diff --git a/core/modules/widgets/messagecatcher.js b/core/modules/widgets/messagecatcher.js
index ae5435f6a..51da35772 100644
--- a/core/modules/widgets/messagecatcher.js
+++ b/core/modules/widgets/messagecatcher.js
@@ -33,12 +33,44 @@ MessageCatcherWidget.prototype.render = function(parent,nextSibling) {
 	// Compute attributes and execute state
 	this.computeAttributes();
 	this.execute();
-	// Add our message handler
-	if(this.messageType) {
-		this.addEventListeners([
-			{type: this.messageType, handler: "handleEvent"}
-		]);
+	// Helper to add an event handler
+	var addEventHandler = function(type,actions) {
+		if(type && actions) {
+			self.addEventListener(
+				type,
+				function(event) {
+					// Collect all the event properties into variables
+					var collectProps = function(obj,prefix) {
+						prefix = prefix || "";
+						var props = {};
+						$tw.utils.each(obj,function(value,name) {
+							if(["string","boolean","number"].indexOf(typeof value) !== -1) {
+								props[prefix + name] = value.toString();
+							}
+						});
+						return props;
+					};
+					var variables = $tw.utils.extend(
+						{},
+						collectProps(event.paramObject,"event-paramObject-"),
+						collectProps(event,"event-"),
+						{
+							modifier: $tw.keyboardManager.getEventModifierKeyDescriptor(event)
+						});
+					self.invokeActionString(actions,self,event,variables);
+					return false;
+				}
+			);
+		}
 	}
+	// Add the main event handler
+	addEventHandler(this.getAttribute("type"),this.getAttribute("actions"));
+	// Add any other event handlers
+	$tw.utils.each(this.attributes,function(value,key) {
+		if(key.charAt(0) === "$") {
+			addEventHandler(key.slice(1),value);
+		}
+	});
 	// Render children
 	this.renderChildren(parent,null);
 };
@@ -47,48 +79,16 @@ MessageCatcherWidget.prototype.render = function(parent,nextSibling) {
 Compute the internal state of the widget
 */
 MessageCatcherWidget.prototype.execute = function() {
-	var self = this;
-	// Get attributes that require a refresh on change
-	this.messageType = this.getAttribute("type");
-	this.messageActions = this.getAttribute("actions");
 	// Make child widgets
 	this.makeChildWidgets();
 };
 
-/*
-Handle an event
-*/
-MessageCatcherWidget.prototype.handleEvent = function(event) {
-	if(this.messageActions) {
-		// Collect all the event properties into variables
-		var collectProps = function(obj,prefix) {
-				prefix = prefix || "";
-				var props = {};
-				$tw.utils.each(obj,function(value,name) {
-					if(["string","boolean","number"].indexOf(typeof value) !== -1) {
-						props[prefix + name] = value.toString();
-					}
-				});
-				return props;
-			};
-		var variables = $tw.utils.extend(
-			{},
-			collectProps(event.paramObject,"event-paramObject-"),
-			collectProps(event,"event-"),
-			{
-				modifier: $tw.keyboardManager.getEventModifierKeyDescriptor(event)
-			});
-		this.invokeActionString(this.messageActions,this,event,variables);
-	}
-	return false;
-};
-
 /*
 Selectively refreshes the widget if needed. Returns true if the widget or any of its children needed re-rendering
 */
 MessageCatcherWidget.prototype.refresh = function(changedTiddlers) {
 	var changedAttributes = this.computeAttributes();
-	if(changedAttributes["type"]) {
+	if($tw.utils.count(changedAttributes) > 0) {
 		this.refreshSelf();
 		return true;
 	}
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/widgets/MessageCatcherWidget.tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/widgets/MessageCatcherWidget.tid
index 60f2f23c3..bead0f75d 100644
--- a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/widgets/MessageCatcherWidget.tid
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/widgets/MessageCatcherWidget.tid
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ The content of the `<$messagecatcher>` widget is displayed normally.
 |!Attribute |!Description |
 |type |Name of the message be trapped, for example "tm-scroll" or "tm-navigate" |
 |actions |Action string to be invoked when a matching message is trapped |
+|//{any attributes starting with $}// |Each attribute name (excluding the $) specifies the name of a message, and the value specifies the action string to be invoked  |
 
 ! Variables