diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimpleClient.java b/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimpleClient.java
index 1532f5d12..ca969882d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimpleClient.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimpleClient.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SimpleClient.java,v 1.9 2003/11/24 17:51:56 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SimpleClient.java,v 1.10 2003/12/10 03:31:41 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.micasa.simulator.client;
 
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ public class SimpleClient
         throws IOException
     {
         // create our context
-        _ctx = new MiCasaContextImpl();
+        _ctx = createContext();
 
         // create the handles on our various services
         _client = new Client(null, this);
 
         // create our managers and directors
-        _msgmgr = new MessageManager("rsrc");
+        _msgmgr = new MessageManager(getMessageManagerPrefix());
         _locdir = new LocationDirector(_ctx);
         _occdir = new OccupantDirector(_ctx);
         _pardtr = new ParlorDirector(_ctx);
@@ -61,6 +61,23 @@ public class SimpleClient
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates our context reference.
+     */
+    protected MiCasaContext createContext ()
+    {
+        return new MiCasaContextImpl();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the prefix used by the message manager when looking for
+     * translation properties files.
+     */
+    protected String getMessageManagerPrefix ()
+    {
+        return "rsrc";
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns a reference to the context in effect for this client. This
      * reference is valid for the lifetime of the application.
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimulatorApp.java b/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimulatorApp.java
index 7f8760218..12871f002 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimulatorApp.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/micasa/simulator/client/SimulatorApp.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SimulatorApp.java,v 1.13 2002/11/12 19:54:05 shaper Exp $
+// $Id: SimulatorApp.java,v 1.14 2003/12/10 03:31:41 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.micasa.simulator.client;
 
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import javax.swing.JFrame;
 
 import com.samskivert.swing.Controller;
 import com.samskivert.swing.util.SwingUtil;
+import com.samskivert.util.Interval;
+import com.samskivert.util.IntervalManager;
 import com.samskivert.util.ResultListener;
 
 import com.threerings.presents.client.Client;
@@ -139,7 +141,18 @@ public class SimulatorApp
         // create and set our credentials
         Credentials creds = new UsernamePasswordCreds(username, password);
         client.setCredentials(creds);
-        client.logon();
+
+        // this is a bit of a hack, but we need to give the server long
+        // enough to fully initialize and start listening on its socket
+        // before we try to logon; there's no good way for this otherwise
+        // wholly independent thread to wait for the server to be ready as
+        // in normal circumstances they are entirely different processes;
+        // so we just wait half a second which does the job
+        IntervalManager.register(new Interval() {
+            public void intervalExpired (int id, Object arg) {
+                _client.getParlorContext().getClient().logon();
+            }
+        }, 500L, null, false);
     }
 
     public static void main (String[] args)