diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d257cc32..cea7e048 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${TRIQS_PATH})
 
 add_subdirectory(fortran/dmftproj) 
 add_subdirectory(python)
+add_subdirectory(shells)
 add_subdirectory(test)
 option(BUILD_DOC "Build documentation" OFF)
 if(${BUILD_DOC})
diff --git a/python/CMakeLists.txt b/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 080a2c06..13015480 100644
--- a/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,4 @@ configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/sitecustomize.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY
 # make a local pytriqs copy
 triqs_prepare_local_pytriqs(${python_destination})
 
-# to be able to run from toplevel
-execute_process(COMMAND ln -fs ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/fortran/vertex/vertex.so ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pytriqs/${python_destination})
-
 add_subdirectory(converters/plovasp)
diff --git a/python/converters/plovasp/main.py b/python/converters/plovasp/converter.py
similarity index 89%
rename from python/converters/plovasp/main.py
rename to python/converters/plovasp/converter.py
index 345de7fc..ccd5aeda 100644
--- a/python/converters/plovasp/main.py
+++ b/python/converters/plovasp/converter.py
@@ -63,9 +63,15 @@ def generate_and_output_as_text(conf_filename, vasp_dir):
     output_as_text(pars, el_struct, pshells, pgroups)
 
 def main():
+    """
+    This function should not be called directly but via a bash script
+    'plovasp' invoking the main function as follows:
+
+      pytriqs -m applications.dft.converters.plovasp.converter $@
+    """
     narg = len(sys.argv)
     if narg < 2:
-        raise SystemExit("  Usage: python main.py <conf-file> [<path-to-vasp-calcultaion>]")
+        raise SystemExit("  Usage: plovasp <conf-file> [<path-to-vasp-calcultaion>]")
     else:
         filename = sys.argv[1]
         if narg > 2:
@@ -79,3 +85,4 @@ def main():
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()
+
diff --git a/shells/CMakeLists.txt b/shells/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a39ed6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shells/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+configure_file(plovasp.bash.in plovasp)
+install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/plovasp DESTINATION bin
+        PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_WRITE OWNER_EXECUTE GROUP_READ GROUP_EXECUTE WORLD_READ WORLD_EXECUTE)
+
diff --git a/shells/plovasp.bash.in b/shells/plovasp.bash.in
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d4a34067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shells/plovasp.bash.in
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+pytriqs -m applications.dft.converters.plovasp.converter $@
+