diff --git a/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua b/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
index ce56c05d03c..2daf3f4f550 100644
--- a/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
+++ b/scripts/target/mame/mess.lua
@@ -1386,6 +1386,7 @@ createMESSProjects(_target, _subtarget, "dec")
 files {
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/dct11em.c",
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/dectalk.c",
+	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/decwritr.c",
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/pdp11.c",
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/vax11.c",
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/mess/drivers/rainbow.c",
diff --git a/src/mame/mess.lst b/src/mame/mess.lst
index e868a11d4cf..4e266bf5443 100644
--- a/src/mame/mess.lst
+++ b/src/mame/mess.lst
@@ -1606,6 +1606,7 @@ mekd2    // 1977 Motorola Evaluation Kit
 
 // DEC
 pdp1      // 1961 DEC PDP1
+la120 // 1978 Digital Equipment Corporation
 vt100 // 1978 Digital Equipment Corporation
 //vt100wp // 1978 Digital Equipment Corporation
 //vt100stp // 1978 Digital Equipment Corporation
diff --git a/src/mess/drivers/decwritr.c b/src/mess/drivers/decwritr.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..04ff97c1a2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mess/drivers/decwritr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+// license:BSD-3-Clause
+// copyright-holders:Jonathan Gevaryahu
+/*************************************************************************
+
+    decwritr.c
+    Digital Equipment Corporation
+    DECwriter III (LA120) Teletype/Teleprinter, 1978
+
+**************************************************************************/
+
+#include "emu.h"
+#include "render.h"
+#include "ui/selgame.h"
+#include "cpu/i8085/i8085.h"
+
+
+//**************************************************************************
+//  DRIVER STATE
+//**************************************************************************
+
+class decwriter_state : public driver_device
+{
+public:
+	// constructor
+	decwriter_state(const machine_config &mconfig, device_type type, const char *tag)
+		: driver_device(mconfig, type, tag),
+		m_maincpu(*this, "maincpu")
+	{
+	}
+/*
+	virtual void machine_start()
+	{
+		// force the UI to show the game select screen
+		ui_menu_select_game::force_game_select(machine(), &machine().render().ui_container());
+	}
+*/
+	UINT32 screen_update(screen_device &screen, bitmap_rgb32 &bitmap, const rectangle &cliprect)
+	{
+		bitmap.fill(rgb_t::black);
+		return 0;
+	}
+private:
+	required_device<cpu_device> m_maincpu;
+	//required_device<generic_terminal_device> m_terminal;
+};
+
+static ADDRESS_MAP_START(la120_mem, AS_PROGRAM, 8, decwriter_state)
+	ADDRESS_MAP_UNMAP_HIGH
+	AM_RANGE( 0x0000, 0x2fff ) AM_ROM
+	//AM_RANGE( 0x3000, 0x3fff ) // keyboard 
+	AM_RANGE( 0x4000, 0x43ff ) AM_MIRROR(0x0c00) AM_RAM // 1k 'low ram'
+	AM_RANGE( 0x5000, 0x53ff ) AM_MIRROR(0x0c00) AM_RAM // 1k 'high ram'
+	AM_RANGE( 0x6000, 0x6fff ) AM_RAM // ER1400 EAROM
+	AM_RANGE( 0x7000, 0x7fff ) // DC305 printer controller ASIC stuff
+	// 8000-ffff is reserved for expansion (i.e. unused, open bus)
+ADDRESS_MAP_END
+
+static ADDRESS_MAP_START(la120_io, AS_IO, 8, decwriter_state)
+	ADDRESS_MAP_UNMAP_HIGH
+	//AM_RANGE(0x00, 0x00) AM_MIRROR(0x7D) // 8251 usart
+	//AM_RANGE(0x02, 0x02) AM_MIRROR(0x7D) // other io ports
+	// 0x80-0xff are reserved for expansion (i.e. unused, open bus)
+	ADDRESS_MAP_GLOBAL_MASK(0xff)
+ADDRESS_MAP_END
+
+//**************************************************************************
+//  MACHINE DRIVERS
+//**************************************************************************
+
+static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( la120, decwriter_state )
+
+	MCFG_CPU_ADD("maincpu",I8080, XTAL_24_8832MHz / 9)
+	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(la120_mem)
+	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(la120_io)
+	
+	// video hardware
+	//TODO: no actual screen! just paper.
+	MCFG_SCREEN_ADD("screen", RASTER)
+	MCFG_SCREEN_UPDATE_DRIVER(decwriter_state, screen_update)
+	MCFG_SCREEN_SIZE(640,480)
+	MCFG_SCREEN_VISIBLE_AREA(0,639, 0,479)
+	MCFG_SCREEN_REFRESH_RATE(30)
+MACHINE_CONFIG_END
+
+
+
+//**************************************************************************
+//  ROM DEFINITIONS
+//**************************************************************************
+
+ROM_START( la120 )
+	ROM_REGION( 0x10000, "maincpu", ROMREGION_ERASEFF )
+	// later romset, with 23-003e2, 23-004e2, 23-005e2, 23-006e2 replaced by one rom, 23-038e4
+	ROM_LOAD( "23-038e4-00.e6", 0x0000, 0x2000, CRC(12b80c00) SHA1(35875a85c5037454ac4a82ee19ea9f0337ad0dbe))
+	ROM_LOAD( "23-007e2-00.e4", 0x2000, 0x0800, CRC(41eaebf1) SHA1(c7d05417b24b853280d1636776d399a0aea34720)) // used by both earlier and later romset
+	// there is an optional european and APL rom which goes from 2800-2fff, undumped.
+ROM_END
+
+
+//**************************************************************************
+//  GAME DRIVERS
+//**************************************************************************
+/*    YEAR  NAME   PARENT  COMPAT  MACHINE  STATE          INPUT    INIT  COMPANY                          FULLNAME       FLAGS */
+GAME( 1978, la120, 0,      la120,  0,       driver_device, 0,       0,    "Digital Equipment Corporation", "DECwriter III (LA120)", MACHINE_NO_SOUND | MACHINE_IS_SKELETON | MACHINE_NOT_WORKING )