diff --git a/bin/compile b/bin/compile
index 589db50d1..3bb0fb73d 100755
--- a/bin/compile
+++ b/bin/compile
@@ -1,15 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env php
 <?php
 
-function autoload($file) {
-    return (file_exists($file) && include $file);
-}
-
-if (!autoload(__DIR__.'/../../../.composer/autoload.php') && !autoload(__DIR__.'/../vendor/.composer/autoload.php')) {
-    die('You must set up the project dependencies, run the following commands:'.PHP_EOL.
-        'curl -s http://getcomposer.org/installer | php'.PHP_EOL.
-        'php composer.phar install'.PHP_EOL);
-}
+require __DIR__.'/../src/bootstrap.php';
 
 use Composer\Compiler;
 
diff --git a/bin/composer b/bin/composer
index ea63a19f6..71d8372e6 100755
--- a/bin/composer
+++ b/bin/composer
@@ -1,15 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env php
 <?php
 
-function autoload($file) {
-    return (file_exists($file) && include $file);
-}
-
-if (!autoload(__DIR__.'/../../../.composer/autoload.php') && !autoload(__DIR__.'/../vendor/.composer/autoload.php')) {
-    die('You must set up the project dependencies, run the following commands:'.PHP_EOL.
-        'curl -s http://getcomposer.org/installer | php'.PHP_EOL.
-        'php composer.phar install'.PHP_EOL);
-}
+require __DIR__.'/../src/bootstrap.php';
 
 use Composer\Console\Application;
 
diff --git a/src/bootstrap.php b/src/bootstrap.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9c5094af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bootstrap.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Composer.
+ *
+ * (c) Nils Adermann <naderman@naderman.de>
+ *     Jordi Boggiano <j.boggiano@seld.be>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+function includeIfExists($file) {
+    if (file_exists($file)) {
+        return include $file;
+    }
+}
+
+if ((!$loader = includeIfExists(__DIR__.'/../../../.composer/autoload.php')) && (!$loader = includeIfExists(__DIR__.'/../vendor/.composer/autoload.php'))) {
+    die('You must set up the project dependencies, run the following commands:'.PHP_EOL.
+        'curl -s http://getcomposer.org/installer | php'.PHP_EOL.
+        'php composer.phar install'.PHP_EOL);
+}
+
+return $loader;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap.php b/tests/bootstrap.php
index 39c661936..a4f2e7cec 100644
--- a/tests/bootstrap.php
+++ b/tests/bootstrap.php
@@ -10,18 +10,5 @@
  * file that was distributed with this source code.
  */
 
-function autoload($file) {
-    if (file_exists($file)) {
-        return include $file;
-    } else {
-        return false;
-    }
-}
-
-if ((!$loader = autoload(__DIR__.'/../../../.composer/autoload.php')) && (!$loader = autoload(__DIR__.'/../vendor/.composer/autoload.php'))) {
-    die('You must set up the project dependencies, run the following commands:'.PHP_EOL.
-        'curl -s http://getcomposer.org/installer | php'.PHP_EOL.
-        'php composer.phar install'.PHP_EOL);
-}
-
+$loader = require __DIR__.'/../src/bootstrap.php';
 $loader->add('Composer\Test', __DIR__);