diff --git a/capplets/common/ChangeLog b/capplets/common/ChangeLog
index 143c41ccb..a04666f51 100644
--- a/capplets/common/ChangeLog
+++ b/capplets/common/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2002-03-10  Seth Nickell  <snickell@stanford.edu>
+
+	* Makefile.am:
+	* activate-settings-daemon.c: (popup_error_message),
+	(activate_settings_daemon):
+	* activate-settings-daemon.h:
+
+	Add new client interface for activating the settings daemon
+	if its not already running.
+	
 2002-02-27  Kjartan Maraas  <kmaraas@gnome.org>
 
 	* capplet-util.c: s/PACKAGE/GETTEXT_PACKAGE/g
diff --git a/capplets/common/Makefile.am b/capplets/common/Makefile.am
index 9d795e391..441ce1d75 100644
--- a/capplets/common/Makefile.am
+++ b/capplets/common/Makefile.am
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ INCLUDES = \
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libcommon.a
 
 libcommon_a_SOURCES = \
+	activate-settings-daemon.c	activate-settings-daemon.h	\
 	capplet-util.c			capplet-util.h			\
 	gconf-property-editor.c		gconf-property-editor.h		\
 	gconf-property-editor-marshal.c	gconf-property-editor-marshal.h
diff --git a/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.c b/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f08a92b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.c
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#include <libbonobo.h>
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+
+#include "activate-settings-daemon.h"
+
+
+/*#include "GNOME_SettingsDaemon.h"*/
+
+static void popup_error_message ()
+{
+  GtkWidget *dialog;
+
+  dialog = gtk_message_dialog_new (NULL, GTK_DIALOG_NO_SEPARATOR, GTK_MESSAGE_WARNING,
+				   GTK_BUTTONS_OK, "Unable to start the settings manager 'gnome2-settings-daemon'.\n"
+				   "Without the GNOME settings manager running, some preferences may not take effect. This could"
+				   "indicate a problem with Bonobo, or a non-GNOME (e.g. KDE) settings manager may already"
+				   "be active and conflicting with the GNOME settings manager.");
+
+  gtk_widget_show (dialog);
+  gtk_widget_destroy (dialog);
+}
+
+/* Returns FALSE if activation failed, else TRUE */
+gboolean 
+activate_settings_daemon (void)
+{
+  CORBA_Environment ev;
+  CORBA_Object object;
+
+  /*GNOME_SettingsDaemon corba_foo;*/
+  
+  bonobo_init (NULL, NULL);
+  
+  CORBA_exception_init (&ev);
+
+  object = bonobo_activation_activate_from_id  ("OAFIID:GNOME_SettingsDaemon",
+						0, NULL, &ev);
+  
+  if (ev._major != CORBA_NO_EXCEPTION) {
+    popup_error_message ();
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  
+  if (object == CORBA_OBJECT_NIL) {
+    popup_error_message ();
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
+  /*bool = GNOME_SettingsDaemon_awake (corba_foo, "MyService", &ev);
+    printf ("bool is %d\n", bool);*/
+
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
diff --git a/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.h b/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc1558d82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/capplets/common/activate-settings-daemon.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef ACTIVATE_SETINGS_DAEMON
+#define ACTIVATE_SETINGS_DAEMON
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+/* Returns FALSE if activation failed, else TRUE */
+gboolean activate_settings_daemon (void);
+
+#endif