diff --git a/expandsymlinks.py b/expandsymlinks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50967ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/expandsymlinks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python2.4
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2010 Google Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""Copy files from source to dest expanding symlinks along the way.
+"""
+
+from shutil import copytree
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+
+# Ignore these files and directories when copying over files into the snapshot.
+IGNORE = set(['.hg', 'httplib2', 'oauth2', 'simplejson', 'static'])
+
+# In addition to the above files also ignore these files and directories when
+# copying over samples into the snapshot.
+IGNORE_IN_SAMPLES = set(['apiclient', 'oauth2client', 'uritemplate'])
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+
+parser.add_argument('--source', default='.',
+                    help='Directory name to copy from.')
+
+parser.add_argument('--dest', default='snapshot',
+                    help='Directory name to copy to.')
+
+
+def _ignore(path, names):
+  retval = set()
+  if path != '.':
+    retval = retval.union(IGNORE_IN_SAMPLES.intersection(names))
+  retval = retval.union(IGNORE.intersection(names))
+  return retval
+
+
+def main():
+  copytree(FLAGS.source, FLAGS.dest, symlinks=True,
+            ignore=_ignore)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  FLAGS = parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
+  main()