diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/AccessControl.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/AccessControl.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3aebbc14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/AccessControl.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+//
+// $Id: AccessControl.java,v 1.1 2002/10/31 21:32:39 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.crowd.server;
+import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
+
+/**
+ * Used to ratify access control on a feature by feature basis.
+ */
+public interface AccessControl
+{
+    /**
+     * Checks to see if the specified user has access to the feature with
+     * the specified name. Features are named according to their
+     * containing package, e.g. <code>crowd.chat.broadcast</code>.
+     *
+     * @param user the user requesting the feature.
+     * @param feature the string identifying the feature.
+     */
+    public boolean checkAccess (BodyObject user, String feature);
+}
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdServer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdServer.java
index f5f74e66e..e2a1bc2f3 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdServer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/CrowdServer.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: CrowdServer.java,v 1.14 2002/10/21 20:56:20 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: CrowdServer.java,v 1.15 2002/10/31 21:32:39 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.server;
 
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ public class CrowdServer extends PresentsServer
     /** The place registry. */
     public static PlaceRegistry plreg;
 
+    /** An object that is used to ratify access control on an action by
+     * action basis. Systems will want to override {@link
+     * #createAccessControl} to provide an implementation that will
+     * enforce their access control requirements. */
+    public static AccessControl actrl;
+
     /**
      * Initializes all of the server services and prepares for operation.
      */
@@ -38,12 +44,29 @@ public class CrowdServer extends PresentsServer
         // create our place registry
         plreg = new PlaceRegistry(invmgr, omgr);
 
+        // create our access control implementation
+        actrl = createAccessControl();
+
         // initialize the chat services
         ChatProvider.init(invmgr, omgr);
 
         Log.info("Crowd server initialized.");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates the {@link AccessControl} instance used to limit access to
+     * system features. The default implementation refuses access to
+     * everything.
+     */
+    protected AccessControl createAccessControl ()
+    {
+        return new AccessControl() {
+            public boolean checkAccess (BodyObject user, String feature) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
     /**
      * Enumerates the body objects for all active users on the server.
      * This should only be called from the dobjmgr thread.  The caller had