diff --git a/tools/automate/automate.py b/tools/automate/automate.py
index 1aed054b7..6a99af17a 100644
--- a/tools/automate/automate.py
+++ b/tools/automate/automate.py
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ else:
 # Retrieve the Chromium URL and revision from the CEF repo
 compat_url = cef_url + "/CHROMIUM_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY.txt?r="+cef_rev
 
+release_url = None
+chromium_url = None
+chromium_rev = None
+
 try:
   # Read the remote URL contents
   handle = urllib.urlopen(compat_url)
@@ -136,13 +140,18 @@ try:
   # Parse the contents
   config = eval(compat_value, {'__builtins__': None}, None)
 
-  if not 'chromium_url' in config:
-    raise Exception("Missing chromium_url value")
-  if not 'chromium_revision' in config:
-    raise Exception("Missing chromium_revision value")
-  
-  chromium_url = check_url(config['chromium_url'])
-  chromium_rev = str(int(config['chromium_revision']))
+  if 'release_url' in config:
+    # building from a release
+    release_url = check_url(config['release_url'])
+  else:
+    # building from chromium src
+    if not 'chromium_url' in config:
+      raise Exception("Missing chromium_url value")
+    if not 'chromium_revision' in config:
+      raise Exception("Missing chromium_revision value")
+
+    chromium_url = check_url(config['chromium_url'])
+    chromium_rev = str(int(config['chromium_revision']))
 except Exception, e:
   sys.stderr.write('Failed to read URL and revision information from '+ \
                    compat_url+"\n")
@@ -180,10 +189,11 @@ info = get_svn_info(cef_src_dir)
 current_cef_url = info['url']
 current_cef_rev = info['revision']
 
-# retrieve the current Chromium URL and revision
-info = get_svn_info(chromium_src_dir)
-current_chromium_url = info['url']
-current_chromium_rev = info['revision']
+if release_url is None:
+  # retrieve the current Chromium URL and revision
+  info = get_svn_info(chromium_src_dir)
+  current_chromium_url = info['url']
+  current_chromium_rev = info['revision']
 
 # test if the CEF URL changed
 cef_url_changed = current_cef_url != cef_url
@@ -197,46 +207,88 @@ sys.stdout.write('CEF Revision: '+current_cef_rev+"\n")
 if cef_rev_changed:
   sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+cef_rev+"\n")
 
-# test if the Chromium URL changed
-chromium_url_changed = current_chromium_url != chromium_url
-sys.stdout.write('Chromium URL: '+current_chromium_url+"\n")
-if chromium_url_changed:
-  sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+chromium_url+"\n")
+release_url_changed = False
+chromium_url_changed = False
+chromium_rev_changed = False
 
-# test if the Chromium revision changed
-chromium_rev_changed = current_chromium_rev != chromium_rev
-sys.stdout.write('Chromium Revision: '+current_chromium_rev+"\n")
-if chromium_rev_changed:
-  sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+chromium_rev+"\n")
+if release_url is None:
+  # test if the Chromium URL changed
+  chromium_url_changed = current_chromium_url != chromium_url
+  sys.stdout.write('Chromium URL: '+current_chromium_url+"\n")
+  if chromium_url_changed:
+    sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+chromium_url+"\n")
+
+  # test if the Chromium revision changed
+  chromium_rev_changed = current_chromium_rev != chromium_rev
+  sys.stdout.write('Chromium Revision: '+current_chromium_rev+"\n")
+  if chromium_rev_changed:
+    sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+chromium_rev+"\n")
+else:
+  # test if the release URL changed
+  current_release_url = 'None'
+
+  path = os.path.join(chromium_dir, '.gclient')
+  if os.path.exists(path):
+    # read the .gclient file
+    fp = open(path, 'r')
+    data = fp.read()
+    fp.close()
+
+    # Parse the contents
+    config_dict = {}
+    try:
+      exec(data, config_dict)
+      current_release_url = config_dict['solutions'][0]['url']
+    except Exception, e:
+      sys.stderr.write('Failed to parse existing .glient file.\n')
+      raise
+
+  release_url_changed = current_release_url != release_url
+  sys.stdout.write('Release URL: '+current_release_url+"\n")
+  if release_url_changed:
+    sys.stdout.write('  -> CHANGED TO: '+release_url+"\n")
 
 # true if anything changed
-any_changed = chromium_url_changed or chromium_rev_changed or \
-              cef_url_changed or cef_rev_changed
+any_changed = release_url_changed or chromium_url_changed or \
+              chromium_rev_changed or cef_url_changed or cef_rev_changed
 if not any_changed:
   sys.stdout.write("No changes.\n")
               
-if chromium_url_changed or options.forceconfig:
+if release_url_changed or chromium_url_changed or options.forceconfig:
+  if release_url is None:
+    url = chromium_url
+  else:
+    url = release_url
+
   # run gclient config to create the .gclient file
-  run('gclient config '+chromium_url, chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
-  
+  run('gclient config '+url, chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
+
   path = os.path.join(chromium_dir, '.gclient')
   if not os.path.exists(path):
     sys.stderr.write(".gclient file was not created\n")
     raise Exception('.gclient file was not created')
-  
+
   # read the resulting .gclient file
   fp = open(path, 'r')
   data = fp.read()
   fp.close()
-  
-  # populate "custom_deps" section
-  data = data.replace('"custom_deps" : {', '"custom_deps" : {'+\
+
+  custom_deps = \
       "\n      "+'"src/third_party/WebKit/LayoutTests": None,'+\
       "\n      "+'"src/chrome_frame/tools/test/reference_build/chrome": None,'+\
       "\n      "+'"src/chrome/tools/test/reference_build/chrome_mac": None,'+\
       "\n      "+'"src/chrome/tools/test/reference_build/chrome_win": None,'+\
-      "\n      "+'"src/chrome/tools/test/reference_build/chrome_linux": None,')
-  
+      "\n      "+'"src/chrome/tools/test/reference_build/chrome_linux": None,'
+
+  if not release_url is None:
+    # TODO: Read the DEPS file and exclude all non-src directories.
+    custom_deps += \
+      "\n      "+'"chromeos": None,'+\
+      "\n      "+'"depot_tools": None,'
+
+  # populate "custom_deps" section
+  data = data.replace('"custom_deps" : {', '"custom_deps" : {'+custom_deps)
+
   # write the new .gclient file
   fp = open(path, 'w')
   fp.write(data)
@@ -246,22 +298,26 @@ if options.forceclean:
   if os.path.exists(chromium_src_dir):
     # revert all Chromium changes and delete all unversioned files
     run('gclient revert -n', chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
-  
+
   # force update, build and distrib steps
   options.forceupdate = True
   options.forcebuild = True
   options.forcedistrib = True
-  
-if chromium_url_changed or chromium_rev_changed or options.forceupdate:
-  # download/update the Chromium source code
-  run('gclient sync --revision src@'+chromium_rev+' --jobs 8 --force', \
-      chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
+
+if release_url is None:
+  if chromium_url_changed or chromium_rev_changed or options.forceupdate:
+    # download/update the Chromium source code
+    run('gclient sync --revision src@'+chromium_rev+' --jobs 8 --force', \
+        chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
+elif release_url_changed or options.forceupdate:
+  # download/update the release source code
+  run('gclient sync --jobs 8 --force', chromium_dir, depot_tools_dir)
 
 if not os.path.exists(cef_src_dir) or cef_url_changed:
   if cef_url_changed and os.path.exists(cef_src_dir):
     # delete the cef directory (it will be re-downloaded)
     shutil.rmtree(cef_src_dir)
-    
+
   # download the CEF source code
   run('svn checkout '+cef_url+' -r '+cef_rev+' '+cef_src_dir, download_dir)
 elif cef_rev_changed or options.forceupdate:
@@ -279,11 +335,11 @@ if any_changed or options.forcebuild:
   if not options.nodebugbuild:
     # make CEF Debug build
     run(path+' Debug', cef_tools_dir, depot_tools_dir)
-  
+
   if not options.noreleasebuild:
     # make CEF Release build
     run(path+' Release', cef_tools_dir, depot_tools_dir)
-  
+
 if any_changed or options.forcedistrib:
   if not options.nodistrib:
     # make CEF binary distribution