diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9b836af..6437e20 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,3 +28,6 @@ Pods/
 #
 node_modules/
 npm-debug.log
+
+# project specific
+libMapboxGL.a
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2324c1e..8483193 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
    ],
   "private": false,
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "node_modules/react-native/packager/packager.sh"
+    "start": "node_modules/react-native/packager/packager.sh",
+    "preinstall": "./scripts/download-mapbox-gl-native-ios.sh 0.2.16"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "react-native": "^0.4.1"
diff --git a/scripts/download-mapbox-gl-native-ios.sh b/scripts/download-mapbox-gl-native-ios.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..feebabb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/download-mapbox-gl-native-ios.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+VERSION=$1
+
+if ! which curl > /dev/null; then echo "curl command not found. Please install curl"; exit 1; fi;
+if ! which unzip > /dev/null; then echo "unzip command not found. Please install unzip"; exit 1; fi;
+
+mkdir temp
+
+curl -sS http://mapbox.s3.amazonaws.com/mapbox-gl-native/ios/builds/mapbox-gl-ios-$VERSION.zip > temp.zip
+unzip -o temp.zip -d temp
+mv libMapboxGL.a .
+rm -r temp
+rm temp.zip