diff --git a/jetty-distribution/pom.xml b/jetty-distribution/pom.xml
index 7f69534ef21..9983460a19a 100644
--- a/jetty-distribution/pom.xml
+++ b/jetty-distribution/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <version>7.0.0.M3-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>jetty-distribution</artifactId>
-  <name>Distribution Assemblies</name>
+  <name>Jetty :: Distribution Assemblies</name>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
   <properties>
     <assembly.directory>target/distribution</assembly.directory>
diff --git a/jetty-start/pom.xml b/jetty-start/pom.xml
index dc4bba9a3f0..2a78ab706fb 100644
--- a/jetty-start/pom.xml
+++ b/jetty-start/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   </parent>
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <artifactId>jetty-start</artifactId>
-  <name>Start</name>
+  <name>Jetty :: Start</name>
   <description>The start utility</description>
   <build>
    <plugins>
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
index c86652df778..34266b1bfe8 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import java.util.StringTokenizer;
  *   ends with "/**" is a directory from which to recursively add all unconsidered jar and zip files.
  *   Containing = are used to assign system properties.
  *   Containing ~= are used to assign start properties.
+ *   Containing /= are used to assign a canonical path.
  *   all other subjects are treated as files to be added to the classpath.
  * 
  * ${name} is expanded to a start property
@@ -493,13 +494,23 @@ public class Main
                 // Handle the subject
                 if (subject.indexOf("~=")>0)
                 {
-                    int i=file.indexOf("=");
+                    int i=file.indexOf("~=");
                     String property=file.substring(0,i);
-                    String value=file.substring(i+1);
+                    String value=file.substring(i+2);
                     if (DEBUG)
                         System.err.println("  "+property+"~="+value);
                     setProperty(property,value);
                 }
+                if (subject.indexOf("/=")>0)
+                {
+                    int i=file.indexOf("/=");
+                    String property=file.substring(0,i);
+                    String value=file.substring(i+2);
+                    String canonical=new File(value).getCanonicalPath();
+                    if (DEBUG)
+                        System.err.println("  "+property+"/="+value+"=="+canonical);
+                    setProperty(property,canonical);
+                }
                 else if (subject.indexOf("=")>0)
                 {
                     int i=file.indexOf("=");
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/start.config b/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/start.config
index d78e330a82e..53fcfe14c16 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/start.config
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/start.config
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #   ends with "/**" is a directory from which to recursively add all unconsidered jar and zip files.
 #   Containing = are used to assign system properties.
 #   Containing ~= are used to assign start properties.
+#   Containing /= are used to assign a canonical path.
 #   all other subjects are treated as files to be added to the classpath.
 #
 # ${name} is expanded to a start property
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ jetty.home=..                                    ! exists $(jetty.home)/start.ja
 jetty.home=jetty-distribution/src/main/resources     ! exists $(jetty.home)/start.jar 
 jetty.home=../jetty-distribution/src/main/resources  ! exists $(jetty.home)/start.jar 
 jetty.home=.                                     ! exists $(jetty.home)/start.jar
+jetty.home/=$(jetty.home)                        exists $(jetty.home)/start.jar
 
 # The main class to run
 org.eclipse.jetty.xml.XmlConfiguration.class