diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java
index ef6fe83e2..7c83edb82 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DEvent.java,v 1.13 2003/04/30 22:32:04 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DEvent.java,v 1.14 2003/07/22 22:54:14 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ public abstract class DEvent implements Streamable
         return _toid;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Some events are used only internally on the server and need not be
+     * broadcast to subscribers, proxy or otherwise. Such events can
+     * return true here and short-circuit the normal proxy event dispatch
+     * mechanism.
+     */
+    public boolean isPrivate ()
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Applies the attribute modifications represented by this event to
      * the specified target object. This is called by the distributed
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java
index 8ca776ed6..a36b0a230 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DObject.java,v 1.65 2003/07/20 17:02:26 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DObject.java,v 1.66 2003/07/22 22:54:14 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ public class DObject implements Streamable
      */
     public void notifyProxies (DEvent event)
     {
-        if (_subs == null) {
+        if (_subs == null || event.isPrivate()) {
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java
index cb4a4701b..e59e5deff 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ReleaseLockEvent.java,v 1.7 2002/12/20 23:29:04 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ReleaseLockEvent.java,v 1.8 2003/07/22 22:54:14 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ public class ReleaseLockEvent extends NamedEvent
     {
     }
 
+    // documentation inherited
+    public boolean isPrivate ()
+    {
+        // we need only run on the server; no need to propagate to proxies
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Applies this lock release to the object.
      */