diff --git a/red/events.js b/red/events.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89590494e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/red/events.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013 IBM Corp.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ **/
+
+var events = require("events"); 
+
+module.exports = new events.EventEmitter(); 
diff --git a/red/nodes.js b/red/nodes.js
index 7401db39e..5648df481 100644
--- a/red/nodes.js
+++ b/red/nodes.js
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  **/
 var util = require("util");
-var events = require("events");
+var EventEmitter = require("events").EventEmitter;
 var fs = require("fs");
-
+var events = require("./events");
 
 function getCallerFilename(type) {
     //if (type == "summary") {
@@ -59,9 +59,11 @@ var registry = (function() {
                 return nodes[i];
             },
             clear: function() {
+                events.emit("nodes-stopping");
                 for (var n in nodes) {
                     nodes[n].close();
                 }
+                events.emit("nodes-stopped");
                 nodes = {};
             },
             
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ var registry = (function() {
         return obj;
 })();
 
-var ConsoleLogHandler = new events.EventEmitter();
+var ConsoleLogHandler = new EventEmitter();
 ConsoleLogHandler.on("log",function(msg) {
         util.log("["+msg.level+"] ["+msg.type+":"+(msg.name||msg.id)+"] "+msg.msg);
 });
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ function Node(n) {
     }
     this.wires = n.wires||[];
 }
-util.inherits(Node,events.EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(Node,EventEmitter);
 
 Node.prototype.close = function() {
     // called when a node is removed
@@ -253,6 +255,8 @@ module.exports.load = function() {
     }
     
     loadNodes("nodes");
+    
+    events.emit("nodes-loaded");
 }
 
 
@@ -261,7 +265,10 @@ module.exports.getNode = function(nid) {
     return registry.get(nid);
 }
 module.exports.parseConfig = function(conf) {
+    
     registry.clear();
+    
+    events.emit("nodes-starting");
     for (var i in conf) {
         var nn = null;
         var nt = node_type_registry.get(conf[i].type);
@@ -286,5 +293,7 @@ module.exports.parseConfig = function(conf) {
     if (deletedCredentials) {
         saveCredentialsFile();
     }
+    events.emit("nodes-started");
+
 }
 
diff --git a/red/red.js b/red/red.js
index f35be52e4..7ff626b52 100644
--- a/red/red.js
+++ b/red/red.js
@@ -14,15 +14,22 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  **/
 
+var events = require("./events"); 
 var server = require("./server");
 var nodes = require("./nodes");
 var library = require("./library");
 var settings = require("../settings");
 
-module.exports = {
+
+var events = require("events");
+
+var RED = {
     nodes: nodes,
     app: server.app,
     server: server.server,
     settings: settings,
-    library: library
-}
+    library: library,
+    events: events
+};
+
+module.exports = RED;