diff --git a/tools/add_boilerplate.py b/tools/add_boilerplate.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d161f66c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/add_boilerplate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import sys
+from os.path import abspath, join
+import re
+import datetime
+
+project_dir = "/".join(abspath(__file__).split("/")[:-2])
+
+filename = abspath(sys.argv[1])
+
+copyright = """// Copyright {} Hans Dembinski
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
+// (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt
+// or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+""".format(datetime.datetime.today().year)
+
+if filename.endswith(".hpp"):
+    with open(filename) as f:
+        content = f.read()
+    if not content.startswith("// Copyright"):
+        content = copyright + content
+
+    sub = filename[len(project_dir) + 1:]
+    if sub.startswith("include/boost/"):
+        sub = sub[len("include/boost/"):]
+    if sub.startswith("test/"):
+        sub = "histogram/" + sub
+    guard_name = "BOOST_" + sub.replace(".", "_").replace("/", "_").upper()
+
+    if guard_name not in content:
+        lines = content.split("\n")
+        for end, line in enumerate(lines):
+            if line.startswith("//"):
+                continue
+            break
+        for start in range(end, len(lines)):
+            if lines[start] != "":
+                break
+        lines = lines[:end] + ["", "#ifndef " + guard_name, "#define " + guard_name, ""] + lines[start:]
+        while lines[-1] == "":
+            lines.pop()
+        lines += ["", "#endif // " + guard_name, ""]
+        content = "\n".join(lines)
+
+    with open(filename, "w") as f:
+        f.write(content)