diff -r a3e236ba705d src/org/armedbear/lisp/Lisp.java
--- a/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Lisp.java	Tue Aug 25 11:22:43 2009 +0200
+++ b/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Lisp.java	Wed Aug 26 14:22:37 2009 +0200
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.net.URLDecoder;
 import java.util.Hashtable;
@@ -1074,8 +1075,20 @@
       }
     if (device instanceof Pathname)
       {
-        // We're loading a fasl from j.jar.
+        // Are we loading a fasl from j.jar?  
+	// XXX this will collide with file names from other JAR files
         URL url = Lisp.class.getResource(namestring);
+        if (url == null) {
+          // Maybe device-->namestring references another JAR file?
+          String jarFile = ((Pathname)device).getNamestring();
+          if (jarFile.startsWith("jar:file:")) {
+            try {
+              url = new URL(jarFile + "!/" + namestring);
+            } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {
+              Debug.trace(ex);
+            }
+          }
+        }
         if (url != null)
           {
             try
diff -r a3e236ba705d src/org/armedbear/lisp/Load.java
--- a/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Load.java	Tue Aug 25 11:22:43 2009 +0200
+++ b/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Load.java	Wed Aug 26 14:22:37 2009 +0200
@@ -103,47 +103,77 @@
 					boolean returnLastResult)
         throws ConditionThrowable
     {
-	String dir = null;
+        InputStream in = null;
+        String jarFile = null;
+        String jarEntry = null;
+        String dir = null;
+
         if (!Utilities.isFilenameAbsolute(filename)) {
-	    dir =
-                coerceToPathname(Symbol.DEFAULT_PATHNAME_DEFAULTS.symbolValue()).getNamestring();
+	    dir = coerceToPathname(Symbol.DEFAULT_PATHNAME_DEFAULTS.symbolValue())
+		    .getNamestring();
+        }
+
+        // attempt to load from a jar file
+	final String JAR_FILE_URI_SCHEMA = "jar:file:";
+        if (filename.startsWith(JAR_FILE_URI_SCHEMA)) {
+            String s = new String(filename);
+            s = s.substring(JAR_FILE_URI_SCHEMA.length());
+            int i = s.lastIndexOf('!');
+            if (i >= 0) {
+		jarFile = s.substring(0, i);
+		jarEntry = s.substring(i + 1);
+		//  XXX confirm the '!/' is part of the URI schema, signal error?
+		if (jarEntry.length() > 0 && jarEntry.charAt(0) == '/')
+		    jarEntry = jarEntry.substring(1);
+                if (Utilities.isPlatformWindows) {
+		  // Accept forms like"/C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/peter/Desktop/j.jar"
+		  if (jarFile.length() > 0 && jarFile.charAt(0) == '/')
+                        jarFile = jarFile.substring(1);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
 	File file = findLoadableFile(filename, dir);
-        if (file == null) {
+        if (null == file && jarFile == null) {
             if (ifDoesNotExist)
-                return error(new FileError("File not found: " + filename,
-                                            pathname));
+                return error(new FileError("File not found: " + filename, pathname));
             else
                 return NIL;
         }
+        if (checkZipFile(file)) {
+            // filename = file.getPath();
+            jarFile = file.getPath();
+            jarEntry = file.getName();
+        }
+        
+        String truename = filename;
+        ZipFile zipfile = null;
 
-	filename = file.getPath();
-        ZipFile zipfile = null;
-        if (checkZipFile(file))
-        {
+        if (jarFile != null) {
             try {
-                zipfile = ZipCache.getZip(file.getPath());
+                zipfile = ZipCache.getZip(jarFile);
+            } 
+	    catch (Throwable t) {
+                return error (new FileError("JAR file not found: " + filename, pathname));
             }
-            catch (Throwable t) {
-                // Fall through.
+            ZipEntry entry = zipfile.getEntry(jarEntry);
+            if (null == entry) {
+                // try appending "._" to base filename
+                int index = jarFile.lastIndexOf('.');
+                if (index == -1) 
+		  index = jarEntry.length();
+                jarEntry = jarEntry.substring(0, index).concat("._");
+                entry = zipfile.getEntry(jarEntry);
             }
-        }
-        String truename = filename;
-        InputStream in = null;
-        if (zipfile != null) {
-            String name = file.getName();
-            int index = name.lastIndexOf('.');
-            Debug.assertTrue(index >= 0);
-            name = name.substring(0, index).concat("._");
-            ZipEntry entry = zipfile.getEntry(name);
-            if (entry != null) {
-                try {
-                    in = zipfile.getInputStream(entry);
-                }
-                catch (IOException e) {
-                    return error(new LispError(e.getMessage()));
-                }
+            if (entry == null) {
+                return error (new FileError("Can't read JAR file entry " 
+					    + jarEntry, pathname));
+            }
+            try {
+                in = zipfile.getInputStream(entry);
+            } 
+	    catch (IOException e) {
+                return error(new LispError(e.getMessage()));
             }
         } else {
             try {