diff --git a/build/makefile_base.mak b/build/makefile_base.mak
index 3ad4dcc4..99bd42aa 100644
--- a/build/makefile_base.mak
+++ b/build/makefile_base.mak
@@ -191,6 +191,10 @@ LSTEAMCLIENT64 := ./syn-lsteamclient64/lsteamclient
 LSTEAMCLIENT_OBJ32 := ./obj-lsteamclient32
 LSTEAMCLIENT_OBJ64 := ./obj-lsteamclient64
 
+STEAMEXE_SRC := $(SRCDIR)/steam_helper
+STEAMEXE_OBJ := ./obj-steam
+STEAMEXE_SYN := ./syn-steam/steam
+
 WINE := $(SRCDIR)/wine
 WINE_DST32 := ./dist-wine32
 WINE_OBJ32 := ./obj-wine32
@@ -232,6 +236,7 @@ OBJ_DIRS := $(TOOLS_DIR32)        $(TOOLS_DIR64)        \
             $(FFMPEG_OBJ32)       $(FFMPEG_OBJ64)       \
             $(FAUDIO_OBJ32)       $(FAUDIO_OBJ64)       \
             $(LSTEAMCLIENT_OBJ32) $(LSTEAMCLIENT_OBJ64) \
+            $(STEAMEXE_OBJ)                             \
             $(WINE_OBJ32)         $(WINE_OBJ64)         \
             $(VRCLIENT_OBJ32)     $(VRCLIENT_OBJ64)     \
             $(DXVK_OBJ32)         $(DXVK_OBJ64)         \
@@ -337,7 +342,7 @@ $(DIST_FONTS): fonts
 ALL_TARGETS += dist
 GOAL_TARGETS += dist
 
-dist: $(DIST_TARGETS) wine vrclient lsteamclient dxvk | $(DST_DIR)
+dist: $(DIST_TARGETS) wine vrclient lsteamclient steam dxvk | $(DST_DIR)
 	echo `date '+%s'` `GIT_DIR=$(abspath $(SRCDIR)/.git) git describe --tags` > $(DIST_VERSION)
 	cp $(DIST_VERSION) $(DST_BASE)/
 	rm -rf $(abspath $(DIST_PREFIX)) && \
@@ -634,6 +639,56 @@ lsteamclient32: $(LSTEAMCLIENT_CONFIGURE_FILES32) | $(WINE_BUILDTOOLS32) $(filte
 	mkdir -pv $(DST_DIR)/lib/wine/
 	cp -a $(LSTEAMCLIENT_OBJ32)/lsteamclient.dll.so $(DST_DIR)/lib/wine/
 
+## steam.exe
+
+$(STEAMEXE_SYN)/.created: $(STEAMEXE_SRC) $(MAKEFILE_DEP)
+	rm -rf $(STEAMEXE_SYN)
+	mkdir -p $(STEAMEXE_SYN)/
+	cd $(STEAMEXE_SYN)/ && ln -sfv ../../$(STEAMEXE_SRC)/* .
+	touch $@
+
+$(STEAMEXE_SYN): $(STEAMEXE_SYN)/.created
+
+STEAMEXE_CONFIGURE_FILES := $(STEAMEXE_OBJ)/Makefile
+
+# 32-bit configure
+$(STEAMEXE_CONFIGURE_FILES): SHELL = $(CONTAINER_SHELL32)
+$(STEAMEXE_CONFIGURE_FILES): $(STEAMEXE_SYN) $(MAKEFILE_DEP) | $(STEAMEXE_OBJ) $(WINEMAKER)
+	cd $(dir $@) && \
+		$(WINEMAKER) --nosource-fix --nolower-include --nodlls --nomsvcrt --wine32 \
+			-I"../$(TOOLS_DIR32)"/include/ \
+			-I"../$(TOOLS_DIR32)"/include/wine/ \
+			-I"../$(TOOLS_DIR32)"/include/wine/windows/ \
+			-I"../$(SRCDIR)"/lsteamclient/steamworks_sdk_142/ \
+			-L"../$(TOOLS_DIR32)"/lib/ \
+			-L"../$(TOOLS_DIR32)"/lib/wine/ \
+			-L"../$(SRCDIR)"/steam_helper/ \
+			--guiexe ../$(STEAMEXE_SYN) && \
+		cp ../$(STEAMEXE_SYN)/Makefile . && \
+		echo >> ./Makefile 'SRCDIR := ../$(STEAMEXE_SYN)' && \
+		echo >> ./Makefile 'vpath % $$(SRCDIR)' && \
+		echo >> ./Makefile 'steam_exe_LDFLAGS := -m32 -lsteam_api $$(steam_exe_LDFLAGS)'
+
+## steam goals
+STEAMEXE_TARGETS = steam steam_configure
+
+ALL_TARGETS += $(STEAMEXE_TARGETS)
+GOAL_TARGETS_LIBS += steam
+
+.PHONY: $(STEAMEXE_TARGETS)
+
+steam_configure: $(STEAMEXE_CONFIGURE_FILES)
+
+steam: SHELL = $(CONTAINER_SHELL32)
+steam: $(STEAMEXE_CONFIGURE_FILES) | $(WINE_BUILDTOOLS32) $(filter $(MAKECMDGOALS),wine64 wine32 wine)
+	+env PATH="$(abspath $(TOOLS_DIR32))/bin:$(PATH)" LDFLAGS="-m32" CXXFLAGS="-m32 -Wno-attributes $(COMMON_FLAGS) -g" CFLAGS="-m32 $(COMMON_FLAGS) -g" \
+		$(MAKE) -C $(STEAMEXE_OBJ)
+	[ x"$(STRIP)" = x ] || $(STRIP) $(STEAMEXE_OBJ)/steam.exe.so
+	mkdir -pv $(DST_DIR)/lib/wine/
+	cp -a $(STEAMEXE_OBJ)/steam.exe.so $(DST_DIR)/lib/wine/
+	cp $(STEAMEXE_SRC)/libsteam_api.so $(DST_DIR)/lib/
+
+
 ##
 ## wine
 ##
diff --git a/proton b/proton
index 2da9755e..d9bab52d 100755
--- a/proton
+++ b/proton
@@ -609,9 +609,9 @@ def run():
             log("Unable to write debug scripts! " + str(sys.exc_info()[1]))
     if game_arch == ARCH_UNKNOWN:
         #probably a batch script or something, hopefully start.exe can handle it
-        run_wine([wine_path, "start", "/unix"] + sys.argv[2:])
+        run_wine([wine_path, "steam", "start", "/unix"] + sys.argv[2:])
     else:
-        run_wine([wine_path] + sys.argv[2:])
+        run_wine([wine_path, "steam"] + sys.argv[2:])
 
 if sys.version_info[0] == 2:
     binary_stdout = sys.stdout
diff --git a/steam_helper/libsteam_api.so b/steam_helper/libsteam_api.so
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ee02fe3
Binary files /dev/null and b/steam_helper/libsteam_api.so differ
diff --git a/steam_helper/steam.cpp b/steam_helper/steam.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da8492cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/steam_helper/steam.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2019, Valve Corporation
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
+ * are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+ *
+ * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
+ * list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *
+ * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+ * this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or
+ * other materials provided with the distribution.
+ *
+ * 3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors
+ * may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without
+ * specific prior written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
+ * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+ * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+ * DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
+ * ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+ * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON
+ * ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+ * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+/* This is a stub steam.exe implementation for use inside Proton. It provides
+ * a small subset of the actual Steam functionality for games that expect
+ * Windows version of Steam running. */
+
+#include <windows.h>
+
+#pragma push_macro("_WIN32")
+#pragma push_macro("__cdecl")
+#undef _WIN32
+#undef __cdecl
+#include "steam_api.h"
+#pragma pop_macro("_WIN32")
+#pragma pop_macro("__cdecl")
+
+#include "wine/unicode.h"
+#include "wine/debug.h"
+
+WINE_DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(steam);
+
+EXTERN_C HANDLE CDECL __wine_make_process_system(void);
+
+static void set_active_process_pid(void)
+{
+    DWORD pid = GetCurrentProcessId();
+    RegSetKeyValueA(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Software\\Valve\\Steam\\ActiveProcess", "pid", REG_DWORD, &pid, sizeof(pid));
+}
+
+static DWORD WINAPI create_steam_window(void *arg)
+{
+    static WNDCLASSEXW wndclass = { sizeof(WNDCLASSEXW) };
+    static const WCHAR class_nameW[] = {'v','g','u','i','P','o','p','u','p','W','i','n','d','o','w',0};
+    static const WCHAR steamW[] = {'S','t','e','a','m',0};
+    MSG msg;
+
+    wndclass.lpfnWndProc = DefWindowProcW;
+    wndclass.lpszClassName = class_nameW;
+
+    RegisterClassExW(&wndclass);
+    CreateWindowW(class_nameW, steamW, WS_POPUP, 40, 40,
+                  400, 300, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
+    while (GetMessageW(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
+    {
+        TranslateMessage(&msg);
+        DispatchMessage(&msg);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void setup_steam_registry(void)
+{
+    const char *ui_lang;
+    uint32 appid;
+    char buf[256];
+    HKEY key;
+    LSTATUS status;
+
+    if (!SteamAPI_Init())
+    {
+        WINE_ERR("SteamAPI_Init failed\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    ui_lang = SteamUtils()->GetSteamUILanguage();
+    WINE_TRACE("UI language: %s\n", wine_dbgstr_a(ui_lang));
+    RegSetKeyValueA(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Software\\Valve\\Steam", "language",
+                    REG_SZ, ui_lang, strlen(ui_lang) + 1);
+
+    appid = SteamUtils()->GetAppID();
+    WINE_TRACE("appid: %u\n", appid);
+    sprintf(buf, "Software\\Valve\\Steam\\Apps\\%u", appid);
+    status = RegCreateKeyA(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, buf, &key);
+    if (!status)
+    {
+        DWORD value;
+        value = 1;
+        RegSetKeyValueA(key, NULL, "Installed", REG_DWORD, &value, sizeof(value));
+        RegSetKeyValueA(key, NULL, "Running", REG_DWORD, &value, sizeof(value));
+        value = 0;
+        RegSetKeyValueA(key, NULL, "Updating", REG_DWORD, &value, sizeof(value));
+        RegCloseKey(key);
+    }
+    else WINE_ERR("Could not create key: %u\n", status);
+
+    SteamAPI_Shutdown();
+}
+
+static int run_process(void)
+{
+    WCHAR *cmdline = GetCommandLineW();
+    STARTUPINFOW si = { sizeof(si) };
+    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
+
+    /* skip argv[0] */
+    if (*cmdline == '"')
+    {
+        cmdline = strchrW(cmdline + 1, '"');
+        if (cmdline) cmdline++;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        cmdline = strchrW(cmdline, ' ');
+    }
+    if (!cmdline)
+    {
+        WINE_ERR("Invalid command\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+    while (*cmdline == ' ') cmdline++;
+
+    WINE_TRACE("Running command %s\n", wine_dbgstr_w(cmdline));
+
+    if (!CreateProcessW(NULL, cmdline, NULL, NULL, FALSE, 0, NULL, NULL, &si, &pi))
+    {
+        WINE_ERR("Failed to create process %s: %u\n", wine_dbgstr_w(cmdline), GetLastError());
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
+    CloseHandle(pi.hThread);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    WINE_TRACE("\n");
+
+    CreateThread(NULL, 0, create_steam_window, NULL, 0, NULL);
+
+    set_active_process_pid();
+    setup_steam_registry();
+
+    if (argc > 1)
+    {
+        int ret = run_process();
+        if (ret) return ret;
+    }
+
+    WaitForSingleObject(__wine_make_process_system(), INFINITE);
+    return 0;
+}