diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index 6be264a5..5a935313 100755
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     * export pen trails as SVG
     * access pen trails as SVG_Costume: new "pen vectors" reporter variant of "pen trails"
     * new Snap! API: programmatically broadcast messages and optionally wait from outside Snap!
+    * new Snap! API: programmatically add message listeners to get notified and react to broadcasts from outside Snap!
     * new Snap! API: programmatically get and set global variables from outside Snap!
 * **Notable Changes:**
     * when creating a costume from pen trails (raster or vector) make its rotation center the position of the sprite
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
 ### 2019-12-15
 * gui, threads:  new Snap! API: programmatically broadcast messages and optionally wait from outside Snap!
 * gui: added global variable access methods to the new Snap! API
+* gui, objects: added ability to add message listeners to broadcasts
 
 ### 2019-12-13
 * added direct relabelling option to pen trails blocks' context menus
diff --git a/snap.html b/snap.html
index 75668b5a..547e3ae9 100755
--- a/snap.html
+++ b/snap.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/widgets.js?version=2019-10-16"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/blocks.js?version=2019-12-13"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/threads.js?version=2019-12-15"></script>
-        <script type="text/javascript" src="src/objects.js?version=2019-12-13"></script>
+        <script type="text/javascript" src="src/objects.js?version=2019-12-15"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/gui.js?version=2019-12-15"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/paint.js?version=2019-06-27"></script>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="src/lists.js?version=2019-12-08"></script>
diff --git a/src/gui.js b/src/gui.js
index 43dc021a..cf7b2804 100644
--- a/src/gui.js
+++ b/src/gui.js
@@ -6061,6 +6061,8 @@ IDE_Morph.prototype.isIE = function () {
 // IDE_Morph external communication API - experimental
 /*
     programmatically trigger scripts from outside of Snap!
+    add message listeners to Snap! broadcasts and access
+    global variables
 */
 
 IDE_Morph.prototype.broadcast = function(message, callback) {
@@ -6069,7 +6071,7 @@ IDE_Morph.prototype.broadcast = function(message, callback) {
     // if a callback is supplied wait for all processes to terminate
     // then call the callback, same as using the "broadcast and wait" block
 
-    var rcvrs = this.stage.children.concat(this.stage),
+    var rcvrs = this.sprites.contents.concat(this.stage),
         myself = this,
         procs = [];
 
@@ -6100,6 +6102,26 @@ IDE_Morph.prototype.broadcast = function(message, callback) {
             ));
         });
     });
+    (this.stage.messageCallbacks[message] || []).forEach(function (callback) {
+        callback();
+    });
+};
+
+IDE_Morph.prototype.addMessageListener = function (message, callback) {
+    // associate a callback function with a broadcast message,
+    // whenever the message is broadcast, the callback is executed,
+    // you can add multiple callbacks to a message, they will be
+    // executed in the order you added them
+    var funcs;
+    if (!isString(message)) {
+        throw new Error('message must be a String');
+    }
+    funcs = this.stage.messageCallbacks[message];
+    if (funcs instanceof Array) {
+        funcs.push(callback);
+    } else {
+        this.stage.messageCallbacks[message] = [callback];
+    }
 };
 
 IDE_Morph.prototype.getVarNames = function () {
diff --git a/src/objects.js b/src/objects.js
index 4a7dfbd0..dcbeb9e3 100644
--- a/src/objects.js
+++ b/src/objects.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ BlockEditorMorph, BlockDialogMorph, PrototypeHatBlockMorph,  BooleanSlotMorph,
 localize, TableMorph, TableFrameMorph, normalizeCanvas, VectorPaintEditorMorph,
 HandleMorph, AlignmentMorph, Process, XML_Element, WorldMap, copyCanvas*/
 
-modules.objects = '2019-December-13';
+modules.objects = '2019-December-15';
 
 var SpriteMorph;
 var StageMorph;
@@ -7486,6 +7486,9 @@ StageMorph.prototype.init = function (globals) {
     // world map client - experimental, transient
     this.worldMap = new WorldMap();
 
+    // Snap! API event listeners - experimental, transient
+    this.messageCallbacks = {}; // name : [functions]
+
     StageMorph.uber.init.call(this);
 
     this.cachedHSV = this.color.hsv();
diff --git a/src/threads.js b/src/threads.js
index cf753327..1a4496d9 100644
--- a/src/threads.js
+++ b/src/threads.js
@@ -3180,6 +3180,9 @@ Process.prototype.doBroadcast = function (message) {
                 });
             }
         });
+        (stage.messageCallbacks[msg] || []).forEach(function (callback) {
+            callback();
+        });
     }
     return procs;
 };