diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js
index 2eb043d9..a91b471a 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js	
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ module.MetaActions = {
 	},
 
 	// Same as .inlineMmixin(..) but isolates a mixin in a seporate object
-	// in the ingeritance chain...
+	// in the inheritance chain...
 	//
 	mixin: function(from, all, descriptors, all_attr_types){
 		var proto = Object.create(this.__proto__)
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/browse.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/browse.js
index 9b8ce6ea..9986773f 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/browse.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/browse.js	
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ var BrowserClassPrototype = {
 	},
 
 	// Construct the dom...
-	make: function(options){
+	make: function(obj, options){
 		var browser = $('<div>')
 			.addClass('browse-widget')
 			// make thie widget focusable...
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ var BrowserClassPrototype = {
 			.append($('<div>')
 				   .addClass('v-block list'))
 
+		// XXX make this part of the framework...
+		if(obj){
+			browser.data('widget-controller', obj)
+		}
+
 		return browser
 	},
 }
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/drawer.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/drawer.js
index 9374317f..faf8860d 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/drawer.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/drawer.js	
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ var widget = require('./widget')
 /*********************************************************************/
 
 var DrawerClassPrototype = {
-	make: function(client, options){
+	make: function(obj, client, options){
 		var that = this
 		var overlay = $('<div>')
 			.addClass('drawer-widget')
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ var DrawerClassPrototype = {
 			overlay.attr('tabindex', 0)
 		}
 
+		// XXX make this part of the framework...
+		if(obj){
+			overlay.data('widget-controller', obj)
+		}
+
 		return overlay
 	},
 }
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/overlay.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/overlay.js
index 193d46b9..b43fc425 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/overlay.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/overlay.js	
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ var widget = require('./widget')
 /*********************************************************************/
 
 var OverlayClassPrototype = {
-	make: function(client, options){
+	make: function(obj, client, options){
 		var that = this
 		var overlay = $('<div>')
 			.addClass('overlay-widget')
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ var OverlayClassPrototype = {
 			overlay.attr('tabindex', 0)
 		}
 
+		// XXX make this part of the framework...
+		if(obj){
+			overlay.data('widget-controller', obj)
+		}
+
 		return overlay
 	},
 }
@@ -120,6 +125,23 @@ Overlay.prototype.__proto__ = widget.Container.prototype
 
 
 
+// XXX this should return a proxy with a set of extension API...
+var getOverlay =
+module.getOverlay = function(obj){
+	var overlay = $(obj || 'body')
+		.find('.overlay-widget')
+		.last()
+
+	if(overlay.length == 0){
+		return null
+	}
+
+	// get the controller...
+	return overlay.data('widget-controller')
+}
+
+
+
 /**********************************************************************
 * vim:set ts=4 sw=4 :                                                */
 return module })
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/widget.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/widget.js
index 23cb774b..48740c35 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/widget.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/widget/widget.js	
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ function(){
 /*********************************************************************/
 
 var WidgetClassPrototype = {
-	make: function(client, options){
+	make: function(obj, client, options){
 		console.error('Widget must define a .make method.')
 	},
 }
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ var WidgetPrototype = {
 
 		// build the dom...
 		if(this.constructor.make){
-			this.dom = this.constructor.make(options)
+			this.dom = this.constructor.make(this, options)
 		}
 
 		// XXX do we do this here???
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ var ContainerPrototype = {
 		// build the dom...
 		if(this.constructor.make){
 			this.dom = this.constructor
-				.make(client.dom || client, options)
+				.make(this, client.dom || client, options)
 		}
 
 		// add keyboard handler...
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/viewer.js b/ui (gen4)/viewer.js
index 1edfc069..3d8f19f4 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/viewer.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/viewer.js	
@@ -2314,6 +2314,36 @@ var drawer = require('lib/widget/drawer')
 // 		scenario:
 // 			- an action is run while a menu runs a state changing action
 //			- state restoration will overwrite the effects fo the BG action
+// XXX .preventClosing(..) mechanism needs revision...
+// 		...might be a better idea to add a permanent action to work with 
+// 		modal overlays and to define strict rules under which such overlays 
+// 		operate, like:
+// 			- only the top overlay is active and can receive events
+// 			- an overlay is closed on open event
+// 			- an overlay can be prevented from closing only while handling
+// 				an open event
+// 			- an overlay can close itself or the previous overlay during
+// 				its open event
+//
+// 		Proposed API:
+// 			getOverlay(context) 
+// 				-> overlay object
+// 				-> null
+// 					returns an overlay controller for a given container
+// 					NOTE: if no overlay is open this returns null
+//					NOTE: this might be implemented as an action.
+//					NOTE: this returns an object that represents only 
+//						the top overlay
+//					NOTE: this should either extend the overlay client
+//						or encapsulate it (preferred), providing a method to access 
+//						it (something like: .client prop or 
+//						.getCleint() method)...
+// 			.preventClosing()
+// 				prevent closing of an overlay after this open event is
+// 				handled
+// 			.close()
+//
+//
 var makeActionLister = function(list, filter, pre_order){
 	pre_order = typeof(filter) == typeof(true) ? filter : pre_order
 	filter = typeof(filter) == typeof(true) ? null : filter
@@ -2341,6 +2371,9 @@ var makeActionLister = function(list, filter, pre_order){
 			if(k.slice(-1) == '*'){
 				actions[k] = function(){
 
+					// XXX this may cause race conditions as we are 
+					// 		splitting the state in two and then 
+					// 		overwriting one...
 					var a = Object.create(that)
 					a.preventClosing = function(){ 
 						closingPrevented = true 
@@ -2364,6 +2397,9 @@ var makeActionLister = function(list, filter, pre_order){
 			} else {
 				actions[k] = function(){
 
+					// XXX this may cause race conditions as we are 
+					// 		splitting the state in two and then 
+					// 		overwriting one...
 					var a = Object.create(that)
 					a.preventClosing = function(){ 
 						closingPrevented = true 
@@ -2403,6 +2439,11 @@ var makeActionLister = function(list, filter, pre_order){
 }
 
 var ActionTreeActions = actions.Actions({
+	// XXX move this to a generic modal overlay feature...
+	getOverlay: ['Interface/Get overlay object',
+		function(){
+		}],
+
 	browseActions: ['Interface/Browse actions',
 		makeActionLister(browse.makePathList, true)],