diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java
index c160181ff..af8597913 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 1.24 2001/08/16 03:31:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DObject.java,v 1.25 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -434,6 +434,17 @@ public class DObject
         _mgr.postEvent(event);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Calls by derived instances when a set updater method was called.
+     */
+    protected void requestElementUpdate (String name, DSet.Element elem)
+    {
+        // generate an element updated event
+        DEvent event = new ElementUpdatedEvent(_oid, name, elem);
+        // and dispatch it to our dobjmgr
+        _mgr.postEvent(event);
+    }
+
     /** Our object id. */
     protected int _oid;
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DSet.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DSet.java
index 1965587b8..ef9c475b1 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DSet.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DSet.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DSet.java,v 1.1 2001/08/16 03:31:09 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DSet.java,v 1.2 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -219,6 +219,33 @@ public class DSet
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Updates the specified element by locating an element whose key
+     * matches the key of the supplied element and overwriting it. This
+     * should not be called directly, instead the associated
+     * <code>update{Set}()</code> method should be called on the
+     * distributed object that contains the set in question.
+     *
+     * @return true if the element was updated, false if it was not
+     * already in the set (in which case nothing is updated).
+     */
+    protected boolean update (Element elem)
+    {
+        Object key = elem.getKey();
+
+        // scan the array looking for a matching element
+        int elength = _elements.length;
+        for (int i = 0; i < elength; i++) {
+            Element el = _elements[i];
+            if (el != null && el.getKey().equals(key)) {
+                _elements[i] = elem;
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
     protected Class _elementType;
     protected Element[] _elements;
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
index 87eba5167..c5e00eb4e 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 //
-// $Id: EntryAddedEvent.java,v 1.2 2001/08/16 03:33:11 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: EntryAddedEvent.java,v 1.3 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
-import java.io.*;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
 
 import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.Log;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io.ElementUtil;
 
 /**
  * An element added event is dispatched when an element is added to a
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ public class ElementAddedEvent extends TypedEvent
         // element (if need be)
         if (_elem == null) {
             try {
-                _elem = unflatten(set, _bytes);
+                _elem = ElementUtil.unflatten(set, _bytes);
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 Log.warning("Error unflattening element " + this + ".");
                 Log.logStackTrace(e);
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ public class ElementAddedEvent extends TypedEvent
     {
         super.writeTo(out);
         out.writeUTF(_name);
-        flatten(out, _elem);
+        ElementUtil.flatten(out, _elem);
     }
 
     public void readFrom (DataInputStream in)
@@ -124,76 +127,4 @@ public class ElementAddedEvent extends TypedEvent
     protected String _name;
     protected byte[] _bytes;
     protected DSet.Element _elem;
-
-    /**
-     * Because we don't know the type of the element at the time that the
-     * event is read from the network (we only know it once the event is
-     * being applied to the object and we can ask the target
-     * <code>DSet</code> instance what type it manages), we flatten the
-     * element before writing it to the wire so that we can prepend it by
-     * a byte count. The receiver will read in the raw bytes and decode
-     * them only later when it has access to the <code>DSet</code>
-     * instance that knows what element type to use. This method should
-     * really only be called by the conmgr thread, but we synchronize just
-     * in case someone decides to write an event out in some other
-     * peculiar context. Uncontested syncs are pretty fast.
-     */
-    protected static synchronized void flatten (
-        DataOutputStream out, DSet.Element elem)
-        throws IOException
-    {
-        elem.writeTo(_dout);
-        _dout.flush();
-        out.writeInt(_bout.size());
-        _bout.writeTo(out);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Unflattens an element given the serialized element data. We know
-     * this will always be called on the dobjmgr thread, so we need not
-     * synchronize.
-     */
-    protected static DSet.Element unflatten (DSet set, byte[] data)
-        throws IOException
-    {
-        _bin.setBytes(data);
-        DSet.Element elem = set.newElement();
-        elem.readFrom(_din);
-        return elem;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * We extend byte array input stream to avoid having to create a new
-     * input stream every time we unserialize an element. Our extensions
-     * allow us to repurpose this input stream to read from a new byte
-     * array each time we unserialize.
-     */
-    protected static class ReByteArrayInputStream extends ByteArrayInputStream
-    {
-        public ReByteArrayInputStream ()
-        {
-            super(new byte[0]);
-        }
-
-        public void setBytes (byte[] bytes)
-        {
-            buf = bytes;
-            pos = 0;
-            count = buf.length;
-            mark = 0;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /** Used when serializing elements. */
-    protected static ByteArrayOutputStream _bout = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-
-    /** Used when serializing elements. */
-    protected static DataOutputStream _dout = new DataOutputStream(_bout);
-
-    /** Used when unserializing elements. */
-    protected static ReByteArrayInputStream _bin =
-        new ReByteArrayInputStream();
-
-    /** Used when unserializing elements. */
-    protected static DataInputStream _din = new DataInputStream(_bin);
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
index 2ad556d0a..907af63f5 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 //
-// $Id: EntryRemovedEvent.java,v 1.2 2001/08/16 03:33:11 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: EntryRemovedEvent.java,v 1.3 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.DataInputStream;
 import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
 
 import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io.ValueMarshaller;
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dd11450c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+//
+// $Id: EntryUpdatedEvent.java,v 1.1 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
+
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.Log;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io.ElementUtil;
+
+/**
+ * An element updated event is dispatched when an element of a
+ * <code>DSet</code> is updated. It can also be constructed to request the
+ * update of an element and posted to the dobjmgr.
+ *
+ * @see DObjectManager#postEvent
+ */
+public class ElementUpdatedEvent extends TypedEvent
+{
+    /** The typed object code for this event. */
+    public static final short TYPE = TYPE_BASE + 10;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a new element updated event on the specified target
+     * object for the specified set name and with the supplied updated
+     * element.
+     *
+     * @param targetOid the object id of the object to whose set we will
+     * add an element.
+     * @param name the name of the attribute in which to update the
+     * specified element.
+     * @param elem the element to update.
+     */
+    public ElementUpdatedEvent (int targetOid, String name, DSet.Element elem)
+    {
+        super(targetOid);
+        _name = name;
+        _elem = elem;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a blank instance of this event in preparation for
+     * unserialization from the network.
+     */
+    public ElementUpdatedEvent ()
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the name of the set attribute for which an element has been
+     * updated.
+     */
+    public String getName ()
+    {
+        return _name;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the element that has been updated.
+     */
+    public DSet.Element getElement ()
+    {
+        return _elem;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Applies this event to the object.
+     */
+    public boolean applyToObject (DObject target)
+        throws ObjectAccessException
+    {
+        DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
+
+        // now that we have access to our target set, we can unflatten our
+        // element (if need be)
+        if (_elem == null) {
+            try {
+                _elem = ElementUtil.unflatten(set, _bytes);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                Log.warning("Error unflattening element " + this + ".");
+                Log.logStackTrace(e);
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // update the element
+        if (!set.update(_elem)) {
+            // complain if we didn't update anything
+            Log.warning("No matching element to update " + this + ".");
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public short getType ()
+    {
+        return TYPE;
+    }
+
+    public void writeTo (DataOutputStream out)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        super.writeTo(out);
+        out.writeUTF(_name);
+        ElementUtil.flatten(out, _elem);
+    }
+
+    public void readFrom (DataInputStream in)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        super.readFrom(in);
+        _name = in.readUTF();
+
+        // we read in the raw element data now and decode it later when we
+        // have access to the object and the DSet instance that knows what
+        // type of element we need to decode
+        int bcount = in.readInt();
+        _bytes = new byte[bcount];
+        in.readFully(_bytes, 0, bcount);
+    }
+
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
+    {
+        buf.append("ELUPD:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+        buf.append(", elem=").append(_elem);
+    }
+
+    protected String _name;
+    protected byte[] _bytes;
+    protected DSet.Element _elem;
+}
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/io/EntryUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/io/EntryUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8635e060a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/io/EntryUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+//
+// $Id: EntryUtil.java,v 1.1 2001/08/16 03:45:43 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io;
+
+import java.io.*;
+
+import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.DSet;
+
+/**
+ * Routines to simplify the process of moving set elements over the wire.
+ * Because we don't know the type of the element when the event is
+ * unserialized (we only know later when the event is applied to the
+ * object and the event has access to the target set object), then we need
+ * to do some jockeying.
+ */
+public class ElementUtil
+{
+    /**
+     * Flattens the supplied element into a byte array, counts the number
+     * of bytes in the array and writes the count followed by the bytes to
+     * the supplied data output stream. This method should really only be
+     * called by the conmgr thread, but we synchronize just in case
+     * someone decides to write an event out in some other peculiar
+     * context; uncontested syncs are pretty fast.
+     */
+    public static synchronized void flatten (
+        DataOutputStream out, DSet.Element elem)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        elem.writeTo(_dout);
+        _dout.flush();
+        out.writeInt(_bout.size());
+        _bout.writeTo(out);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Unflattens an element given the serialized element data. We know
+     * this will always be called on the dobjmgr thread, so we need not
+     * synchronize.
+     */
+    public static DSet.Element unflatten (DSet set, byte[] data)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        _bin.setBytes(data);
+        DSet.Element elem = set.newElement();
+        elem.readFrom(_din);
+        return elem;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * We extend byte array input stream to avoid having to create a new
+     * input stream every time we unserialize an element. Our extensions
+     * allow us to repurpose this input stream to read from a new byte
+     * array each time we unserialize.
+     */
+    protected static class ReByteArrayInputStream extends ByteArrayInputStream
+    {
+        public ReByteArrayInputStream ()
+        {
+            super(new byte[0]);
+        }
+
+        public void setBytes (byte[] bytes)
+        {
+            buf = bytes;
+            pos = 0;
+            count = buf.length;
+            mark = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Used when serializing elements. */
+    protected static ByteArrayOutputStream _bout = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+
+    /** Used when serializing elements. */
+    protected static DataOutputStream _dout = new DataOutputStream(_bout);
+
+    /** Used when unserializing elements. */
+    protected static ReByteArrayInputStream _bin =
+        new ReByteArrayInputStream();
+
+    /** Used when unserializing elements. */
+    protected static DataInputStream _din = new DataInputStream(_bin);
+}