diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 894a44c..e14acf6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ __pycache__/
 
 # Distribution / packaging
 .Python
+installer/
 build/
 develop-eggs/
 dist/
@@ -102,3 +103,9 @@ venv.bak/
 
 # mypy
 .mypy_cache/
+
+# intellij
+*.iml
+
+# jenv
+.java-version
diff --git a/paintera/__init__.py b/paintera/__init__.py
index 523b4f7..5a02337 100644
--- a/paintera/__init__.py
+++ b/paintera/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import sys
 
 from . import version
+from .javafx_modules import javafx_args
 
 _paintera                = '@Paintera'
 _paintera_show_container = '@PainteraShowContainer'
@@ -38,12 +39,20 @@ def version_from_string(string):
 
 def launch_paintera():
     paintera_version, argv = _get_paintera_version(argv=sys.argv[1:])
+    args_with_modules = prepend_javafx_modules(argv)
     return jgo.util.main_from_endpoint(
-        argv                        = argv,
+        argv                        = args_with_modules,
         primary_endpoint            = f'{_groupId}:{_artifactId}',
         primary_endpoint_version    = paintera_version.maven_version(),
         primary_endpoint_main_class = _paintera)
 
+def prepend_javafx_modules(argv):
+    if "--module-path" not in argv:
+        if '--' not in argv:
+            javafx_args.append('--')
+        return javafx_args + argv
+    return argv
+
 def generate_paintera_bash_completion():
     relative_path = os.path.join(
         'share',
diff --git a/paintera/javafx_modules.py b/paintera/javafx_modules.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7656235
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paintera/javafx_modules.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import os
+import pathlib
+import sys
+
+from jgo import jgo
+from . import version
+
+_paintera_endpoint = f'org.janelia.saalfeldlab:paintera:{version._paintera_version.maven_version()}'
+
+_classpath_separator = ':' if sys.platform != 'win32' else ';'
+_javafx_platform_map = {
+    "linux": "linux",
+    "linux2": "linux",
+    "win32": "win",
+    "darwin": "mac"
+}
+
+_javafx_version = "13.0.1"
+_modules_and_opens = {
+    "javafx.base": [
+        'javafx.util',
+        'javafx.event',
+        'javafx.beans.property',
+        'com.sun.javafx.binding',
+        'com.sun.javafx.event',
+    ],
+    "javafx.controls": [],
+    "javafx.fxml": [],
+    "javafx.media": [],
+    "javafx.swing": [],
+    "javafx.web": [],
+    "javafx.graphics": [
+        "javafx.scene",
+        "javafx.stage",
+        "javafx.geometry",
+        "javafx.animation",
+        "javafx.scene.input",
+        "javafx.scene.image",
+        "com.sun.prism",
+        "com.sun.javafx.geom",
+        "com.sun.javafx.image",
+        "com.sun.javafx.scene",
+        "com.sun.javafx.stage",
+        "com.sun.javafx.perf",
+        "com.sun.javafx.cursor",
+        "com.sun.javafx.tk",
+        "com.sun.javafx.scene.traversal",
+        "com.sun.javafx.geom.transform",
+        "com.sun.scenario.animation",
+        "com.sun.scenario.animation.shared",
+        "com.sun.scenario.effect",
+        "com.sun.javafx.sg.prism",
+    ]
+}
+
+
+def _get_jgo_cache_dir():
+    config = jgo.default_config()
+    if not '--ignore-jgorc' in sys.argv:
+        config_file = pathlib.Path.home() / '.jgorc'
+        config.read(config_file)
+
+    if os.getenv(jgo.jgo_cache_dir_environment_variable()) is not None:
+        cache_dir = os.getenv(jgo.jgo_cache_dir_environment_variable())
+        config.set('settings', 'cacheDir', cache_dir)
+    return config['settings'].get('cacheDir')
+
+
+def _javafx_module_path():
+    """
+    We need to determine where jgo copies the jar dependencies to, then build out module-path from that.
+    We grab the endpoint we pass to jgo, then call jgo's internal methods for determining the workspace.
+    After that, we determine the javafx dependencies we need to add the module-path. For each dependency
+     there is a "common" jar, as a well as a platform specific jar.
+
+    :return: the module-path which points to the javafx module dependencies
+    """
+    # Determine the location of the jgo-discovered dependencies
+    endpoints = jgo.endpoints_from_strings([_paintera_endpoint])
+    coordinates = jgo.coordinates_from_endpoints(endpoints)
+    cache_dir =_get_jgo_cache_dir()
+    workspace = jgo.workspace_dir_from_coordinates(coordinates, cache_dir=cache_dir)
+    relative_module_paths = []
+    for module in _modules_and_opens.keys():
+        # generate a list of the dependencies we should expect to find.
+        module_path_name = module.replace(".", "-")
+        shared_prefix = f"{module_path_name}-{_javafx_version}"
+        common_module = f"{shared_prefix}.jar"
+        platform_specific_module = f"{shared_prefix}-{_javafx_platform_map[sys.platform]}.jar"
+        relative_module_paths.append(platform_specific_module),
+        relative_module_paths.append(common_module)
+    # create the module path
+    absolute_module_paths = (f"{workspace}/{x}" for x in relative_module_paths)
+    module_path = _classpath_separator.join(absolute_module_paths)
+    return module_path
+
+
+# Allow access to classes that are not exported (currently needed)
+javafx_args = ["--illegal-access=permit"]
+
+# for each class we use, open it to ALL-UNNAMED, which contains Paintera,
+#   since it isn't utilizing the module system currently
+for module_name, packages_to_open in _modules_and_opens.items():
+    for package in packages_to_open:
+        javafx_args.append(f"--add-opens={module_name}/{package}=ALL-UNNAMED")
+
+# add the module path for the javafx modules
+javafx_args.extend(["--module-path", _javafx_module_path()])
+# specify which modules we actually use.
+javafx_args.extend(["--add-modules", ",".join(_modules_and_opens.keys())])
diff --git a/paintera/version.py b/paintera/version.py
index cb38984..5042aa2 100644
--- a/paintera/version.py
+++ b/paintera/version.py
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@ def is_release(self):
     def __str__(self):
         return self.python_version()
 
-_paintera_version = _Version(0, 25, 1, 'dev0')
+_paintera_version = _Version(0, 26, 0, 'dev0')