diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 557243b5f0..f3fd26c8b7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,21 +67,29 @@ java \
 	-Dlog.level=ALL \
 	-noverify \
 	-Xmx1G \
-	-jar ./plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.5.200.v20180922-1751.jar \
-	-configuration ./config_linux \
-	-data /path/to/data \
 	--add-modules=ALL-SYSTEM \
 	--add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED \
-	--add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED
+	--add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED \
+	-jar ./plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.5.200.v20180922-1751.jar \
+	-configuration ./config_linux \
+	-data /path/to/data
 ```
 
 1. Choose a value for `-configuration`: this is the path to your platform's configuration directory. For Linux, use `./config_linux`. For windows, use `./config_win`. For mac/OS X, use `./config_mac`.
 2. Change the filename of the jar in `-jar ./plugins/...` to match the version you built or downloaded.
 3. Choose a value for `-data`: An absolute path to your data directory. eclipse.jdt.ls stores workspace specific information in it. This should be unique per workspace/project.
 
-
 If you want to debug eclipse.jdt.ls itself, add `-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=1044` right after `java` and ensure nothing else is running on port 1044. If you want to debug from the start of execution, change `suspend=n` to `suspend=y` so the JVM will wait for your debugger prior to starting the server.
 
+There is also a python wrapper script available that makes the start up of eclipse.jdt.ls more convenient (no need to juggle with Java options etc.). A sample usage is described below.
+
+```bash
+./org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/target/repository/bin/jdtls \
+	-configuration ~/.cache/jdtls \
+	-data /path/to/data
+```
+
+All shown Java options will be set by the wrapper script. Please, note that the `-configuaration` options points to a user's folder to ensure that the configuration folder in `org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/target/repository/config_*` remains untouched.
 
 Development Setup
 -----------------
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/pom.xml b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/pom.xml
index ce5cb9a98b..29e2ff2649 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/pom.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/pom.xml
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 			</plugin>
 			<plugin>
 				<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>3.0.1</version>
+				<version>3.2.0</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>copy-config-mac</id>
@@ -158,6 +158,21 @@
 							</resources>
 						</configuration>
 					</execution>
+					<execution>
+						<id>copy-launch-script</id>
+						<phase>package</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>copy-resources</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/repository/bin/</outputDirectory>
+							<resources>
+								<resource>
+									<directory>${basedir}/scripts</directory>
+								</resource>
+							</resources>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
 		</plugins>
@@ -171,7 +186,7 @@
 			</activation>
 			<build>
 				<plugins>
-					<!-- get major.minor.incremental from this pom, then use ${parsedVersion.majorVersion}.${parsedVersion.minorVersion}.${parsedVersion.incrementalVersion} 
+					<!-- get major.minor.incremental from this pom, then use ${parsedVersion.majorVersion}.${parsedVersion.minorVersion}.${parsedVersion.incrementalVersion}
 						to use the x.y.z version without the -SNAPSHOT suffix -->
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/publish-assembly.xml b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/publish-assembly.xml
index ee3d4c4fda..26f2597581 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/publish-assembly.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/publish-assembly.xml
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
   <fileSets>
     <fileSet>
       <directory>${basedir}/target/repository</directory>
-      <outputDirectory>/</outputDirectory>
+      <outputDirectory/>
       <includes>
+        <include>bin/**</include>
         <include>config_linux/**</include>
         <include>config_mac/**</include>
         <include>config_win/**</include>
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..cce0b52620
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import jdtls
+
+jdtls()
+
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls.py b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6b04f9f211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/scripts/jdtls.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import argparse
+import glob
+import os
+import platform
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+def get_java_executable(validate_java_version):
+	java_executable = 'java'
+
+	if 'JAVA_HOME' in os.environ:
+		java_exec_to_test = Path(os.environ['JAVA_HOME']) / 'bin' / 'java'
+		if java_exec_to_test.is_file():
+			java_executable = java_exec_to_test.resolve()
+
+	if not validate_java_version:
+		return java_executable
+
+	out = subprocess.check_output([java_executable, '-version'], stderr = subprocess.STDOUT, universal_newlines=True)
+
+	matches = re.finditer(r"(?P<major>\d+)\.\d+\.\d+", out)
+	for matchNum, match in enumerate(matches):
+		java_major_version = int(match.group("major"))
+
+		if java_major_version < 11:
+			raise Exception("jdtls requires at least Java 11")
+
+		return java_executable
+
+	raise Exception("Could not determine Java version")
+
+def find_equinox_launcher(jdtls_base_directory):
+	plugins_dir = jdtls_base_directory / "plugins"
+	launchers = glob.glob('org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_*.jar', root_dir = plugins_dir)
+	if len(launchers) > 0:
+		return plugins_dir / launchers[0]
+
+	raise Exception("Cannot find equinox launcher")
+
+def get_shared_config_path(jdtls_base_path):
+	system = platform.system()
+
+	if system == 'Linux':
+		config_dir = 'config_linux'
+	elif system == 'Darwin':
+		config_dir = 'config_mac'
+	elif system == 'Windows':
+		config_dir = 'config_win'
+	else:
+		raise Exception("Unknown platform {} detected".format(platform))
+
+	return jdtls_base_path / config_dir
+
+def jdtls():
+	parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+	parser.add_argument("--validate-java-version", default=True, action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction)
+	parser.add_argument("--jvm-arg",
+			default=[],
+			action="append",
+			help="An additional JVM option (can be used multiple times. Note, use with equal sign. For example: --jvm-arg=-Dlog.level=ALL")
+
+	known_args, args = parser.parse_known_args(sys.argv[1:])
+	java_executable = get_java_executable(known_args.validate_java_version)
+
+	jdtls_base_path = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+	shared_config_path = get_shared_config_path(jdtls_base_path)
+	jar_path = find_equinox_launcher(jdtls_base_path)
+
+	os.system(("{java_exec}"
+		" -Declipse.application=org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.id1"
+		" -Dosgi.bundles.defaultStartLevel=4"
+		" -Declipse.product=org.eclipse.jdt.ls.core.product"
+		" -Dosgi.checkConfiguration=true"
+		" -Dosgi.sharedConfiguration.area='{shared_config_path}'"
+		" -Dosgi.sharedConfiguration.area.readOnly=true"
+		" -Dosgi.configuration.cascaded=true"
+		" -noverify"
+		" -Xms1G"
+		" --add-modules=ALL-SYSTEM"
+		" --add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED"
+		" --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED"
+		" {jvm_options}"
+		" -jar '{jar_path}'"
+		" {args}").format(
+			java_exec = java_executable,
+			shared_config_path = shared_config_path,
+			jar_path = jar_path,
+			jvm_options = " ".join(f"'{w}'" for w in known_args.jvm_arg),
+			args = " ".join(f"'{w}'" for w in args)))
+
+sys.modules[__name__] = jdtls