diff --git a/redo/common_windows.c b/redo/common_windows.c
index 3999953..01da0ef 100644
--- a/redo/common_windows.c
+++ b/redo/common_windows.c
@@ -35,3 +35,46 @@ void storelpParam(HWND hwnd, LPARAM lParam)
 
 	SetWindowLongPtrW(hwnd, GWLP_USERDATA, (LONG_PTR) (cs->lpCreateParams));
 }
+
+/*
+all container windows (including the message-only window, hence this is not in container_windows.c) have to call the sharedWndProc() to ensure messages go in the right place and control colors are handled properly
+*/
+
+/*
+all controls that have events receive the events themselves through subclasses
+to do this, all container windows (including the message-only window; see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q104069) forward WM_COMMAND to each control with this function, WM_NOTIFY with forwardNotify, etc.
+*/
+static LRESULT forwardCommand(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
+{
+	HWND control = (HWND) lParam;
+
+	// don't generate an event if the control (if there is one) is unparented (a child of the message-only window)
+	if (control != NULL && IsChild(msgwin, control) == 0)
+		return SendMessageW(control, msgCOMMAND, wParam, lParam);
+	return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
+}
+
+static LRESULT forwardNotify(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
+{
+	NMHDR *nmhdr = (NMHDR *) lParam;
+	HWND control = nmhdr->hwndFrom;
+
+	// don't generate an event if the control (if there is one) is unparented (a child of the message-only window)
+	if (control != NULL && IsChild(msgwin, control) == 0)
+		return SendMessageW(control, msgNOTIFY, wParam, lParam);
+	return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
+}
+
+// TODO give this a better name
+BOOL sharedWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, LRESULT *lResult)
+{
+	switch (uMsg) {
+	case WM_COMMAND:
+		*lResult = forwardCommand(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
+		return TRUE;
+	case WM_NOTIFY:
+		*lResult = forwardNotify(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
diff --git a/redo/container_windows.c b/redo/container_windows.c
index f92459c..4d5215a 100644
--- a/redo/container_windows.c
+++ b/redo/container_windows.c
@@ -15,10 +15,7 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK containerWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LP
 {
 	void *data;
 	RECT r;
-	HDC dc;
-	PAINTSTRUCT ps;
-	HWND parent;
-	POINT client;
+	LRESULT shared;
 
 	data = (void *) GetWindowLongPtrW(hwnd, GWLP_USERDATA);
 	if (data == NULL) {
@@ -31,12 +28,9 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK containerWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LP
 		// act as if we're not ready yet, even during WM_NCCREATE (nothing important to the switch statement below happens here anyway)
 		return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
 	}
-
+	if (sharedWndProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, &shared))
+		return shared;
 	switch (uMsg) {
-	case WM_COMMAND:
-		return forwardCommand(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-	case WM_NOTIFY:
-		return forwardNotify(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
 	case WM_SIZE:
 		if (GetClientRect(hwnd, &r) == 0)
 			xpanic("error getting client rect for Window in WM_SIZE", GetLastError());
diff --git a/redo/control_windows.c b/redo/control_windows.c
index 594cd1a..03af5c6 100644
--- a/redo/control_windows.c
+++ b/redo/control_windows.c
@@ -34,31 +34,6 @@ void controlSetControlFont(HWND which)
 	SendMessageW(which, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM) controlFont, TRUE);
 }
 
-/*
-all controls that have events receive the events themselves through subclasses
-to do this, all windows (including the message-only window; see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q104069) forward WM_COMMAND to each control with this function
-*/
-LRESULT forwardCommand(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
-{
-	HWND control = (HWND) lParam;
-
-	// don't generate an event if the control (if there is one) is unparented (a child of the message-only window)
-	if (control != NULL && IsChild(msgwin, control) == 0)
-		return SendMessageW(control, msgCOMMAND, wParam, lParam);
-	return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-}
-
-LRESULT forwardNotify(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
-{
-	NMHDR *nmhdr = (NMHDR *) lParam;
-	HWND control = nmhdr->hwndFrom;
-
-	// don't generate an event if the control (if there is one) is unparented (a child of the message-only window)
-	if (control != NULL && IsChild(msgwin, control) == 0)
-		return SendMessageW(control, msgNOTIFY, wParam, lParam);
-	return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-}
-
 void moveWindow(HWND hwnd, int x, int y, int width, int height)
 {
 	if (MoveWindow(hwnd, x, y, width, height, TRUE) == 0)
diff --git a/redo/uitask_windows.c b/redo/uitask_windows.c
index 9ba418e..9a2aff7 100644
--- a/redo/uitask_windows.c
+++ b/redo/uitask_windows.c
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ HWND msgwin;
 
 static LRESULT CALLBACK msgwinproc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 {
+	LRESULT shared;
+
+	if (sharedWndProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, &shared))
+		return shared;
 	switch (uMsg) {
-	case WM_COMMAND:
-		return forwardCommand(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-	case WM_NOTIFY:
-		return forwardNotify(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
 	case msgRequest:
 		doissue((void *) lParam);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/redo/winapi_windows.h b/redo/winapi_windows.h
index c5fd4c1..328e0a3 100644
--- a/redo/winapi_windows.h
+++ b/redo/winapi_windows.h
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ extern LRESULT (*WINAPI fv_DefSubclassProc)(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
 extern HWND newControl(LPWSTR, DWORD, DWORD);
 extern void controlSetParent(HWND, HWND);
 extern void controlSetControlFont(HWND);
-extern LRESULT forwardCommand(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
-extern LRESULT forwardNotify(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
 extern void moveWindow(HWND, int, int, int, int);
 extern LONG controlTextLength(HWND, LPWSTR);
 
@@ -84,6 +82,7 @@ extern void getWindowText(HWND, WPARAM, LPWSTR);
 extern void setWindowText(HWND, LPWSTR);
 extern void updateWindow(HWND);
 extern void storelpParam(HWND, LPARAM);
+extern BOOL sharedWndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM, LRESULT *);
 
 // tab_windows.go
 extern LPWSTR xWC_TABCONTROL;
diff --git a/redo/window_windows.c b/redo/window_windows.c
index dcb233a..5ea83f1 100644
--- a/redo/window_windows.c
+++ b/redo/window_windows.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK windowWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARA
 {
 	void *data;
 	RECT r;
+	LRESULT shared;
 
 	data = (void *) GetWindowLongPtrW(hwnd, GWLP_USERDATA);
 	if (data == NULL) {
@@ -21,12 +22,9 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK windowWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARA
 		// act as if we're not ready yet, even during WM_NCCREATE (nothing important to the switch statement below happens here anyway)
 		return DefWindowProcW(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
 	}
-
+	if (sharedWndProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, &shared))
+		return shared;
 	switch (uMsg) {
-	case WM_COMMAND:
-		return forwardCommand(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
-	case WM_NOTIFY:
-		return forwardNotify(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
 	case WM_SIZE:
 		if (GetClientRect(hwnd, &r) == 0)
 			xpanic("error getting client rect for Window in WM_SIZE", GetLastError());