diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/AnimationFrameSequencer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/AnimationFrameSequencer.java
index e0988caa..6017c3ab 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/AnimationFrameSequencer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/AnimationFrameSequencer.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public interface AnimationFrameSequencer extends FrameSequencer
         }
 
         // documentation inherited from interface
-        public void init (MultiFrameImage source)
+        public int init (MultiFrameImage source)
         {
             int framecount = source.getFrameCount();
             // let's make sure our frames are valid
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ public interface AnimationFrameSequencer extends FrameSequencer
                 _lastStamp = 0L;
                 _curIdx = 0;
             }
+
+            return _sequence[_curIdx];
         }
 
         // documentation inherited from interface
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/MultiFrameAnimation.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/MultiFrameAnimation.java
index 45cd26d9..aa7690bd 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/MultiFrameAnimation.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/animation/MultiFrameAnimation.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public class MultiFrameAnimation extends Animation
         _fidx = -1;
 
         // reset our frame sequencer
-        _seeker.init(_frames);
+        setFrameIndex(_seeker.init(_frames));
         if (_seeker instanceof AnimationFrameSequencer) {
             ((AnimationFrameSequencer) _seeker).setAnimation(this);
         }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/FrameSequencer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/FrameSequencer.java
index 31ed0240..ee6fbe96 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/FrameSequencer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/FrameSequencer.java
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ public interface FrameSequencer
      *
      * @param source the multie-frame image that is providing the
      * animation frames.
+     * @return initial frame index
      */
-    public void init (MultiFrameImage source);
+    public int init (MultiFrameImage source);
 
     /**
      * Called every display frame, the frame sequencer should return the
@@ -76,10 +77,12 @@ public interface FrameSequencer
         }
 
         // documentation inherited from interface
-        public void init (MultiFrameImage source)
+        public int init (MultiFrameImage source)
         {
             _frameCount = source.getFrameCount();
             _startStamp = 0l;
+
+            return 0;
         }
 
         // documentation inherited from interface