diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/Application.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/Application.java
index 1713f271..e565b6bb 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/Application.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/Application.java
@@ -164,6 +164,16 @@ public class Application
     {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Allows derived aplication classes to prepare an invocation context
+     * prior to the logic class being invoked. They may wish to add
+     * standard tools to the context or do any other request-invariant
+     * preparation.
+     */
+    protected void prepareContext (InvocationContext ctx)
+    {
+    }
+
     /**
      * This should be overridden by the application implementation to
      * perform any necessary cleanup.
diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/DispatcherServlet.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/DispatcherServlet.java
index 63430737..c8b66aab 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/DispatcherServlet.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/velocity/DispatcherServlet.java
@@ -334,6 +334,9 @@ public class DispatcherServlet extends VelocityServlet
             CurrencyTool ctool = new CurrencyTool(req);
             ictx.put(CURRENCYTOOL_KEY, ctool);
 
+            // allow the application to prepare the context
+            _app.prepareContext(ictx);
+
             // resolve the appropriate logic class for this URI and
             // execute it if it exists
             String path = req.getServletPath();