diff -r 4499f290d3ce core.netigso/src/org/netbeans/core/netigso/Netigso.java
--- a/core.netigso/src/org/netbeans/core/netigso/Netigso.java	Tue Dec 13 12:34:52 2011 +0100
+++ b/core.netigso/src/org/netbeans/core/netigso/Netigso.java	Wed Dec 14 09:08:57 2011 +0100
@@ -411,6 +411,9 @@
                     LOG.log(Level.FINE, "Installing bundle {0}", loc);
                     b = bc.installBundle(loc);
                     int startLevel = m.getStartLevel();
+                    if (startLevel == -1) {
+                        startLevel = defaultStartLevel();
+                    }
                     if (startLevel > 0) {
                         setBundleStartLevel(bc, b, startLevel);
                     }
diff -r 4499f290d3ce o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/Module.java
--- a/o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/Module.java	Tue Dec 13 12:34:52 2011 +0100
+++ b/o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/Module.java	Wed Dec 14 09:08:57 2011 +0100
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@
     /** Finds out if a module has been assigned with a specific start level.
      * Start level is only useful for OSGi bundles. Otherwise it is always zero.
      * 
-     * @return zero, if no specific level is assigned, positive integer if so
+     * @return -1, if no specific level is assigned, non-negative integer if so
      * @since 2.43
      */
     public final int getStartLevel() {
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@
     }
     
     int getStartLevelImpl() {
-        return 0;
+        return -1;
     }
     
     /** String representation for debugging. */
diff -r 4499f290d3ce o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/NetigsoModule.java
--- a/o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/NetigsoModule.java	Tue Dec 13 12:34:52 2011 +0100
+++ b/o.n.bootstrap/src/org/netbeans/NetigsoModule.java	Wed Dec 14 09:08:57 2011 +0100
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import org.openide.modules.SpecificationVersion;
 import org.openide.util.Exceptions;
-import org.openide.util.Lookup;
 
 /** Special module for representing OSGi bundles 
  * @author Jaroslav Tulach
@@ -230,7 +229,7 @@
 
     @Override
     final int getStartLevelImpl() {
-        return startLevel == -1 ? Lookup.getDefault().lookup(NetigsoFramework.class).defaultStartLevel() : startLevel;
+        return startLevel;
     }
 
     final void setStartLevel(int startLevel) {