diff --git a/actionpack/Rakefile b/actionpack/Rakefile
index 2714ea7e80..386a66ddb3 100755
--- a/actionpack/Rakefile
+++ b/actionpack/Rakefile
@@ -104,6 +104,14 @@ task :lines do
   puts "Total: Lines #{total_lines}, LOC #{total_codelines}"
 end
 
+# Publishing ------------------------------------------------------
+
+task :update_scriptaculous do
+  system("svn export --force http://dev.rubyonrails.org/svn/rails/spinoffs/scriptaculous/src/ #{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/lib/action_view/helpers/javascripts/")
+end
+
+desc "Updates actionpack to the latest version of the javascript spinoffs"
+task :update_js => [:update_scriptaculous]
 
 # Publishing ------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/railties/Rakefile b/railties/Rakefile
index 4f090dc889..28cc23d84b 100644
--- a/railties/Rakefile
+++ b/railties/Rakefile
@@ -59,6 +59,18 @@ task :clean do
   rm_rf PKG_DESTINATION
 end
 
+# Get external spinoffs -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+task :update_scriptaculous do
+  system("svn export --force http://dev.rubyonrails.org/svn/rails/spinoffs/scriptaculous/src/ #{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/html/javascripts")
+end
+
+task :update_prototype do
+  system("svn export --force http://dev.rubyonrails.org/svn/rails/trunk/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/javascripts/prototype.js #{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/html/javascripts/prototype.js")
+end
+
+desc "Updates railties to the latest version of the javascript spinoffs"
+task :update_js => [:update_scriptaculous, :update_prototype]
 
 # Make directory structure ----------------------------------------------------------------