diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
index 9756a3fc1..6f4524b9f 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
@@ -1,18 +1,73 @@
 //
-// $Id: SceneController.java,v 1.1 2001/11/12 20:56:55 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SceneController.java,v 1.2 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.client;
 
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.MessageEvent;
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.MessageListener;
+
 import com.threerings.crowd.client.PlaceController;
+import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceConfig;
+import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceObject;
+import com.threerings.crowd.util.CrowdContext;
+
+import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneCodes;
+import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneUpdate;
+import com.threerings.whirled.util.WhirledContext;
 
 /**
  * The base scene controller class. It is expected that users of the
  * Whirled services will extend this controller class when creating
- * specialized controllers for their scenes. Presently there are no basic
- * scene services provided by this controller, but its existence affords
- * the addition of such services should they become necessary in the
- * future.
+ * specialized controllers for their scenes.
  */
 public abstract class SceneController extends PlaceController
 {
+    // documentation inherited
+    public void init (CrowdContext ctx, PlaceConfig config)
+    {
+        super.init(ctx, config);
+        _ctx = (WhirledContext)ctx;
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited
+    public void willEnterPlace (PlaceObject plobj)
+    {
+        super.willEnterPlace(plobj);
+        plobj.addListener(_updateListener);
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited
+    public void didLeavePlace (PlaceObject plobj)
+    {
+        super.didLeavePlace(plobj);
+        plobj.removeListener(_updateListener);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This method is called if a scene update is recorded while we
+     * currently occupy a scene. The default implementation will update
+     * our local scene and scene model, but derived classes will likely
+     * want to ensure that the update is properly displayed.
+     */
+    protected void sceneUpdated (SceneUpdate update)
+    {
+        // apply the update to the scene
+        _ctx.getSceneDirector().getScene().updateReceived(update);
+
+        // we don't persistify these updates in this circumstance, but
+        // next time we come to this scene we'll redownload the update and
+        // apply it to the repository; as the updates are meant to be very
+        // small, this shouldn't be horribly less efficient
+    }
+
+    /** Used to listen for scene updates. */
+    protected MessageListener _updateListener = new MessageListener() {
+        public void messageReceived (MessageEvent event) {
+            if (event.getName().equals(SceneCodes.SCENE_UPDATE)) {
+                sceneUpdated((SceneUpdate)event.getArgs()[0]);
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    protected WhirledContext _ctx;
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/Scene.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/Scene.java
index fb89834df..e218affea 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/Scene.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/Scene.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Scene.java,v 1.8 2003/02/12 07:23:31 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Scene.java,v 1.9 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.data;
 
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ public interface Scene
      */
     public void setVersion (int version);
 
+    /**
+     * Called to inform the scene that an update has been received while
+     * the scene was resolved and active. The update should be applied to
+     * the underlying scene model and any derivative data should be
+     * appropriately updated.
+     */
+    public void updateReceived (SceneUpdate update);
+
     /**
      * Returns the scene model from which this scene was created.
      */
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneCodes.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneCodes.java
index f60d5353a..0d688a6e0 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneCodes.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneCodes.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SceneCodes.java,v 1.3 2002/08/14 19:07:57 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SceneCodes.java,v 1.4 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.data;
 
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ import com.threerings.whirled.client.SceneDirector;
  */
 public interface SceneCodes extends LocationCodes
 {
+    /** The message identifier for scene update messages. */
+    public static final String SCENE_UPDATE = "scene_update";
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneImpl.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneImpl.java
index 22f7b1702..d3734351d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneImpl.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/data/SceneImpl.java
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 //
-// $Id: SceneImpl.java,v 1.1 2003/02/12 07:23:31 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SceneImpl.java,v 1.2 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.data;
 
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceConfig;
-import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneModel;
+
+import com.threerings.whirled.Log;
 
 /**
  * An implementation of the {@link Scene} interface.
@@ -72,6 +73,20 @@ public class SceneImpl implements Scene
         _model.version = version;
     }
 
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public void updateReceived (SceneUpdate update)
+    {
+        try {
+            // validate and apply the update
+            update.validate(_model);
+            update.apply(_model);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.warning("Error applying update [scene=" + this +
+                        ", update=" + update + "].");
+            Log.logStackTrace(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     // documentation inherited from interface
     public SceneModel getSceneModel ()
     {
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneManager.java
index 6c729dba7..2af5c6f73 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/SceneManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SceneManager.java,v 1.13 2003/06/11 02:48:07 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SceneManager.java,v 1.14 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.server;
 
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import com.threerings.presents.util.Invoker;
 
 import com.threerings.whirled.Log;
 import com.threerings.whirled.data.Scene;
+import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneCodes;
 import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneModel;
 import com.threerings.whirled.data.SceneUpdate;
 import com.threerings.whirled.server.WhirledServer;
@@ -134,7 +135,8 @@ public class SceneManager extends PlaceManager
             }
         });
 
-        // TODO: broadcast the update to all occupants of the scene
+        // broadcast the update to all occupants of the scene
+        _plobj.postMessage(SceneCodes.SCENE_UPDATE, new Object[] { update });
     }
 
     // documentation inherited
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/data/SpotSceneImpl.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/data/SpotSceneImpl.java
index c0983d162..47ea2d932 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/data/SpotSceneImpl.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/data/SpotSceneImpl.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SpotSceneImpl.java,v 1.1 2003/02/12 07:23:31 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SpotSceneImpl.java,v 1.2 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.spot.data;
 
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ public class SpotSceneImpl
     public SpotSceneImpl (SpotSceneModel smodel)
     {
         _smodel = smodel;
+        readPortals();
+    }
 
+    protected void readPortals ()
+    {
+        _portals.clear();
         for (int ii = 0, ll = _smodel.portals.length; ii < ll; ii++) {
             Portal port = _smodel.portals[ii];
             _portals.put(port.portalId, port);
@@ -110,6 +115,15 @@ public class SpotSceneImpl
         _smodel.defaultEntranceId = (portal == null) ? -1 : portal.portalId;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * This should be called if a scene update was received that caused
+     * our underlying scene model to change.
+     */
+    public void updateReceived ()
+    {
+        readPortals();
+    }
+
     /** A casted reference to our scene model. */
     protected SpotSceneModel _smodel;
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/util/UpdateList.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/util/UpdateList.java
index 74198cf7b..557c90b95 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/util/UpdateList.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/util/UpdateList.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: UpdateList.java,v 1.1 2003/02/12 07:23:32 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: UpdateList.java,v 1.2 2003/06/11 04:14:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.util;
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class UpdateList
      */
     public SceneUpdate[] getUpdates (int fromVersion)
     {
-        if (fromVersion < _minVersion) {
+        if (_minVersion == -1 || fromVersion < _minVersion) {
             return null;
         }