diff --git a/LUA_API.rst b/LUA_API.rst
index 22130efd6..799f623eb 100644
--- a/LUA_API.rst
+++ b/LUA_API.rst
@@ -553,6 +553,10 @@ Exception handling
 Miscellaneous
 -------------
 
+* ``dfhack.VERSION``
+
+  DFHack version string constant.
+
 * ``dfhack.curry(func,args...)``, or ``curry(func,args...)``
 
   Returns a closure that invokes the function with args combined
@@ -719,6 +723,10 @@ can be omitted.
 
   Returns the dfhack directory path, i.e. ``".../df/hack/"``.
 
+* ``dfhack.getTickCount()``
+
+  Returns the tick count in ms, exactly as DF ui uses.
+
 * ``dfhack.isWorldLoaded()``
 
   Checks if the world is loaded.
diff --git a/Lua API.html b/Lua API.html
index f6f2d42b3..f05ee5511 100644
--- a/Lua API.html	
+++ b/Lua API.html	
@@ -846,6 +846,9 @@ following properties:</p>
 <div class="section" id="miscellaneous">
 <h3><a class="toc-backref" href="#id14">Miscellaneous</a></h3>
 <ul>
+<li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.VERSION</tt></p>
+<p>DFHack version string constant.</p>
+</li>
 <li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">dfhack.curry(func,args...)</span></tt>, or <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">curry(func,args...)</span></tt></p>
 <p>Returns a closure that invokes the function with args combined
 both from the curry call and the closure call itself. I.e.
@@ -985,6 +988,9 @@ can be omitted.</p>
 <li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.getHackPath()</tt></p>
 <p>Returns the dfhack directory path, i.e. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">&quot;.../df/hack/&quot;</span></tt>.</p>
 </li>
+<li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.getTickCount()</tt></p>
+<p>Returns the tick count in ms, exactly as DF ui uses.</p>
+</li>
 <li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.isWorldLoaded()</tt></p>
 <p>Checks if the world is loaded.</p>
 </li>
diff --git a/library/LuaApi.cpp b/library/LuaApi.cpp
index 4e57b113f..1dcb001f1 100644
--- a/library/LuaApi.cpp
+++ b/library/LuaApi.cpp
@@ -728,6 +728,7 @@ static std::string getOSType()
 }
 
 static std::string getDFVersion() { return Core::getInstance().vinfo->getVersion(); }
+static uint32_t getTickCount() { return Core::getInstance().p->getTickCount(); }
 
 static std::string getDFPath() { return Core::getInstance().p->getPath(); }
 static std::string getHackPath() { return Core::getInstance().getHackPath(); }
@@ -739,6 +740,7 @@ static const LuaWrapper::FunctionReg dfhack_module[] = {
     WRAP(getOSType),
     WRAP(getDFVersion),
     WRAP(getDFPath),
+    WRAP(getTickCount),
     WRAP(getHackPath),
     WRAP(isWorldLoaded),
     WRAP(isMapLoaded),
diff --git a/library/LuaTools.cpp b/library/LuaTools.cpp
index 9f0477538..a283d215c 100644
--- a/library/LuaTools.cpp
+++ b/library/LuaTools.cpp
@@ -1580,6 +1580,9 @@ lua_State *DFHack::Lua::Open(color_ostream &out, lua_State *state)
     lua_rawsetp(state, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, &DFHACK_BASE_G_TOKEN);
     lua_setfield(state, -2, "BASE_G");
 
+    lua_pushstring(state, DFHACK_VERSION);
+    lua_setfield(state, -2, "VERSION");
+
     lua_pushboolean(state, IsCoreContext(state));
     lua_setfield(state, -2, "is_core_context");
 
diff --git a/library/Process-darwin.cpp b/library/Process-darwin.cpp
index 5a97d9e00..3893cfc5f 100644
--- a/library/Process-darwin.cpp
+++ b/library/Process-darwin.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ distribution.
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 
 #include <mach-o/dyld.h>
 
@@ -262,6 +263,13 @@ bool Process::getThreadIDs(vector<uint32_t> & threads )
     return true;
 }
 
+uint32_t Process::getTickCount()
+{
+    struct timeval tp;
+    gettimeofday(&tp, NULL);
+    return (tp.tv_sec * 1000) + (tp.tv_usec / 1000);
+}
+
 string Process::getPath()
 {
 	char path[1024];
diff --git a/library/Process-linux.cpp b/library/Process-linux.cpp
index fe8647845..4a66470f9 100644
--- a/library/Process-linux.cpp
+++ b/library/Process-linux.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ distribution.
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -192,6 +193,13 @@ bool Process::getThreadIDs(vector<uint32_t> & threads )
     return true;
 }
 
+uint32_t Process::getTickCount()
+{
+    struct timeval tp;
+    gettimeofday(&tp, NULL);
+    return (tp.tv_sec * 1000) + (tp.tv_usec / 1000);
+}
+
 string Process::getPath()
 {
     const char * cwd_name = "/proc/self/cwd";
diff --git a/library/Process-windows.cpp b/library/Process-windows.cpp
index 7eb6ff5f7..db58c4d33 100644
--- a/library/Process-windows.cpp
+++ b/library/Process-windows.cpp
@@ -410,6 +410,11 @@ string Process::doReadClassName (void * vptr)
     return raw;
 }
 
+uint32_t Process::getTickCount()
+{
+    return GetTickCount();
+}
+
 string Process::getPath()
 {
     HMODULE hmod;
diff --git a/library/include/MemAccess.h b/library/include/MemAccess.h
index 0e5f618e2..a226018a6 100644
--- a/library/include/MemAccess.h
+++ b/library/include/MemAccess.h
@@ -281,6 +281,9 @@ namespace DFHack
             /// get the DF Process FilePath
             std::string getPath();
 
+            /// millisecond tick count, exactly as DF uses
+            uint32_t getTickCount();
+
             /// modify permisions of memory range
             bool setPermisions(const t_memrange & range,const t_memrange &trgrange);
 
diff --git a/library/lua/gui.lua b/library/lua/gui.lua
index 9e189ea13..23904c14f 100644
--- a/library/lua/gui.lua
+++ b/library/lua/gui.lua
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ function Painter:isValidPos()
 end
 
 function Painter:viewport(x,y,w,h)
+    if type(x) == 'table' then
+        x,y,w,h = x.x1, x.y1, x.width, x.height
+    end
     local x1,y1 = self.x1+x, self.y1+y
     local x2,y2 = x1+w-1, y1+h-1
     local vp = {
@@ -353,11 +356,16 @@ local function hint_coord(gap,hint)
     end
 end
 
+function FramedScreen:getWantedFrameSize()
+    return self.frame_width, self.frame_height
+end
+
 function FramedScreen:updateFrameSize()
     local sw, sh = dscreen.getWindowSize()
     local iw, ih = sw-2, sh-2
-    local width = math.min(self.frame_width or iw, iw)
-    local height = math.min(self.frame_height or ih, ih)
+    local fw, fh = self:getWantedFrameSize()
+    local width = math.min(fw or iw, iw)
+    local height = math.min(fh or ih, ih)
     local gw, gh = iw-width, ih-height
     local x1, y1 = hint_coord(gw,self.frame_xhint), hint_coord(gh,self.frame_yhint)
     self.frame_rect = mkdims_wh(x1+1,y1+1,width,height)
diff --git a/library/lua/gui/dialogs.lua b/library/lua/gui/dialogs.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6d30c970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/lua/gui/dialogs.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+-- Some simple dialog screens
+
+local _ENV = mkmodule('gui.dialogs')
+
+local gui = require('gui')
+local utils = require('utils')
+
+local dscreen = dfhack.screen
+
+MessageBox = defclass(MessageBox, gui.FramedScreen)
+
+MessageBox.frame_style = gui.GREY_LINE_FRAME
+
+function MessageBox:init(info)
+    info = info or {}
+    self:init_fields{
+        text = info.text or {},
+        frame_title = info.title,
+        frame_width = info.frame_width,
+        on_accept = info.on_accept,
+        on_cancel = info.on_cancel,
+        on_close = info.on_close,
+        text_pen = info.text_pen
+    }
+    if type(self.text) == 'string' then
+        self.text = utils.split_string(self.text, "\n")
+    end
+    gui.FramedScreen.init(self, info)
+    return self
+end
+
+function MessageBox:getWantedFrameSize()
+    local text = self.text
+    local w = #(self.frame_title or '') + 2
+    w = math.max(w, 20)
+    w = math.max(self.frame_width or w, w)
+    for _, l in ipairs(text) do
+        w = math.max(w, #l)
+    end
+    local h = #text+1
+    if h > 1 then
+        h = h+1
+    end
+    return w, #text+2
+end
+
+function MessageBox:onRenderBody(dc)
+    if #self.text > 0 then
+        dc:newline(1):pen(self.text_pen or COLOR_GREY)
+        for _, l in ipairs(self.text or {}) do
+            dc:string(l):newline(1)
+        end
+    end
+
+    if self.on_accept then
+        local x,y = self.frame_rect.x1+1, self.frame_rect.y2+1
+        dscreen.paintString({fg=COLOR_LIGHTGREEN},x,y,'ESC')
+        dscreen.paintString({fg=COLOR_GREY},x+3,y,'/')
+        dscreen.paintString({fg=COLOR_LIGHTGREEN},x+4,y,'y')
+    end
+end
+
+function MessageBox:onDestroy()
+    if self.on_close then
+        self.on_close()
+    end
+end
+
+function MessageBox:onInput(keys)
+    if keys.MENU_CONFIRM then
+        self:dismiss()
+        if self.on_accept then
+            self.on_accept()
+        end
+    elseif keys.LEAVESCREEN or (keys.SELECT and not self.on_accept) then
+        self:dismiss()
+        if self.on_cancel then
+            self.on_cancel()
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+function showMessage(title, text, tcolor, on_close)
+    mkinstance(MessageBox):init{
+        text = text,
+        title = title,
+        text = text,
+        text_pen = tcolor,
+        on_close = on_close
+    }:show()
+end
+
+function showYesNoPrompt(title, text, tcolor, on_accept, on_cancel)
+    mkinstance(MessageBox):init{
+        title = title,
+        text = text,
+        text_pen = tcolor,
+        on_accept = on_accept,
+        on_cancel = on_cancel,
+    }:show()
+end
+
+InputBox = defclass(InputBox, MessageBox)
+
+function InputBox:init(info)
+    info = info or {}
+    self:init_fields{
+        input = info.input or '',
+        input_pen = info.input_pen,
+        on_input = info.on_input,
+    }
+    MessageBox.init(self, info)
+    self.on_accept = nil
+    return self
+end
+
+function InputBox:getWantedFrameSize()
+    local mw, mh = MessageBox.getWantedFrameSize(self)
+    return mw, mh+2
+end
+
+function InputBox:onRenderBody(dc)
+    MessageBox.onRenderBody(self, dc)
+
+    dc:newline(1)
+    dc:pen(self.input_pen or COLOR_LIGHTCYAN)
+    dc:fill(dc.x1+1,dc.y,dc.x2-1,dc.y)
+
+    local cursor = '_'
+    if math.floor(dfhack.getTickCount()/500) % 2 == 0 then
+        cursor = ' '
+    end
+    local txt = self.input .. cursor
+    if #txt > dc.width-2 then
+        txt = string.sub(txt, #txt-dc.width+3)
+        -- Add prefix arrow
+        dc:advance(-1):char(27)
+    end
+    dc:string(txt)
+end
+
+function InputBox:onInput(keys)
+    if keys.SELECT then
+        self:dismiss()
+        if self.on_input then
+            self.on_input(self.input)
+        end
+    elseif keys.LEAVESCREEN then
+        self:dismiss()
+        if self.on_cancel then
+            self.on_cancel()
+        end
+    elseif keys._STRING then
+        if keys._STRING == 0 then
+            self.input = string.sub(self.input, 1, #self.input-1)
+        else
+            self.input = self.input .. string.char(keys._STRING)
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+function showInputPrompt(title, text, tcolor, input, on_input, on_cancel, min_width)
+    mkinstance(InputBox):init{
+        title = title,
+        text = text,
+        text_pen = tcolor,
+        input = input,
+        on_input = on_input,
+        on_cancel = on_cancel,
+        frame_width = min_width,
+    }:show()
+end
+
+
+return _ENV
diff --git a/library/lua/utils.lua b/library/lua/utils.lua
index 19a4e6f6a..9fa473ed8 100644
--- a/library/lua/utils.lua
+++ b/library/lua/utils.lua
@@ -381,6 +381,19 @@ function getBuildingCenter(building)
     return xyz2pos(building.centerx, building.centery, building.z)
 end
 
+function split_string(self, delimiter)
+    local result = { }
+    local from  = 1
+    local delim_from, delim_to = string.find( self, delimiter, from  )
+    while delim_from do
+        table.insert( result, string.sub( self, from , delim_from-1 ) )
+        from  = delim_to + 1
+        delim_from, delim_to = string.find( self, delimiter, from  )
+    end
+    table.insert( result, string.sub( self, from  ) )
+    return result
+end
+
 -- Ask a yes-no question
 function prompt_yes_no(msg,default)
     local prompt = msg