diff --git a/common/GNUfiles.mk b/common/GNUfiles.mk
index b1cc1170..da66fb97 100644
--- a/common/GNUfiles.mk
+++ b/common/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ CFILES += \
 	common/shouldquit.c
 
 HFILES += \
+	common/controlsigs.h \
 	common/uipriv.h
diff --git a/common/controlsigs.h b/common/controlsigs.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae0bce7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/controlsigs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// 24 april 2016
+
+#define uiBoxSignature 0x426F784C
+#define uiButtonSignature 0x42746F6E
+#define uiCheckboxSignature 0x43686B62
+#define uiComboboxSignature 0x436F6D62
+#define uiDateTimePickerSignature 0x44545069
+#define uiEntrySignature 0x456E7472
+#define uiFontButtonSignature 0x466F6E42
+#define uiGroupSignature 0x47727062
+#define uiLabelSignature 0x4C61626C
+#define uiMultilineEntrySignature 0x4D6C6E45
+#define uiProgressbarSignature 0x50626172
+#define uiRadioButtonsSignature 0x5264696F
+#define uiSeparatorSignature 0x53657061
+#define uiSliderSignature 0x536C6964
+#define uiSpinboxSignature 0x5370696E
+#define uiTabSignature 0x54616273
+#define uiWindowSignature 0x57696E64
diff --git a/common/uipriv.h b/common/uipriv.h
index 2fd9146b..b3b8b920 100644
--- a/common/uipriv.h
+++ b/common/uipriv.h
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+// TODO stdlib.h needed?
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include "controlsigs.h"
 
 extern uiInitOptions options;
 
diff --git a/darwin/control.m b/darwin/control.m
index cad6f8e6..576be0c9 100644
--- a/darwin/control.m
+++ b/darwin/control.m
@@ -1,15 +1,6 @@
 // 16 august 2015
 #import "uipriv_darwin.h"
 
-static uintmax_t type_uiDarwinControl = 0;
-
-uintmax_t uiDarwinControlType(void)
-{
-	if (type_uiDarwinControl == 0)
-		type_uiDarwinControl = uiRegisterType("uiDarwinControl", uiControlType(), sizeof (uiDarwinControl));
-	return type_uiDarwinControl;
-}
-
 void uiDarwinControlTriggerRelayout(uiDarwinControl *c)
 {
 	uiControl *p;
@@ -71,3 +62,10 @@ void uiDarwinSetControlFont(NSControl *c, NSControlSize size)
 {
 	[c setFont:[NSFont systemFontOfSize:[NSFont systemFontSizeForControlSize:size]]];
 }
+
+#define uiDarwinControlSignature 0x44617277
+
+uiDarwinControl *uiDarwinNewControl(size_t n, uint32_t typesig, const char *typename)
+{
+	return uiDarwinControl(uiNewControl(n, uiDarwinControlSignature, typesig, typename));
+}
diff --git a/ui_darwin.h b/ui_darwin.h
index e70cd94a..b47675c1 100644
--- a/ui_darwin.h
+++ b/ui_darwin.h
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ _UI_EXTERN void uiDarwinControlTriggerRelayout(uiDarwinControl *);
 #define uiDarwinDefineControl(type, handlefield) \
 	uiDarwinDefineControlWithOnDestroy(type, handlefield, (void) this;)
 
+// TODO document
+#define uiNewControl(type) uiDarwinNewControl(sizeof (type), type ## Signature, #type)
+_UI_EXTERN uiDarwinControl *uiDarwinNewControl(size_t n, uint32_t typesig, const char *typename);
+
 #define uiDarwinFinishNewControl(variable, type) \
 	uiControl(variable)->CommitDestroy = _ ## type ## CommitDestroy; \
 	uiControl(variable)->Handle = _ ## type ## Handle; \