diff --git a/ikvmc/Compiler.cs b/ikvmc/Compiler.cs
index d2573af8..817612ab 100644
--- a/ikvmc/Compiler.cs
+++ b/ikvmc/Compiler.cs
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ using IKVM.Internal;
 class Compiler
 {
 	private static string manifestMainClass;
-	private static int itemsProcessed;
 	private static ArrayList classes = new ArrayList();
 	private static Hashtable resources = new Hashtable();
 
@@ -403,11 +402,6 @@ class Compiler
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		if(itemsProcessed == 0)
-		{
-			Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: at least one class or jar must be specified");
-			return 1;
-		}
 		if(assemblyname == null)
 		{
 			string basename = outputfile == null ? defaultAssemblyName : new FileInfo(outputfile).Name;
@@ -473,7 +467,6 @@ class Compiler
 				if(ze.Name.ToLower().EndsWith(".class"))
 				{
 					classes.Add(ReadFromZip(zf, ze));
-					itemsProcessed++;
 				}
 				else
 				{
@@ -501,7 +494,6 @@ class Compiler
 					else
 					{
 						resources.Add(ze.Name, ReadFromZip(zf, ze));
-						itemsProcessed++;
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -521,7 +513,6 @@ class Compiler
 				{
 					byte[] b = new byte[fs.Length];
 					fs.Read(b, 0, b.Length);
-					itemsProcessed++;
 					classes.Add(b);
 				}
 				break;
@@ -555,7 +546,6 @@ class Compiler
 							string name = file.Substring(baseDir.FullName.Length);
 							name = name.Replace('\\', '/');
 							resources.Add(name, b);
-							itemsProcessed++;
 						}
 					}
 					catch(UnauthorizedAccessException)
diff --git a/runtime/vm.cs b/runtime/vm.cs
index 0ea31d11..26b81f96 100644
--- a/runtime/vm.cs
+++ b/runtime/vm.cs
@@ -2076,38 +2076,44 @@ namespace IKVM.Internal
 					Console.Error.WriteLine("Loading class {0} failed due to:", s);
 					Console.Error.WriteLine(x);
 				}
-				if(s == mainClass && wrapper != null)
-				{
-					MethodWrapper mw = wrapper.GetMethodWrapper(new MethodDescriptor("main", "([Ljava.lang.String;)V"), false);
-					if(mw == null)
-					{
-						Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: main method not found");
-						return;
-					}
-					mw.Link();
-					MethodBuilder method = mw.GetMethod() as MethodBuilder;
-					if(method == null)
-					{
-						Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: redirected main method not supported");
-						return;
-					}
-					Type apartmentAttributeType = null;
-					if(apartment == ApartmentState.STA)
-					{
-						apartmentAttributeType = typeof(STAThreadAttribute);
-					}
-					else if(apartment == ApartmentState.MTA)
-					{
-						apartmentAttributeType = typeof(MTAThreadAttribute);
-					}
-					loader.SetMain(method, target, props, noglobbing, apartmentAttributeType);
-					mainClass = null;
-				}
 			}
 			if(mainClass != null)
 			{
-				Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: main class not found");
-				return;
+				TypeWrapper wrapper = loader.LoadClassByDottedNameFast(mainClass);
+				if(wrapper == null)
+				{
+					Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: main class not found");
+					return;
+				}
+				MethodWrapper mw = wrapper.GetMethodWrapper(new MethodDescriptor("main", "([Ljava.lang.String;)V"), false);
+				if(mw == null)
+				{
+					Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: main method not found");
+					return;
+				}
+				mw.Link();
+				MethodInfo method = mw.GetMethod() as MethodInfo;
+				if(method == null)
+				{
+					Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: redirected main method not supported");
+					return;
+				}
+				if(method.DeclaringType.Assembly != loader.ModuleBuilder.Assembly
+					&& (!method.IsPublic || !method.DeclaringType.IsPublic))
+				{
+					Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: external main method must be public and in a public class");
+					return;
+				}
+				Type apartmentAttributeType = null;
+				if(apartment == ApartmentState.STA)
+				{
+					apartmentAttributeType = typeof(STAThreadAttribute);
+				}
+				else if(apartment == ApartmentState.MTA)
+				{
+					apartmentAttributeType = typeof(MTAThreadAttribute);
+				}
+				loader.SetMain(method, target, props, noglobbing, apartmentAttributeType);
 			}
 			compilationPhase1 = false;
 			if(map != null)