diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/MisoScenePanel.java b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/MisoScenePanel.java
index 44440a783..f880f22f6 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/MisoScenePanel.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/MisoScenePanel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: MisoScenePanel.java,v 1.53 2003/12/13 02:52:00 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: MisoScenePanel.java,v 1.54 2004/01/07 22:03:08 ray Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.miso.client;
 
@@ -1005,7 +1005,8 @@ public class MisoScenePanel extends VirtualMediaPanel
      */
     protected String getTipText (SceneObject scobj, String action)
     {
-        return action;
+        ObjectActionHandler oah = ObjectActionHandler.lookup(action);
+        return (oah == null) ? action : oah.getTipText(action);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/ObjectActionHandler.java b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/ObjectActionHandler.java
index a337dd972..91c446b0e 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/ObjectActionHandler.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/ObjectActionHandler.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ObjectActionHandler.java,v 1.1 2003/04/17 19:21:16 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ObjectActionHandler.java,v 1.2 2004/01/07 22:03:08 ray Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.miso.client;
 
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ public class ObjectActionHandler
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the human readable object tip for the specified action.
+     */
+    public String getTipText (String action)
+    {
+        return action;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the tooltip icon for the specified action or null if the
      * action has no tooltip icon.