diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DirtyItemList.java b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DirtyItemList.java
index 2e1d5f029..ad079bcc3 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DirtyItemList.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DirtyItemList.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DirtyItemList.java,v 1.18 2003/01/31 23:10:45 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DirtyItemList.java,v 1.19 2003/02/04 03:33:09 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.miso.client;
 
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public class DirtyItemList
                 DisplayObjectInfo soa = (DisplayObjectInfo)da.obj;
                 DisplayObjectInfo sob = (DisplayObjectInfo)db.obj;
                 if (IsoUtil.objectFootprintsOverlap(soa, sob)) {
-                    return (soa.priority - sob.priority);
+                    return (soa.getPriority() - sob.getPriority());
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DisplayObjectInfo.java b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DisplayObjectInfo.java
index cc40f8e6e..fec8860aa 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DisplayObjectInfo.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/client/DisplayObjectInfo.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DisplayObjectInfo.java,v 1.6 2003/01/31 23:10:45 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DisplayObjectInfo.java,v 1.7 2003/02/04 03:33:09 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.miso.client;
 
@@ -44,13 +44,25 @@ public class DisplayObjectInfo extends ObjectInfo
     public void setObjectTile (ObjectTile tile)
     {
         this.tile = tile;
+    }
 
-        // if we don't already have an overridden render priority; use the
-        // one from our object tile (assuming we have one)
-        if (priority == 0 && tile != null) {
-            priority = (byte)Math.max(
-                Byte.MIN_VALUE, Math.min(Byte.MAX_VALUE, tile.getPriority()));
-        }
+    /**
+     * Returns the render priority of this object tile.
+     */
+    public int getPriority ()
+    {
+        // if we have no specified priority return our object tile's
+        // default priority
+        return (priority == 0 && tile != null) ? tile.getPriority() : priority;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Overrides the render priority of this object.
+     */
+    public void setPriority (byte priority)
+    {
+        this.priority = (byte)Math.max(
+            Byte.MIN_VALUE, Math.min(Byte.MAX_VALUE, priority));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/data/ObjectInfo.java b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/data/ObjectInfo.java
index de6c9a7d1..9bcb83b10 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/miso/data/ObjectInfo.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/miso/data/ObjectInfo.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ObjectInfo.java,v 1.1 2003/01/31 23:10:45 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ObjectInfo.java,v 1.2 2003/02/04 03:33:09 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.miso.data;
 
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ public class ObjectInfo extends SimpleStreamableObject
     /** The x and y tile coordinates of the object. */
     public int x, y;
 
-    /** The object's render priority. */
+    /** Don't access this directly unless you are serializing this
+     * instance. Use {@link #getPriority} instead. */
     public byte priority = 0;
 
     /** The action associated with this object or null if it has no
@@ -67,6 +68,14 @@ public class ObjectInfo extends SimpleStreamableObject
     {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the render priority of this object tile.
+     */
+    public int getPriority ()
+    {
+        return priority;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the primary colorization assignment.
      */