diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
index 7d3fae225..877ece406 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: PlaceManager.java,v 1.36 2002/09/20 04:53:14 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: PlaceManager.java,v 1.37 2002/10/06 00:44:58 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.server;
 
@@ -171,6 +171,22 @@ public class PlaceManager
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Provides an opportunity for place managers to ratify the creation
+     * of a place based on whatever criterion they may require (based on
+     * information available to the manager at this post-init() but
+     * pre-startup() phase of initialization).
+     *
+     * @return If a permissions check is to fail, the manager should
+     * return a translatable string explaining the failure.
+     * <code>null</code> should be returned if initialization is to be
+     * allowed to proceed.
+     */
+    public String checkPermissions ()
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called by the place manager after the place object has been
      * successfully created.
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceRegistry.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceRegistry.java
index e6e814567..e314616d0 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceRegistry.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/server/PlaceRegistry.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: PlaceRegistry.java,v 1.21 2002/08/14 19:07:49 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: PlaceRegistry.java,v 1.22 2002/10/06 00:44:58 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.server;
 
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ import com.samskivert.util.Tuple;
 import com.samskivert.util.Queue;
 
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObject;
-import com.threerings.presents.dobj.RootDObjectManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.ObjectAccessException;
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.RootDObjectManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.Subscriber;
+import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationException;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationManager;
 
 import com.threerings.crowd.Log;
@@ -81,10 +82,14 @@ public class PlaceRegistry
      *
      * @exception InstantiationException thrown if an error occurs trying
      * to instantiate and initialize the place manager.
+     * @exception InvocationException thrown if the place manager returns
+     * failure from the call to {@link PlaceManager#checkPermissions}. The
+     * error string returned by that call will be provided as in the
+     * exception.
      */
     public PlaceManager createPlace (
         PlaceConfig config, CreationObserver observer)
-        throws InstantiationException
+        throws InstantiationException, InvocationException
     {
         try {
             // load up the manager class
@@ -94,6 +99,13 @@ public class PlaceRegistry
             // let the pmgr know about us and its configuration
             pmgr.init(this, _invmgr, _omgr, config);
 
+            // give the manager an opportunity to abort the whole process
+            // if it fails any permissions checks
+            String errmsg = pmgr.checkPermissions();
+            if (errmsg != null) {
+                throw new InvocationException(errmsg);
+            }
+
             // stick the manager on the creation queue because we know
             // we'll get our calls to objectAvailable()/requestFailed() in
             // the order that we call createObject()
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneRegistry.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneRegistry.java
index 12a42db86..3791d27c1 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneRegistry.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneRegistry.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SceneRegistry.java,v 1.16 2002/08/14 19:07:57 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SceneRegistry.java,v 1.17 2002/10/06 00:44:58 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.server;
 
@@ -209,9 +209,9 @@ public class SceneRegistry
             // will call back to the scene registry and let us know that
             // we can turn the penders loose
 
-        } catch (InstantiationException ie) {
+        } catch (Exception e) {
             // so close, but no cigar
-            processFailedResolution(model.sceneId, ie);
+            processFailedResolution(model.sceneId, e);
         }
     }