diff --git a/include/MainWindow.h b/include/MainWindow.h
index 80357e8d5..f021076b7 100644
--- a/include/MainWindow.h
+++ b/include/MainWindow.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #define _MAIN_WINDOW_H
 
 #include <QtCore/QBasicTimer>
+#include <QtCore/QTimer>
 #include <QtCore/QList>
 #include <QtGui/QMainWindow>
 #include <QtGui/QWhatsThis>
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ private:
 	QList<PluginView *> m_tools;
 
 	QBasicTimer m_updateTimer;
+	QTimer m_autoSaveTimer;
 
 	ResourceBrowser * m_resourceBrowser;
 
@@ -244,6 +246,8 @@ private slots:
 	void playAndRecord();
 	void stop();
 
+	void autoSave();
+
 signals:
 	void periodicUpdate();
 
diff --git a/include/song.h b/include/song.h
index 858f577f5..7406bdc22 100644
--- a/include/song.h
+++ b/include/song.h
@@ -151,9 +151,10 @@ public:
 	// file management
 	void createNewProject();
 	void createNewProjectFromTemplate( const QString & _template );
-	void loadProject( const QString & _file_name );
-	bool saveProject();
-	bool saveProjectAs( const QString & _file_name );
+	void loadProject( const QString & _filename );
+	bool guiSaveProject();
+	bool guiSaveProjectAs( const QString & _filename );
+    bool saveProjectFile( const QString & _filename );
 	inline const QString & projectFileName() const
 	{
 		return m_fileName;
diff --git a/src/core/main.cpp b/src/core/main.cpp
index 41227025f..96019ce37 100644
--- a/src/core/main.cpp
+++ b/src/core/main.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
  */
 
 
+#include <QtCore/QDir>
 #include <QtCore/QFileInfo>
 #include <QtCore/QLocale>
 #include <QtCore/QProcess>
@@ -449,6 +450,13 @@ int main( int argc, char * * argv )
 		// srandom() calls in their init procedure
 		srand( getpid() + time( 0 ) );
 
+		// recover a file?
+		QString recoveryFile = QDir(configManager::inst()->workingDir()).absoluteFilePath("recover.mmp");
+		if( QFileInfo(recoveryFile).exists() )
+		{
+			file_to_load = recoveryFile;
+		}
+
 		// we try to load given file
 		if( !file_to_load.isEmpty() )
 		{
@@ -523,7 +531,7 @@ int main( int argc, char * * argv )
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			engine::getSong()->saveProjectAs( file_to_save );
+			engine::getSong()->saveProjectFile( file_to_save );
 			return( 0 );
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/core/song.cpp b/src/core/song.cpp
index 6b3ff3cc5..0d2d95558 100644
--- a/src/core/song.cpp
+++ b/src/core/song.cpp
@@ -1009,10 +1009,8 @@ void song::loadProject( const QString & _file_name )
 }
 
 
-
-
-// save current song
-bool song::saveProject()
+// only save current song as _filename and do nothing else
+bool song::saveProjectFile( const QString & _filename )
 {
 	multimediaProject mmp( multimediaProject::SongProject );
 
@@ -1021,7 +1019,6 @@ bool song::saveProject()
 	m_masterVolumeModel.saveSettings( mmp, mmp.head(), "mastervol" );
 	m_masterPitchModel.saveSettings( mmp, mmp.head(), "masterpitch" );
 
-
 	saveState( mmp, mmp.content() );
 
 	m_globalAutomationTrack->saveState( mmp, mmp.content() );
@@ -1039,8 +1036,17 @@ bool song::saveProject()
 
 	saveControllerStates( mmp, mmp.content() );
 
+    return mmp.writeFile( _filename );
+}
+
+
+
+// save current song and update the gui
+bool song::guiSaveProject()
+{
+	multimediaProject mmp( multimediaProject::SongProject );
 	m_fileName = mmp.nameWithExtension( m_fileName );
-	if( mmp.writeFile( m_fileName ) == true && engine::hasGUI() )
+	if( saveProjectFile( m_fileName ) && engine::hasGUI() )
 	{
 		textFloat::displayMessage( tr( "Project saved" ),
 					tr( "The project %1 is now saved."
@@ -1067,12 +1073,12 @@ bool song::saveProject()
 
 
 // save current song in given filename
-bool song::saveProjectAs( const QString & _file_name )
+bool song::guiSaveProjectAs( const QString & _file_name )
 {
 	QString o = m_oldFileName;
 	m_oldFileName = m_fileName;
 	m_fileName = _file_name;
-	if( saveProject() == false )
+	if( guiSaveProject() == false )
 	{
 		m_fileName = m_oldFileName;
 		m_oldFileName = o;
diff --git a/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp b/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
index 453193dbd..4d8683192 100644
--- a/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow() :
 	m_workspace( NULL ),
 	m_templatesMenu( NULL ),
 	m_recentlyOpenedProjectsMenu( NULL ),
-	m_toolsMenu( NULL )
+	m_toolsMenu( NULL ),
+	m_autoSaveTimer( this )
 {
 	setAttribute( Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose );
 
@@ -154,6 +155,10 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow() :
 
 	m_updateTimer.start( 1000 / 20, this );	// 20 fps
 
+	// connect auto save
+	connect(&m_autoSaveTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(autoSave()));
+	m_autoSaveTimer.start(1000 * 60); // 1 minute
+
 	m_welcomeScreen = new WelcomeScreen( this );
 	m_welcomeScreen->setVisible( false );
 }
@@ -1007,7 +1012,7 @@ bool MainWindow::saveProject()
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		engine::getSong()->saveProject();
+		engine::getSong()->guiSaveProject();
 	}
 	return true;
 }
@@ -1036,7 +1041,7 @@ bool MainWindow::saveProjectAs()
 	if( sfd.exec () == QFileDialog::Accepted &&
 		!sfd.selectedFiles().isEmpty() && sfd.selectedFiles()[0] != "" )
 	{
-		engine::getSong()->saveProjectAs(
+		engine::getSong()->guiSaveProjectAs(
 						sfd.selectedFiles()[0] );
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -1195,6 +1200,9 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent( QCloseEvent * _ce )
 {
 	if( mayChangeProject() )
 	{
+		// delete recovery file
+		QDir working(configManager::inst()->workingDir());
+		working.remove("recover.mmp");
 		_ce->accept();
 	}
 	else
@@ -1400,7 +1408,7 @@ void MainWindow::keyReleaseEvent( QKeyEvent * _ke )
 
 
 
-void MainWindow::timerEvent( QTimerEvent * )
+void MainWindow::timerEvent( QTimerEvent * _te)
 {
 	emit periodicUpdate();
 }
@@ -1570,6 +1578,13 @@ void MainWindow::toggleRecordAutomation( bool _recording )
 
 
 
+void MainWindow::autoSave()
+{
+	QDir work(configManager::inst()->workingDir());
+	engine::getSong()->saveProjectFile(work.absoluteFilePath("recover.mmp"));
+}
+
+
 #include "moc_MainWindow.cxx"
 
 /* vim: set tw=0 noexpandtab: */