diff --git a/packages/test-in-browser/driver.js b/packages/test-in-browser/driver.js
index 24dea7cc5c..83293e8801 100644
--- a/packages/test-in-browser/driver.js
+++ b/packages/test-in-browser/driver.js
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ var _testStatus = function(t) {
 
 //// Template - navBars
 
-Template.navBars({
+Template.navBars.helpers({
   running: function() {
     countDep.depend();
     return running;
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ Template.navBars({
 
 //// Template - progressBar
 
-Template.progressBar({
+Template.progressBar.helpers({
   running: function () {
     countDep.depend();
     return running;
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ var changeToPath = function (path) {
   Reload._reload();
 };
 
-Template.groupNav({
+Template.groupNav.helpers({
   groupPaths: function () {
     var groupPath = Session.get("groupPath");
     var ret = [];
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ Template.groupNav({
   }
 });
 
-Template.groupNav({
+Template.groupNav.events({
   'click .group': function () {
     changeToPath(this.path);
   },
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Template.groupNav({
 
 //// Template - failedTests
 
-Template.failedTests({
+Template.failedTests.helpers({
   failedTests: function() {
     countDep.depend();
     return failedTests;
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ Template.failedTests({
 
 //// Template - testTable
 
-Template.testTable({
+Template.testTable.helpers({
   testdata: function () {
     topLevelGroupsDep.depend();
     return resultTree;
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ Template.testTable({
 
 //// Template - test_group
 
-Template.test_group({
+Template.test_group.helpers({
   'click .groupname': function (evt) {
     changeToPath(this.path);
     // prevent enclosing groups from also triggering on
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ Template.test_group({
 
 //// Template - test
 
-Template.test({
+Template.test.helpers({
   test_status_display: function() {
     var status = _testStatus(this);
     if (status == "failed") {
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ Template.test({
   }
 });
 
-Template.test({
+Template.test.events({
   'click .testname': function () {
     this.expanded = ! this.expanded;
     this.dep.changed();
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ Template.test({
 
 //// Template - event
 
-Template.event({
+Template.event.events({
   'click .debug': function () {
     // the way we manage groupPath, shortName, cookies, etc, is really
     // messy. needs to be aggressively refactored.
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ Template.event({
   }
 });
 
-Template.event({
+Template.event.helpers({
   get_details: function() {
 
     var prepare = function(details) {
diff --git a/packages/ui/base.js b/packages/ui/base.js
index 9c59dee4ea..0ca9f216e5 100644
--- a/packages/ui/base.js
+++ b/packages/ui/base.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+UI = {};
+
 // A very basic operation like Underscore's `_.extend` that
 // copies `src`'s own, enumerable properties onto `tgt` and
 // returns `tgt`.
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ var sanitizeTypeName = function (typeName) {
                                   '') || 'Component';
 };
 
-UI = {
+_extend(UI, {
   nextGuid: 2, // Component is 1!
 
   // Components and Component kinds are the same thing, just
@@ -92,8 +94,7 @@ UI = {
     if (! c.dom)
       throw new Error("Component must be built into DOM to perform this operation");
   }
-
-};
+});
 
 Component = UI.Component;
 
@@ -1122,3 +1123,13 @@ UI.body = UI.Component.extend({
   // XXX revisit how body works.
   INSTANCE: null
 });
+
+_extend(UI.Component, {
+  // XXX temporary definitions
+  helpers: function (dict) {
+    _extend(this, dict);
+  },
+  events: function (dict) {
+    _extend(this, dict);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/backend.js b/packages/ui/dombackend.js
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/ui/backend.js
rename to packages/ui/dombackend.js
diff --git a/packages/ui/package.js b/packages/ui/package.js
index 3c44f5ba92..ea5ca29146 100644
--- a/packages/ui/package.js
+++ b/packages/ui/package.js
@@ -11,8 +11,12 @@ Package.on_use(function (api) {
   api.use('ordered-dict');
   api.use('minimongo');  // for idStringify
 
-  api.add_files(['base.js',
-                 'attrs.js',
+  api.add_files(['base.js']);
+
+  api.add_files(['dombackend.js',
+                 'domrange.js'], 'client');
+
+  api.add_files(['attrs.js',
                  'render.js',
                  'fields.js',
                  'template.js',
diff --git a/packages/ui/render.js b/packages/ui/render.js
index 025c86de66..cd10a88e97 100644
--- a/packages/ui/render.js
+++ b/packages/ui/render.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var DomRange = UI.DomRange;
 
 // Render an instance of a component kind directly into the DOM,
 // optionally with a parentComp (for e.g. name resolution).
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ makeRenderBuffer = function (options) {
 
     var range = component.dom;
     // assert: range is empty.
-    var start = range.getFirstNode();
+    var start = range.startNode();
     var nextNode = start.nextSibling;
     // jQuery does fancy html-to-DOM compat stuff here:
     $(start).after(html);