diff --git a/redo/test/GNUmakeinc.mk b/redo/test/GNUmakeinc.mk
index 10d00280..6f1bc017 100644
--- a/redo/test/GNUmakeinc.mk
+++ b/redo/test/GNUmakeinc.mk
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ testCFILES = \
 	test/page2.c \
 	test/page3.c \
 	test/page4.c \
+	test/page5.c \
 	test/spaced.c
 
 testHFILES = \
diff --git a/redo/test/main.c b/redo/test/main.c
index 1ba7a7fc..0cccaa7b 100644
--- a/redo/test/main.c
+++ b/redo/test/main.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int i;
 	const char *err;
 	uiWindow *w;
-	uiBox *page2, *page3, *page4;
+	uiBox *page2, *page3, *page4, *page5;
 	int nomenus = 0;
 
 	memset(&o, 0, sizeof (uiInitOptions));
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	page4 = makePage4();
 	uiTabAppend(mainTab, "Page 4", uiControl(page4));
 
+	page5 = makePage5();
+	uiTabAppend(mainTab, "Page 5", uiControl(page5));
+
 	uiControlShow(uiControl(w));
 	uiMain();
 	printf("after uiMain()\n");
diff --git a/redo/test/page5.c b/redo/test/page5.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a703f523
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redo/test/page5.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// 22 may 2015
+#include "test.h"
+
+static void openFile(uiButton *b, void *data)
+{
+	char *fn;
+
+	fn = uiOpenFile();
+	if (fn == NULL)
+		uiLabelSetText(uiLabel(data), "(cancelled)");
+	else {
+		uiLabelSetText(uiLabel(data), fn);
+		uiFreeText(fn);
+	}
+}
+
+uiBox *makePage5(void)
+{
+	uiBox *page5;
+	uiBox *hbox;
+	uiButton *button;
+	uiLabel *label;
+
+	page5 = newVerticalBox();
+
+	// TODO label should not be stretchy - figure out how to autosize it on text change
+#define D(n, f) \
+	hbox = newHorizontalBox(); \
+	button = uiNewButton(n); \
+	label = uiNewLabel(""); \
+	uiButtonOnClicked(button, f, label); \
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(button), 0); \
+	uiBoxAppend(hbox, uiControl(label), 1); \
+	uiBoxAppend(page5, uiControl(hbox), 0);
+
+	D("Open File", openFile);
+
+	return page5;
+}
diff --git a/redo/test/test.h b/redo/test/test.h
index 79350a34..70164105 100644
--- a/redo/test/test.h
+++ b/redo/test/test.h
@@ -36,3 +36,6 @@ extern uiBox *makePage3(void);
 
 // page4.c
 extern uiBox *makePage4(void);
+
+// page5.c
+extern uiBox *makePage5(void);
diff --git a/redo/ui.idl b/redo/ui.idl
index 72d37dc9..74fde141 100644
--- a/redo/ui.idl
+++ b/redo/ui.idl
@@ -205,4 +205,6 @@ interface MenuItem {
 	func SetChecked(checked int);
 };
 
+func OpenFile(void) *char;
+
 };
diff --git a/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk b/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
index 81331122..20974388 100644
--- a/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
+++ b/redo/windows/GNUmakeinc.mk
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ osCFILES = \
 	windows/separator.c \
 	windows/slider.c \
 	windows/spinbox.c \
+	windows/stddialogs.c \
 	windows/tab.c \
 	windows/text.c \
 	windows/util.c \
diff --git a/redo/windows/dialoghelper.c b/redo/windows/dialoghelper.c
index 584247c6..1330d0cf 100644
--- a/redo/windows/dialoghelper.c
+++ b/redo/windows/dialoghelper.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ ATOM initDialogHelper(HICON hDefaultIcon, HCURSOR hDefaultCursor)
 	return RegisterClassW(&wc);
 }
 
-uintptr_t beginDialogHelper(void)
+HWND beginDialogHelper(void)
 {
 	HWND hwnd;
 
@@ -98,13 +98,11 @@ uintptr_t beginDialogHelper(void)
 		NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
 	if (hwnd == NULL)
 		logLastError("error creating dialog helper in beginDialogHelper()");
-	return (uintptr_t) hwnd;
+	return hwnd;
 }
 
-void endDialog(uintptr_t handle)
+void endDialogHelper(HWND hwnd)
 {
-	HWND hwnd = (HWND) handle;
-
 	if (DestroyWindow(hwnd) == 0)
 		logLastError("error cleaning up after dialog helper in endDialogHelper()");
 }
diff --git a/redo/windows/stddialogs.c b/redo/windows/stddialogs.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e1ed95a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redo/windows/stddialogs.c
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// 22 may 2015
+#include "uipriv_windows.h"
+
+// TODO when making Vista-only, use common item dialog
+
+// this should be reasonable
+#define NFILENAME 4096
+
+char *uiOpenFile(void)
+{
+	WCHAR wfilename[NFILENAME];
+	OPENFILENAMEW ofn;
+	HWND dialogHelper;
+	DWORD err;
+
+	dialogHelper = beginDialogHelper();
+	wfilename[0] = L'\0';			// required by GetOpenFileName() to indicate no previous filename
+	ZeroMemory(&ofn, sizeof (OPENFILENAMEW));
+	ofn.lStructSize = sizeof (OPENFILENAMEW);
+	ofn.hwndOwner = dialogHelper;
+	ofn.hInstance = hInstance;
+	ofn.lpstrFilter = NULL;			// no filters
+	ofn.lpstrFile = wfilename;
+	ofn.nMaxFile = NFILENAME;		// seems to include null terminator according to docs
+	ofn.lpstrInitialDir = NULL;			// let system decide
+	ofn.lpstrTitle = NULL;			// let system decide
+	// TODO OFN_SHAREAWARE?
+	// better question: TODO keep networking?
+	ofn.Flags = OFN_EXPLORER | OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST | OFN_FORCESHOWHIDDEN | OFN_HIDEREADONLY | OFN_LONGNAMES | OFN_NOCHANGEDIR | OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS | OFN_NOTESTFILECREATE | OFN_PATHMUSTEXIST;
+	if (GetOpenFileNameW(&ofn) == FALSE) {
+		err = CommDlgExtendedError();
+		if (err != 0)
+			// TODO
+			complain("error running open file dialog", err);
+		// otherwise user cancelled
+		endDialogHelper(dialogHelper);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	endDialogHelper(dialogHelper);
+	return toUTF8(wfilename);
+}
diff --git a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
index 0cbf71b3..1b1aaa91 100644
--- a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
+++ b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
@@ -125,5 +125,5 @@ extern BOOL runWM_HSCROLL(WPARAM, LPARAM, LRESULT *);
 extern void dialogHelperRegisterWindow(HWND);
 extern void dialogHelperUnregisterWindow(HWND);
 extern ATOM initDialogHelper(HICON, HCURSOR);
-extern uintptr_t beginDialogHelper(void);
-extern void endDialog(uintptr_t);
+extern HWND beginDialogHelper(void);
+extern void endDialogHelper(HWND);