diff --git a/esp8266/scripts/_boot.py b/esp8266/scripts/_boot.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..104034fb25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esp8266/scripts/_boot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import uos
+import builtins
+from flashbdev import bdev
+
+try:
+    vfs = uos.VfsFat(bdev, "/")
+except OSError:
+    import inisetup
+    inisetup.check_bootsec()
+    uos.VfsFat.mkfs(bdev)
+    vfs = uos.VfsFat(bdev, "/")
+    inisetup.wifi()
diff --git a/esp8266/scripts/flashbdev.py b/esp8266/scripts/flashbdev.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1d120b920d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esp8266/scripts/flashbdev.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import esp
+
+class FlashBdev:
+
+    SEC_SIZE = 4096
+    START_SEC = 0xa0000 // SEC_SIZE
+    NUM_BLK = 64
+
+    def __init__(self, blocks=NUM_BLK):
+        self.blocks = blocks
+
+    def readblocks(self, n, buf):
+        print("readblocks(%s, %x(%d))" % (n, id(buf), len(buf)))
+        esp.flash_read((n + self.START_SEC) * self.SEC_SIZE, buf)
+
+    def writeblocks(self, n, buf):
+        print("writeblocks(%s, %x(%d))" % (n, id(buf), len(buf)))
+        assert len(buf) <= self.SEC_SIZE, len(buf)
+        esp.flash_erase(n + self.START_SEC)
+        esp.flash_write((n + self.START_SEC) * self.SEC_SIZE, buf)
+
+    def ioctl(self, op, arg):
+        print("ioctl(%d, %r)" % (op, arg))
+        if op == 4:  # BP_IOCTL_SEC_COUNT
+            return self.blocks
+        if op == 5:  # BP_IOCTL_SEC_SIZE
+            return self.SEC_SIZE
+
+bdev = FlashBdev()
diff --git a/esp8266/scripts/inisetup.py b/esp8266/scripts/inisetup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a5be607e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esp8266/scripts/inisetup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import uos
+import network
+from flashbdev import bdev
+
+def wifi():
+    import ubinascii
+    ap_if = network.WLAN(network.AP_IF)
+    ap_if.config(essid=b"MicroPython %s" % ubinascii.hexlify(ap_if.mac()[-3:]))
+
+def check_bootsec():
+    buf = bytearray(bdev.SEC_SIZE)
+    bdev.readblocks(0, buf)
+    empty = True
+    for b in buf:
+        if b != 0xff:
+            empty = False
+            break
+    if empty:
+        return True
+    fs_corrupted()
+
+def fs_corrupted():
+    import time
+    while 1:
+        print("""\
+FAT filesystem appears to be corrupted. If you had important data there, you
+may want to make a flash snapshot to try to recover it. Otherwise, perform
+factory reprogramming of MicroPython firmware (completely erase flash, followed
+by firmware programming).
+""")
+        time.sleep(3)