diff --git a/direct/src/gui/Button.py b/direct/src/gui/Button.py
index d10a8feee9..9578dedd90 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/Button.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/Button.py
@@ -20,18 +20,22 @@ class Button(DirectObject):
         # up
         self.l1 = GuiLabel.GuiLabel.makeSimpleTextLabel(self.label, font)
         self.l1.setForegroundColor(0., 0., 0., 1.)
+        self.l1.thaw()
         # roll-over up
         self.l2 = GuiLabel.GuiLabel.makeSimpleTextLabel(self.label, font)
         self.l2.setForegroundColor(0., 0., 0., 1.)
-        self.l2.setBackgroundColor(1., 1., 0., 1.)        
+        self.l2.setBackgroundColor(1., 1., 0., 1.)         
+        self.l2.thaw()
         # roll-over down
         self.l3 = GuiLabel.GuiLabel.makeSimpleTextLabel(self.label, font)
         self.l3.setForegroundColor(1., 1., 1., 1.)
         self.l3.setBackgroundColor(0., 0., 0., 1.)
+        self.l3.thaw()
         self.button = GuiButton.GuiButton(self.name, self.l1, self.l2,
                                           self.l3, self.l3, self.l1)
         self.setScale(0.1)
         self.managed = 0
+
 	return None
 
     def cleanup(self):
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ class Button(DirectObject):
         
     def __str__(self):
         return "Button: %s" % self.name
+
     
     def getName(self):
         return self.name
@@ -62,6 +67,18 @@ class Button(DirectObject):
         self.l1.setWidth(width)
         self.l2.setWidth(width)
         self.l3.setWidth(width)
+
+    def freeze(self):
+        self.l1.freeze()
+        self.l2.freeze()
+        self.l3.freeze()
+        self.button.freeze()
+
+    def thaw(self):
+        self.l1.thaw()
+        self.l2.thaw()
+        self.l3.thaw()
+        self.button.thaw()
         
     def manage(self):
         self.button.manage(guiMgr, base.eventMgr.eventHandler)
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/ForceAcknowledge.py b/direct/src/gui/ForceAcknowledge.py
index ca8424871a..d021352127 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/ForceAcknowledge.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/ForceAcknowledge.py
@@ -52,10 +52,12 @@ class ForceAcknowledge(StateData.StateData):
 
 	# create a message
 	self.text = OnscreenText.OnscreenText("", 0.0, 0.25)
+        self.text.freeze()
 	self.text.node().setAlign(0)
 	self.text.node().setTextColor(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
 	self.text.node().setFrameColor(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
 	self.text.setScale(0.08)
+        self.text.thaw()
 
 	# create a button
 	self.okButton = Button.Button("ForceAcknowledge", "OK")
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/Frame.py b/direct/src/gui/Frame.py
index d778145206..8fc5b56d83 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/Frame.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/Frame.py
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ class Frame(DirectObject):
         self.offset = offset
 
     # actions
+    def freeze(self):
+        self.frame.freeze()
+
+    def thaw(self):
+        self.frame.thaw()
+
     def manage(self):
         self.frame.manage(guiMgr, base.eventMgr.eventHandler)
         self.managed = 1
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/OnscreenText.py b/direct/src/gui/OnscreenText.py
index 2e5df5ab94..20dee6e96d 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/OnscreenText.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/OnscreenText.py
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ class OnscreenText(PandaObject, NodePath):
 	    self.isClean = 1
        	    NodePath.__del__(self) 
 	return None
+
+    def freeze(self):
+        self.textNode.freeze()
+
+    def thaw(self):
+        self.textNode.thaw()
  
     def setText(self, string):
         """setText(self, string)
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/ScrollingLabel.py b/direct/src/gui/ScrollingLabel.py
index 57c363e557..087f3c6589 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/ScrollingLabel.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/ScrollingLabel.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class ScrollingLabel(PandaObject.PandaObject):
         label = GuiLabel.GuiLabel.makeSimpleTextLabel(self.name, font)
         label.setForegroundColor(1., 0., 0., 1.)
         label.setBackgroundColor(1., 1., 1., 0.)
+        label.thaw()
         self.title = Sign.Sign(self.name, label)
         self.frame.addItem(self.title)
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ class ScrollingLabel(PandaObject.PandaObject):
         label = GuiLabel.GuiLabel.makeSimpleTextLabel(longest, font)
         label.setForegroundColor(0., 0., 0., 1.)
         label.setBackgroundColor(1., 1., 1., 1.)
+        label.thaw()
         self.itemSign = Sign.Sign(longest, label)
         self.frame.addItem(self.itemSign)
             
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiButton.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiButton.cxx
index 0e1a062c38..31e7b429ef 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiButton.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiButton.cxx
@@ -303,6 +303,32 @@ void GuiButton::unmanage(void) {
   GuiItem::unmanage();
 }
 
+int GuiButton::freeze() {
+  _up->freeze();
+  _down->freeze();
+  if (_up_rollover != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _up_rollover->freeze();
+  if (_down_rollover != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _down_rollover->freeze();
+  if (_inactive != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _inactive->freeze();
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+int GuiButton::thaw() {
+  _up->thaw();
+  _down->thaw();
+  if (_up_rollover != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _up_rollover->thaw();
+  if (_down_rollover != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _down_rollover->thaw();
+  if (_inactive != (GuiLabel*)0L)
+    _inactive->thaw();
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
 void GuiButton::set_scale(float f) {
   _up->set_scale(f * _up_scale);
   _down->set_scale(f * _down_scale);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiButton.h b/panda/src/gui/guiButton.h
index 7890af2dea..e5f1e96110 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiButton.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiButton.h
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ public:
   virtual void unmanage(void);
 
 PUBLISHED:
+  virtual int freeze();
+  virtual int thaw();
+
   INLINE void enter(void);
   INLINE void exit(void);
   INLINE void up(void);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.cxx
index e47b283f0c..717c944644 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.cxx
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ GuiFrame::Boxes::iterator GuiFrame::find_box(GuiItem* item) {
 
 void GuiFrame::recompute_frame(void) {
   GuiItem::recompute_frame();
+
+  freeze();
+
   Boxes::iterator i;
+
   // go thru and make sure everything is packed correctly.  This is a stupid
   // and brute-force algorithm.  Hopefully it will be replaced with something
   // more ellegant later
@@ -202,6 +206,8 @@ void GuiFrame::recompute_frame(void) {
     tmp = (*i).get_item()->get_top();
     _top = (_top<tmp)?tmp:_top;
   }
+
+  thaw();
 }
 
 GuiFrame::GuiFrame(const string& name) : GuiItem(name), _align_to_left(false),
@@ -214,6 +220,32 @@ GuiFrame::~GuiFrame(void) {
   this->unmanage();
 }
 
+int GuiFrame::freeze() {
+  int result = 0;
+  Boxes::iterator i;
+
+  for (i=_items.begin(); i!=_items.end(); ++i) {
+    GuiItem* here = (*i).get_item();
+    int count = here->freeze();
+    result = max(result, count);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+int GuiFrame::thaw() {
+  int result = 0;
+  Boxes::iterator i;
+
+  for (i=_items.begin(); i!=_items.end(); ++i) {
+    GuiItem* here = (*i).get_item();
+    int count = here->thaw();
+    result = max(result, count);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 void GuiFrame::add_item(GuiItem* item) {
   bool found = false;
   for (Boxes::iterator i=_items.begin(); (!found)&&(i!=_items.end()); ++i)
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.h b/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.h
index a8f154c010..0ee70f404a 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiFrame.h
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
   GuiFrame(const string&);
   ~GuiFrame(void);
 
+  virtual int freeze();
+  virtual int thaw();
+
   void add_item(GuiItem*);
   void remove_item(GuiItem*);
   void pack_item(GuiItem*, Packing, GuiItem*, float = 0.);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiItem.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiItem.cxx
index 7db6bd1eac..24d2f601b5 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiItem.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiItem.cxx
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ GuiItem::~GuiItem(void) {
   this->unmanage();
 }
 
+int GuiItem::freeze() {
+  return 0;
+}
+
+int GuiItem::thaw() {
+  return 0;
+}
+
 void GuiItem::manage(GuiManager* mgr, EventHandler&) {
   test_ref_count_integrity();
   _mgr = mgr;
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiItem.h b/panda/src/gui/guiItem.h
index 9a5585d817..00780fdc57 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiItem.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiItem.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
   virtual void manage(GuiManager*, EventHandler&) = 0;
   virtual void unmanage(void) = 0;
 
+  virtual int freeze();
+  virtual int thaw();
+
   virtual void set_scale(float) = 0;
   virtual void set_pos(const LVector3f&) = 0;
   INLINE void set_priority(const Priority);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
index ffad146ea2..ecdc4529f1 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ GuiLabel* GuiLabel::make_simple_text_label(const string& text, Node* font,
   TextNode* n = new TextNode("GUI label");
   ret->_geom = n;
   ret->_tex = tex;
+
+  // The GuiLabel is initially frozen at the time it is created.
+  n->freeze();
+
   n->set_font(font);
   n->set_align(TM_ALIGN_CENTER);
   n->set_text_color(ret->get_foreground_color());
@@ -172,6 +176,32 @@ GuiLabel* GuiLabel::make_simple_text_label(const string& text, Node* font,
   return ret;
 }
 
+int GuiLabel::freeze() {
+  switch (_type) {
+  case SIMPLE_TEXT:
+    {
+      TextNode* n = DCAST(TextNode, _geom);
+      return n->freeze();
+    }
+
+  default:
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
+int GuiLabel::thaw() {
+  switch (_type) {
+  case SIMPLE_TEXT:
+    {
+      TextNode* n = DCAST(TextNode, _geom);
+      return n->thaw();
+    }
+
+  default:
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
 void GuiLabel::get_extents(float& l, float& r, float& b, float& t) {
   switch (_type) {
   case SIMPLE_TEXT:
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
index 9de2d5ddff..a810b94212 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
   static GuiLabel* make_simple_text_label(const string&, Node*,
 					  Texture* = (Texture*)0L);
 
+  int freeze();
+  int thaw();
+
   void get_extents(float&, float&, float&, float&);
   float get_width(void);
   float get_height(void);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiSign.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiSign.cxx
index 0f24cc9376..aa8d5ac7fc 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiSign.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiSign.cxx
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@ void GuiSign::unmanage(void) {
   GuiItem::unmanage();
 }
 
+int GuiSign::freeze() {
+  return _sign->freeze();
+}
+
+int GuiSign::thaw() {
+  return _sign->thaw();
+}
+
 void GuiSign::set_scale(float f) {
   _sign->set_scale(f * _sign_scale);
   GuiItem::set_scale(f);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiSign.h b/panda/src/gui/guiSign.h
index d26a7b54ef..347badbf79 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiSign.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiSign.h
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
   virtual void manage(GuiManager*, EventHandler&);
   virtual void unmanage(void);
 
+  virtual int freeze();
+  virtual int thaw();
+
   virtual void set_scale(float);
   virtual void set_pos(const LVector3f&);
 
diff --git a/panda/src/text/Sources.pp b/panda/src/text/Sources.pp
index 6315338ff9..1c854ef376 100644
--- a/panda/src/text/Sources.pp
+++ b/panda/src/text/Sources.pp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     config_text.cxx config_text.h textNode.I textNode.cxx textNode.h
 
   #define INSTALL_HEADERS \
-    textNode.I textNode.h
+    config_text.h textNode.I textNode.h
 
   #define IGATESCAN all
 
diff --git a/panda/src/text/textNode.I b/panda/src/text/textNode.I
index 0348c439d3..f7789ad39d 100644
--- a/panda/src/text/textNode.I
+++ b/panda/src/text/textNode.I
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 INLINE int TextNode::
 freeze() {
+  if (text_cat.is_debug()) {
+    text_cat.debug()
+      << "Freezing " << this->get_name() << ", level = " 
+      << _freeze_level << "\n";
+  }
   return _freeze_level++;
 }
 
@@ -52,6 +57,11 @@ get_freeze_level() const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 INLINE int TextNode::
 thaw() {
+  if (text_cat.is_debug()) {
+    text_cat.debug()
+      << "Thawing " << this->get_name() << ", level = " 
+      << _freeze_level-1 << "\n";
+  }
   nassertr(_freeze_level > 0, _freeze_level);
   _freeze_level--;
   
diff --git a/panda/src/text/textNode.h b/panda/src/text/textNode.h
index 2e29a6a8dc..f4f1e51680 100644
--- a/panda/src/text/textNode.h
+++ b/panda/src/text/textNode.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 #include <pandabase.h>
 
+#include "config_text.h"
+
 #include <pt_Node.h>
 #include <namedNode.h>
 #include <luse.h>