diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributeChangedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributeChangedEvent.java
index a3f629893..00068f099 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributeChangedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributeChangedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: AttributeChangedEvent.java,v 1.7 2001/08/02 04:49:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: AttributeChangedEvent.java,v 1.8 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -142,10 +142,12 @@ public class AttributeChangedEvent extends TypedEvent
         _value = ValueMarshaller.readFrom(in);
     }
 
-    public String toString ()
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
     {
-        return "[CHANGE:targetOid=" + _toid + ", name=" + _name +
-            ", value=" + _value + "]";
+        buf.append("CHANGE:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+        buf.append(", value=").append(_value);
     }
 
     protected String _name;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributesChangedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributesChangedEvent.java
index 2911086e3..c266cc00c 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributesChangedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/AttributesChangedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: AttributesChangedEvent.java,v 1.6 2001/08/02 04:49:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: AttributesChangedEvent.java,v 1.7 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import java.io.DataInputStream;
 import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
 import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io.ValueMarshaller;
 
 /**
@@ -198,6 +199,14 @@ public class AttributesChangedEvent extends TypedEvent
         }
     }
 
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
+    {
+        buf.append("CHANGES:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", names=").append(StringUtil.toString(_names));
+        buf.append(", values=").append(StringUtil.toString(_values));
+    }
+
     protected int _count;
     protected String[] _names;
     protected Object[] _values;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DEvent.java
index 4ba5e5d81..e2f8ce13d 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 1.4 2001/07/19 18:08:20 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DEvent.java,v 1.5 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -63,6 +63,29 @@ public abstract class DEvent
         _toid = targetOid;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Constructs and returns a string representation of this event.
+     */
+    public String toString ()
+    {
+        StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
+        buf.append("[");
+        toString(buf);
+        buf.append("]");
+        return buf.toString();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This should be overridden by derived classes (which should be sure
+     * to call <code>super.toString()</code>) to append the derived class
+     * specific event information to the string buffer.
+     */
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
+    {
+        buf.append("targetOid=").append(_toid);
+        buf.append(", sourceOid=").append(_soid);
+    }
+
     /** The oid of the object that is the target of this event. */
     protected int _toid;
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/MessageEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/MessageEvent.java
index 1da701957..ccc7dc427 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/MessageEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/MessageEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: MessageEvent.java,v 1.3 2001/08/02 04:49:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: MessageEvent.java,v 1.4 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -110,10 +110,12 @@ public class MessageEvent extends TypedEvent
         }
     }
 
-    public String toString ()
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
     {
-        return "[MSG:targetOid=" + _toid + ", name=" + _name +
-            ", args=" + StringUtil.toString(_args) + "]";
+        buf.append("MSG:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+        buf.append(", args=").append(StringUtil.toString(_args));
     }
 
     protected String _name;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectAddedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectAddedEvent.java
index b86087d98..fd6b5fb62 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectAddedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectAddedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ObjectAddedEvent.java,v 1.3 2001/08/02 04:49:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ObjectAddedEvent.java,v 1.4 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -94,10 +94,12 @@ public class ObjectAddedEvent extends TypedEvent
         _oid = in.readInt();
     }
 
-    public String toString ()
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
     {
-        return "[OBJADD:targetOid=" + _toid + ", name=" + _name +
-            ", oid=" + _oid + "]";
+        buf.append("OBJADD:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+        buf.append(", oid=").append(_oid);
     }
 
     protected String _name;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectRemovedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectRemovedEvent.java
index dcaa37a1e..80b8280c3 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectRemovedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ObjectRemovedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ObjectRemovedEvent.java,v 1.3 2001/08/02 04:49:08 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ObjectRemovedEvent.java,v 1.4 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
 
@@ -95,10 +95,12 @@ public class ObjectRemovedEvent extends TypedEvent
         _oid = in.readInt();
     }
 
-    public String toString ()
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
     {
-        return "[OBJREM:targetOid=" + _toid + ", name=" + _name +
-            ", oid=" + _oid + "]";
+        buf.append("OBJREM:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+        buf.append(", oid=").append(_oid);
     }
 
     protected String _name;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92236f249
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/ReleaseLockEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+//
+// $Id: ReleaseLockEvent.java,v 1.1 2001/08/04 00:32:11 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj;
+
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
+import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.io.ValueMarshaller;
+
+/**
+ * A release lock event is dispatched at the end of a chain of attribute
+ * change events to release a lock that is intended to prevent some
+ * application defined activity from happening on the distributed object
+ * until those events have been processed.
+ *
+ * @see DObjectManager#postEvent
+ */
+public class ReleaseLockEvent extends TypedEvent
+{
+    /** The typed object code for this event. */
+    public static final short TYPE = TYPE_BASE + 6;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a new release lock event for the specified target object
+     * with the supplied lock name.
+     *
+     * @param targetOid the object id of the object in question.
+     * @param name the name of the lock to release.
+     */
+    public ReleaseLockEvent (int targetOid, String name)
+    {
+        super(targetOid);
+        _name = name;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a blank instance of this event in preparation for
+     * unserialization from the network.
+     */
+    public ReleaseLockEvent ()
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the name of the lock to release.
+     */
+    public String getName ()
+    {
+        return _name;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Applies this attribute change to the object.
+     */
+    public boolean applyToObject (DObject target)
+        throws ObjectAccessException
+    {
+        // pass the new value on to the object
+        target.setAttribute(_name, _value);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public short getType ()
+    {
+        return TYPE;
+    }
+
+    public void writeTo (DataOutputStream out)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        super.writeTo(out);
+        out.writeUTF(_name);
+    }
+
+    public void readFrom (DataInputStream in)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        super.readFrom(in);
+        _name = in.readUTF();
+    }
+
+    protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
+    {
+        buf.append("UNLOCK:");
+        super.toString(buf);
+        buf.append(", name=").append(_name);
+    }
+
+    protected String _name;
+    protected Object _value;
+}