diff --git a/productMods/WEB-INF/resources/startup_listeners.txt b/productMods/WEB-INF/resources/startup_listeners.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50e83787
--- /dev/null
+++ b/productMods/WEB-INF/resources/startup_listeners.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#
+# ServletContextListeners for Vitro, to be instantiated and run by the StartupManager.
+#
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.config.ConfigurationPropertiesSetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.config.RevisionInfoSetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.email.FreemarkerEmailFactory$Setup
+
+# DefaultThemeSetup needs to run before the JenaDataSourceSetup to allow creation of default portal and tab
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.DefaultThemeSetup
+
+# Comment out this listener to run Vitro without a database
+# If used, this listener must be run before JenaDataSourceSetup
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.JenaPersistentDataSourceSetup
+
+# This listener is required in order to use a Jena triple store (currently the only option)
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.JenaDataSourceSetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.filestorage.backend.FileStorageSetup
+
+# Invokes a process to move any uploaded files into the new file storage system.
+# Needs to run after FileStorageSetup and JenaDataSourceSetup.
+# Should run before Pellet is set up.  
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateUploadedFiles
+
+# Update to the new UserAccounts model (1.3). Needs to run after JenaDataSourceSetup.
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateUserAccounts
+
+# Invokes process to perform updates to align with ontology changes if needed -->
+# Needs to run before submodels are attached and Pellet is set up -->
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateKnowledgeBase
+
+# The following listener remains temporarily until SDB becomes the default triple store 
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.AttachSubmodels
+
+# This listener sets up SimpleReasoner also in SDB mode. In SDB mode, Pellet is used for
+# TBox reasoning and SimpleReasoner is used for ABox reasoning. In RDF mode, Pellet was
+# used for both.
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.PelletReasonerSetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.permissions.PermissionSetsLoader
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.bean.PropertyRestrictionPolicyHelper$Setup
+
+# vivo specific, must appear before other policies
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vivo.auth.policy.VivoPolicy$Setup
+  
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.setup.CommonPolicyFamilySetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.RootUserPolicy$Setup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vivo.auth.policy.SelfEditorRelationshipPolicy$Setup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.RestrictHomeMenuItemEditingPolicy$Setup
+
+# The Solr index uses a "public" filter, so the PropertyRestrictionPolicyHelper must already be set up.
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.solr.SolrSetup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerSetup
+
+# On shutdown, this will kill the background thread started by Apache Commons File Upload
+org.apache.commons.fileupload.servlet.FileCleanerCleanup
+
+edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.jena.VClassGroupCache$Setup
diff --git a/productMods/WEB-INF/web.xml b/productMods/WEB-INF/web.xml
index 77b602ee..7b328ec4 100644
--- a/productMods/WEB-INF/web.xml
+++ b/productMods/WEB-INF/web.xml
@@ -41,166 +41,11 @@
 
   <!-- Listeners ****************************************************** -->
 
-  <!-- Reads deploy.properties. Needs to run before almost all other listeners. -->
+  <!-- StartupManager instantiates and runs the listeners from startup_listeners.txt -->
   <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.config.ConfigurationPropertiesSetup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.config.RevisionInfoSetup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.email.FreemarkerEmailFactory$Setup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- DefaultThemeSetup needs to run before the JenaDataSourceSetup
-       to allow creation of default portal and tab -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.DefaultThemeSetup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- experimental ModelMaker for ingest workflows - BJL 2008-06-01 -->
- 
-
-  <!-- Comment out this listener to run Vitro without a database -->
-  <!-- If used, this listener must be run before JenaDataSourceSetup -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.JenaPersistentDataSourceSetup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- experimental JenaMulgaraBridge, replaces JenaPersistentDataSourceSetup. -->
-  <!--     <listener>
- -->
-  <!--     	<listener-class>
- -->
-  <!--     		edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.JenaMulgaraBridgeSetup
- -->
-  <!--     	</listener-class>
- -->
-  <!--     </listener> -->
-
-  <!-- This listener is required in order to use a Jena triple store (currently the only option) -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.JenaDataSourceSetup</listener-class>
+    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.startup.StartupManager</listener-class>
   </listener>
   
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-        edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.filestorage.backend.FileStorageSetup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener> 
-  
-  <!-- Invokes a process to move any uploaded files into the new file storage system. -->
-  <!-- Needs to run after FileStorageSetup and JenaDataSourceSetup. -->
-  <!-- Should run before Pellet is set up. -->  
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-        edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateUploadedFiles
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener> 
- 
-  <!--  Update to the new UserAccounts model (1.3). Needs to run after JenaDataSourceSetup. -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-        edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateUserAccounts
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- Invokes process to perform knowledge base updates to align with ontology changes if needed --> 
-  <listener>
-     <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.UpdateKnowledgeBase</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-  
-  <!-- The following listener remains temporarily until SDB becomes the default triple store --> 
-  <listener>
-     <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.AttachSubmodels</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- This listener sets up SimpleReasoner also in SDB mode. In SDB mode, Pellet is used for -->
-  <!-- TBox reasoning and SimpleReasoner is used for ABox reasoning. In RDF mode, Pellet was -->
-  <!-- used for both. -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.PelletReasonerSetup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-  
-  <!-- The following listener records all edit changes, in reified form, to another database model -->
-  <!-- still at an experimental stage -->
-  <!-- if used, this listener should be run after all other Jena-related listeners, to avoid logging unnecessary data and slowing the context startup process -->
-
-  <!-- 
-    <listener>
-    	<listener-class>
-    		edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.servlet.setup.ModelAuditorSetup
-    	</listener-class>
-    </listener>    
--->
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.permissions.PermissionSetsLoader</listener-class>
-  </listener>
- 
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.bean.PropertyRestrictionPolicyHelper$Setup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
- 
-  <!--  vivo specific, must appear before other policies -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vivo.auth.policy.VivoPolicy$Setup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-  
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.setup.CommonPolicyFamilySetup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.RootUserPolicy$Setup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vivo.auth.policy.SelfEditorRelationshipPolicy$Setup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class> edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.RestrictHomeMenuItemEditingPolicy$Setup</listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- The Solr index uses a "public" filter, so the PropertyRestrictionPolicyHelper must already be set up. -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-      edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.solr.SolrSetup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-        edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreemarkerSetup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
-
-  <!-- On shutdown, this will kill the background thread started by Apache Commons File Upload -->
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>
-      org.apache.commons.fileupload.servlet.FileCleanerCleanup
-    </listener-class>
-  </listener>
-  
-  <listener>
-    <listener-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.jena.VClassGroupCache$Setup</listener-class>
-   </listener>
-   
-  <!--
-    <listener>
-         <listener-class>
-             edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.auth.policy.setup.AlwaysAuthorizePolicySetup
-        </listener-class>
-    </listener>
--->
-
-  <!--  vivo specific -->
-
   
   <!-- Filters ********************************************************** -->
   <!-- in 2.4 spec, filter chain order is first by filter-mapping <url-pattern> order in web.xml,