diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/client/PlaceController.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/client/PlaceController.as
index 06f995f13..d564fd5a2 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/client/PlaceController.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/client/PlaceController.as
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.client  {
 
+import com.threerings.util.Controller;
+
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceConfig;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceObject;
 import com.threerings.crowd.util.CrowdContext;
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ import com.threerings.events.ControllerEvent;
  * constructed and requested to create and display the appopriate user
  * interface for that place.
  */
-public /*abstract*/ class PlaceController /*extends Controller*/
+public /*abstract*/ class PlaceController extends Controller
 {
     /**
      * Initializes this place controller with a reference to the context
@@ -121,8 +123,8 @@ public /*abstract*/ class PlaceController /*extends Controller*/
         _plobj = plobj;
 
         if (_view != null ) {
-            _view.addEventListener(
-                ControllerEvent.TYPE, handleControllerEvent);
+            // set it as our controlled panel
+            setControlledPanel(_view);
 
             // let the UI hierarchy know that we've got our place
             PlaceViewUtil.dispatchWillEnterPlace(_view, plobj);
@@ -175,10 +177,10 @@ public /*abstract*/ class PlaceController /*extends Controller*/
 //            }
 //        });
 
+        setControlledPanel(null);
+
         // let the UI hierarchy know that we're outta here
         if (_view != null ) {
-            _view.removeEventListener(
-                ControllerEvent.TYPE, handleControllerEvent);
             PlaceViewUtil.dispatchDidLeavePlace(_view, plobj);
             _ctx.clearPlaceView(_view);
             _view = null;
@@ -187,30 +189,6 @@ public /*abstract*/ class PlaceController /*extends Controller*/
         _plobj = null;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Handle the specified action that was generated somewhere in our
-     * view.
-     *
-     * @return true if the action has been handled, false otherwise.
-     */
-    public function handleAction (cmd :String, arg :Object) :Boolean
-    {
-        Log.getLog(this).warning("Unhandled controller command [cmd=" + cmd +
-            ", arg=" + arg + "].");
-        return false; // by default, no action is handled
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * A callback where we listen to ControllerEvents and unwrap
-     * them for easy handling.
-     */
-    private function handleControllerEvent (event :ControllerEvent) :void
-    {
-        if (handleAction(event.command, event.arg)) {
-            event.stopImmediatePropagation();
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Handles basic place controller action events. Derived classes
      * should be sure to call <code>super.handleAction</code> for events
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/mx/controls/CommandButton.as b/src/as/com/threerings/mx/controls/CommandButton.as
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0315032f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/mx/controls/CommandButton.as
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package com.threerings.mx.controls {
+
+import flash.events.MouseEvent;
+
+import mx.controls.Button;
+
+import com.threerings.events.ControllerEvent;
+
+/**
+ * A command button simply dispatches a Controller command (with an optional
+ * argument) when it is clicked.
+ */
+public class CommandButton extends Button
+{
+    /**
+     * Create a command button.
+     */
+    public function CommandButton (cmd :String = null, arg :Object = null)
+    {
+        setCommand(cmd, arg);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the command and argument to be issued when this button is pressed.
+     */
+    public function setCommand (cmd :String, arg :Object = null) :void
+    {
+        _cmd = cmd;
+        _arg = arg;
+    }
+
+    override protected function clickHandler (event :MouseEvent) :void
+    {
+        dispatchEvent(new ControllerEvent(_cmd, _arg));
+        event.stopImmediatePropagation();
+    }
+
+    /** The command to submit when clicked. */
+    protected var _cmd :String;
+
+    /** The argument that accompanies our command. */
+    protected var _arg :Object;
+}
+}
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/util/Controller.as b/src/as/com/threerings/util/Controller.as
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1222c59d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/util/Controller.as
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package com.threerings.util {
+
+import flash.events.IEventDispatcher;
+
+import com.threerings.events.ControllerEvent;
+
+public class Controller
+{
+    /**
+     * Set the panel being controlled.
+     */
+    protected function setControlledPanel (panel :IEventDispatcher) :void
+    {
+        if (_panel != null) {
+            _panel.removeEventListener(
+                ControllerEvent.TYPE, handleControllerEvent);
+        }
+        _panel = panel;
+        if (_panel != null) {
+            _panel.addEventListener(
+                ControllerEvent.TYPE, handleControllerEvent);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Handle an action that was generated by our panel or some child.
+     *
+     * @return true if the specified action was handled, false otherwise.
+     *
+     * When creating your own controller, override this function and return
+     * true for any command handled, and call super for any unknown commands.
+     */
+    public function handleAction (cmd :String, arg :Object) :Boolean
+    {
+        // TODO: This warning should really be inside the ControllerEvent
+        // somewhere, and only generated if the event never gets cancelled
+        Log.getLog(this).warning("Unhandled controller command " +
+            "[cmd=" + cmd + ", arg=" + arg + "].");
+        return false; // not handled
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Private function to handle the controller event and call
+     * handleAction.
+     */
+    private function handleControllerEvent (event :ControllerEvent) :void
+    {
+        if (handleAction(event.command, event.arg)) {
+            // if we handle the event, stop it from moving outward to another
+            // controller
+            event.stopImmediatePropagation();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** The panel currently being controlled. */
+    private var _panel :IEventDispatcher; 
+}
+}