diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
index 802e33f05..8fcee0015 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: PresentsDObjectMgr.java,v 1.23 2002/02/09 07:50:37 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: PresentsDObjectMgr.java,v 1.24 2002/03/20 03:23:00 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.server;
 
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ public class PresentsDObjectMgr implements RootDObjectManager
         _objects.put(0, new DObject());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets up an access controller that will be provided to any
+     * distributed objects created on the server. The controllers can
+     * subsequently be overridden if desired, but a default controller is
+     * useful for implementing basic access control policies.
+     */
+    public void setDefaultAccessController (AccessController controller)
+    {
+        _defaultController = controller;
+    }
+
     // inherit documentation from the interface
     public void createObject (Class dclass, Subscriber target)
     {
@@ -492,6 +503,8 @@ public class PresentsDObjectMgr implements RootDObjectManager
                 // initialize this object
                 obj.setOid(oid);
                 obj.setManager(PresentsDObjectMgr.this);
+                obj.setAccessController(_defaultController);
+
                 // insert it into the table
                 _objects.put(oid, obj);
 
@@ -685,6 +698,10 @@ public class PresentsDObjectMgr implements RootDObjectManager
     /** Used to track oid list references of distributed objects. */
     protected HashIntMap _refs = new HashIntMap();
 
+    /** The default access controller to use when creating distributed
+     * objects. */
+    protected AccessController _defaultController;
+
     /** The default size of an oid list refs vector. */
     protected static final int DEFREFVEC_SIZE = 4;