diff --git a/contrib/startup_regtest.sh b/contrib/startup_regtest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..93eaf3671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/startup_regtest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+## Short script to startup two local nodes with
+## bitcoind, all running on regtest
+
+## Should be called by source since it sets aliases
+
+if [ -z "$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING" ]
+then
+	echo "\$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING not set"
+	return
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$PATH_TO_BITCOIN" ]
+then
+	echo "\$PATH_TO_BITCOIN not set"
+	return
+fi
+
+mkdir -p /tmp/l1-regtest /tmp/l2-regtest
+
+# Node one config
+cat << 'EOF' > /tmp/l1-regtest/config
+network=regtest
+daemon
+log-level=debug
+log-file=/tmp/l1-regtest/log
+addr=localhost:6060
+EOF
+
+cat << 'EOF' > /tmp/l2-regtest/config
+network=regtest
+daemon
+log-level=debug
+log-file=/tmp/l2-regtest/log
+addr=localhost:9090
+EOF
+
+# Start bitcoind in the background
+bitcoind -daemon -regtest
+
+# Start the lightning nodes
+"$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING/lightningd/lightningd" --lightning-dir=/tmp/l1-regtest
+"$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING/lightningd/lightningd" --lightning-dir=/tmp/l2-regtest
+
+alias l1-cli='$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING/cli/lightning-cli --lightning-dir=/tmp/l1-regtest'
+alias l2-cli='$PATH_TO_LIGHTNING/cli/lightning-cli --lightning-dir=/tmp/l2-regtest'
+alias bt-cli='bitcoin-cli -regtest'
+
+cleanup_lightning() {
+	test ! -f /tmp/l1-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid || \
+		(kill "$(cat /tmp/l1-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid)" && \
+		rm /tmp/l1-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid)
+	test ! -f /tmp/l2-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid || \
+		(kill "$(cat /tmp/l2-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid)" && \
+		rm /tmp/l2-regtest/lightningd-regtest.pid)
+	test ! -f "$PATH_TO_BITCOIN/regtest/bitcoind.pid" || \
+		(kill "$(cat "$PATH_TO_BITCOIN/regtest/bitcoind.pid")" && \
+		rm "$PATH_TO_BITCOIN/regtest/bitcoind.pid")
+	unalias l1-cli
+	unalias l2-cli
+	unalias bt-cli
+	unset -f cleanup_lightning
+}