diff --git a/sbt b/sbt
index 5475171b..35b59f73 100755
--- a/sbt
+++ b/sbt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 declare -r sbt_release_version="1.2.8"
 declare -r sbt_unreleased_version="1.3.0-RC1"
+declare -r coursier_launcher_version="1.2.15"
 
 declare -r latest_213="2.13.0"
 declare -r latest_212="2.12.8"
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ declare -r sbt_launch_mvn_snapshot_repo="http://repo.scala-sbt.org/scalasbt/mave
 declare -r default_jvm_opts_common="-Xms512m -Xss2m"
 declare -r noshare_opts="-Dsbt.global.base=project/.sbtboot -Dsbt.boot.directory=project/.boot -Dsbt.ivy.home=project/.ivy"
 
+declare use_coursier_launcher="false"
+
 declare sbt_jar sbt_dir sbt_create sbt_version sbt_script sbt_new
 declare sbt_explicit_version
 declare verbose noshare batch trace_level
@@ -41,6 +44,10 @@ declare -a java_args scalac_args sbt_commands residual_args
 # args to jvm/sbt via files or environment variables
 declare -a extra_jvm_opts extra_sbt_opts
 
+if [[ "$SBTX_COURSIER" == true ]]; then
+  use_coursier_launcher="true"
+fi
+
 echoerr () { echo >&2 "$@"; }
 vlog ()    { [[ -n "$verbose" ]] && echoerr "$@"; }
 die ()     { echo "Aborting: $*" ; exit 1; }
@@ -137,6 +144,12 @@ make_url () {
   esac
 }
 
+make_coursier_url () {
+  local version="$1"
+
+  echo "https://github.com/coursier/sbt-launcher/releases/download/v$version/csbt"
+}
+
 addJava ()     { vlog "[addJava] arg = '$1'"   ;     java_args+=("$1"); }
 addSbt ()      { vlog "[addSbt] arg = '$1'"    ;  sbt_commands+=("$1"); }
 addScalac ()   { vlog "[addScalac] arg = '$1'" ;   scalac_args+=("$1"); }
@@ -254,8 +267,9 @@ jar_file () {
 download_url () {
   local url="$1"
   local jar="$2"
+  local message="$3"
 
-  echoerr "Downloading sbt launcher for $sbt_version:"
+  echoerr "$message"
   echoerr "  From  $url"
   echoerr "    To  $jar"
 
@@ -269,15 +283,33 @@ download_url () {
 }
 
 acquire_sbt_jar () {
+
+  # only enable coursier sbt launcher for the sbt versions it supports
+  if [[ "$use_coursier_launcher" == "true" && "$sbt_version" != 0.13.[89] && "$sbt_version" != 0.13.1[0-9] && "$sbt_version" != 1.* ]]; then
+    use_coursier_launcher="false"
+  fi
+
   {
-    sbt_jar="$(jar_file "$sbt_version")"
+    if [[ "$use_coursier_launcher" == "true" ]]; then
+      sbt_jar="$(jar_file "coursier_$coursier_launcher_version")"
+    else
+      sbt_jar="$(jar_file "$sbt_version")"
+    fi
+
     [[ -r "$sbt_jar" ]]
   } || {
     sbt_jar="$HOME/.ivy2/local/org.scala-sbt/sbt-launch/$sbt_version/jars/sbt-launch.jar"
-    [[ -r "$sbt_jar" ]]
+    [[ "$use_coursier_launcher" != "true" && -r "$sbt_jar" ]]
   } || {
-    sbt_jar="$(jar_file "$sbt_version")"
-    download_url "$(make_url "$sbt_version")" "$sbt_jar"
+    if [[ "$use_coursier_launcher" == true ]]; then
+      sbt_jar="$(jar_file "coursier_$coursier_launcher_version")"
+      download_url "$(make_coursier_url "$coursier_launcher_version")" "$sbt_jar" \
+        "Downloading coursier sbt launcher $coursier_launcher_version:"
+    else
+      sbt_jar="$(jar_file "$sbt_version")"
+      download_url "$(make_url "$sbt_version")" "$sbt_jar" \
+        "Downloading sbt launcher for $sbt_version:"
+    fi
   }
 }
 
@@ -505,6 +537,9 @@ if [[ -n "$noshare" ]]; then
   for opt in ${noshare_opts}; do
     addJava "$opt"
   done
+  if [[ -z "$COURSIER_CACHE" ]]; then
+    export COURSIER_CACHE="project/.coursier-cache"
+  fi
 else
   case "$sbt_version" in
     "0.7."* | "0.10."* | "0.11."* | "0.12."* )