diff --git a/src/libstd/rt/mod.rs b/src/libstd/rt/mod.rs
index df1ebeb6407a..be35e7579b78 100644
--- a/src/libstd/rt/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/rt/mod.rs
@@ -185,41 +185,33 @@ pub mod args;
 // Support for dynamic borrowck
 pub mod borrowck;
 
-/// Set up a default runtime configuration, given compiler-supplied arguments.
-///
-/// This is invoked by the `start` _language item_ (unstable::lang) to
-/// run a Rust executable.
-///
-/// # Arguments
-///
-/// * `argc` & `argv` - The argument vector. On Unix this information is used
-///   by os::args.
-///
-/// # Return value
-///
-/// The return value is used as the process return code. 0 on success, 101 on error.
-pub fn start(argc: int, argv: **u8, main: proc()) -> int {
+/// The default error code of the rust runtime if the main task fails instead
+/// of exiting cleanly.
+pub static DEFAULT_ERROR_CODE: int = 101;
 
-    init(argc, argv);
-    let exit_code = run(main);
-    // unsafe is ok b/c we're sure that the runtime is gone
-    unsafe { cleanup(); }
-
-    return exit_code;
-}
-
-/// Like `start` but creates an additional scheduler on the current thread,
-/// which in most cases will be the 'main' thread, and pins the main task to it.
+/// The interface to the current runtime.
 ///
-/// This is appropriate for running code that must execute on the main thread,
-/// such as the platform event loop and GUI.
-pub fn start_on_main_thread(argc: int, argv: **u8, main: proc()) -> int {
-    init(argc, argv);
-    let exit_code = run_on_main_thread(main);
-    // unsafe is ok b/c we're sure that the runtime is gone
-    unsafe { cleanup(); }
+/// This trait is used as the abstraction between 1:1 and M:N scheduling. The
+/// two independent crates, libnative and libgreen, both have objects which
+/// implement this trait. The goal of this trait is to encompass all the
+/// fundamental differences in functionality between the 1:1 and M:N runtime
+/// modes.
+pub trait Runtime {
+    // Necessary scheduling functions, used for channels and blocking I/O
+    // (sometimes).
+    fn yield_now(~self, cur_task: ~Task);
+    fn maybe_yield(~self, cur_task: ~Task);
+    fn deschedule(~self, times: uint, cur_task: ~Task,
+                  f: |BlockedTask| -> Result<(), BlockedTask>);
+    fn reawaken(~self, to_wake: ~Task, can_resched: bool);
 
-    return exit_code;
+    // Miscellaneous calls which are very different depending on what context
+    // you're in.
+    fn spawn_sibling(~self, cur_task: ~Task, opts: TaskOpts, f: proc());
+    fn local_io<'a>(&'a mut self) -> Option<rtio::LocalIo<'a>>;
+
+    // XXX: This is a serious code smell and this should not exist at all.
+    fn wrap(~self) -> ~Any;
 }
 
 /// One-time runtime initialization.
@@ -250,239 +242,3 @@ pub unsafe fn cleanup() {
     args::cleanup();
     local_ptr::cleanup();
 }
-
-/// Execute the main function in a scheduler.
-///
-/// Configures the runtime according to the environment, by default
-/// using a task scheduler with the same number of threads as cores.
-/// Returns a process exit code.
-pub fn run(main: proc()) -> int {
-    run_(main, false)
-}
-
-pub fn run_on_main_thread(main: proc()) -> int {
-    run_(main, true)
-}
-
-fn run_(main: proc(), use_main_sched: bool) -> int {
-    static DEFAULT_ERROR_CODE: int = 101;
-
-    let nscheds = util::default_sched_threads();
-
-    let mut main = Some(main);
-
-    // The shared list of sleeping schedulers.
-    let sleepers = SleeperList::new();
-
-    // Create a work queue for each scheduler, ntimes. Create an extra
-    // for the main thread if that flag is set. We won't steal from it.
-    let mut pool = deque::BufferPool::new();
-    let arr = vec::from_fn(nscheds, |_| pool.deque());
-    let (workers, stealers) = vec::unzip(arr.move_iter());
-
-    // The schedulers.
-    let mut scheds = ~[];
-    // Handles to the schedulers. When the main task ends these will be
-    // sent the Shutdown message to terminate the schedulers.
-    let mut handles = ~[];
-
-    for worker in workers.move_iter() {
-        rtdebug!("inserting a regular scheduler");
-
-        // Every scheduler is driven by an I/O event loop.
-        let loop_ = new_event_loop();
-        let mut sched = ~Scheduler::new(loop_,
-                                        worker,
-                                        stealers.clone(),
-                                        sleepers.clone());
-        let handle = sched.make_handle();
-
-        scheds.push(sched);
-        handles.push(handle);
-    }
-
-    // If we need a main-thread task then create a main thread scheduler
-    // that will reject any task that isn't pinned to it
-    let main_sched = if use_main_sched {
-
-        // Create a friend handle.
-        let mut friend_sched = scheds.pop();
-        let friend_handle = friend_sched.make_handle();
-        scheds.push(friend_sched);
-
-        // This scheduler needs a queue that isn't part of the stealee
-        // set.
-        let (worker, _) = pool.deque();
-
-        let main_loop = new_event_loop();
-        let mut main_sched = ~Scheduler::new_special(main_loop,
-                                                     worker,
-                                                     stealers.clone(),
-                                                     sleepers.clone(),
-                                                     false,
-                                                     Some(friend_handle));
-        let mut main_handle = main_sched.make_handle();
-        // Allow the scheduler to exit when the main task exits.
-        // Note: sending the shutdown message also prevents the scheduler
-        // from pushing itself to the sleeper list, which is used for
-        // waking up schedulers for work stealing; since this is a
-        // non-work-stealing scheduler it should not be adding itself
-        // to the list.
-        main_handle.send(Shutdown);
-        Some(main_sched)
-    } else {
-        None
-    };
-
-    // Create a shared cell for transmitting the process exit
-    // code from the main task to this function.
-    let exit_code = UnsafeArc::new(AtomicInt::new(0));
-    let exit_code_clone = exit_code.clone();
-
-    // Used to sanity check that the runtime only exits once
-    let exited_already = UnsafeArc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
-
-    // When the main task exits, after all the tasks in the main
-    // task tree, shut down the schedulers and set the exit code.
-    let handles = handles;
-    let on_exit: proc(TaskResult) = proc(exit_success) {
-        unsafe {
-            assert!(!(*exited_already.get()).swap(true, SeqCst),
-                    "the runtime already exited");
-        }
-
-        let mut handles = handles;
-        for handle in handles.mut_iter() {
-            handle.send(Shutdown);
-        }
-
-        unsafe {
-            let exit_code = if exit_success.is_ok() {
-                use rt::util;
-
-                // If we're exiting successfully, then return the global
-                // exit status, which can be set programmatically.
-                util::get_exit_status()
-            } else {
-                DEFAULT_ERROR_CODE
-            };
-            (*exit_code_clone.get()).store(exit_code, SeqCst);
-        }
-    };
-
-    let mut threads = ~[];
-    let mut on_exit = Some(on_exit);
-
-    if !use_main_sched {
-
-        // In the case where we do not use a main_thread scheduler we
-        // run the main task in one of our threads.
-
-        let mut main_task = ~Task::new_root(&mut scheds[0].stack_pool,
-                                            None,
-                                            ::util::replace(&mut main,
-                                                            None).unwrap());
-        main_task.name = Some(SendStrStatic("<main>"));
-        main_task.death.on_exit = ::util::replace(&mut on_exit, None);
-
-        let sched = scheds.pop();
-        let main_task = main_task;
-        let thread = do Thread::start {
-            sched.bootstrap(main_task);
-        };
-        threads.push(thread);
-    }
-
-    // Run each remaining scheduler in a thread.
-    for sched in scheds.move_rev_iter() {
-        rtdebug!("creating regular schedulers");
-        let thread = do Thread::start {
-            let mut sched = sched;
-            let bootstrap_task = ~do Task::new_root(&mut sched.stack_pool, None) || {
-                rtdebug!("boostraping a non-primary scheduler");
-            };
-            sched.bootstrap(bootstrap_task);
-        };
-        threads.push(thread);
-    }
-
-    // If we do have a main thread scheduler, run it now.
-
-    if use_main_sched {
-        rtdebug!("about to create the main scheduler task");
-
-        let mut main_sched = main_sched.unwrap();
-
-        let home = Sched(main_sched.make_handle());
-        let mut main_task = ~Task::new_root_homed(&mut main_sched.stack_pool,
-                                                  None,
-                                                  home,
-                                                  ::util::replace(&mut main,
-                                                                  None).
-                                                                  unwrap());
-        main_task.name = Some(SendStrStatic("<main>"));
-        main_task.death.on_exit = ::util::replace(&mut on_exit, None);
-        rtdebug!("bootstrapping main_task");
-
-        main_sched.bootstrap(main_task);
-    }
-
-    rtdebug!("waiting for threads");
-
-    // Wait for schedulers
-    for thread in threads.move_iter() {
-        thread.join();
-    }
-
-    // Return the exit code
-    unsafe {
-        (*exit_code.get()).load(SeqCst)
-    }
-}
-
-pub fn in_sched_context() -> bool {
-    unsafe {
-        let task_ptr: Option<*mut Task> = Local::try_unsafe_borrow();
-        match task_ptr {
-            Some(task) => {
-                match (*task).task_type {
-                    SchedTask => true,
-                    _ => false
-                }
-            }
-            None => false
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-pub fn in_green_task_context() -> bool {
-    unsafe {
-        let task: Option<*mut Task> = Local::try_unsafe_borrow();
-        match task {
-            Some(task) => {
-                match (*task).task_type {
-                    GreenTask(_) => true,
-                    _ => false
-                }
-            }
-            None => false
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-pub fn new_event_loop() -> ~rtio::EventLoop {
-    match crate_map::get_crate_map() {
-        None => {}
-        Some(map) => {
-            match map.event_loop_factory {
-                None => {}
-                Some(factory) => return factory()
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    // If the crate map didn't specify a factory to create an event loop, then
-    // instead just use a basic event loop missing all I/O services to at least
-    // get the scheduler running.
-    return basic::event_loop();
-}