diff --git a/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk b/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
index 325abaaf..269226f2 100644
--- a/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
+++ b/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ osCFILES = \
 	windows/control.c \
 	windows/debug.c \
 	windows/entry.c \
+	windows/events.c \
 	windows/group.c \
 	windows/init.c \
 	windows/label.c \
diff --git a/redo/windows/control.c b/redo/windows/control.c
index 859d4318..f5e2e75f 100644
--- a/redo/windows/control.c
+++ b/redo/windows/control.c
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 struct singleHWND {
 	uiControl *c;
 	HWND hwnd;
-	BOOL (*onWM_COMMAND)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *);
 	BOOL (*onWM_NOTIFY)(uiControl *, NMHDR *, LRESULT *);
 	BOOL (*onWM_HSCROLL)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *);
 	void (*onDestroy)(void *);
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ void osSingleDestroy(void *internal)
 	struct singleHWND *s = (struct singleHWND *) internal;
 
 	(*(s->onDestroy))(s->onDestroyData);
+	uiWindowsUnregisterWM_COMMANDHandler(s->hwnd);
 	if (DestroyWindow(s->hwnd) == 0)
 		logLastError("error destroying control in singleDestroy()");
 	uiFree(s);
@@ -110,10 +110,6 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK singleSubclassProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam,
 	LRESULT lResult;
 
 	switch (uMsg) {
-	case msgCOMMAND:
-		if ((*(s->onWM_COMMAND))(s->c, HIWORD(wParam), &lResult) != FALSE)
-			return lResult;
-		break;
 	case msgNOTIFY:
 		if ((*(s->onWM_NOTIFY))(s->c, (NMHDR *) lParam, &lResult) != FALSE)
 			return lResult;
@@ -145,7 +141,8 @@ void uiWindowsMakeControl(uiControl *c, uiWindowsMakeControlParams *p)
 		utilWindow, NULL, p->hInstance, p->lpParam);
 	if (s->hwnd == NULL)
 		logLastError("error creating control in uiWindowsMakeControl()");
-	s->onWM_COMMAND = p->onWM_COMMAND;
+
+	uiWindowsRegisterWM_COMMANDHandler(s->hwnd, p->onWM_COMMAND, uiControl(c));
 	s->onWM_NOTIFY = p->onWM_NOTIFY;
 	s->onWM_HSCROLL = p->onWM_HSCROLL;
 
diff --git a/redo/windows/events.c b/redo/windows/events.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d7d9bc2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redo/windows/events.c
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// 20 may 2015
+#include "uipriv_windows.h"
+
+// TODO switch to uthash
+
+struct commandHandler {
+	HWND hwnd;
+	BOOL (*handler)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *);
+	uiControl *c;
+};
+
+struct notifyHandler {
+	HWND hwnd;
+	BOOL (*handler)(uiControl *, NMHDR *, LRESULT *);
+	uiControl *c;
+};
+
+struct hscrollHandler {
+	HWND hwnd;
+	BOOL (*handler)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *);
+	uiControl *c;
+};
+
+struct ptrArray *commandHandlers = NULL;
+struct ptrArray *notifyHandlers = NULL;
+struct ptrArray *hscrollHandlers = NULL;
+
+void uiWindowsRegisterWM_COMMANDHandler(HWND hwnd, BOOL (*handler)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *), uiControl *c)
+{
+	struct commandHandler *ch;
+
+	ch = uiNew(struct commandHandler);
+	ch->hwnd = hwnd;
+	ch->handler = handler;
+	ch->c = c;
+	if (commandHandlers == NULL)
+		commandHandlers = newPtrArray();
+	ptrArrayAppend(commandHandlers, ch);
+}
+
+void uiWindowsUnregisterWM_COMMANDHandler(HWND hwnd)
+{
+	struct commandHandler *ch;
+	uintmax_t i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < commandHandlers->len; i++) {
+		ch = ptrArrayIndex(commandHandlers, struct commandHandler *, i);
+		if (ch->hwnd == hwnd) {
+			ptrArrayDelete(commandHandlers, i);
+			uiFree(ch);
+			if (commandHandlers->len == 0) {
+				ptrArrayDestroy(commandHandlers);
+				commandHandlers = NULL;
+			}
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+	complain("window handle %p not registered with a WM_COMMAND handler in uiWindowsUnregisterWM_COMMANDHandler()", hwnd);
+}
+
+BOOL runWM_COMMAND(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, LRESULT *lResult)
+{
+	HWND control;
+	struct commandHandler *ch;
+	uintmax_t i;
+
+	// bounce back to the control in question
+	// don't bounce back if to the utility window, in which case act as if the message was ignored
+	control = (HWND) lParam;
+	if (control != NULL && IsChild(utilWindow, control) == 0) {
+		for (i = 0; i < commandHandlers->len; i++) {
+			ch = ptrArrayIndex(commandHandlers, struct commandHandler *, i);
+			if (ch->hwnd == control)
+				return (*(ch->handler))(ch->c, HIWORD(wParam), lResult);
+		}
+		// not registered; fall out to return FALSE
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
diff --git a/redo/windows/parent.c b/redo/windows/parent.c
index 0f29766a..5a510b78 100644
--- a/redo/windows/parent.c
+++ b/redo/windows/parent.c
@@ -111,14 +111,7 @@ BOOL handleParentMessages(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, LR
 
 	switch (uMsg) {
 	case WM_COMMAND:
-		// bounce back to the control in question
-		// except if to the initial parent, in which case act as if the message was ignored
-		control = (HWND) lParam;
-		if (control != NULL && IsChild(utilWindow, control) == 0) {
-			*lResult = SendMessageW(control, msgCOMMAND, wParam, lParam);
-			return TRUE;
-		}
-		break;
+		return runWM_COMMAND(wParam, lParam, lResult);
 	case WM_NOTIFY:
 		// same as WM_COMMAND
 		control = nm->hwndFrom;
diff --git a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
index 4a976765..97de71b1 100644
--- a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
+++ b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
@@ -108,3 +108,9 @@ extern void uninitAlloc(void);
 // tab.c
 extern void tabEnterTabNavigation(HWND);
 extern void tabLeaveTabNavigation(HWND);
+
+// events.c
+// TODO split the uiWindows ones to ui_windows.h
+extern void uiWindowsRegisterWM_COMMANDHandler(HWND, BOOL (*)(uiControl *, WORD, LRESULT *), uiControl *);
+extern void uiWindowsUnregisterWM_COMMANDHandler(HWND);
+extern BOOL runWM_COMMAND(WPARAM, LPARAM, LRESULT *);