diff --git a/examples/unfinished/reorderable-list/client/shark.js b/examples/unfinished/reorderable-list/client/shark.js
index 25728aa253..2ae26b746c 100644
--- a/examples/unfinished/reorderable-list/client/shark.js
+++ b/examples/unfinished/reorderable-list/client/shark.js
@@ -13,21 +13,18 @@ UI.body.rendered = function () {
 
       var newRank;
       if (!before) { // moving to the top of the list
-        newRank = SimpleRationalRanks.beforeFirst(
-          after.$ui.component.data().rank);
+        newRank = SimpleRationalRanks.beforeFirst(UI.getElementData(after).rank);
 
       } else if (!after) { // moving to the bottom of the list
-        newRank = SimpleRationalRanks.afterLast(
-          before.$ui.component.data().rank);
+        newRank = SimpleRationalRanks.afterLast(UI.getElementData(before).rank);
 
       } else {
         newRank = SimpleRationalRanks.between(
-          before.$ui.component.data().rank,
-          after.$ui.component.data().rank);
-
+          UI.getElementData(before).rank,
+          UI.getElementData(after).rank);
       }
 
-      Items.update(el.$ui.component.data()._id, {$set: {rank: newRank}});
+      Items.update(UI.getElementData(el)._id, {$set: {rank: newRank}});
     }
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/ui/base.js b/packages/ui/base.js
index d2b12afd06..8f6cba41f6 100644
--- a/packages/ui/base.js
+++ b/packages/ui/base.js
@@ -329,3 +329,11 @@ UI.Component.notifyParented = function () {
 UI.Component.preserve = function () {
   Meteor._debug("The 'preserve' method on templates is now unnecessary and deprecated.");
 };
+
+// Gets the data context of the enclosing component that rendered a
+// given element
+UI.getElementData = function (el) {
+  var comp = UI.DomRange.getContainingComponent(el);
+  return comp && getComponentData(comp);
+};
+
diff --git a/packages/ui/domrange.js b/packages/ui/domrange.js
index 47d02737ca..39edbc31a1 100644
--- a/packages/ui/domrange.js
+++ b/packages/ui/domrange.js
@@ -1107,4 +1107,4 @@ DomRange.prototype.on = function (events, selector, handler) {
   };
 
 
-UI.DomRange = DomRange;
\ No newline at end of file
+UI.DomRange = DomRange;
diff --git a/packages/ui/render_tests.js b/packages/ui/render_tests.js
index 4292079565..3f121da2e6 100644
--- a/packages/ui/render_tests.js
+++ b/packages/ui/render_tests.js
@@ -684,3 +684,18 @@ Tinytest.add("ui - UI.render", function (test) {
 
   document.body.removeChild(div);
 });
+
+Tinytest.add("ui - UI.getDataContext", function (test) {
+  var div = document.createElement("DIV");
+
+  var tmpl = UI.Component.extend({
+    render: function () {
+      return SPAN();
+    }
+  });
+
+  UI.insert(UI.renderWithData(tmpl, {foo: "bar"}), div);
+  var span = $(div).children('SPAN')[0];
+  test.isTrue(span);
+  test.equal(UI.getElementData(span), {foo: "bar"});
+});