diff --git a/platform/android/llapp_main.lua b/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
index 698596908..e3fde3aaa 100644
--- a/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
+++ b/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
@@ -16,37 +16,51 @@ end
 -- path to primary external storage partition
 local path = android.getExternalStoragePath()
 
--- run user shell scripts
-local function runUserScripts(dir)
+-- run user shell scripts or recursive migration of user data
+local function runUserScripts(dir, migration, parent)
     for entry in lfs.dir(dir) do
         if entry ~= "." and entry ~= ".." then
             local fullpath = dir .. "/" .. entry
             local mode = lfs.attributes(fullpath).mode
-            if mode == "file" and fullpath:match(".sh$") then
+            if mode == "file" and migration then
+                if entry ~= "migrate" and not fullpath:match(".sh$") then
+                    local destdir = parent and android.dir .. "/" .. parent or android.dir
+                    -- we cannot create new directories on asset storage.
+                    -- trying to do that crashes the VM with error=13, Permission Denied
+                    android.execute("cp", fullpath, destdir .."/".. entry)
+                end
+            elseif mode == "file" and fullpath:match(".sh$") then
                 android.execute("sh", fullpath, path .. "/koreader", android.dir)
             elseif mode == "directory" then
-                runUserScripts(fullpath) -- recurse into next directory
+                runUserScripts(fullpath, migration, parent and parent .. "/" .. entry or entry) -- recurse into next directory
             end
         end
     end
 end
 
--- scripts executed once after an update of koreader
+-- run scripts once after an update of koreader,
+-- it can also trigger a recursive migration of user data
 local run_once_scripts = path .. "/koreader/scripts.afterupdate"
 if lfs.attributes(run_once_scripts, "mode") == "directory" then
     local afterupdate_marker = android.dir .. "/afterupdate.marker"
     if lfs.attributes(afterupdate_marker, "mode") ~= nil then
-         runUserScripts(run_once_scripts)
+         if lfs.attributes(run_once_scripts .. "/migrate", "mode") ~= nil then
+             android.LOGI("after-update: running migration")
+             runUserScripts(run_once_scripts, true)
+         else
+             android.LOGI("after-update: running shell scripts")
+             runUserScripts(run_once_scripts)
+         end
          android.execute("rm", afterupdate_marker)
-     end
+    end
 end
 
--- scripts executed every start of koreader
+-- scripts executed every start of koreader, no migration here
 local run_always_scripts = path .. "/koreader/scripts.always"
 if lfs.attributes(run_always_scripts, "mode") == "directory" then
     runUserScripts(run_always_scripts)
 end
- 
+
 -- run koreader patch before koreader startup
 pcall(dofile, path.."/koreader/patch.lua")