diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c141df500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//  Copyright (C) 2013  The IPython Development Team
+//
+//  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+//  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+//============================================================================
+// Comm and CommManager bases
+//============================================================================
+/**
+ * Base Comm classes
+ * @module IPython
+ * @namespace IPython
+ * @submodule comm
+ */
+
+var IPython = (function (IPython) {
+    "use strict";
+
+    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // CommManager class
+    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    
+    var CommManager = function (kernel) {
+        this.comms = {};
+        this.targets = {comm : Comm};
+        if (kernel !== undefined) {
+            this.init_kernel(kernel);
+        }
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.init_kernel = function (kernel) {
+        // connect the kernel, and register message handlers
+        this.kernel = kernel;
+        var msg_types = ['comm_open', 'comm_msg', 'comm_close'];
+        for (var i = 0; i < msg_types.length; i++) {
+            var msg_type = msg_types[i];
+            kernel.register_iopub_handler(msg_type, $.proxy(this[msg_type], this));
+        }
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.register_target = function (target, constructor) {
+        // Register a constructor for a given target key
+        this.targets[target] = constructor;
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.register_comm = function (comm) {
+        // Register a comm in the mapping
+        this.comms[comm.comm_id] = comm;
+        comm.kernel = this.kernel;
+        return comm.comm_id;
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.unregister_comm = function (comm_id) {
+        // Remove a comm from the mapping
+        delete this.comms[comm_id];
+    };
+    
+    // comm message handlers
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.comm_open = function (msg) {
+        var content = msg.content;
+        var callback = this.targets[content.target];
+        if (callback === undefined) {
+            console.log("No such target registered: ", content.target);
+            console.log("Available targets are: ", this.targets);
+            return;
+        }
+        var comm = new Comm(content.comm_id);
+        this.register_comm(comm);
+        callback(comm);
+        comm.handle_open(content.data);
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.comm_close = function (msg) {
+        var content = msg.content;
+        var comm = this.comms[content.comm_id];
+        if (comm === undefined) {
+            return;
+        }
+        delete this.comms[content.comm_id];
+        comm.handle_close(content.data);
+    };
+    
+    CommManager.prototype.comm_msg = function (msg) {
+        var content = msg.content;
+        var comm = this.comms[content.comm_id];
+        if (comm === undefined) {
+            return;
+        }
+        comm.handle_msg(content.data);
+    };
+    
+    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Comm base class
+    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    
+    var Comm = function (comm_id) {
+        this.comm_id = comm_id;
+        this.target = 'comm';
+    };
+    
+    // methods for sending messages
+    Comm.prototype.open = function (data) {
+        var content = {
+            comm_id : this.comm_id,
+            target : this.target,
+            data : data || {},
+        };
+        this.kernel.send_shell_message("comm_open", content);
+    };
+    
+    Comm.prototype.send = function (data) {
+        var content = {
+            comm_id : this.comm_id,
+            data : data || {},
+        };
+        return this.kernel.send_shell_message("comm_msg", content);
+    };
+    
+    Comm.prototype.close = function (data) {
+        var content = {
+            comm_id : this.comm_id,
+            data : data || {},
+        };
+        return this.kernel.send_shell_message("comm_close", content);
+    };
+    
+    // methods for handling incoming messages
+    
+    Comm.prototype.handle_open = function (data) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_open", data);
+    };
+    
+    Comm.prototype.handle_msg = function (data) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_msg", data);
+    };
+    
+    Comm.prototype.handle_close = function (data) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_close", data);
+    };
+    
+    IPython.CommManager = CommManager;
+    IPython.Comm = Comm;
+
+    return IPython;
+
+}(IPython));
+
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/main.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/main.js
index 1747c752c..c518af49e 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/main.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/main.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ function (marked) {
     IPython.tooltip = new IPython.Tooltip()
     IPython.notification_area = new IPython.NotificationArea('#notification_area')
     IPython.notification_area.init_notification_widgets();
-    IPython.widget_manager = new IPython.WidgetManager();
+    IPython.comm_manager = new IPython.CommManager();
 
     IPython.layout_manager.do_resize();
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ function (marked) {
         }
         IPython.notebook.set_autosave_interval(IPython.notebook.minimum_autosave_interval);
         // only do this once
-        IPython.widget_manager.init_kernel(IPython.notebook.kernel);
+        IPython.comm_manager.init_kernel(IPython.notebook.kernel);
         $([IPython.events]).off('notebook_loaded.Notebook', first_load);
     };
     
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widget.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widget.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 94e2b720f..000000000
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/widget.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,148 +0,0 @@
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-//  Copyright (C) 2013  The IPython Development Team
-//
-//  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
-//  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-//============================================================================
-// Widget and WidgetManager bases
-//============================================================================
-/**
- * Base Widget classes
- * @module IPython
- * @namespace IPython
- * @submodule widget
- */
-
-var IPython = (function (IPython) {
-    "use strict";
-
-    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-    // WidgetManager class
-    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-    
-    var WidgetManager = function (kernel) {
-        this.widgets = {};
-        this.widget_types = {widget : Widget};
-        if (kernel !== undefined) {
-            this.init_kernel(kernel);
-        }
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.init_kernel = function (kernel) {
-        // connect the kernel, and register message handlers
-        this.kernel = kernel;
-        var msg_types = ['widget_create', 'widget_destroy', 'widget_update'];
-        for (var i = 0; i < msg_types.length; i++) {
-            var msg_type = msg_types[i];
-            kernel.register_iopub_handler(msg_type, $.proxy(this[msg_type], this));
-        }
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.register_widget_type = function (widget_type, constructor) {
-        // Register a constructor for a given widget type name
-        this.widget_types[widget_type] = constructor;
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.register_widget = function (widget) {
-        // Register a widget in the mapping
-        this.widgets[widget.widget_id] = widget;
-        widget.kernel = this.kernel;
-        return widget.widget_id;
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.unregister_widget = function (widget_id) {
-        // Remove a widget from the mapping
-        delete this.widgets[widget_id];
-    };
-    
-    // widget message handlers
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.widget_create = function (msg) {
-        var content = msg.content;
-        var constructor = this.widget_types[content.widget_type];
-        if (constructor === undefined) {
-            console.log("No such widget type registered: ", content.widget_type);
-            console.log("Available widget types are: ", this.widget_types);
-            return;
-        }
-        var widget = new constructor(content.widget_id);
-        this.register_widget(widget);
-        widget.handle_create(content.data);
-        
-        this.widgets[content.widget_id] = widget;
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.widget_destroy = function (msg) {
-        var content = msg.content;
-        var widget = this.widgets[content.widget_id];
-        if (widget === undefined) {
-            return;
-        }
-        delete this.widgets[content.widget_id];
-        widget.handle_destroy(content.data);
-    };
-    
-    WidgetManager.prototype.widget_update = function (msg) {
-        var content = msg.content;
-        var widget = this.widgets[content.widget_id];
-        if (widget === undefined) {
-            return;
-        }
-        widget.handle_update(content.data);
-    };
-    
-    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-    // Widget base class
-    //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-    
-    var Widget = function (widget_id) {
-        this.widget_id = widget_id;
-        this.widget_type = 'widget';
-    };
-    
-    // methods for sending messages
-    Widget.prototype.create = function (data) {
-        var content = {
-            widget_id : this.widget_id,
-            widget_type : this.widget_type,
-            data : data || {},
-        };
-        this.kernel.send_shell_message("widget_create", content);
-    };
-    
-    Widget.prototype.update = function (data) {
-        var content = {
-            widget_id : this.widget_id,
-            data : data || {},
-        };
-        this.kernel.send_shell_message("widget_update", content);
-    };
-    
-    Widget.prototype.destroy = function (data) {
-        var content = {
-            widget_id : this.widget_id,
-            data : data || {},
-        };
-        this.kernel.send_shell_message("widget_destroy", content);
-    };
-    
-    // methods for handling incoming messages
-    
-    Widget.prototype.handle_create = function (data) {
-    };
-    
-    Widget.prototype.handle_update = function (data) {
-    };
-    
-    Widget.prototype.handle_destroy = function (data) {
-    };
-    
-    IPython.WidgetManager = WidgetManager;
-    IPython.Widget = Widget;
-
-    return IPython;
-
-}(IPython));
-
diff --git a/IPython/html/templates/notebook.html b/IPython/html/templates/notebook.html
index 212bb9e36..cbe276323 100644
--- a/IPython/html/templates/notebook.html
+++ b/IPython/html/templates/notebook.html
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ class="notebook_app"
 <script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/notificationarea.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
 <script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/tooltip.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
 <script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/config.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
-<script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/widget.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
+<script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/comm.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
 <script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/main.js") }}" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
 <script src="{{ static_url("notebook/js/contexthint.js") }}" charset="utf-8"></script>