORT + "/statically-served/foo.html").asString();
+      assertEquals("Foo? Bar!", response.getBody());
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testStaticRouterFilesFromClasspath() throws Exception
+   {
+      System.setProperty("qqq.javalin.enableStaticFilesFromJar", "true");
+
+      javalinServer = new QApplicationJavalinServer(new QApplicationJavalinServerTest.TestApplication())
+         .withServeFrontendMaterialDashboard(false)
+         .withPort(PORT)
+         .withAdditionalRouteProvider(new SimpleFileSystemDirectoryRouter("/statically-served-from-jar", "static-site-from-jar/"));
+
+      javalinServer.start();
+
+      Unirest.config().setDefaultResponseEncoding("UTF-8");
+      HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.get("http://localhost:" + PORT + "/statically-served-from-jar/foo-in-jar.html").asString();
+      assertEquals("Foo in a Jar!\n", response.getBody());
+   }
+
+
+
    /*******************************************************************************
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
@@ -296,16 +350,6 @@ class QApplicationJavalinServerTest
 
 
 
-   /***************************************************************************
-    **
-    ***************************************************************************/
-   private static AbstractQQQApplication getQqqApplication()
-   {
-      return new TestApplication();
-   }
-
-
-
    /***************************************************************************
     **
     ***************************************************************************/
diff --git a/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/resources/static-site.jar b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/resources/static-site.jar
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5e203e4
Binary files /dev/null and b/qqq-middleware-javalin/src/test/resources/static-site.jar differ