diff --git a/redo/test/page5.c b/redo/test/page5.c
index 761c0e2a..b0e02a20 100644
--- a/redo/test/page5.c
+++ b/redo/test/page5.c
@@ -27,6 +27,30 @@ static void saveFile(uiButton *b, void *data)
 	}
 }
 
+static uiEntry *title, *description;
+
+static void msgBox(uiButton *b, void *data)
+{
+	char *t, *d;
+
+	t = uiEntryText(title);
+	d = uiEntryText(description);
+	uiMsgBox(t, d);
+	uiFreeText(d);
+	uiFreeText(t);
+}
+
+static void msgBoxError(uiButton *b, void *data)
+{
+	char *t, *d;
+
+	t = uiEntryText(title);
+	d = uiEntryText(description);
+	uiMsgBoxError(t, d);
+	uiFreeText(d);
+	uiFreeText(t);
+}
+
 uiBox *makePage5(void)
 {
 	uiBox *page5;
@@ -49,5 +73,24 @@ uiBox *makePage5(void)
 	D("Open File", openFile);
 	D("Save File", saveFile);
 
+	title = uiNewEntry();
+	uiEntrySetText(title, "Title");
+	description = uiNewEntry();
+	uiEntrySetText(description, "Description");
+
+	hbox = newHorizontalBox();
+	button = uiNewButton("Message Box");
+	uiButtonOnClicked(button, msgBox, NULL);
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(button), 0);
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(title), 0);
+	uiBoxAppend(page5, uiControl(hbox), 0);
+
+	hbox = newHorizontalBox();
+	button = uiNewButton("Error Box");
+	uiButtonOnClicked(button, msgBoxError, NULL);
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(button), 0);
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(description), 0);
+	uiBoxAppend(page5, uiControl(hbox), 0);
+
 	return page5;
 }
diff --git a/redo/ui.idl b/redo/ui.idl
index 3abe76c6..dee8bd39 100644
--- a/redo/ui.idl
+++ b/redo/ui.idl
@@ -207,5 +207,7 @@ interface MenuItem {
 
 func OpenFile(void) *char;
 func SaveFile(void) *char;
+func MsgBox(title *const char, description *const char);
+func MsgBoxError(title *const char, description *const char);
 
 };
diff --git a/redo/windows/stddialogs.c b/redo/windows/stddialogs.c
index 88c6e540..f6f4a01b 100644
--- a/redo/windows/stddialogs.c
+++ b/redo/windows/stddialogs.c
@@ -74,3 +74,37 @@ char *uiSaveFile(void)
 	endDialogHelper(dialogHelper);
 	return toUTF8(wfilename);
 }
+
+// TODO migrate to task dialogs when making Vista-only
+static void msgbox(const char *title, const char *description, UINT flags)
+{
+	WCHAR *wtitle, *wdescription;
+	WCHAR *wtext;
+	int n;
+	HWND dialogHelper;
+
+	wtitle = toUTF16(title);
+	wdescription = toUTF16(description);
+	n = _scwprintf(L"%s\n\n%s", wtitle, wdescription);
+	wtext = (WCHAR *) uiAlloc((n + 1) * sizeof (WCHAR), "WCHAR[]");
+	snwprintf(wtext, n + 1, L"%s\n\n%s", wtitle, wdescription);
+
+	dialogHelper = beginDialogHelper();
+	if (MessageBoxW(dialogHelper, wtext, NULL, flags) == 0)
+		logLastError("error showing message box in msgbox()");
+	endDialogHelper(dialogHelper);
+
+	uiFree(wtext);
+	uiFree(wdescription);
+	uiFree(wtitle);
+}
+
+void uiMsgBox(const char *title, const char *description)
+{
+	msgbox(title, description, MB_OK);
+}
+
+void uiMsgBoxError(const char *title, const char *description)
+{
+	msgbox(title, description, MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
+}