diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
index 57c9864311..f58744b9f5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
@@ -42,4 +42,5 @@ using System.Security.Permissions;
 [assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Umbraco.Courier.Persistence")]
 
 [assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Concorde.Sync")]
-[assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Umbraco.Belle")]
\ No newline at end of file
+[assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Umbraco.Belle")]
+[assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Umbraco.VisualStudio")]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ServiceContext.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ServiceContext.cs
index 58ff6042f7..dbd50d7677 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ServiceContext.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ServiceContext.cs
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Gets the <see cref="IMacroService"/>
+        /// Gets the <see cref="UserService"/>
         /// </summary>
         internal IUserService UserService
         {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..29a2945edd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+using System;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Mappers;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.UnitOfWork;
+using Umbraco.Core.Publishing;
+using Umbraco.Core.Services;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Core.Standalone
+{
+    internal class ServiceContextManager : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly string _connectionString;
+        private readonly string _providerName;
+        private ServiceContext _serviceContext;
+        private readonly StandaloneCoreApplication _application;
+
+        public ServiceContextManager(string connectionString, string providerName)
+        {
+            _connectionString = connectionString;
+            _providerName = providerName;
+
+            _application = StandaloneCoreApplication.GetApplication();
+            _application.Start();
+        }
+
+        public ServiceContext Services
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (_serviceContext == null)
+                {
+                    var dbFactory = new DefaultDatabaseFactory(_connectionString, _providerName);
+                    var dbContext = new DatabaseContext(dbFactory);
+                    Database.Mapper = new PetaPocoMapper();
+                    _serviceContext = new ServiceContext(
+                        new PetaPocoUnitOfWorkProvider(dbFactory),
+                        new FileUnitOfWorkProvider(),
+                        new PublishingStrategy());
+
+                    //initialize the DatabaseContext
+                    dbContext.Initialize(_providerName);
+                }
+
+                return _serviceContext;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            ((IDisposable)ApplicationContext.Current).Dispose();
+            _application.Dispose();
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreApplication.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreApplication.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e0081d948
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreApplication.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Core.Standalone
+{
+    internal class StandaloneCoreApplication : UmbracoApplicationBase
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="StandaloneCoreApplication"/> class.
+        /// </summary>
+        protected StandaloneCoreApplication() { }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Provides the application boot manager.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns>An application boot manager.</returns>
+        protected override IBootManager GetBootManager()
+        {
+            return new StandaloneCoreBootManager(this, _handlersToAdd, _handlersToRemove);
+        }
+
+        #region Application
+
+        private static StandaloneCoreApplication _application;
+        private static bool _started;
+        private static readonly object AppLock = new object();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets the instance of the standalone Umbraco application.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static StandaloneCoreApplication GetApplication()
+        {
+            lock (AppLock)
+            {
+                return _application ?? (_application = new StandaloneCoreApplication());
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Starts the application.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void Start()
+        {
+            lock (AppLock)
+            {
+                if (_started)
+                    throw new InvalidOperationException("Application has already started.");
+                Application_Start(this, EventArgs.Empty);
+                _started = true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        #endregion
+
+        #region IApplicationEventHandler management
+
+        private readonly List<Type> _handlersToAdd = new List<Type>();
+        private readonly List<Type> _handlersToRemove = new List<Type>();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Associates an <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> type with the application.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T">The type to associate.</typeparam>
+        /// <returns>The application.</returns>
+        /// <remarks>Types implementing <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> from within
+        /// an executable are not automatically discovered by Umbraco and have to be
+        /// explicitely associated with the application using this method.</remarks>
+        public StandaloneCoreApplication WithApplicationEventHandler<T>()
+            where T : IApplicationEventHandler
+        {
+            _handlersToAdd.Add(typeof(T));
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Dissociates an <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> type from the application.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T">The type to dissociate.</typeparam>
+        /// <returns>The application.</returns>
+        public StandaloneCoreApplication WithoutApplicationEventHandler<T>()
+            where T : IApplicationEventHandler
+        {
+            _handlersToRemove.Add(typeof(T));
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Associates an <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> type with the application.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="type">The type to associate.</param>
+        /// <returns>The application.</returns>
+        /// <remarks>Types implementing <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> from within
+        /// an executable are not automatically discovered by Umbraco and have to be
+        /// explicitely associated with the application using this method.</remarks>
+        public StandaloneCoreApplication WithApplicationEventHandler(Type type)
+        {
+            if (type.Implements<IApplicationEventHandler>() == false)
+                throw new ArgumentException("Type does not implement IApplicationEventHandler.", "type");
+            _handlersToAdd.Add(type);
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Dissociates an <see cref="IApplicationEventHandler"/> type from the application.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="type">The type to dissociate.</param>
+        /// <returns>The application.</returns>
+        public StandaloneCoreApplication WithoutApplicationEventHandler(Type type)
+        {
+            if (type.Implements<IApplicationEventHandler>() == false)
+                throw new ArgumentException("Type does not implement IApplicationEventHandler.", "type");
+            _handlersToRemove.Add(type);
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        #endregion
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreBootManager.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreBootManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..46871e2055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Standalone/StandaloneCoreBootManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Umbraco.Core.ObjectResolution;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Mappers;
+using umbraco.interfaces;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Core.Standalone
+{
+    internal class StandaloneCoreBootManager : CoreBootManager
+    {
+        private readonly IEnumerable<Type> _handlersToAdd;
+        private readonly IEnumerable<Type> _handlersToRemove;
+
+        public StandaloneCoreBootManager(UmbracoApplicationBase umbracoApplication, IEnumerable<Type> handlersToAdd, IEnumerable<Type> handlersToRemove)
+            : base(umbracoApplication)
+        {
+            _handlersToAdd = handlersToAdd;
+            _handlersToRemove = handlersToRemove;
+
+            // this is only here to ensure references to the assemblies needed for
+            // the DataTypesResolver otherwise they won't be loaded into the AppDomain.
+            var interfacesAssemblyName = typeof(IDataType).Assembly.FullName;
+        }
+
+        protected override void InitializeApplicationEventsResolver()
+        {
+            base.InitializeApplicationEventsResolver();
+            foreach (var type in _handlersToAdd)
+                ApplicationEventsResolver.Current.AddType(type);
+            foreach (var type in _handlersToRemove)
+                ApplicationEventsResolver.Current.RemoveType(type);
+        }
+
+        protected override void InitializeResolvers()
+        {
+            base.InitializeResolvers();
+
+            //Mappers are not resolved, which could be because of a known TypeMapper issue
+            MappingResolver.Reset();
+            MappingResolver.Current = new MappingResolver(
+                () =>
+                new List<Type>
+                    {
+                        typeof (ContentMapper),
+                        typeof (ContentTypeMapper),
+                        typeof (MediaMapper),
+                        typeof (MediaTypeMapper),
+                        typeof (DataTypeDefinitionMapper),
+                        typeof (UmbracoEntityMapper)
+                    });
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
index cd4f87dab4..a0dd3bb4f5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
@@ -692,6 +692,9 @@
     <Compile Include="Services\PackagingService.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\ServiceContext.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Services\UserService.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Standalone\ServiceContextManager.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Standalone\StandaloneCoreApplication.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Standalone\StandaloneCoreBootManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Strings\ContentBaseExtensions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="TopologicalSorter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Strings\DefaultUrlSegmentProvider.cs" />
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/UmbracoApplicationBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/UmbracoApplicationBase.cs
index b08e0c9418..6962acdd07 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/UmbracoApplicationBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/UmbracoApplicationBase.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
-using System.Text;
 using System.Web;
 using System.Web.Hosting;
 using System.Web.Mvc;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/ContentTypeServiceTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/ContentTypeServiceTests.cs
index 209c5e4313..4f0b1b0fe3 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/ContentTypeServiceTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/ContentTypeServiceTests.cs
@@ -184,6 +184,32 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Services
             Assert.That(homeDoc.ContentTypeId, Is.EqualTo(ctHomePage.Id));
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void Can_Create_And_Save_ContentType_Composition()
+        {
+            /*
+             * Global
+             * - Components
+             * - Category
+             */
+            var service = ServiceContext.ContentTypeService;
+            var global = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleContentType("global", "Global");
+            service.Save(global);
+
+            var components = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleContentType("components", "Components", global);
+            service.Save(components);
+
+            var component = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleContentType("component", "Component", components);
+            service.Save(component);
+
+            var category = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleContentType("category", "Category", global);
+            service.Save(category);
+
+            var success = category.AddContentType(component);
+
+            Assert.That(success, Is.False);
+        }
+
 		private IEnumerable<IContentType> CreateContentTypeHierarchy()
 		{
 			//create the master type
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..badd77d21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/ServiceContextManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+using System;
+using Umbraco.Core;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Mappers;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.UnitOfWork;
+using Umbraco.Core.Publishing;
+using Umbraco.Core.Services;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Web.Standalone
+{
+    internal class ServiceContextManager : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly string _connectionString;
+        private readonly string _providerName;
+        private ServiceContext _serviceContext;
+        private readonly StandaloneApplication _application;
+
+        public ServiceContextManager(string connectionString, string providerName)
+        {
+            _connectionString = connectionString;
+            _providerName = providerName;
+
+            _application = StandaloneApplication.GetApplication();
+            _application.Start();
+        }
+
+        public ServiceContext Services
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (_serviceContext == null)
+                {
+                    var dbFactory = new DefaultDatabaseFactory(_connectionString, _providerName);
+                    var dbContext = new DatabaseContext(dbFactory);
+                    Database.Mapper = new PetaPocoMapper();
+                    _serviceContext = new ServiceContext(
+                        new PetaPocoUnitOfWorkProvider(dbFactory),
+                        new FileUnitOfWorkProvider(),
+                        new PublishingStrategy());
+
+                    //initialize the DatabaseContext
+                    dbContext.Initialize(_providerName);
+                }
+
+                return _serviceContext;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            ((IDisposable)ApplicationContext.Current).Dispose();
+            _application.Dispose();
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneApplication.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneApplication.cs
index 7f08d3d9ef..a1fd0249a7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneApplication.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneApplication.cs
@@ -9,13 +9,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Standalone
     /// <summary>
     /// An application standalone applications.
     /// </summary>
-    class StandaloneApplication : UmbracoApplicationBase
+    internal class StandaloneApplication : UmbracoApplicationBase
     {
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="StandaloneApplication"/> class.
         /// </summary>
-        protected StandaloneApplication()
-        { }
+        protected StandaloneApplication(){ }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Provides the application boot manager.
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneBootManager.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneBootManager.cs
index a10af65fe3..1215ab89a7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneBootManager.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneBootManager.cs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Standalone
     /// <summary>
     /// A boot manager for use in standalone applications.
     /// </summary>
-    class StandaloneBootManager : CoreBootManager
+    internal class StandaloneBootManager : CoreBootManager
     {
         // fixme - could we inherit from WebBootManager?
         // fixme - highly experimental, probably not complete!
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneHttpContext.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneHttpContext.cs
index c5089b7d78..4cf64a8adf 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneHttpContext.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Standalone/StandaloneHttpContext.cs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Standalone
     /// <summary>
     /// An Http context for use in standalone applications.
     /// </summary>
-    class StandaloneHttpContext : HttpContextBase
+    internal class StandaloneHttpContext : HttpContextBase
     {
         // fixme - what shall we implement here?
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Umbraco.Web.csproj b/src/Umbraco.Web/Umbraco.Web.csproj
index db3d3adc10..ece5c2a441 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Umbraco.Web.csproj
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Umbraco.Web.csproj
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Cache\UserCacheRefresher.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Cache\UserTypeCacheRefresher.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Configuration\WebRouting.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Standalone\ServiceContextManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Standalone\StandaloneApplication.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Standalone\StandaloneBootManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Standalone\StandaloneHttpContext.cs" />