diff --git a/Lua/actor lister.lua b/Lua/actor lister.lua
index d99f1bf..64c436b 100755
--- a/Lua/actor lister.lua	
+++ b/Lua/actor lister.lua	
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 require "boilerplate"
 require "addrs.init"
 require "classes"
+require "messages"
 
 -- check for errors in the actor linked lists
 local validate = false
@@ -27,15 +28,6 @@ function sort_by_key(t)
     return sorted
 end
 
-function T(x, y, color, pos, fmt, ...)
-    gui.text(10*x + 2, 16*y + 4, fmt:format(...), nil, color or "white", pos or "bottomright")
-end
-
-function T_BR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomright", ...) end
-function T_BL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomleft",  ...) end
-function T_TL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topleft",     ...) end
-function T_TR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topright",    ...) end
-
 function get_actor_count(i)
     return R4(addrs.actor_counts[i].addr)
 end
diff --git a/Lua/cheat menu.lua b/Lua/cheat menu.lua
index fcc4c9a..1726ba3 100755
--- a/Lua/cheat menu.lua	
+++ b/Lua/cheat menu.lua	
@@ -2,18 +2,7 @@ require "boilerplate"
 require "addrs.init"
 require "classes"
 require "menu classes"
-
-function T(x, y, color, pos, s, ...)
-    if #{...} > 0 then
-        s = s:format(...)
-    end
-    gui.text(10*x + 2, 16*y + 4, s, nil, color or "white", pos or "bottomright")
-end
-
-function T_BR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomright", ...) end
-function T_BL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomleft",  ...) end
-function T_TL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topleft",     ...) end
-function T_TR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topright",    ...) end
+require "messages"
 
 local passives = {}
 
diff --git a/Lua/messages.lua b/Lua/messages.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fde663
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lua/messages.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+-- gui.addmessage sucks so we're doing this our way
+
+function T(x, y, color, pos, s, ...)
+    if #{...} > 0 then
+        s = s:format(...)
+    end
+    gui.text(10*x + 2, 16*y + 4, s, nil, color or "white", pos or "bottomright")
+end
+
+function T_BR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomright", ...) end
+function T_BL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "bottomleft",  ...) end
+function T_TL(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topleft",     ...) end
+function T_TR(x, y, color, ...) T(x, y, color, "topright",    ...) end
+
+messages = {}
+__messages_then = 0
+
+function message(text, frames)
+    local now = emu.framecount()
+    frames = frames or 60
+    local when = now + frames
+    table.insert(messages, {text=text, when=when})
+end
+
+function draw_messages()
+    local now = emu.framecount()
+    if now == __messages_then then
+        -- already drawn this frame
+        return
+    end
+    if now ~= __messages_then + 1 then
+        -- nonlinearity in time, probably a savestate
+        messages = {}
+    end
+
+    local okay = {}
+    for i, t in ipairs(messages) do
+        if now < t.when then
+            table.insert(okay, t)
+        end
+    end
+    for i, t in ipairs(okay) do
+        T_BL(0, i - 1, nil, t.text)
+    end
+
+    messages = okay
+    __messages_then = now
+end