diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdObjectAccess.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdObjectAccess.java
index be4ec17ed..cc75d3ac5 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdObjectAccess.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdObjectAccess.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.server;
 
+import com.threerings.presents.data.ClientObject;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.AccessController;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DEvent;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObject;
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import com.threerings.presents.dobj.Subscriber;
 
 import com.threerings.crowd.Log;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
+import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceObject;
 
 /**
  * Defines the various object access controllers used by the Crowd server.
@@ -103,4 +105,28 @@ public class CrowdObjectAccess
             }
         }
     };
+
+    /**
+     * Provides access control for place objects. The default behavior is to
+     * allow place occupants to subscribe to the place object and to use the
+     * {@link #DEFAULT} modification policy.
+     */
+    public static AccessController PLACE = new AccessController()
+    {
+        // documentation inherited from interface
+        public boolean allowSubscribe (DObject object, Subscriber sub)
+        {
+            if (sub instanceof CrowdClient) {
+                ClientObject co = ((CrowdClient)sub).getClientObject();
+                return ((PlaceObject)object).occupants.contains(co.getOid());
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        // documentation inherited from interface
+        public boolean allowDispatch (DObject object, DEvent event)
+        {
+            return DEFAULT.allowDispatch(object, event);
+        }
+    };
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
index 6d7346391..c802c5689 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import com.threerings.presents.data.ClientObject;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.PresentsDObjectMgr;
 
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.AccessController;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObject;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObjectManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.EntryAddedEvent;
@@ -265,6 +266,9 @@ public class PlaceManager
         // we'll need to hear about place object events
         plobj.addListener(this);
 
+        // configure this place's access controller
+        plobj.setAccessController(getAccessController());
+
         // let our derived classes do their thang
         didStartup();
 
@@ -281,6 +285,15 @@ public class PlaceManager
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates an access controller for this place's distributed object, which
+     * by default is {@link CrowdObjectAccess#PLACE}.
+     */
+    protected AccessController getAccessController ()
+    {
+        return CrowdObjectAccess.PLACE;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Derived classes should override this (and be sure to call
      * <code>super.didStartup()</code>) to perform any startup time
@@ -619,8 +632,8 @@ public class PlaceManager
     }
 
     // documentation inherited from interface
-    public boolean isValidSpeaker (DObject speakObj, ClientObject speaker,
-                                   byte mode)
+    public boolean isValidSpeaker (
+        DObject speakObj, ClientObject speaker, byte mode)
     {
         // only allow people in the room to speak
         return _plobj.occupants.contains(speaker.getOid());