diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/IntervalFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/IntervalFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c163291a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/IntervalFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
+
+import com.samskivert.util.Interval;
+
+public interface IntervalFactory
+{
+    /**
+     * Creates an {@link Interval} that runs the supplied runnable.
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * _factory.newInterval(someRunnable).schedule(500); // one shot
+     * Interval ival = _factory.newInterval(someRunnable).schedule(500, true); // repeater
+     * </pre>
+     */
+    Interval newInterval (Runnable action);
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/RootDObjectManager.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/RootDObjectManager.java
index 7279f4c36..76be3d575 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/RootDObjectManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/RootDObjectManager.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import com.samskivert.util.RunQueue;
  * distributed objects in question. VMs that operate proxies of objects can only implement the
  * basic distributed object manager interface.
  */
-public interface RootDObjectManager extends DObjectManager, RunQueue, Executor
+public interface RootDObjectManager extends DObjectManager, RunQueue, Executor, IntervalFactory
 {
     /**
      * Looks up and returns the requested distributed object in the dobj table, returning null if