diff --git a/libjava/ChangeLog b/libjava/ChangeLog
index 03e855f6aa7..6765b0e4cd4 100644
--- a/libjava/ChangeLog
+++ b/libjava/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,18 @@
+2003-03-29  Mohan Embar  <gnustuff@thisiscool.com>
+
+	* include/jvm.h: (_Jv_GetNbArgs) added
+	(_Jv_GetSafeArg) added
+	(_Jv_SetArgs) added
+	* prims.cc: (_Jv_GetNbArgs) implemented
+	(_Jv_GetSafeArg) implemented
+	(_Jv_SetArgs) implemented
+	(_Jv_RunMain) use _Jv_SetArgs() instead of explicitly
+	setting _Jv_argc and _Jv_argv
+	* posix.cc: (_Jv_ThisExecutable) use _Jv_GetSafeArg()
+	instead of _Jv_argv
+	* java/lang/natRuntime.cc: (insertSystemProperties) use
+	_Jv_GetSafeArg() instead of _Jv_argv
+
 2003-04-23  Tom Tromey  <tromey@redhat.com>
 
 	* resolve.cc (_Jv_PrepareClass): Round size up to alignment
diff --git a/libjava/include/jvm.h b/libjava/include/jvm.h
index 38f675a1fef..9395feb09c4 100644
--- a/libjava/include/jvm.h
+++ b/libjava/include/jvm.h
@@ -352,7 +352,20 @@ extern "C"
   jlong _Jv_remJ (jlong, jlong);
 }
 
-/* Get the name of the running executable. */
+/* Get the number of arguments (cf. argc) or 0 if our argument
+   list was never initialized.  */
+extern int _Jv_GetNbArgs (void);
+
+/* Get the specified argument (cf. argv[index]) or "" if either
+   our argument list was never initialized or the specified index
+   is out of bounds.  */
+extern const char * _Jv_GetSafeArg (int index);
+
+/* Sets our argument list. Can be used by programs with non-standard
+   entry points.  */
+extern void _Jv_SetArgs (int argc, const char **argv);
+
+/* Get the name of the running executable.  */
 extern const char *_Jv_ThisExecutable (void);
 
 /* Return a pointer to a symbol in executable or loaded library.  */
diff --git a/libjava/java/lang/natRuntime.cc b/libjava/java/lang/natRuntime.cc
index 2cf312ea862..69f78f64491 100644
--- a/libjava/java/lang/natRuntime.cc
+++ b/libjava/java/lang/natRuntime.cc
@@ -108,10 +108,6 @@ _Jv_SetDLLSearchPath (const char *)
 
 
 
-extern int _Jv_argc;
-extern const char **_Jv_argv;
-  // our process' command line arguments
-
 void
 java::lang::Runtime::exitInternal (jint status)
 {
@@ -590,7 +586,7 @@ java::lang::Runtime::insertSystemProperties (java::util::Properties *newprops)
     }
 
   // The name used to invoke this process (argv[0] in C).
-  SET ("gnu.gcj.progname", _Jv_argv[0]);
+  SET ("gnu.gcj.progname", _Jv_GetSafeArg (0));
 
   // Allow platform specific settings and overrides.
   _Jv_platform_initProperties (newprops);
diff --git a/libjava/posix.cc b/libjava/posix.cc
index 2f808334d7c..de58ab025c0 100644
--- a/libjava/posix.cc
+++ b/libjava/posix.cc
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ details.  */
 extern "C" unsigned long long _clock (void);
 #endif
 
-// platform-specific executable name
-extern const char **_Jv_argv;
-
 #if defined(HAVE_PROC_SELF_EXE)
 static char exec_name[20];
   // initialized in _Jv_platform_initialize()
@@ -41,7 +38,7 @@ const char *_Jv_ThisExecutable (void)
   return exec_name;
     // initialized in _Jv_platform_initialize()
 #else
-  return _Jv_argv[0];
+  return _Jv_GetSafeArg (0);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/libjava/prims.cc b/libjava/prims.cc
index dc05d4b96ff..9ddd1d2c2af 100644
--- a/libjava/prims.cc
+++ b/libjava/prims.cc
@@ -90,6 +90,30 @@ property_pair *_Jv_Environment_Properties;
 const char **_Jv_argv;
 int _Jv_argc;
 
+// Argument support.
+int
+_Jv_GetNbArgs (void)
+{
+  // _Jv_argc is 0 if not explicitly initialized.
+  return _Jv_argc;
+}
+
+const char *
+_Jv_GetSafeArg (int index)
+{
+  if (index >=0 && index < _Jv_GetNbArgs ())
+    return _Jv_argv[index];
+  else
+    return "";
+}
+
+void
+_Jv_SetArgs (int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+  _Jv_argc = argc;
+  _Jv_argv = argv;
+}
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_JVMPI
 // Pointer to JVMPI notification functions.
 void (*_Jv_JVMPI_Notify_OBJECT_ALLOC) (JVMPI_Event *event);
@@ -936,8 +960,7 @@ void
 _Jv_RunMain (jclass klass, const char *name, int argc, const char **argv, 
 	     bool is_jar)
 {
-  _Jv_argv = argv;
-  _Jv_argc = argc;
+  _Jv_SetArgs (argc, argv);
 
   java::lang::Runtime *runtime = NULL;