diff --git a/plugins/ruby/building.rb b/plugins/ruby/building.rb
index d71a909c5..398301b7a 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/building.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/building.rb
@@ -211,15 +211,13 @@ module DFHack
 
         # link bld into other rooms if it is inside their extents
         def building_linkrooms(bld)
-            didstuff = false
             world.buildings.other[:ANY_FREE].each { |ob|
                 next if !ob.is_room or ob.z != bld.z
                 next if !ob.room.extents or !ob.isExtentShaped or ob.room.extents[ob.room.width*(bld.y1-ob.room.y)+(bld.x1-ob.room.x)] == 0
-                didstuff = true
+                ui.equipment.update.buildings = true
                 ob.children << bld
                 bld.parents << ob
             }
-            ui.equipment.update.buildings = true if didstuff
         end
 
         # link the building into the world, set map data, link rooms, bld.id
@@ -276,6 +274,43 @@ module DFHack
             building_createdesign(bld, rough)
         end
 
+        # construct an abstract building (stockpile, farmplot, ...)
+        def building_construct_abstract(bld)
+            if bld.getType == :Stockpile
+                max = df.world.buildings.other[:STOCKPILE].map { |s| s.stockpile_number }.max
+                bld.stockpile_number = max.to_i + 1
+            end
+            building_link bld
+            if !bld.flags.exists
+                bld.flags.exists = true
+                bld.initFarmSeasons
+            end
+        end
+
+        def building_setowner(bld, unit)
+            return unless bld.is_room
+            return if bld.owner == unit
+            
+            if bld.owner
+                if idx = bld.owner.owned_buildings.index { |ob| ob.id == bld.id }
+                    bld.owner.owned_buildings.delete_at(idx)
+                end
+                if spouse = bld.owner.relations.spouse_tg and
+                        idx = spouse.owned_buildings.index { |ob| ob.id == bld.id }
+                    spouse.owned_buildings.delete_at(idx)
+                end
+            end
+            bld.owner = unit
+            if unit
+                unit.owned_buildings << bld
+                if spouse = bld.owner.relations.spouse_tg and
+                        !spouse.owned_buildings.index { |ob| ob.id == bld.id } and
+                        bld.canUseSpouseRoom
+                    spouse.owned_buildings << bld
+                end
+            end
+        end
+
         # creates a job to deconstruct the building
         def building_deconstruct(bld)
             job = Job.cpp_new
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb b/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
index 874746798..9312bb69b 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ module DFHack
             def _field_names ; _fields_ancestors.map { |n, o, s| n } ; end
             def _rtti_classname ; self.class._rtti_classname ; end
             def _sizeof ; self.class._sizeof ; end
+            def ==(o) ; o.kind_of?(Compound) and o._memaddr == _memaddr ; end
+
             @@inspecting = {} # avoid infinite recursion on mutually-referenced objects
             def inspect
                 cn = self.class.name.sub(/^DFHack::/, '')
@@ -289,12 +291,12 @@ module DFHack
 
             # XXX shaky...
             def _set(v)
-                if v.kind_of?(Pointer)
-                    DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._getp)
-                elsif v.kind_of?(MemStruct)
-                    DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._memaddr)
-                else
-                    _get._set(v)
+                case v
+                when Pointer;   DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._getp)
+                when MemStruct; DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._memaddr)
+                when Integer;   DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v)
+                when nil;       DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, 0)
+                else _get._set(v)
                 end
             end
 
@@ -328,6 +330,16 @@ module DFHack
                 self
             end
 
+            def _set(v)
+                case v
+                when Pointer;   DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._getp)
+                when MemStruct; DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v._memaddr)
+                when Integer;   DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v)
+                when nil;       DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, 0)
+                else raise "cannot PointerAry._set(#{v.inspect})"
+                end
+            end
+
             def [](i)
                 addr = _getp(i)
                 return if addr == 0