diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index fba98aab2782d..cc167802a9722 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ var populistTask = require('./grunt/tasks/populist');
 var phantomTask = require('./grunt/tasks/phantom');
 var npmTask = require('./grunt/tasks/npm');
 var releaseTasks = require('./grunt/tasks/release');
+var reactCoreTasks = require('./grunt/tasks/react-core');
 
 module.exports = function(grunt) {
 
@@ -52,17 +53,33 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
 
   grunt.registerMultiTask('npm', npmTask);
 
+  grunt.registerTask('react-core:release', reactCoreTasks.buildRelease);
+
   // Check that the version we're exporting is the same one we expect in the
   // package. This is not an ideal way to do this, but makes sure that we keep
   // them in sync.
   var reactVersionExp = /\bReact\.version\s*=\s*['"]([^'"]+)['"];/;
   grunt.registerTask('version-check', function() {
-    var version = reactVersionExp.exec(
+    var reactVersion = reactVersionExp.exec(
       grunt.file.read('./build/modules/React.js')
     )[1];
-    var expectedVersion = grunt.config.data.pkg.version;
-    if (version !== expectedVersion) {
-      grunt.log.error('Versions do not match. Expected %s, saw %s', expectedVersion, version);
+    var reactCoreVersion = grunt.file.readJSON('./npm-react-core/package.json').version;
+    var reactToolsVersion = grunt.config.data.pkg.version;
+
+    if (reactVersion !== reactToolsVersion) {
+      grunt.log.error(
+        'React version does not match react-tools version. Expected %s, saw %s',
+        reactToolsVersion,
+        reactVersion
+      );
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (reactCoreVersion !== reactToolsVersion) {
+      grunt.log.error(
+        'react-core version does not match react-tools veersion. Expected %s, saw %s',
+        reactToolsVersion,
+        reactCoreVersion
+      );
       return false;
     }
   });
@@ -79,6 +96,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
     'populist:jasmine',
     'populist:test'
   ]);
+  grunt.registerTask('build:react-core', ['version-check', 'jsx:release', 'react-core:release']);
 
   grunt.registerTask('test', ['build:test', 'build:basic', 'phantom:run']);
   grunt.registerTask('npm:test', ['build', 'npm:pack']);
diff --git a/grunt/tasks/react-core.js b/grunt/tasks/react-core.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e9abe3b269726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/grunt/tasks/react-core.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var grunt = require('grunt');
+
+var src = 'npm-react-core/';
+var dest = 'build/react-core/';
+var modSrc = 'build/modules/';
+var lib = dest + 'lib/';
+
+function buildRelease() {
+  // delete build/react-core for fresh start
+  grunt.file.exists(dest) && grunt.file.delete(dest);
+
+  // mkdir -p build/react-core/lib
+  grunt.file.mkdir(lib);
+
+  // Copy everything over
+  // console.log(grunt.file.expandMapping(src + '**/*', dest, {flatten: true}));
+  grunt.file.expandMapping(src + '**/*', dest, {flatten: true}).forEach(function(mapping) {
+    var src = mapping.src[0];
+    var dest = mapping.dest;
+    if (grunt.file.isDir(src)) {
+      grunt.file.mkdir(dest);
+    } else {
+      grunt.file.copy(src, dest);
+    }
+  });
+
+  // copy build/modules/*.js to build/react-core/lib
+  grunt.file.expandMapping(modSrc + '*.js', lib, { flatten: true }).forEach(function(mapping) {
+    grunt.file.copy(mapping.src[0], mapping.dest);
+  });
+
+  // modify build/react-core/package.json to set version ##
+  var pkg = grunt.file.readJSON(dest + 'package.json');
+  pkg.version = grunt.config.data.pkg.version;
+  grunt.file.write(dest + 'package.json', JSON.stringify(pkg, null, 2));
+}
+
+function buildDev() {
+  // TODO: same as above except different destination
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  buildRelease: buildRelease,
+  buildDev: buildDev
+};
diff --git a/npm-react-core/README.md b/npm-react-core/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..bca768865a0f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm-react-core/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# react-core
+
+An npm package to get you immediate access to `React`, without also requiring
+the JSX transformer. This is especially useful for cases where you want to
+[`browserify`](https://github.com/substack/node-browserify) your module using
+`React`.
+
+## Example Usage
+
+```js
+
+// Previously, you might access React with react-tools.
+var React = require('react-tools').React;
+
+// Now you can access React directly with react-core.
+var React = require('react-core');
+
+// You can also access ReactWithAddons.
+var React = require('react-core/addons');
+```
+
diff --git a/npm-react-core/addons.js b/npm-react-core/addons.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..21c5f8395018b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm-react-core/addons.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = require('./lib/ReactWithAddons');
diff --git a/npm-react-core/package.json b/npm-react-core/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f64840868bbbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm-react-core/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{
+  "name": "react-core",
+  "version": "0.6.0-alpha",
+  "keywords": [
+    "react"
+  ],
+  "homepage": "https://github.com/facebook/react/tree/master/npm-react-core",
+  "bugs": "https://github.com/facebook/react/issues?labels=react-core",
+  "licenses": [
+    {
+      "type": "Apache-2.0",
+      "url": "http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0"
+    }
+  ],
+  "files": [
+    "README.md",
+    "addons.js",
+    "react.js",
+    "lib/"
+  ],
+  "main": "react.js",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "https://github.com/facebook/react"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=0.10.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/npm-react-core/react.js b/npm-react-core/react.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..08da025716dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm-react-core/react.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = require('./lib/React');