diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/client/ClientDObjectMgr.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/client/ClientDObjectMgr.java
index 8bb9ee54d..f0fbef970 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/client/ClientDObjectMgr.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/client/ClientDObjectMgr.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ClientDObjectMgr.java,v 1.20 2003/01/22 02:02:04 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ClientDObjectMgr.java,v 1.21 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.client;
 
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ public class ClientDObjectMgr
             DUMP_OTABLE_MODMASK, DUMP_OTABLE_KEYCODE, DUMP_OTABLE_HOOK);
     }
 
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public boolean isManager (DObject object)
+    {
+        // we are never authoritative in the present implementation
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // inherit documentation from the interface
     public void createObject (Class dclass, Subscriber target)
     {
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObject.java
index 639a821e3..b2c5cd7fc 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 1.59 2003/02/26 17:54:56 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DObject.java,v 1.60 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -775,8 +775,17 @@ public class DObject implements Streamable
     {
         try {
             DSet set = (DSet)getAttribute(name);
+            // if we're on the authoritative server, we update the set
+            // immediately
+            boolean alreadyApplied = false;
+            if (_omgr.isManager(this)) {
+//                 Log.info("Immediately adding [name=" + name +
+//                          ", entry=" + entry + "].");
+                set.add(entry);
+                alreadyApplied = true;
+            }
             // dispatch an entry added event
-            postEvent(new EntryAddedEvent(_oid, name, entry));
+            postEvent(new EntryAddedEvent(_oid, name, entry, alreadyApplied));
 
         } catch (ObjectAccessException oae) {
             Log.warning("Unable to request entryAdd [name=" + name +
@@ -789,8 +798,24 @@ public class DObject implements Streamable
      */
     protected void requestEntryRemove (String name, Comparable key)
     {
-        // dispatch an entry removed event
-        postEvent(new EntryRemovedEvent(_oid, name, key));
+        try {
+            DSet set = (DSet)getAttribute(name);
+            // if we're on the authoritative server, we update the set
+            // immediately
+            DSet.Entry oldEntry = null;
+            if (_omgr.isManager(this)) {
+//                 Log.info("Immediately removing [name=" + name +
+//                          ", key=" + key + "].");
+                oldEntry = set.get(key);
+                set.removeKey(key);
+            }
+            // dispatch an entry removed event
+            postEvent(new EntryRemovedEvent(_oid, name, key, oldEntry));
+
+        } catch (ObjectAccessException oae) {
+            Log.warning("Unable to request entryRemove [name=" + name +
+                        ", key=" + key + ", error=" + oae + "].");
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -800,8 +825,17 @@ public class DObject implements Streamable
     {
         try {
             DSet set = (DSet)getAttribute(name);
+            // if we're on the authoritative server, we update the set
+            // immediately
+            DSet.Entry oldEntry = null;
+            if (_omgr.isManager(this)) {
+//                 Log.info("Immediately updating [name=" + name +
+//                          ", entry=" + entry + "].");
+                oldEntry = set.get(entry.getKey());
+                set.update(entry);
+            }
             // dispatch an entry updated event
-            postEvent(new EntryUpdatedEvent(_oid, name, entry));
+            postEvent(new EntryUpdatedEvent(_oid, name, entry, oldEntry));
 
         } catch (ObjectAccessException oae) {
             Log.warning("Unable to request entryUpdate [name=" + name +
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObjectManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObjectManager.java
index c82daeaa7..87136b1d3 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObjectManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/DObjectManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: DObjectManager.java,v 1.10 2001/10/24 00:36:40 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: DObjectManager.java,v 1.11 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
  */
 public interface DObjectManager
 {
+    /**
+     * Returns true if this distributed object manager is the
+     * authoritative manager for the specified distributed object, or fals
+     * if we are only providing a proxy to the object.
+     */
+    public boolean isManager (DObject object);
+
     /**
      * Creates a distributed object instance of the supplied class and
      * notifies the specified subscriber when it becomes available. This
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
index 8f6191a34..b19033026 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryAddedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: EntryAddedEvent.java,v 1.9 2002/12/20 23:29:04 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: EntryAddedEvent.java,v 1.10 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -27,9 +27,20 @@ public class EntryAddedEvent extends NamedEvent
      * @param entry the entry to add to the set attribute.
      */
     public EntryAddedEvent (int targetOid, String name, DSet.Entry entry)
+    {
+        this(targetOid, name, entry, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Used when the distributed object already added the entry before
+     * generating the event.
+     */
+    public EntryAddedEvent (int targetOid, String name, DSet.Entry entry,
+                            boolean alreadyApplied)
     {
         super(targetOid, name);
         _entry = entry;
+        _alreadyApplied = alreadyApplied;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -54,8 +65,10 @@ public class EntryAddedEvent extends NamedEvent
     public boolean applyToObject (DObject target)
         throws ObjectAccessException
     {
-        DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
-        set.add(_entry);
+        if (!_alreadyApplied) {
+            DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
+            set.add(_entry);
+        }
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -77,4 +90,9 @@ public class EntryAddedEvent extends NamedEvent
     }
 
     protected DSet.Entry _entry;
+
+    /** Used when this event is generated on the authoritative server
+     * where object changes are made immediately. This lets us know not to
+     * apply ourselves when we're actually dispatched. */
+    protected transient boolean _alreadyApplied;
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
index 5ecf992e4..ee69b9e76 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryRemovedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: EntryRemovedEvent.java,v 1.13 2003/02/26 21:41:47 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: EntryRemovedEvent.java,v 1.14 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -24,9 +24,20 @@ public class EntryRemovedEvent extends NamedEvent
      * @param key the entry key that identifies the entry to remove.
      */
     public EntryRemovedEvent (int targetOid, String name, Comparable key)
+    {
+        this(targetOid, name, key, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Used when the distributed object already removed the entry before
+     * generating the event.
+     */
+    public EntryRemovedEvent (int targetOid, String name, Comparable key,
+                              DSet.Entry oldEntry)
     {
         super(targetOid, name);
         _key = key;
+        _oldEntry = oldEntry;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -59,11 +70,13 @@ public class EntryRemovedEvent extends NamedEvent
     public boolean applyToObject (DObject target)
         throws ObjectAccessException
     {
-        DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
-        // fetch the previous value for interested callers
-        _oldEntry = set.get(_key);
-        // remove it from the set
-        set.removeKey(_key);
+        if (_oldEntry == null) {
+            DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
+            // fetch the previous value for interested callers
+            _oldEntry = set.get(_key);
+            // remove it from the set
+            set.removeKey(_key);
+        }
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java
index 8e7632412..21fb46231 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/dobj/EntryUpdatedEvent.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: EntryUpdatedEvent.java,v 1.9 2002/12/20 23:29:04 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: EntryUpdatedEvent.java,v 1.10 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.dobj;
 
@@ -27,9 +27,20 @@ public class EntryUpdatedEvent extends NamedEvent
      * @param entry the entry to update.
      */
     public EntryUpdatedEvent (int targetOid, String name, DSet.Entry entry)
+    {
+        this(targetOid, name, entry, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Used when the distributed object already updated the entry before
+     * generating the event.
+     */
+    public EntryUpdatedEvent (int targetOid, String name, DSet.Entry entry,
+                              DSet.Entry oldEntry)
     {
         super(targetOid, name);
         _entry = entry;
+        _oldEntry = oldEntry;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -62,19 +73,20 @@ public class EntryUpdatedEvent extends NamedEvent
     public boolean applyToObject (DObject target)
         throws ObjectAccessException
     {
-        DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
+        if (_oldEntry == null) {
+            DSet set = (DSet)target.getAttribute(_name);
 
-        // fetch the previous value for interested callers
-        _oldEntry = set.get(_entry.getKey());
+            // fetch the previous value for interested callers
+            _oldEntry = set.get(_entry.getKey());
 
-        // update the entry
-        if (!set.update(_entry)) {
-            // complain if we didn't update anything
-            Log.warning("No matching entry to update [entry=" + this +
-                        ", set=" + set + "].");
-            return false;
+            // update the entry
+            if (!set.update(_entry)) {
+                // complain if we didn't update anything
+                Log.warning("No matching entry to update [entry=" + this +
+                            ", set=" + set + "].");
+                return false;
+            }
         }
-
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
index d62063580..d9b6ad4f3 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/PresentsDObjectMgr.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: PresentsDObjectMgr.java,v 1.28 2003/01/27 22:56:29 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: PresentsDObjectMgr.java,v 1.29 2003/03/10 18:29:54 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.server;
 
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ public class PresentsDObjectMgr
         _defaultController = controller;
     }
 
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public boolean isManager (DObject object)
+    {
+        // we are always authoritative in the present implementation
+        return true;
+    }
+
     // inherit documentation from the interface
     public void createObject (Class dclass, Subscriber target)
     {