diff --git a/Cantera/matlab/SConscript b/Cantera/matlab/SConscript
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8825730f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cantera/matlab/SConscript
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+from buildutils import *
+
+Import('env', 'build')
+
+class MatlabBuilder(object):
+    def __init__(self, libs):
+        self.libs = libs
+
+    def __call__(self, target, source, env):
+        filenames = [os.path.split(node.path)[1] for node in source]
+        sourcestr = ' '.join(pjoin('private',name) for name in filenames)
+        includes = ' '.join('-I%s' % Dir(s).abspath for s in env['CPPPATH'])
+        libdir = ' '.join('-L%s' % Dir(s).abspath for s in env['LIBPATH'])
+        libs = ' '.join('-l'+s for s in self.libs)
+        text = """
+disp('building Cantera...');
+mex -cxx -v %(sourcestr)s %(include)s %(libdir)s %(libs)s
+disp('done.');
+exit
+""" % dict(sourcestr=sourcestr,
+           include=includes,
+           libdir=libdir,
+           libs=libs)
+
+        with open(str(target[0]), 'w') as f:
+            f.write(text)
+
+localenv = env.Clone()
+
+linkLibs = ['clib','oneD','zeroD','equil','kinetics','transport',
+            'thermo','ctnumerics','ctmath','tpx',
+            'ctspectra','converters','ctbase']
+
+if env['use_sundials']:
+    linkLibs.extend(('sundials_cvodes','sundials_nvecserial'))
+
+linkLibs.extend(localenv['blas_lapack_libs'])
+
+if env['build_with_f2c']:
+    linkLibs.append('ctf2c')
+else:
+    linkLibs.append('gfortran')
+
+localenv.Command('cantera/build_cantera.m', mglob(localenv, 'cantera/private', 'cpp'),
+                 MatlabBuilder(linkLibs))
+
+localenv['ENV']['PATH'] = os.environ['PATH']
+
+localenv.Command('cantera/ctfunctions.mexa64', 'cantera/build_cantera.m',
+                 'cd ${SOURCE.dir}; %(matlab_cmd)s -nojvm -nosplash -r build_cantera' % localenv)
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 4d59f3456..15b1441ba 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ else:
 if env['matlab_toolbox'] != 'n':
     opts.AddVariables(
         PathVariable('matlab_cmd', 'Path to the matlab executable',
-                     'default', PathVariable.PathAccept)
+                     'matlab', PathVariable.PathAccept)
         )
 
 # Options that apply only if building the Fortran interface
@@ -271,3 +271,6 @@ VariantDir('build/interfaces/fortran/', 'Cantera/fortran', duplicate=1)
 SConscript('build/interfaces/fortran/SConscript')
 
 SConscript('Cantera/python/SConscript')
+
+if env['matlab_toolbox'] == 'y':
+    SConscript('Cantera/matlab/SConscript')