diff --git a/songbook.py b/songbook.py
index 1645d454..dddba208 100755
--- a/songbook.py
+++ b/songbook.py
@@ -16,56 +16,63 @@ reArtist = re.compile('(?<=by=)(.(?<![,\\]\\}]))+')
 reAlbum  = re.compile('(?<=album=)(.(?<![,\\]\\}]))+')
 
 class Song:
-   def __init__(self, title, artist, album, path):
-      self.title  = title
-      self.artist = artist
-      self.album  = album
-      self.path   = path
-   def __repr__(self):
-      return repr((self.title, self.artist, self.album, self.path))
-
-def copyCovers():
-   '''
-   Copy all covers found in songs/ hierarchy into a same folder.  This
-   allows a much faster search for pdflatex since the \graphicspath
-   macro now only contains a single directory instead of quite a long
-   list to search through.
-   '''
-   #create "covers/" directory if it does not exist
-   d = os.path.dirname("covers/")
-   if not os.path.exists(d):
-      os.makedirs(d)
-
-   covers = list(set(glob.glob('songs/*/*.jpg')))
-   for cover in covers:
-      f = "covers/" + os.path.basename(cover)
-      if(os.path.exists(f) == False):
-         shutil.copy(cover, f)
+    def __init__(self, title, artist, album, path):
+        self.title  = title
+        self.artist = artist
+        self.album  = album
+        self.path   = path
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return repr((self.title, self.artist, self.album, self.path))
+
+from xdg.BaseDirectory import *
+
+print 'xdg_data_home: %s' % xdg_data_home
+print 'xdg_data_dirs: %s' % xdg_data_dirs
+print 'xdg_config_home: %s' % xdg_config_home
+print 'xdg_config_dirs: %s' % xdg_config_dirs
+print 'xdg_cache_home: %s' % xdg_cache_home
+
+songbook_cache_home = os.path.join(xdg_cache_home, 'songbook')
+
+def makeCoverCache(cachePath):
+    '''
+    Copy all pictures found in the libraries into a unique cache
+    folder.
+    '''
+    # create the cache directory if it does not exist
+    if not os.path.exists(cachePath):
+        os.makedirs(cachePath)
+
+    # copy pictures file into the cache directory
+    covers = glob.glob('songs/*/*.jpg')
+    for cover in covers:
+        coverPath = os.path.join(cachePath, os.path.basename(cover))
+        shutil.copy(cover, coverPath)
 
 def matchRegexp(reg, iterable):
     return [ m.group(1) for m in (reg.match(l) for l in iterable) if m ]
 
 def songslist(songs):
-   song_objects = []
-   for s in songs:
-      path = 'songs/'+s
-      with open(path, 'r+') as f:
-         data   = f.read()
-         title  = reTitle.search(data).group(0)
-         artist = reArtist.search(data.replace("{","")).group(0)
-         match  = reAlbum.search(data.replace("{",""))
-         if match:
-            album = match.group(0)
-         else:
-            album = ''
-         song_objects.append(Song(title, artist, album, path))
-
-   song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.title))
-   song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.album))
-   song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.artist))
-
-   result = [ '\\input{{{0}}}'.format(song.path.replace("\\","/").strip()) for song in song_objects ]
-   return '\n'.join(result)
+    song_objects = []
+    for s in songs:
+        path = 'songs/'+s
+        with open(path, 'r+') as f:
+            data   = f.read()
+            title  = reTitle.search(data).group(0)
+            artist = reArtist.search(data.replace("{","")).group(0)
+            match  = reAlbum.search(data.replace("{",""))
+            if match:
+                album = match.group(0)
+            else:
+                album = ''
+            song_objects.append(Song(title, artist, album, path))
+
+    song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.title))
+    song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.album))
+    song_objects = sorted(song_objects, key=lambda x: locale.strxfrm(x.artist))
+
+    result = [ '\\input{{{0}}}'.format(song.path.replace("\\","/").strip()) for song in song_objects ]
+    return '\n'.join(result)
 
 def parseTemplate(template):
     embeddedJsonPattern = re.compile(r"^%%:")
@@ -161,12 +168,10 @@ def makeTexFile(sb, output):
 def makeDepend(sb, output):
     name = output[:-2]
 
-    #dependsPattern = re.compile(r"^[^%]*(?:include|input)\{(.*?)\}")
     indexPattern = re.compile(r"^[^%]*\\(?:newauthor|new)index\{.*\}\{(.*?)\}")
     lilypondPattern = re.compile(r"^[^%]*\\(?:lilypond)\{(.*?)\}")
 
     # check for deps (in sb data)
-    #deps = matchRegexp(dependsPattern, [ v for v in sb.itervalues() if type(v) is not list ])
     deps = [];
     if sb["songs"] == "all":
         deps += glob.glob('songs/*/*.sg')
@@ -206,7 +211,7 @@ def main():
     try:
         opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 
                                    "hs:o:d", 
-                                   ["help","songbook=","output=","depend"])
+                                   ["help","songbook=","output=","depend","cache"])
     except getopt.GetoptError, err:
         # print help and exit
         print str(err)
@@ -216,11 +221,14 @@ def main():
     songbook = None
     depend = False
     output = None
+    cache = False
 
     for o, a in opts:
         if o in ("-h", "--help"):
             usage()
             sys.exit()
+        elif o in ("--cache"):
+            cache = True
         elif o in ("-s", "--songbook"):
             songbook = a
         elif o in ("-d", "--depend"):
@@ -230,13 +238,13 @@ def main():
         else:
             assert False, "unhandled option"
 
-    if songbook and output:
+    if cache:
+        makeCoverCache(os.path.join(songbook_cache_home, 'images'))
+    elif songbook and output:
         f = open(songbook)
         sb = json.load(f)
         f.close()
 
-        copyCovers()
-
         if depend:
             makeDepend(sb, output)
         else: