diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/ActionSequence.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/ActionSequence.java
index fa8b0874b..08393df4e 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/ActionSequence.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/ActionSequence.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ActionSequence.java,v 1.4 2002/06/26 23:53:06 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ActionSequence.java,v 1.5 2002/07/24 22:24:05 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cast;
 
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
  */
 public class ActionSequence implements Serializable
 {
+    /**
+     * Defines the name of the default action sequence. When component
+     * tilesets are loaded to build a set of composited images for a
+     * particular action sequence, a check is first made for a component
+     * tileset specific to the action sequence and then for the
+     * component's default tileset if the action specific tileset did not
+     * exist.
+     */
+    public static final String DEFAULT_SEQUENCE = "default";
+
     /** The action sequence name. */
     public String name;
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
index 3cda544b2..2ccb04101 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: BundledComponentRepository.java,v 1.15 2002/06/26 23:53:06 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: BundledComponentRepository.java,v 1.16 2002/07/24 22:24:05 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cast.bundle;
 
@@ -263,11 +263,6 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
         public ActionFrames getFrames (
             CharacterComponent component, String action)
         {
-            // load up the tileset for this action
-            String path = component.componentClass.name + "/" +
-                component.name + "/" + action +
-                BundleUtil.TILESET_EXTENSION;
-
             // obtain the action sequence definition for this action
             ActionSequence actseq = (ActionSequence)_actions.get(action);
             if (actseq == null) {
@@ -277,8 +272,21 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
                 return null;
             }
 
+            // first try loading up a tileset customized for this action
+            String root = component.componentClass.name + "/" +
+                component.name + "/";
+            String path = root + action + BundleUtil.TILESET_EXTENSION;
+
             try {
-                TileSet aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(_bundle, path);
+                TileSet aset = null;
+                aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(_bundle, path);
+                if (aset == null) {
+                    Log.info("Falling back to default [path=" + path + "].");
+                    // try loading the default tileset
+                    path = root + ActionSequence.DEFAULT_SEQUENCE +
+                        BundleUtil.TILESET_EXTENSION;
+                    aset = (TileSet)BundleUtil.loadObject(_bundle, path);
+                }
                 aset.setImageProvider(this);
                 return new TileSetFrameImage(aset, actseq);