diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flex/PopUpUtil.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flex/PopUpUtil.as
index 6da74fb4..0d3d89a5 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/flex/PopUpUtil.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flex/PopUpUtil.as
@@ -47,12 +47,46 @@ public class PopUpUtil
      */
     public static function fitInRect (popup :UIComponent, rect :Rectangle) :void
     {
-        var p :Point = DisplayUtil.fitRectInRect(new Rectangle(popup.x, popup.y,
-            popup.getExplicitOrMeasuredWidth(), popup.getExplicitOrMeasuredHeight()), rect);
+        var p :Point = DisplayUtil.fitRectInRect(createPopupRect(popup), rect);
         popup.x = p.x;
         popup.y = p.y;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Try to fit inside the specified rectangle, also avoiding other popups.
+     *
+     * @param popup the popup we'll try to move.
+     * @param bounds the boundary within which to place the popup.
+     * @param padding extra padding to place between popups (but not around the inside of
+     *        the bounds, do that yourself if you want it).
+     */
+    public static function avoidOtherPopups (
+        popup :UIComponent, bounds :Rectangle, padding :int = 0) :void
+    {
+        var avoid :Array = [];
+        var r :Rectangle;
+
+        // find the other popups we need to avoid
+        for (var ii :int = popup.parent.numChildren - 1; ii >= 0; ii--) {
+            var comp :UIComponent = popup.parent.getChildAt(ii) as UIComponent;
+            if (comp != null && comp.isPopUp && comp.visible && comp != popup) {
+                r = createPopupRect(comp);
+                r.inflate(padding, padding);
+                avoid.push(r);
+            }
+        }
+        
+        r = createPopupRect(popup);
+        // put the rectangle in-bounds, so that even if avoiding the others fails, we're
+        // at least in-bounds when fitRectInRect resets to the original position.
+        var p :Point = DisplayUtil.fitRectInRect(r, bounds);
+        r.x = p.x;
+        r.y = p.y; // assigning to topLeft adjusts width/height too, so don't do it!
+        DisplayUtil.positionRect(r, bounds, avoid);
+        popup.x = r.x;
+        popup.y = r.y;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Wee utility method.
      */
@@ -60,5 +94,11 @@ public class PopUpUtil
     {
         return new Rectangle(0, 0, popup.stage.stageWidth, popup.stage.stageHeight);
     }
+
+    protected static function createPopupRect (popup :UIComponent) :Rectangle
+    {
+        return new Rectangle(popup.x, popup.y,
+            popup.getExplicitOrMeasuredWidth(), popup.getExplicitOrMeasuredHeight());
+    }
 }
 }