diff --git a/tests/build.xml b/tests/build.xml
index 658b826f9..c9e40ee9e 100644
--- a/tests/build.xml
+++ b/tests/build.xml
@@ -25,8 +25,16 @@
     <fileset dir="${java.libraries}" includes="**/*.jar"/>
   </path>
 
+  <!-- generates .java files for all .dobj files -->
+  <target name="gendobj">
+    <apply executable="../bin/gendobj" failonerror="true">
+      <srcfile/>
+      <fileset dir="src/java" includes="**/*.dobj"/>
+    </apply>
+  </target>
+
   <!-- prepares the application directories -->
-  <target name="prepare">
+  <target name="prepare" depends="gendobj">
     <mkdir dir="${deploy.dir}"/>
     <mkdir dir="${deploy.dir}/classes"/>
     <copy todir="${deploy.dir}/classes">
diff --git a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.dobj b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.dobj
index 081896115..01030c02a 100644
--- a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.dobj
+++ b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.dobj
@@ -1,49 +1,16 @@
 //
-// $Id: TestObject.dobj,v 1.6 2002/02/05 20:27:59 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: TestObject.dobj,v 1.7 2002/02/08 23:17:38 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.presents.server;
 
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.*;
 
 /**
- * I use this to test until I get the actual DObject generation script
- * working.
+ * A test distributed object.
  */
 public class TestObject extends DObject
 {
-    public static final String FOO = "foo";
-    public static final String BAR = "bar";
-    public static final String LIST = "list";
-
     public int foo;
     public String bar;
     public OidList list = new OidList();
-
-    public void setFoo (int foo)
-    {
-        requestAttributeChange(FOO, new Integer(foo));
-    }
-
-    public void setBar (String bar)
-    {
-        requestAttributeChange(BAR, bar);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Requests that the specified oid be added to the
-     * <code>list</code> oid list.
-     */
-    public void addToList (int oid)
-    {
-        requestOidAdd(LIST, oid);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Requests that the specified oid be removed from the
-     * <code>list</code> oid list.
-     */
-    public void removeFromList (int oid)
-    {
-        requestOidRemove(LIST, oid);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.java b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6254f3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/presents/server/TestObject.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+//
+// $Id: TestObject.java,v 1.1 2002/02/08 23:17:38 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.presents.server;
+
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.*;
+
+/**
+ * A test distributed object.
+ */
+public class TestObject extends DObject
+{
+    /** The field name of the <code>foo</code> field. */
+    public static final String FOO = "foo";
+
+    /** The field name of the <code>bar</code> field. */
+    public static final String BAR = "bar";
+
+    /** The field name of the <code>list</code> field. */
+    public static final String LIST = "list";
+
+    public int foo;
+    public String bar;
+    public OidList list = new OidList();
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the <code>foo</code> field be set to the specified
+     * value.
+     */
+    public void setFoo (int foo)
+    {
+        requestAttributeChange(FOO, new Integer(foo));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the <code>foo</code> field be set to the
+     * specified value and immediately updates the state of the object
+     * to reflect the change. This should <em>only</em> be called on the
+     * server and only then if you know what you're doing.
+     */
+    public void setFooImmediate (int foo)
+    {
+        this.foo = foo;
+        requestAttributeChange(FOO, new Integer(foo));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the <code>bar</code> field be set to the specified
+     * value.
+     */
+    public void setBar (String bar)
+    {
+        requestAttributeChange(BAR, bar);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the <code>bar</code> field be set to the
+     * specified value and immediately updates the state of the object
+     * to reflect the change. This should <em>only</em> be called on the
+     * server and only then if you know what you're doing.
+     */
+    public void setBarImmediate (String bar)
+    {
+        this.bar = bar;
+        requestAttributeChange(BAR, bar);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the specified oid be added to the
+     * <code>list</code> oid list.
+     */
+    public void addToList (int oid)
+    {
+        requestOidAdd(LIST, oid);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Requests that the specified oid be removed from the
+     * <code>list</code> oid list.
+     */
+    public void removeFromList (int oid)
+    {
+        requestOidRemove(LIST, oid);
+    }
+}