diff --git a/include/MainWindow.h b/include/MainWindow.h
index 5916893fc..3a7a770ed 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>
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ private:
 	QList<PluginView *> m_tools;
 
 	QBasicTimer m_updateTimer;
+	QTimer m_autoSaveTimer;
 
 	ResourceBrowser * m_resourceBrowser;
 
@@ -243,6 +245,8 @@ private slots:
 	void playAndRecord();
 	void stop();
 
+	void autoSave();
+
 signals:
 	void periodicUpdate();
 
diff --git a/src/core/main.cpp b/src/core/main.cpp
index 41227025f..cb05bbecb 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() )
 		{
diff --git a/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp b/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
index dfb101be6..6d92b5ae7 100644
--- a/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow() :
 	m_workspace( NULL ),
 	m_templatesMenu( NULL ),
 	m_recentlyOpenedProjectsMenu( NULL ),
-	m_toolsMenu( NULL )
+	m_toolsMenu( NULL ),
+	m_autoSaveTimer( this )
 {
 	setAttribute( Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose );
 
@@ -153,6 +154,10 @@ 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 );
 }
@@ -1182,6 +1187,9 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent( QCloseEvent * _ce )
 {
 	if( mayChangeProject() )
 	{
+		// delete recovery file
+		QDir working(configManager::inst()->workingDir());
+		working.remove("recover.mmp");
 		_ce->accept();
 	}
 	else
@@ -1387,7 +1395,7 @@ void MainWindow::keyReleaseEvent( QKeyEvent * _ke )
 
 
 
-void MainWindow::timerEvent( QTimerEvent * )
+void MainWindow::timerEvent( QTimerEvent * _te)
 {
 	emit periodicUpdate();
 }
@@ -1557,6 +1565,13 @@ void MainWindow::toggleRecordAutomation( bool _recording )
 
 
 
+void MainWindow::autoSave()
+{
+	QDir work(configManager::inst()->workingDir());
+	engine::getSong()->saveProjectAs(work.absoluteFilePath("recover.mmp"));
+}
+
+
 #include "moc_MainWindow.cxx"
 
 /* vim: set tw=0 noexpandtab: */