diff --git a/cell.cpp b/cell.cpp
index ceb80519..3055d9a6 100644
--- a/cell.cpp
+++ b/cell.cpp
@@ -1783,6 +1783,49 @@ int celldistance(cell *c1, cell *c2) {
   return hyperbolic_celldistance(c1, c2);
   }
 
+vector<cell*> build_shortest_path(cell *c1, cell *c2) {
+  if(geometry == gCrystal) return crystal::build_shortest_path(c1, c2);
+  vector<cell*> p;
+  if(euclid) {
+    using namespace hyperpoint_vec;
+    p.push_back(c1);
+    hyperpoint h = tC0(calc_relative_matrix(c2, c1, C0)) - C0;
+    cell *x = c1;
+    hyperpoint h1 = C0; 
+    int d = celldistance(c1, c2);
+    for(int i=0; i<=d * 10; i++) {
+      h1 += h / d / 10.;
+      virtualRebase(x, h1,  true);
+      if(x != p.back()) p.push_back(x);
+      }
+    if(isize(p) != d + 1)
+      println(hlog, "warning: path size ", isize(p), " should be ", d+1);
+    }
+  else if(c2 == currentmap->gamestart()) {
+    while(c1 != c2) {
+      p.push_back(c1);
+      forCellCM(c, c1) if(celldist(c) < celldist(c1)) { c1 = c; goto next1; }
+      println(hlog, "could not build_shortest_path"); exit(1);
+      next1: ;
+      }
+    p.push_back(c1);
+    }
+  else if(c1 == currentmap->gamestart()) {
+    p = build_shortest_path(c2, c1);
+    reverse(p.begin(), p.end());
+    }
+  else {
+    while(c1 != c2) {
+      p.push_back(c1);
+      forCellCM(c, c1) if(celldistance(c, c2) < celldistance(c1, c2)) { c1 = c; goto next; }
+      println(hlog, "could not build_shortest_path"); exit(1);
+      next: ;
+      }
+    p.push_back(c1);
+    }
+  return p;
+  }
+
 void clearCellMemory() {
   for(int i=0; i<isize(allmaps); i++) 
     if(allmaps[i])
diff --git a/crystal.cpp b/crystal.cpp
index 8bc2717b..9e7dc0d4 100644
--- a/crystal.cpp
+++ b/crystal.cpp
@@ -538,6 +538,59 @@ bool crystal_cell(cell *c, transmatrix V) {
   return false;
   }
 
+vector<cell*> build_shortest_path(cell *c1, cell *c2) {
+  auto m = crystal_map();
+  ldcoord co1 = m->get_coord(c1);
+  ldcoord co2 = m->get_coord(c2) - co1;
+  
+  // draw a cylinder from co1 to co2, and find the solution by going through that cylinder
+  
+  ldcoord mul = co2 / sqrt(co2|co2);
+  
+  ld mmax = (co2|mul);
+  
+  vector<cell*> p;  
+  vector<int> parent_id;
+  
+  manual_celllister cl;
+  cl.add(c2);
+  parent_id.push_back(-1);
+  
+  int steps = 0;
+  int nextsteps = 1;
+  
+  for(int i=0; i<isize(cl.lst); i++) {
+    if(i == nextsteps) steps++, nextsteps = isize(cl.lst);
+    cell *c = cl.lst[i];
+    forCellCM(c3, c) if(!cl.listed(c3)) {
+      if(c3 == c1) { 
+        p.push_back(c1);
+        while(c3 != c2) {
+          while(i) {
+            p.push_back(c3);
+            i = parent_id[i];
+            c3 = cl.lst[i];
+            }
+          }
+        p.push_back(c3);
+        return p;
+        }
+
+      auto h = m->get_coord(c3) - co1;
+      ld dot = (h|mul);
+      if(dot > mmax + PERIOD/2 + .1) continue;
+
+      for(int k=0; k<m->cs.dim; k++) if(abs(h[k] - dot * mul[k]) > PERIOD + .1) goto next3;
+      cl.add(c3);
+      parent_id.push_back(i);
+      next3: ;
+      }
+    }
+  
+  println(hlog, "Error: path not found");
+  return p;
+  }
+
 int precise_distance(cell *c1, cell *c2) {
   if(c1 == c2) return 0;
   auto m = crystal_map();
diff --git a/hyper.h b/hyper.h
index f1f35c4f..50055c11 100644
--- a/hyper.h
+++ b/hyper.h
@@ -4166,6 +4166,7 @@ namespace crystal {
   string compass_help();
   void may_place_compass(cell *c);
   void centerrug(ld aspd);
+  vector<cell*> build_shortest_path(cell *c1, cell *c2);
   }
 
 hyperpoint get_warp_corner(cell *c, int cid);