diff --git a/tailbone/static/css/grids.css b/tailbone/static/css/grids.css
index 04cb867f..104e6e7a 100644
--- a/tailbone/static/css/grids.css
+++ b/tailbone/static/css/grids.css
@@ -240,6 +240,23 @@
     text-align: center;
 }
 
+.grid tr:not(.header).selected.odd {
+    background-color: #507aaa;
+}
+
+.grid tr:not(.header).selected.even {
+    background-color: #628db6;
+}
+
+.grid tr:not(.header).selected.hovering {
+    background-color: #3e5b76;
+    color: white;
+}
+
+.grid tr:not(.header).selected a {
+    color: #cccccc;
+}
+
 
 /******************************
  * main actions
diff --git a/tailbone/static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js b/tailbone/static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js
index 7f9b3dd6..e8c14294 100644
--- a/tailbone/static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js
+++ b/tailbone/static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js
@@ -1,8 +1,107 @@
-// -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 /**********************************************************************
  * jQuery UI plugins for Tailbone
  **********************************************************************/
 
+/**********************************************************************
+ * gridcore plugin
+ **********************************************************************/
+
+(function($) {
+
+    $.widget('tailbone.gridcore', {
+
+        _create: function() {
+
+            var that = this;
+
+            // Add hover highlight effect to grid rows during mouse-over.
+            // this.element.on('mouseenter', 'tbody tr:not(.header)', function() {
+            this.element.on('mouseenter', 'tr:not(.header)', function() {
+                $(this).addClass('hovering');
+            });
+            // this.element.on('mouseleave', 'tbody tr:not(.header)', function() {
+            this.element.on('mouseleave', 'tr:not(.header)', function() {
+                $(this).removeClass('hovering');
+            });
+
+            // do some extra stuff for grids with checkboxes
+
+            // (un-)check all rows when clicking check-all box in header
+            if (this.element.find('tr.header td.checkbox :checkbox').length) {
+                this.element.on('click', 'tr.header td.checkbox :checkbox', function() {
+                    var checked = $(this).prop('checked');
+                    var rows = that.element.find('tr:not(.header)');
+                    rows.find('td.checkbox :checkbox').prop('checked', checked);
+                    if (checked) {
+                        rows.addClass('selected');
+                    } else {
+                        rows.removeClass('selected');
+                    }
+                    that.element.trigger('gridchecked', that.count_selected());
+                });
+            }
+
+            // when row with checkbox is clicked, toggle selected status,
+            // unless clicking checkbox (since that already toggles it) or a
+            // link (since that does something completely different)
+            this.element.on('click', 'tr:not(.header)', function(event) {
+                var el = $(event.target);
+                if (!el.is('a') && !el.is(':checkbox')) {
+                    $(this).find('td.checkbox :checkbox').click();
+                }
+            });
+
+            this.element.on('change', 'tr:not(.header) td.checkbox :checkbox', function() {
+                if (this.checked) {
+                    $(this).parents('tr:first').addClass('selected');
+                } else {
+                    $(this).parents('tr:first').removeClass('selected');
+                }
+                that.element.trigger('gridchecked', that.count_selected());
+            });
+
+            // Show 'more' actions when user hovers over 'more' link.
+            this.element.on('mouseenter', '.actions a.more', function() {
+                that.element.find('.actions div.more').hide();
+                $(this).siblings('div.more')
+                    .show()
+                    .position({my: 'left-5 top-4', at: 'left top', of: $(this)});
+            });
+            this.element.on('mouseleave', '.actions div.more', function() {
+                $(this).hide();
+            });
+
+            // Add speed bump for "Delete Row" action, if grid is so configured.
+            if (this.element.data('delete-speedbump')) {
+                this.element.on('click', 'tr:not(.header) .actions a.delete', function() {
+                    return confirm("Are you sure you wish to delete this object?");
+                });
+            }
+        },
+
+        count_selected: function() {
+            return this.element.find('tr:not(.header) td.checkbox input:checked').length;
+        },
+
+        // TODO: deprecate / remove this?
+        count_checked: function() {
+            return this.count_selected();
+        },
+
+        selected_uuids: function() {
+            var uuids = [];
+            this.element.find('tr:not(.header) td.checkbox input:checked').each(function() {
+                uuids.push($(this).parents('tr:first').data('uuid'));
+            });
+            return uuids;
+        }
+
+    });
+
+})( jQuery );
+
+
 /**********************************************************************
  * gridwrapper plugin
  **********************************************************************/
@@ -25,6 +124,9 @@
             this.save_defaults = this.filters.find('#save-defaults');
             this.grid = this.element.find('.grid');
 
+            // add standard grid behavior
+            this.grid.gridcore();
+
             // Enhance filters etc.
             this.filters.find('.filter').gridfilter();
             this.apply_filters.button('option', 'icons', {primary: 'ui-icon-search'});
@@ -147,56 +249,6 @@
                 that.refresh(this.search.substring(1)); // remove leading '?'
                 return false;
             });
-
-            // Add hover highlight effect to grid rows during mouse-over.
-            this.element.on('mouseenter', 'tbody tr:not(.header)', function() {
-                $(this).addClass('hovering');
-            });
-            this.element.on('mouseleave', 'tbody tr:not(.header)', function() {
-                $(this).removeClass('hovering');
-            });
-
-            // do some extra stuff for grids with checkboxes
-
-            // (un-)check all rows when clicking check-all box in header
-            if (this.grid.find('tr.header td.checkbox input').length) {
-                this.element.on('click', 'tr.header td.checkbox input', function() {
-                    var checked = $(this).prop('checked');
-                    that.grid.find('tr:not(.header) td.checkbox input').prop('checked', checked);
-                });
-
-            }
-
-            // Select current row when clicked, unless clicking checkbox
-            // (since that already does select the row) or a link (since
-            // that does something completely different).
-            this.element.on('click', '.grid tr:not(.header) td.checkbox input', function(event) {
-                event.stopPropagation();
-            });
-            this.element.on('click', '.grid tr:not(.header) a', function(event) {
-                event.stopPropagation();
-            });
-            this.element.on('click', '.grid tr:not(.header)', function() {
-                $(this).find('td.checkbox input').click();
-            });
-
-            // Show 'more' actions when user hovers over 'more' link.
-            this.element.on('mouseenter', '.actions a.more', function() {
-                that.grid.find('.actions div.more').hide();
-                $(this).siblings('div.more')
-                    .show()
-                    .position({my: 'left-5 top-4', at: 'left top', of: $(this)});
-            });
-            this.element.on('mouseleave', '.actions div.more', function() {
-                $(this).hide();
-            });
-
-            // Add speed bump for "Delete Row" action, if grid is so configured.
-            if (this.grid.data('delete-speedbump')) {
-                this.element.on('click', 'tbody td.actions a.delete', function() {
-                    return confirm("Are you sure you wish to delete this object?");
-                });
-            }
         },
 
         // Refreshes the visible data within the grid, according to the given settings.
@@ -206,6 +258,7 @@
             $.get(this.grid.data('url'), settings, function(data) {
                 that.grid.replaceWith(data);
                 that.grid = that.element.find('.grid');
+                that.grid.gridcore();
                 that.element.unmask();
             });
         }
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/base.mako b/tailbone/templates/base.mako
index 15d5974d..6a5ed524 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/base.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/base.mako
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@
     var noop_url = '${request.route_url('noop')}';
   </script>
   ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/tailbone.js') + '?ver={}'.format(tailbone.__version__))}
-  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/tailbone.feedback.js'))}
+  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/tailbone.feedback.js') + '?ver={}'.format(tailbone.__version__))}
+  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js') + '?ver={}'.format(tailbone.__version__))}
 </%def>
 
 <%def name="extra_javascript()"></%def>
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/batch/edit.mako b/tailbone/templates/batch/edit.mako
index c0183535..f79ec2dd 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/batch/edit.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/batch/edit.mako
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 <%def name="extra_javascript()">
   ${parent.extra_javascript()}
-  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js'))}
   ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/tailbone.batch.js'))}
   <script type="text/javascript">
 
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako b/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
index 8739f126..bb526397 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 <%def name="extra_javascript()">
   ${parent.extra_javascript()}
-  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js'))}
   ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/tailbone.batch.js'))}
   <script type="text/javascript">
 
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/master/index.mako b/tailbone/templates/master/index.mako
index 21070505..9830fd72 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/master/index.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/master/index.mako
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 <%def name="extra_javascript()">
   ${parent.extra_javascript()}
-  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js'))}
   <script type="text/javascript">
     $(function() {
 
@@ -22,18 +21,14 @@
 
         % if master.mergeable and request.has_perm('{}.merge'.format(permission_prefix)):
 
-            $('form[name="merge-things"] button').button('option', 'disabled', $('.grid tbody td.checkbox input:checked').length != 2);
+            $('form[name="merge-things"] button').button('option', 'disabled', $('.grid').gridcore('count_selected') != 2);
 
-            $('.grid-wrapper').on('click', 'tbody td.checkbox input', function() {
-                $('form[name="merge-things"] button').button('option', 'disabled', $('.grid tbody td.checkbox input:checked').length != 2);
+            $('.grid-wrapper').on('gridchecked', '.grid', function(event, count) {
+                $('form[name="merge-things"] button').button('option', 'disabled', count != 2);
             });
 
-
             $('form[name="merge-things"]').submit(function() {
-                var uuids = [];
-                $('.grid tbody td.checkbox input:checked').each(function() {
-                    uuids.push($(this).parents('tr:first').data('uuid'));
-                });
+                var uuids = $('.grid').gridcore('selected_uuids');
                 if (uuids.length != 2) {
                     return false;
                 }
@@ -100,41 +95,4 @@
   % endif
 </%def>
 
-## ${grid.render_complete(tools=capture(self.grid_tools).strip(), context_menu=capture(self.context_menu_items).strip())|n}
-
 ${grid.render_complete(tools=capture(self.grid_tools).strip(), context_menu=capture(self.context_menu_items).strip())|n}
-
-## <div class="grid-wrapper">
-## 
-##   <table class="grid-header">
-##     <tbody>
-##       <tr>
-## 
-##         <td class="filters" rowspan="2">
-##           % if grid.filterable:
-##               ## TODO: should this be variable sometimes?
-##               ${grid.render_filters(allow_save_defaults=True)|n}
-##           % endif
-##         </td>
-## 
-##         <td class="menu">
-##           <ul id="context-menu">
-##             ${self.context_menu_items()}
-##           </ul>
-##         </td>
-##       </tr>
-## 
-##       <tr>
-##         <td class="tools">
-##           <div class="grid-tools">
-##             ${self.grid_tools()}
-##           </div><!-- grid-tools -->
-##         </td>
-##       </tr>
-## 
-##     </tbody>
-##   </table><!-- grid-header -->
-## 
-##   ${grid.render_grid()|n}
-## 
-## </div><!-- grid-wrapper -->
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/master/versions.mako b/tailbone/templates/master/versions.mako
index c3784c24..b6bc3824 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/master/versions.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/master/versions.mako
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 <%def name="extra_javascript()">
   ${parent.extra_javascript()}
-  ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js'))}
   <script type="text/javascript">
     $(function() {
         $('.grid-wrapper').gridwrapper();
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/master/view.mako b/tailbone/templates/master/view.mako
index a5b81814..7456c9a3 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/master/view.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/master/view.mako
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 <%def name="extra_javascript()">
   ${parent.extra_javascript()}
   % if master.has_rows:
-      ${h.javascript_link(request.static_url('tailbone:static/js/jquery.ui.tailbone.js'))}
       <script type="text/javascript">
         $(function() {
             $('.grid-wrapper').gridwrapper();