diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/PackagerPlugin.scala b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/PackagerPlugin.scala
index bebe1e2a6..4645193f8 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/PackagerPlugin.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/PackagerPlugin.scala
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ object SbtNativePackager extends Plugin
     with GenericPackageSettings {
 
   val NativePackagerKeys = packager.Keys
-  
+
+  val NativePackagerHelper = packager.MappingsHelper
+
   def packagerSettings = linuxSettings ++ 
                          debianSettings ++ 
                          rpmSettings ++ 
@@ -47,7 +49,8 @@ object SbtNativePackager extends Plugin
     def java_server: Seq[Setting[_]] =
       genericMappingSettings ++ archetypes.JavaServerAppPackaging.settings
   }
-                           
+
+
   // TODO - Add a few targets that detect the current OS and build a package for that OS.
   
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/MappingsHelper.scala b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/MappingsHelper.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa0f053a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/MappingsHelper.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package com.typesafe.sbt
+package packager
+
+import sbt._
+
+/** A set of helper methods to simplify the writing of mappings */
+object MappingsHelper {
+
+  /** return a Seq of mappings which effect is to add a whole directory in the generated package */
+  def directory(sourceDir: File): Seq[(File, String)] = {
+    val parentFile = sourceDir.getParentFile
+    if (parentFile != null)
+      sourceDir.*** pair relativeTo(sourceDir.getParentFile)
+    else
+      sourceDir.*** pair basic
+  }
+
+  /** It lightens the build file if one wants to give a string instead of file. */
+  def directory(sourceDir: String): Seq[(File, String)] = {
+    directory(file(sourceDir))
+  }
+
+  /** return a Seq of mappings which effect is to add the content of directory in the generated package,
+    *  excluding the directory itself */
+  def contentOf(sourceDir: File): Seq[(File, String)] = {
+    (sourceDir.*** --- sourceDir) pair relativeTo(sourceDir)
+  }
+
+  /** It lightens the build file if one wants to give a string instead of file. */
+  def contentOf(sourceDir: String): Seq[(File, String)] = {
+    contentOf(file(sourceDir))
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/sphinx/universal.rst b/src/sphinx/universal.rst
index d49c3425f..04323d10c 100644
--- a/src/sphinx/universal.rst
+++ b/src/sphinx/universal.rst
@@ -166,6 +166,21 @@ generates a function with a ``file -> Option[String]`` mapping, which tries to g
 string path from ``dir.getParentFile`` to the passed in file. ``pair`` uses the ``relativeTo``
 function to generate a mapping ``File -> String``, which is _your file_ to _relative destination_.
 
+It exists some helper methods to map a complete directory in more human readable way.
+
+.. code-block:: scala
+
+    import NativePackagerHelper._
+
+    //For dynamic content, e.g. something in the target directory which depends on a Task
+    mappings in Universal <++= (packageBin in Compile, target) map { (_, target) =>
+      directory(target / "scala-2.10" / "api")
+    }
+
+    //For static content it can be added to mappings directly
+    mappings in Universal ++= directory("SomeResourcesToInclude")
+
+
 Mapping the content of a directory.
 
 .. code-block:: scala
@@ -177,6 +192,20 @@ Mapping the content of a directory.
     
 The ``dir`` gets excluded and is used as root for ``relativeTo(dir)``.
 
+It also exists some helper methods to simplify writing of such mapping.
+
+.. code-block:: scala
+
+    import NativePackagerHelper._
+
+    //For dynamic content, e.g. something in the target directory which depends on a Task
+    mappings in Universal <++= (packageBin in Compile, target) map { (_, target) =>
+      contentOf(target / "scala-2.10" / "api")
+    }
+
+    //For static content it can be added to mappings directly
+    mappings in Universal ++= contentOf("SomeResourcesToInclude")
+
 Commands
 --------