diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
index ac02604fa..27a58a0ad 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
@@ -67,7 +67,10 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
      * @param locdir the location director in use on the client, with
      * which the scene director will coordinate when changing location.
      * @param screp the entity from which the scene director will load
-     * scene data from the local client scene storage.
+     * scene data from the local client scene storage. This may be null
+     * when the SceneDirector is constructed, but it should be
+     * supplied via {@link #setSceneRepository} prior to really using
+     * this director.
      * @param fact the factory that knows which derivation of {@link
      * Scene} to create for the current system.
      */
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         // we'll need these for later
         _ctx = ctx;
         _locdir = locdir;
-        _screp = screp;
+        setSceneRepository(screp);
         _fact = fact;
 
         // set ourselves up as a failure handler with the location
@@ -91,6 +94,14 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
             new SceneDecoder(this));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the scene repository.
+     */
+    public void setSceneRepository (SceneRepository screp)
+    {
+        _screp = screp;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the display scene object associated with the scene we
      * currently occupy or null if we currently occupy no scene.