diff --git a/add_aliases.py b/add_aliases.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d4af6a05f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/add_aliases.py
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# Copyright 2017 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import argparse
+import glob
+import os
+from os import path
+import sys
+
+"""Create aliases in target directory.
+
+The target files should not contain the emoji variation selector
+codepoint in their names."""
+
+DATA_ROOT = path.dirname(path.abspath(__file__))
+
+def str_to_seq(seq_str):
+  return tuple([int(s, 16) for s in seq_str.split('_')])
+
+
+def seq_to_str(seq):
+  return '_'.join('%04x' % cp for cp in seq)
+
+
+def read_emoji_aliases():
+  result = {}
+
+  with open(path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'emoji_aliases.txt'), 'r') as f:
+    for line in f:
+      ix = line.find('#')
+      if (ix > -1):
+        line = line[:ix]
+      line = line.strip()
+      if not line:
+        continue
+      als, trg = (s.strip() for s in line.split(';'))
+      als_seq = tuple([int(x, 16) for x in als.split('_')])
+      try:
+        trg_seq = tuple([int(x, 16) for x in trg.split('_')])
+      except:
+        print 'cannot process alias %s -> %s' % (als, trg)
+        continue
+      result[als_seq] = trg_seq
+  return result
+
+
+def add_aliases(filedir, prefix, ext, replace=False, dry_run=False):
+  if not path.isdir(filedir):
+    print >> sys.stderr, '%s is not a directory' % filedir
+    return
+
+  prefix_len = len(prefix)
+  suffix_len = len(ext) + 1
+  filenames = [path.basename(f)
+               for f in glob.glob(path.join(filedir, '%s*.%s' % (prefix, ext)))]
+  seq_to_file = {
+      str_to_seq(name[prefix_len:-suffix_len]) : name
+      for name in filenames}
+
+  aliases = read_emoji_aliases()
+  aliases_to_create = {}
+  aliases_to_replace = []
+  for als,trg in sorted(aliases.items()):
+    if trg not in seq_to_file:
+      print >> sys.stderr, 'target %s for %s does not exist' % (
+          seq_to_str(trg), seq_to_str(als))
+      continue
+    if als in seq_to_file:
+      if replace:
+        aliases_to_replace.append(seq_to_file[als])
+      else:
+        print >> sys.stderr, 'alias %s exists' % seq_to_str(als)
+        continue
+    target_file = seq_to_file[trg]
+    alias_name = '%s%s.%s' % (prefix, seq_to_str(als), ext)
+    aliases_to_create[alias_name] = target_file
+
+  if replace:
+    if not dry_run:
+      for k in sorted(aliases_to_replace):
+        os.remove(path.join(filedir, k))
+    print 'replacing %d files' % len(aliases_to_replace)
+
+  for k, v in sorted(aliases_to_create.items()):
+    if dry_run:
+      msg = 'replace ' if k in aliases_to_replace else ''
+      print '%s%s -> %s' % (msg, k, v)
+    else:
+      try:
+        os.symlink(v, path.join(filedir, k))
+      except:
+        print >> sys.stderr, 'failed to create %s -> %s' % (k, v)
+        raise Exception('oops')
+  print 'created %d symlinks' % len(aliases_to_create)
+
+
+def main():
+  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+  parser.add_argument(
+      '-d', '--filedir', help='directory containing files to alias',
+      required=True, metavar='dir')
+  parser.add_argument(
+      '-p', '--prefix', help='file name prefix (default emoji_u)',
+      metavar='pfx', default='emoji_u')
+  parser.add_argument(
+      '-e', '--ext', help='file name extension (default png)',
+      choices=['ai', 'png', 'sgv'], default='png')
+  parser.add_argument(
+      '-r', '--replace', help='replace existing files/aliases',
+      action='store_true')
+  parser.add_argument(
+      '-n', '--dry_run', help='print out aliases to create only',
+      action='store_true')
+  args = parser.parse_args()
+
+  add_aliases(args.filedir, args.prefix, args.ext, args.replace, args.dry_run)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  main()