diff --git a/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py b/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
index 1348da5e5a..ea11259da2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
@@ -351,3 +351,6 @@ class CatalogPlugin(Plugin):
         # Default implementation does nothing
         raise NotImplementedError('CatalogPlugin.generate_catalog() default '
                 'method, should be overridden in subclass')
+
+class InterfaceActionBase(Plugin):
+    pass
diff --git a/src/calibre/customize/ui.py b/src/calibre/customize/ui.py
index 7b70bfbb4b..b720964c92 100644
--- a/src/calibre/customize/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/customize/ui.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ import os, shutil, traceback, functools, sys, re
 from contextlib import closing
 
 from calibre.customize import Plugin, CatalogPlugin, FileTypePlugin, \
-                              MetadataReaderPlugin, MetadataWriterPlugin
+                              MetadataReaderPlugin, MetadataWriterPlugin, \
+                              InterfaceActionBase as InterfaceAction
 from calibre.customize.conversion import InputFormatPlugin, OutputFormatPlugin
 from calibre.customize.profiles import InputProfile, OutputProfile
 from calibre.customize.builtins import plugins as builtin_plugins
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@ from calibre.utils.config import make_config_dir, Config, ConfigProxy, \
                                  plugin_dir, OptionParser, prefs
 from calibre.ebooks.epub.fix import ePubFixer
 
-
 platform = 'linux'
 if iswindows:
     platform = 'windows'
@@ -246,6 +246,17 @@ def cover_sources():
 
 # }}}
 
+# Interface Actions # {{{
+
+def interface_actions():
+    customization = config['plugin_customization']
+    for plugin in _initialized_plugins:
+        if isinstance(plugin, InterfaceAction):
+            if not is_disabled(plugin):
+                plugin.site_customization = customization.get(plugin.name, '')
+                yield plugin
+# }}}
+
 # Metadata read/write {{{
 _metadata_readers = {}
 _metadata_writers = {}
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index 686d705abb..062e4eeab9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -244,14 +244,20 @@ def info_dialog(parent, title, msg, det_msg='', show=False):
 
 
 class Dispatcher(QObject):
-    '''Convenience class to ensure that a function call always happens in the
-    thread the receiver was created in.'''
+    '''
+    Convenience class to use Qt signals with arbitrary python callables.
+    By default, ensures that a function call always happens in the
+    thread this Dispatcher was created in.
+    '''
     dispatch_signal = pyqtSignal(object, object)
 
-    def __init__(self, func):
-        QObject.__init__(self)
+    def __init__(self, func, queued=True, parent=None):
+        QObject.__init__(self, parent)
         self.func = func
-        self.dispatch_signal.connect(self.dispatch, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
+        typ = Qt.QueuedConnection
+        if not queued:
+            typ = Qt.AutoConnection if queued is None else Qt.DirectConnection
+        self.dispatch_signal.connect(self.dispatch, type=typ)
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.dispatch_signal.emit(args, kwargs)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/__init__.py
index 96aaa843a0..5c1f2d1535 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@ __copyright__ = '2010, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 
+from calibre.customize import InterfaceActionBase
 
+class InterfaceAction(InterfaceActionBase):
 
+    supported_platforms = ['windows', 'osx', 'linux']
+    author         = 'Kovid Goyal'
+    type = _('User Interface Action')
+
+    positions = frozenset([])
+    separators = frozenset([])
+
+    def do_genesis(self, gui):
+        self.gui = gui
+        self.genesis()
+
+    # Subclassable methods {{{
+    def genesis(self):
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+    # }}}
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
index 18a9a4224b..b7be89360f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@ from calibre.gui2.widgets import IMAGE_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.ebooks import BOOK_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.utils.filenames import ascii_filename
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding, filesystem_encoding
+from calibre.gui2.actions import InterfaceAction
 
+class AddAction(InterfaceAction):
 
-class AddAction(object):
+    def genesis(self):
+        self._add_filesystem_book = Dispatcher(self.__add_filesystem_book,
+                parent=self.gui)
 
-    def __init__(self):
-        self._add_filesystem_book = Dispatcher(self.__add_filesystem_book)
 
     def add_recursive(self, single):
         root = choose_dir(self, 'recursive book import root dir dialog',
diff --git a/src/calibre/manual/plugins.rst b/src/calibre/manual/plugins.rst
index 26e544d766..8b6919db90 100644
--- a/src/calibre/manual/plugins.rst
+++ b/src/calibre/manual/plugins.rst
@@ -157,4 +157,11 @@ The base class for such devices is :class:`calibre.devices.usbms.driver.USBMS`.
    :members:
    :member-order: bysource
 
+User Interface Actions
+--------------------------
+
+.. autoclass:: calibre.gui2.actions.InterfaceAction
+   :show-inheritance:
+   :members:
+   :member-order: bysource