diff --git a/cmake/macros/GenerateQrc.cmake b/cmake/macros/GenerateQrc.cmake
index 0283b3ea9b..9bf530b2a2 100644
--- a/cmake/macros/GenerateQrc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/macros/GenerateQrc.cmake
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@ function(GENERATE_QRC)
   foreach(GLOB ${GENERATE_QRC_GLOBS})
     file(GLOB_RECURSE FOUND_FILES RELATIVE ${GENERATE_QRC_PATH} ${GLOB})
     foreach(FILENAME ${FOUND_FILES})
+      if (${FILENAME} MATCHES "^\\.\\.")
+        continue()
+      endif()
+      list(APPEND ALL_FILES "${GENERATE_QRC_PATH}/${FILENAME}") 
       set(QRC_CONTENTS "${QRC_CONTENTS}<file alias=\"${FILENAME}\">${GENERATE_QRC_PATH}/${FILENAME}</file>\n")
     endforeach() 
   endforeach()
-  
+
+  set(GENERATE_QRC_DEPENDS ${ALL_FILES} PARENT_SCOPE)  
   configure_file("${HF_CMAKE_DIR}/templates/resources.qrc.in" ${GENERATE_QRC_OUTPUT})
 endfunction()
diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index 1ad3aefa3f..ce5685bc9f 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,8 +11,21 @@ function(JOIN VALUES GLUE OUTPUT)
   set (${OUTPUT} "${_TMP_STR}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
-set(INTERFACE_QML_QRC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qml.qrc)
-generate_qrc(OUTPUT ${INTERFACE_QML_QRC} PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources GLOBS *.qml *.qss *.js *.html *.ttf *.gif *.svg *.png *.jpg)
+set(RESOURCES_QRC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/resources.qrc)
+set(RESOURCES_RCC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/resources.rcc)
+generate_qrc(OUTPUT ${RESOURCES_QRC} PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources GLOBS *)
+
+add_custom_command(
+    OUTPUT ${RESOURCES_RCC}
+    COMMAND "${QT_DIR}/bin/rcc"
+    ARGS ${RESOURCES_QRC} -binary -o ${RESOURCES_RCC}
+    MAIN_DEPENDENCY ${RESOURCES_QRC}
+    DEPENDS ${GENERATE_QRC_DEPENDS}
+)
+
+list(APPEND GENERATE_QRC_DEPENDS ${RESOURCES_RCC})
+add_custom_target(resources ALL DEPENDS ${GENERATE_QRC_DEPENDS})
+
 
 # set a default root dir for each of our optional externals if it was not passed
 set(OPTIONAL_EXTERNALS "LeapMotion")
@@ -71,16 +84,6 @@ qt5_wrap_ui(QT_UI_HEADERS "${QT_UI_FILES}")
 # add them to the interface source files
 set(INTERFACE_SRCS ${INTERFACE_SRCS} "${QT_UI_HEADERS}" "${QT_RESOURCES}")
 
-list(APPEND INTERFACE_SRCS ${INTERFACE_QML_QRC})
-
-if (UNIX)
-  install(
-  DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/interface/resources/qml"
-  DESTINATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/resources
-  COMPONENT ${CLIENT_COMPONENT}
-  )
-endif()
-
 # translation disabled until we strip out the line numbers
 # set(QM ${TARGET_NAME}_en.qm)
 # set(TS ${TARGET_NAME}_en.ts)
@@ -160,6 +163,8 @@ else ()
   add_executable(${TARGET_NAME} ${INTERFACE_SRCS} ${QM})
 endif ()
 
+add_dependencies(${TARGET_NAME} resources)
+
 if (WIN32)
   # These are external plugins, but we need to do the 'add dependency' here so that their
   # binary directories get added to the fixup path
@@ -235,7 +240,7 @@ foreach(EXTERNAL ${OPTIONAL_EXTERNALS})
     if (NOT APPLE OR NOT ${${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE} MATCHES "SIXENSE")
       target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${${${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE}_LIBRARIES})
     elseif (APPLE AND NOT INSTALLER_BUILD)
-      add_definitions(-DSIXENSE_LIB_FILENAME=\"${${${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE}_LIBRARY_RELEASE}\")
+      #add_definitions(-DSIXENSE_LIB_FILENAME=\"${${${EXTERNAL}_UPPERCASE}_LIBRARY_RELEASE}\")
     endif ()
   endif ()
 endforeach()
@@ -294,12 +299,12 @@ if (APPLE)
   # call the fixup_interface macro to add required bundling commands for installation
   fixup_interface()
 
-else (APPLE)
+else()
   # copy the resources files beside the executable
   add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME} POST_BUILD
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
-    "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources"
-    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources"
+    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_if_different 
+    "${RESOURCES_RCC}" 
+    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:interface>"
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts"
     "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/scripts"
@@ -325,7 +330,7 @@ else (APPLE)
 
     optional_win_executable_signing()
   endif()
-endif (APPLE)
+endif()
 
 if (SCRIPTS_INSTALL_DIR)
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index caa1af0485..5823a4928a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <glm/gtx/vector_angle.hpp>
 #include <glm/gtc/type_ptr.hpp>
 
+#include <QtCore/QResource>
 #include <QtCore/QAbstractNativeEventFilter>
 #include <QtCore/QCommandLineParser>
 #include <QtCore/QMimeData>
@@ -804,6 +805,18 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, QElapsedTimer& startupTimer, bo
     _sampleSound(nullptr)
 
 {
+
+    {
+#if defined(Q_OS_ANDROID)
+        const QString resourcesBinaryFile = "assets:resources.rcc";
+#else
+        const QString resourcesBinaryFile = QFileInfo(argv[0]).absolutePath() + "/resources.rcc";
+#endif
+        if (!QResource::registerResource(resourcesBinaryFile)) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("Unable to load primary resources");
+        }
+    }
+    
     auto steamClient = PluginManager::getInstance()->getSteamClientPlugin();
     setProperty(hifi::properties::STEAM, (steamClient && steamClient->isRunning()));
     setProperty(hifi::properties::CRASHED, _previousSessionCrashed);
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/PathUtils.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/PathUtils.cpp
index 22e11464bd..dc1bd198d9 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/PathUtils.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/PathUtils.cpp
@@ -11,17 +11,20 @@
 
 #include "PathUtils.h"
 
-#include <QCoreApplication>
-#include <QString>
-#include <QVector>
-#include <QDateTime>
-#include <QFileInfo>
-#include <QDir>
-#include <QDirIterator>
-#include <QUrl>
-#include <QtCore/QStandardPaths>
-#include <QRegularExpression>
 #include <mutex> // std::once
+
+#include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
+#include <QtCore/QDateTime>
+#include <QtCore/QDir>
+#include <QtCore/QDirIterator>
+#include <QtCore/QFileInfo>
+#include <QtCore/QProcessEnvironment>
+#include <QtCore/QRegularExpression>
+#include <QtCore/QStandardPaths>
+#include <QtCore/QString>
+#include <QtCore/QUrl>
+#include <QtCore/QVector>
+
 #include "shared/GlobalAppProperties.h"
 #include "SharedUtil.h"
 
@@ -29,16 +32,10 @@
 // Example: ...
 QString TEMP_DIR_FORMAT { "%1-%2-%3" };
 
-const QString& PathUtils::resourcesPath() {
-#ifdef Q_OS_MAC
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/../Resources/";
-#elif defined (ANDROID)
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::CacheLocation) + "/resources/";
-#else
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/resources/";
+#if !defined(Q_OS_ANDROID) && defined(DEV_BUILD)
+static const QString USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES_FLAG("HIFI_USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES");
+static bool USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains(USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES_FLAG);
 #endif
-    return staticResourcePath;
-}
 
 #ifdef DEV_BUILD
 const QString& PathUtils::projectRootPath() {
@@ -52,15 +49,28 @@ const QString& PathUtils::projectRootPath() {
 }
 #endif
 
-const QString& PathUtils::qmlBasePath() {
-#ifdef Q_OS_ANDROID
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = "qrc:///qml/";
-#elif defined (DEV_BUILD)
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = QUrl::fromLocalFile(projectRootPath() + "/interface/resources/qml/").toString();
-#else
-    static const QString staticResourcePath = "qrc:///qml/";
+const QString& PathUtils::resourcesPath() {
+#if !defined(Q_OS_ANDROID) && defined(DEV_BUILD)
+    // For dev builds, load 
+    if (USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES) {
+        static const QString staticResourcePath = projectRootPath() + "/interface/resources/";
+        return staticResourcePath;
+    }
 #endif
+    static const QString staticResourcePath = ":/";
+    return staticResourcePath;
+}
 
+// FIXME rename to qmlBaseUrl
+const QString& PathUtils::qmlBasePath() {
+#if !defined(Q_OS_ANDROID) && defined(DEV_BUILD)
+    // For dev builds, load 
+    if (USE_SOURCE_TREE_RESOURCES) {
+        static const QString staticResourcePath = QUrl::fromLocalFile(projectRootPath() + "/interface/resources/qml").toString();
+        return staticResourcePath;
+    }
+#endif
+    static const QString staticResourcePath = "qrc:///qml/";
     return staticResourcePath;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.cpp
index 7e9f86b049..b98df8406e 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.cpp
@@ -79,12 +79,14 @@ FileStorage::FileStorage(const QString& filename) : _file(filename) {
     }
 
     if (opened) {
-        _mapped = _file.map(0, _file.size());
-        if (_mapped) {
-            _valid = true;
-        } else {
-            qCWarning(storagelogging) << "Failed to map file " << filename;
-        }
+        _size = _file.size();
+        _mapped = _file.map(0, _size);
+        if (!_mapped) {
+            qCDebug(storagelogging) << "Failed to map file, falling back to memory storage " << filename;
+            _fallback = _file.readAll();
+            _mapped = (uint8_t*)_fallback.data();
+        } 
+        _valid = true;
     } else {
         qCWarning(storagelogging) << "Failed to open file " << filename;
     }
@@ -92,7 +94,9 @@ FileStorage::FileStorage(const QString& filename) : _file(filename) {
 
 FileStorage::~FileStorage() {
     if (_mapped) {
-        _file.unmap(_mapped);
+        if (_fallback.isEmpty()) {
+            _file.unmap(_mapped);
+        }
         _mapped = nullptr;
     }
     if (_file.isOpen()) {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.h b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.h
index d7946738cf..0e5032bb62 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Storage.h
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ namespace storage {
 
         const uint8_t* data() const override { return _mapped; }
         uint8_t* mutableData() override { return _hasWriteAccess ? _mapped : nullptr; }
-        size_t size() const override { return _file.size(); }
+        size_t size() const override { return _size; }
         operator bool() const override { return _valid; }
     private:
-
+        // For compressed QRC files we can't map the file object, so we need to read it into memory
+        QByteArray _fallback;
+        size_t _size { 0 };
         bool _valid { false };
         bool _hasWriteAccess { false };
         QFile _file;