diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 5e75c5e41..9c4db615a 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
 /** Common prototype definition for ui_callback functions */
-#define UICB_PROTO(name)         void name(int, const char *)
+#define UICB_PROTO(name)         void name(int, char *)
 
 /** Common prototype definition for layouts function */
 #define LAYOUT_PROTO(name)         void name(int)
diff --git a/uicb.c b/uicb.c
index b9e64c454..ced4c383b 100644
--- a/uicb.c
+++ b/uicb.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "layout.h"
 #include "mouse.h"
 #include "statusbar.h"
+#include "widget.h"
 #include "focus.h"
 #include "layouts/tile.h"
 
@@ -80,6 +81,8 @@ const NameFuncLink UicbList[] =
     {"client_resizemouse", uicb_client_resizemouse},
     /* focus.c */
     {"focus_history", uicb_focus_history},
+    /* widgets.c */
+    {"widget_tell", uicb_widget_tell},
     {NULL, NULL}
 };
 
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ run_uicb(char *cmd, awesome_config *awesomeconf)
 {
     char *p;
     const char *arg;
+    char *argcpy;
     int screen, len;
     void (*uicb) (int, const char *);
 
@@ -115,11 +119,16 @@ run_uicb(char *cmd, awesome_config *awesomeconf)
     }
 
     if (p+strlen(p) < cmd+len)
+    {
         arg = p + strlen(p) + 1;
+        /* Allow our callees to modify this string. */
+        argcpy = p_new(char, strlen(arg)+1);
+        strncpy(argcpy, arg, strlen(arg));
+        uicb(screen, argcpy);
+        p_delete(&argcpy);
+    }
     else
-        arg = NULL;
-
-    uicb(screen, arg);
+        uicb(screen, NULL);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -137,7 +146,6 @@ parse_control(char *cmd)
         run_uicb(curcmd, &globalconf);
         curcmd = p + 1;
     }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/widget.c b/widget.c
index d2c651672..043cfbc2b 100644
--- a/widget.c
+++ b/widget.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "widget.h"
 
+extern awesome_config globalconf;
+
 const NameFuncLink WidgetList[] =
 {
     {"taglist", taglist_new},
@@ -41,6 +43,17 @@ calculate_offset(int barwidth, int widgetwidth, int offset, int alignment)
 }
 
 
+static Widget *
+find_widget(char *name, int screen)
+{
+    Widget *widget;
+    widget = globalconf.screens[screen].statusbar.widgets;
+    for(; widget; widget = widget->next)
+        if (strcmp(name, widget->name) == 0)
+            return widget;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 void
 common_new(Widget *widget, Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
 {
@@ -49,5 +62,24 @@ common_new(Widget *widget, Statusbar *statusbar, const char *name)
     strncpy(widget->name, name, strlen(name));
 }
 
+void
+uicb_widget_tell(int screen, char *arg)
+{
+    Widget *widget;
+    char *p;
+    p = strtok(arg, " ");
+    if (!p){
+        warn("Ignoring malformed widget command.");
+        return;
+    }
+    widget = find_widget(p, screen);
+    if (!widget){
+        warn("No such widget: %s\n", p);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* To be continued... */
+
+}
 
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99
diff --git a/widget.h b/widget.h
index baadc2470..27519fb48 100644
--- a/widget.h
+++ b/widget.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 #include "draw.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 enum { AlignLeft, AlignRight, AlignFlex };
 
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ WidgetConstructor taglist_new;
 WidgetConstructor textbox_new;
 WidgetConstructor focustitle_new;
 
+UICB_PROTO(uicb_widget_tell);
+
 #endif
 
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=99