diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 4e345df8413..c72d3844f2b 100755
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -101,11 +101,12 @@ function clientOptionsHandler(compilers, fileSources) {
         google_analytics_enabled: gccProps('clientGoogleAnalyticsEnabled', false),
         sharing_enabled: gccProps('clientSharingEnabled', true),
         github_ribbon_enabled: gccProps('clientGitHubRibbonEnabled', true),
-        urlshortener: gccProps('clientURLShortener', 'google'),
+        urlshortener: gccProps('clientURLShortener', 'gist'),
         gapiKey: gccProps('google-api-key', 'AIzaSyAaz35KJv8DA0ABoime0fEIh32NmbyYbcQ'),
         defaultSource: gccProps('defaultSource', ''),
         language: language,
         compilers: compilers,
+        sourceExtension: compilerProps('compileFilename').split('.', 2)[1],
         defaultCompiler: compilerProps('defaultCompiler', ''),
         compileOptions: compilerProps("options"),
         supportsBinary: !!compilerProps("supportsBinary"),
diff --git a/etc/config/gcc-explorer.lud-ldnmg01.properties b/etc/config/gcc-explorer.lud-ldnmg01.properties
index 5c97f342199..6b2739e6284 100644
--- a/etc/config/gcc-explorer.lud-ldnmg01.properties
+++ b/etc/config/gcc-explorer.lud-ldnmg01.properties
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-language=C++
\ No newline at end of file
+language=C++
+clientURLShortener=gist
diff --git a/etc/config/gcc-explorer.wud-mgodbolt01.properties b/etc/config/gcc-explorer.wud-mgodbolt01.properties
index 324148db701..04dd42f6b52 100644
--- a/etc/config/gcc-explorer.wud-mgodbolt01.properties
+++ b/etc/config/gcc-explorer.wud-mgodbolt01.properties
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-# Default settings for GCC Explorer.
 port=10240
 compileTimeoutMs=5000
-compilers=/home/mgodbolt/.fighome/runtime/gcc/4.9.2-1/bin/g++
 clientSharingEnabled=false
 tempDirCleanupSecs=10
 
diff --git a/static/compiler.js b/static/compiler.js
index 9ae5c923c4c..3b1782322d1 100644
--- a/static/compiler.js
+++ b/static/compiler.js
@@ -327,12 +327,16 @@ function Compiler(domRoot, origFilters, windowLocalPrefix, onChangeCallback, lan
         return cppEditor.getValue();
     }
 
-    function serialiseState() {
+    function serialiseState(compress) {
         var state = {
-            sourcez: LZString.compressToBase64(cppEditor.getValue()),
             compiler: domRoot.find('.compiler').val(),
             options: domRoot.find('.compiler_options').val()
         };
+        if (compress) {
+            state.sourcez = LZString.compressToBase64(cppEditor.getValue());
+        } else {
+            state.source = cppEditor.getValue();
+        }
         return state;
     }
 
diff --git a/static/gcc.css b/static/gcc.css
index f4c20f97432..7e3ad24172c 100644
--- a/static/gcc.css
+++ b/static/gcc.css
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ body {
  */
 #permalink {
     cursor: text;
+    width: 300px;
 }
 
 .sideBySide {
diff --git a/static/gcc.js b/static/gcc.js
index 9339ac41413..6b6873eb08f 100644
--- a/static/gcc.js
+++ b/static/gcc.js
@@ -156,34 +156,107 @@ function togglePermalink() {
 }
 
 function serialiseState() {
-    var state = {
+    return encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(getState(true)));
+}
+
+function getState(compress) {
+    return {
         version: 3,
         filterAsm: getAsmFilters(),
         compilers: $.map(allCompilers, function (compiler) {
-            return compiler.serialiseState();
+            return compiler.serialiseState(compress);
         })
     };
-    return encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(state));
+}
+
+function toGist(state) {
+    files = {};
+    function nameFor(compiler) {
+        var addNum = 0;
+        var name, add;
+        for (; ;) {
+            add = addNum ? addNum.toString() : "";
+            name = compiler + add + '.' + OPTIONS.sourceExtension;
+            if (files[name] === undefined) return name;
+            addNum++;
+        }
+    };
+    state.compilers.forEach(function (s) {
+        var name = nameFor(s.compiler);
+        files[name] = {
+            content: s.source,
+            language: OPTIONS.language
+        };
+        s.source = name;
+    });
+    files['state.json'] = {content: JSON.stringify(state)};
+    return JSON.stringify({
+        description: "Compiler Explorer automatically generated files",
+        'public': false,
+        files: files
+    });
+}
+
+function makeGist(onDone, onFail) {
+    var req = $.ajax('https://api.github.com/gists', {
+        type: 'POST',
+        //accepts: 'application/vnd.github.v3+json',
+        dataType: 'json',
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        data: toGist(getState())
+    });
+    req.done(function (msg) {
+        onDone(msg);
+    });
+    req.fail(function (jqXHR, textStatus) {
+        onFail(textStatus + " (" + jqXHR.statusText + ")");
+    });
+}
+
+function fromGist(msg) {
+    var state = JSON.parse(msg.files['state.json'].content);
+    state.compilers.forEach(function (s) {
+        s.source = msg.files[s.source].content;
+    });
+    return state;
+}
+function loadGist(gist) {
+    var req = $.ajax('https://api.github.com/gists/' + gist);
+    req.done(function (msg) {
+        loadState(fromGist(msg));
+    });
+    req.fail(function (jqXHR, textStatus) {
+        alert("Unable to load gist: " + textStatus + " (" + jqXHR.statusText + ")");
+    });
 }
 
 function deserialiseState(state) {
+    if (state.substr(0, 2) == "g=") {
+        loadGist(state.substr(2));
+        return;
+    }
     try {
         state = $.parseJSON(decodeURIComponent(state));
-        switch (state.version) {
-            case 1:
-                state.filterAsm = {};
-            /* falls through */
-            case 2:
-                state.compilers = [state];
-            /* falls through */
-            case 3:
-                break;
-            default:
-                return false;
-        }
     } catch (ignored) {
         return false;
     }
+    return loadState(state);
+}
+
+function loadState(state) {
+    if (!state || state['version'] === undefined) return false;
+    switch (state.version) {
+        case 1:
+            state.filterAsm = {};
+        /* falls through */
+        case 2:
+            state.compilers = [state];
+        /* falls through */
+        case 3:
+            break;
+        default:
+            return false;
+    }
     setFilterUi(state.filterAsm);
     for (var i = 0; i < Math.min(allCompilers.length, state.compilers.length); i++) {
         allCompilers[i].setFilters(state.filterAsm);
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 91ef1822c4b..89a1b8f127e 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
                         <button class="btn permalink">Permalink</button>
                     </div>
                     <div class="collapse permalink-collapse">
-                        <label>Permalink: <input class="input-medium input-uneditable" type="text" placeholder="Loading" readonly id="permalink"></input></label>
+                        <label>Permalink: <input class="input-uneditable" type="text" placeholder="Loading" readonly id="permalink"></input></label>
                     </div>
                 </form>
             </div>
diff --git a/static/urlshorten-gist.js b/static/urlshorten-gist.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a0cfad0f07f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/urlshorten-gist.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+function shortenURL(url, done) {
+    makeGist(function (msg) {
+            done(document.location.origin + "#g=" + msg.id);
+        },
+        function (failure) {
+            done("Failed: " + failure);
+        }
+    );
+}