diff --git a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Shell.java b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Shell.java
index 094637ef..215fbacd 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Shell.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Shell.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import net.hyperic.sigar.util.Getline;
 public class Shell extends ShellBase {
 
     public static final String RCFILE_NAME = ".sigar_shellrc";
+    private static final String CLEAR_SCREEN = "\033[2J";
 
     private Sigar sigar = new Sigar();
     private SigarProxy proxy = SigarProxyCache.newInstance(this.sigar);
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@ public class Shell extends ShellBase {
     public Shell() {
     }
 
+    public static void clearScreen() {
+        System.out.print(CLEAR_SCREEN);
+    }
+
     public SigarProxy getSigarProxy() {
         return this.proxy;
     }
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Top.java b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Top.java
index a6590a2a..0be0a005 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Top.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/cmd/Top.java
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ public class Top {
     private static final String HEADER =
         "PID\tUSER\tSTIME\tSIZE\tRSS\tSHARE\tSTATE\tTIME\t%CPU\tCOMMAND";
 
-    private static final String CLEAR_SCREEN = "\033[2J";
-
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
         Sigar sigarImpl = new Sigar();
 
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@ public class Top {
             SigarProxyCache.newInstance(sigarImpl, SLEEP_TIME);
 
         while (true) {
-            System.out.print(CLEAR_SCREEN);
+            Shell.clearScreen();
 
             System.out.println(Uptime.getInfo(sigar));