diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/CMakeLists.txt b/Tools/PathResolver/CMakeLists.txt
index b9a82329bcd82a2ac2b4af4683c1f4288f215941..159c1687958b34dc8d58f68b5bd8c2dcc1cec97a 100644
--- a/Tools/PathResolver/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $Id: CMakeLists.txt 725452 2016-02-22 09:43:15Z krasznaa $
+# $Id: CMakeLists.txt 740930 2016-04-18 08:46:48Z will $
 #
 # CMake configuration file for the PathResolver package.
 #
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ atlas_add_dictionary( PathResolverDict
 # Install files from the package:
 atlas_install_python_modules( python/*.py )
 
+# Install showReleaseNotes.py script
+#FIXME: TODO
+
 # Set up a helper environment variable for the test(s):
 set( _dpath "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test" )
 set( _dpath "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/B:${_dpath}" )
diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/PathResolver/selection.xml b/Tools/PathResolver/PathResolver/selection.xml
index 746011d3f2e526a6c0916b29588107b13f9bb87a..dae5387ef08b94b3a9892e87ac8ae0cc5a7b1c0c 100644
--- a/Tools/PathResolver/PathResolver/selection.xml
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/PathResolver/selection.xml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <lcgdict>
   <function name="PathResolverFindCalibFile" />
   <function name="PathResolverFindCalibDirectory" />
+  <function name="PathResolverSetOutputLevel" />
 </lcgdict>
diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/Root/PathResolver.cxx b/Tools/PathResolver/Root/PathResolver.cxx
index 6141d389580ad18245f8d5ab4f375ca41016c50d..5c6e2f5de15eb259b6abd01f7a9ad231efd83399 100644
--- a/Tools/PathResolver/Root/PathResolver.cxx
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/Root/PathResolver.cxx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ bool PathResolver::m_setLevel=false;
 
 
 asg::AsgMessaging& PathResolver::asgMsg() {
+   if(!m_setLevel) setOutputLevel(MSG::INFO);
    static asg::AsgMessaging asgMsg("PathResolver");
    return asgMsg;
 }
diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/cmt/requirements b/Tools/PathResolver/cmt/requirements
index 77cd90605f82d45fcd09248188aee14ce45e385a..4f208c245f5a2dc88e1a4fa089064bee08a8940d 100644
--- a/Tools/PathResolver/cmt/requirements
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/cmt/requirements
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ branches python
 
 apply_pattern declare_python_modules files="*.py"
 
+apply_pattern declare_scripts files=" -s=$(PathResolver_root)/python showReleaseNotes.py"
 
 #Next three lines kept for possible future developments
 #macro_append pp_cppflags " '-DPACKAGE_NAME=$(q2)$(package)$(q2)' '-DPACKAGE_OFFSET=$(q2)$($(package)_offset)$(q2)' "
diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/python/PathResolver.py b/Tools/PathResolver/python/PathResolver.py
index 4ebe3ae8a95a4d3b2d2f885413d27587b0912d49..2e8ea24d809c09e2ac470bd0e839ad424ece3fe2 100644
--- a/Tools/PathResolver/python/PathResolver.py
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/python/PathResolver.py
@@ -5,10 +5,22 @@
 #from PathResolver import PathResolver
 #PathResolver.FindCalibFile("blah")
 
+#if working in athena release, we will need to start the ApplicationMgr so that the appropriate MessageSvc is created
+try:
+   #check if Gaudi already started
+   from GaudiPython.Bindings import _gaudi as GaudiAppMgr
+   if GaudiAppMgr==None:
+      print "PathResolver: Starting Gaudi for access to correct instance of MessageSvc"
+      from GaudiPython import AppMgr
+      AppMgr() #note this is not the same thing as 'theApp' in joboptions, but 'theApp' will use this
+      #the line above starts the application mgr, and _gaudi will become set to that
+except ImportError:
+   pass
 
 import cppyy
 cppyy.loadDict('libPathResolver')
 cppyy.loadDict('libPathResolverDict') #why do we have to load both the library and the dict :-( To be fixed by ROOT...
 FindCalibFile = cppyy.gbl.PathResolverFindCalibFile
 FindCalibDirectory = cppyy.gbl.PathResolverFindCalibDirectory
+SetOutputLevel = cppyy.gbl.PathResolverSetOutputLevel
 
diff --git a/Tools/PathResolver/python/showReleaseNotes.py b/Tools/PathResolver/python/showReleaseNotes.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c3ec1b65e879d790b4a9d23819102ee4c3da46c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/PathResolver/python/showReleaseNotes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2017 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+# @file showReleaseNotes.py
+# @purpose Display important notes/announcments (if any) about the current release
+# @author Will Buttinger
+# @date April 2016
+
+
+def main():
+   import os
+   #we don't use the 'from PathResolver import PathResolver' because that will force Gaudi ApplicationMgr to display
+   #Until we have a way to 'silently' start the applicationmgr, we will do it the 'bad' way
+   import cppyy
+   cppyy.loadDict('libPathResolver')
+   cppyy.loadDict('libPathResolverDict')
+   FindCalibFile = cppyy.gbl.PathResolverFindCalibFile
+   cppyy.gbl.PathResolverSetOutputLevel(6) #suppress all possible warnings/errors
+
+   notesFile = FindCalibFile("dev/ReleaseNotes/%s/%s" % (os.environ['AtlasProject'],os.environ['AtlasVersion']))
+   if notesFile=="": return 0 #no notes to display
+
+   with open(notesFile) as f: 
+      print f.read()
+
+
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import sys
+    sys.exit(main())