diff --git a/editor/svg-editor.html b/editor/svg-editor.html
index 6ccc1f9a..32a0fe8d 100644
--- a/editor/svg-editor.html
+++ b/editor/svg-editor.html
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
     <!-- History buttons -->
 	<div>
 	<img class="tool_sep" src="images/sep.png" alt="|"/>
-	<img class="tool_button" id="tool_undo" src="images/undo.png" title="Undo [Z]" alt="Undo" />
-	<img class="tool_button" id="tool_redo" src="images/redo.png" title="Redo [Shift+Z/Y]" alt="Redo"/>
+	<img class="tool_button tool_button_disabled" id="tool_undo" src="images/undo.png" title="Undo [Z]" alt="Undo" />
+	<img class="tool_button tool_button_disabled" id="tool_redo" src="images/redo.png" title="Redo [Shift+Z/Y]" alt="Redo"/>
 	</div>
 
 	<!-- Buttons when something is selected -->
diff --git a/editor/svg-editor.js b/editor/svg-editor.js
index 9869928d..fcff9d80 100644
--- a/editor/svg-editor.js
+++ b/editor/svg-editor.js
@@ -37,15 +37,14 @@ function svg_edit_setup() {
 
 	// called when any element has changed	
 	var elementChanged = function(window,elem) {
-		// if the element that changed was the selected element, we
-		// should update the contextual panel with potentially new
+		// we update the contextual panel with potentially new
 		// positional/sizing information (we DON'T want to update the
 		// toolbar here as that creates an infinite loop)
-		if (elem == selectedElement) {
-			// we tell it to skip focusing the text control if the 
-			// text element was previously in focus
-			updateContextPanel(false);
-		}
+		// also this updates the history buttons
+		
+		// we tell it to skip focusing the text control if the 
+		// text element was previously in focus
+		updateContextPanel(false);
 	}
 	
 	// updates the toolbar (colors, opacity, etc) based on the selected element
@@ -131,6 +130,20 @@ function svg_edit_setup() {
 					break;
 			}
 		}
+		
+		// update history buttons
+		if (svgCanvas.getUndoStackSize() > 0) {
+			$('#tool_undo').removeClass( 'tool_button_disabled');
+		}
+		else {
+			$('#tool_undo').addClass( 'tool_button_disabled');
+		}
+		if (svgCanvas.getRedoStackSize() > 0) {
+			$('#tool_redo').removeClass( 'tool_button_disabled');
+		}
+		else {
+			$('#tool_redo').addClass( 'tool_button_disabled');
+		}
 	}
 
 	$('#text').focus( function(){ textBeingEntered = true; } );
@@ -364,6 +377,12 @@ function svg_edit_setup() {
 	$('#tool_delete').mousedown(function(){$('#tool_delete').addClass('tool_button_current');});
 	$('#tool_delete').mouseup(function(){$('#tool_delete').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
 	$('#tool_delete').mouseout(function(){$('#tool_delete').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_undo').mousedown(function(){ if (!$('#tool_undo').hasClass('tool_button_disabled')) $('#tool_undo').addClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_undo').mouseup(function(){$('#tool_undo').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_undo').mouseout(function(){$('#tool_undo').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_redo').mousedown(function(){ if (!$('#tool_redo').hasClass('tool_button_disabled')) $('#tool_redo').addClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_redo').mouseup(function(){$('#tool_redo').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
+	$('#tool_redo').mouseout(function(){$('#tool_redo').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
 	$('#tool_move_top').mousedown(function(){$('#tool_move_top').addClass('tool_button_current');});
 	$('#tool_move_top').mouseup(function(){$('#tool_move_top').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
 	$('#tool_move_top').mouseout(function(){$('#tool_move_top').removeClass('tool_button_current');});
diff --git a/editor/svgcanvas.js b/editor/svgcanvas.js
index 2bc80170..8dedc9c5 100644
--- a/editor/svgcanvas.js
+++ b/editor/svgcanvas.js
@@ -1119,13 +1119,15 @@ function SvgCanvas(c)
 		}
 	}
 
-	this.getUndoStackSize = function() { return undoStack.length; }
+	this.getUndoStackSize = function() { return undoStackPointer; }
 	this.getRedoStackSize = function() { return undoStack.length - undoStackPointer; }
 	
 	this.undo = function() {
 		if (undoStackPointer > 0) { 
 			this.selectNone();
-			undoStack[--undoStackPointer].unapply(); 
+			var cmd = undoStack[--undoStackPointer];
+			cmd.unapply();
+			call("changed", cmd.elem);
 		}
 //		console.log("after undo, stackPointer=" + undoStackPointer);
 //		console.log(undoStack);		
@@ -1133,7 +1135,9 @@ function SvgCanvas(c)
 	this.redo = function() {
 		if (undoStackPointer < undoStack.length && undoStack.length > 0) {
 			this.selectNone();
-			undoStack[undoStackPointer++].apply();
+			var cmd = undoStack[undoStackPointer++];
+			cmd.apply();
+			call("changed", cmd.elem);
 		}
 //		console.log("after redo, stackPointer=" + undoStackPointer);
 //		console.log(undoStack);