Near-infrared observations of L1551-IRS5 with image sharpening

L1551-IRS5 is a classic example of a low-mass young stellar object. We present near-infrared images with a FWHM of 0.3 arcsec obtained using the 'Shift and Add' technique. These observations are combined with existing multiwaveband data to constrain Monte Carlo models of the system in scattered light. The models demonstrate that the observed flux distribution arises not from a disc but from a circumstellar envelope with an evacuated bipolar cavity. The envelope has a mass of 0.1-0.3M(.) within a radius of 670 au, and shows no evidence of a significant population of large dust grains.