diff --git a/Application.mk b/Application.mk
index ba3b7f7c4..b4c9a8965 100644
--- a/Application.mk
+++ b/Application.mk
@@ -89,9 +89,16 @@ $(MAINOBJ): %$(OBJEXT): %.c
 	$(call COMPILE, $<, $@)
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(LOADABLE),y)
+.built: $(OBJS)
+	$(call ELFLD, $(APPNAME)_main, $(OBJS), $(APPNAME))
+	$(Q) mkdir -p $(BIN_DIR)
+	$(Q) install $(APPNAME) $(BIN_DIR)$(DELIM)$(APPNAME)
+else
 .built: $(OBJS)
 	$(call ARCHIVE, $(BIN), $(OBJS))
 	$(Q) touch $@
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL),y)
 $(BIN_DIR)$(DELIM)$(PROGNAME): $(OBJS) $(MAINOBJ)
diff --git a/Make.defs b/Make.defs
index a63ec82eb..482f503c7 100644
--- a/Make.defs
+++ b/Make.defs
@@ -56,6 +56,33 @@ define REGISTER
 endef
 endif
 
+# COMPILE - a macro to compile a loadable app in C
+
+ifeq ($(LOADABLE),y)
+define COMPILE
+	@echo "CC) $1"
+	$(Q) $(CC) -c $(CELFFLAGS) -DLOADABLE_APP $1 -o $2
+endef
+endif
+
+# COMPILEXX - a macro to compile a loadable app in C++
+
+ifeq ($(LOADABLE),y)
+define COMPILEXX
+	@echo "CXX: $1"
+	$(Q) $(CXX) -c $(CXXELFFLAGS) -DLOADABLE_APP $1 -o $2
+endef
+endif
+
+# ELFLD - a macro to link loadable app
+# Example: $(call ELFLD, entry point, in-file(s), out-file)
+
+define ELFLD
+	@echo "LD: $3"
+	$(Q) $(LD) $(LDELFFLAGS) $2 -o $3
+	$(Q) chmod +x $3
+endef
+
 # Tools
 #
 # In a normal build, tools will reside in the nuttx/tools sub-directory and
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1111668cd..3287054fe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ BIN_DIR = $(APPDIR)$(DELIM)bin
 
 BIN = libapps$(LIBEXT)
 
+# Symbol table for loadable apps.
+
+SYMTABSRC = $(APPDIR)$(DELIM)symtab_apps.c
+SYMTABOBJ = $(APPDIR)$(DELIM)symtab_apps.o
+
 # Build targets
 
 all: $(BIN)
@@ -97,7 +102,15 @@ $(foreach SDIR, $(CONFIGURED_APPS), $(eval $(call SDIR_template,$(SDIR),depend))
 $(foreach SDIR, $(CLEANDIRS), $(eval $(call SDIR_template,$(SDIR),clean)))
 $(foreach SDIR, $(CLEANDIRS), $(eval $(call SDIR_template,$(SDIR),distclean)))
 
-$(BIN): $(foreach SDIR, $(CONFIGURED_APPS), $(SDIR)_all)
+make_symbols:
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_NSH_SYMTAB),y)
+	mkdir -p $(BIN_DIR)
+	$(Q) $(APPDIR)$(DELIM)tools$(DELIM)mksymtab.sh $(BIN_DIR) $(SYMTABSRC)
+	$(call COMPILE, $(SYMTABSRC), $(SYMTABOBJ))
+	$(call ARCHIVE, $(APPDIR)$(DELIM)$(BIN), $(SYMTABOBJ))
+endif
+
+$(BIN): $(foreach SDIR, $(CONFIGURED_APPS), $(SDIR)_all) make_symbols
 
 .install: $(foreach SDIR, $(CONFIGURED_APPS), $(SDIR)_install)
 
@@ -143,6 +156,7 @@ clean_context:
 	$(Q) $(MAKE) -C platform clean_context TOPDIR="$(TOPDIR)" APPDIR="$(APPDIR)"
 
 clean: $(foreach SDIR, $(CLEANDIRS), $(SDIR)_clean)
+	$(call DELFILE, $(SYMTABSRC))
 	$(call DELFILE, $(BIN))
 	$(call DELFILE, Kconfig)
 	$(call DELDIR, $(BIN_DIR))
@@ -164,6 +178,7 @@ else
 	)
 endif
 	$(call DELFILE, .depend)
+	$(call DELFILE, $(SYMTABSRC))
 	$(call DELFILE, $(BIN))
 	$(call DELFILE, Kconfig)
 	$(call DELDIR, $(BIN_DIR))
diff --git a/examples/hello/Kconfig b/examples/hello/Kconfig
index cd74a901d..ae46e5918 100644
--- a/examples/hello/Kconfig
+++ b/examples/hello/Kconfig
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 
 config EXAMPLES_HELLO
-	bool "\"Hello, World!\" example"
+	tristate "\"Hello, World!\" example"
 	default n
 	---help---
 		Enable the \"Hello, World!\" example
diff --git a/examples/hello/Make.defs b/examples/hello/Make.defs
index cc176e18e..c01a50ae5 100644
--- a/examples/hello/Make.defs
+++ b/examples/hello/Make.defs
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@
 #
 ############################################################################
 
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO),y)
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO),)
 CONFIGURED_APPS += examples/hello
 endif
diff --git a/examples/hello/Makefile b/examples/hello/Makefile
index 3133b33fb..f7b1c0cf9 100644
--- a/examples/hello/Makefile
+++ b/examples/hello/Makefile
@@ -41,8 +41,13 @@ CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO_PRIORITY ?= SCHED_PRIORITY_DEFAULT
 CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO_STACKSIZE ?= 2048
 
 APPNAME = hello
-PRIORITY = $(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO_PRIORITY)
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO),m)
+LOADABLE  = y
+else
+PRIORITY  = $(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO_PRIORITY)
 STACKSIZE = $(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLO_STACKSIZE)
+endif
 
 # Hello, World! Example
 
diff --git a/examples/hello/hello_main.c b/examples/hello/hello_main.c
index b3fe8778c..8a3d5bcec 100644
--- a/examples/hello/hello_main.c
+++ b/examples/hello/hello_main.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
  * hello_main
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL
+#if defined (CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL) || defined (LOADABLE_APP)
 int main(int argc, FAR char *argv[])
 #else
 int hello_main(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/examples/helloxx/Kconfig b/examples/helloxx/Kconfig
index 1a8bcd738..78432547b 100644
--- a/examples/helloxx/Kconfig
+++ b/examples/helloxx/Kconfig
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 
 config EXAMPLES_HELLOXX
-	bool "\"Hello, World!\" C++ example"
+	tristate "\"Hello, World!\" C++ example"
 	default n
 	depends on HAVE_CXX
 	---help---
diff --git a/examples/helloxx/Make.defs b/examples/helloxx/Make.defs
index 18a28d637..63a9256ed 100644
--- a/examples/helloxx/Make.defs
+++ b/examples/helloxx/Make.defs
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@
 #
 ############################################################################
 
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLOXX),y)
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLOXX),)
 CONFIGURED_APPS += examples/helloxx
 endif
diff --git a/examples/helloxx/Makefile b/examples/helloxx/Makefile
index 64b9b32d7..fe69e14ee 100644
--- a/examples/helloxx/Makefile
+++ b/examples/helloxx/Makefile
@@ -48,7 +48,12 @@ PROGNAME = $(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLOXX_PROGNAME)
 # helloxx built-in application info
 
 APPNAME = helloxx
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_EXAMPLES_HELLOXX),m)
+LOADABLE  = y
+else
 PRIORITY = SCHED_PRIORITY_DEFAULT
 STACKSIZE = 2048
+endif
 
 include $(APPDIR)/Application.mk
diff --git a/examples/helloxx/helloxx_main.cxx b/examples/helloxx/helloxx_main.cxx
index 0a2896e77..62991d34d 100644
--- a/examples/helloxx/helloxx_main.cxx
+++ b/examples/helloxx/helloxx_main.cxx
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static CHelloWorld g_HelloWorld;
 
 extern "C"
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL
+#if defined (CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL) || defined (LOADABLE_APP)
   int main(int argc, FAR char *argv[])
 #else
   int helloxx_main(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/nshlib/Kconfig b/nshlib/Kconfig
index 90a5ffeeb..2bc75dd2e 100644
--- a/nshlib/Kconfig
+++ b/nshlib/Kconfig
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ config NSH_BUILTIN_APPS
 
 config NSH_FILE_APPS
 	bool "Enable execution of program files"
+	option modules
 	default n
 	depends on LIBC_EXECFUNCS
 	---help---