diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEInteractionProvider.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEInteractionProvider.java
index 1b8019b3830..20cdd1b0eaf 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEInteractionProvider.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/core/IRSEInteractionProvider.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  * Contributors:
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [190231] initial API and implementation
  * IBM Corporation - Javadoc for runInDefaultContext() method
+ * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [236355] [api] Add an IRSEInteractionProvider#eventExec() method
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.eclipse.rse.core;
 
@@ -107,6 +108,19 @@ public interface IRSEInteractionProvider {
 	 */
 	public void asyncExec(Runnable runnable);
 
+	/**
+	 * Run the given runnable with "event" semantics, that is: asynchronously
+	 * run it through {@link #asyncExec(Runnable)} on the interaction provider's
+	 * designated event thread, unless the call is already coming from that very
+	 * thread.
+	 * 
+	 * In that case, the Runnable is run immediately and synchronously.
+	 *
+	 * @param runnable the Runnable to run asynchronously with "event" semantics
+	 * @see #asyncExec(Runnable)
+	 */
+	public void eventExec(Runnable runnable);
+
 	/**
 	 * Flush the Queue of Runnables enqueued with {@link #asyncExec(Runnable)}.
 	 *
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/DefaultUIInteractionProvider.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/DefaultUIInteractionProvider.java
index 6f3c6c16dfe..e715cde09dd 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/DefaultUIInteractionProvider.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/DefaultUIInteractionProvider.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  * Contributors:
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [190231] initial API and implementation
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - brought in methods from SubSystem (c) IBM
+ * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [236355] [api] Add an IRSEInteractionProvider#eventExec() method
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.eclipse.rse.internal.ui;
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
  * with the <a href="http://www.eclipse.org/dsdp/tm/">Target Management</a>
  * team.
  * </p>
- * 
+ *
  * @since org.eclipse.rse.ui 3.0
  */
 public class DefaultUIInteractionProvider implements IRSEInteractionProvider {
@@ -138,10 +139,18 @@ public class DefaultUIInteractionProvider implements IRSEInteractionProvider {
 		return d;
 	}
 
-	public void asyncExec(Runnable runnable) {
+	public void asyncExec(final Runnable runnable) {
 		getDefaultDisplay().asyncExec(runnable);
 	}
 
+	public void eventExec(final Runnable runnable) {
+		if (Display.getCurrent() != null) {
+			runnable.run();
+		} else {
+			asyncExec(runnable);
+		}
+	}
+
 	public void flushRunnableQueue() {
 		Display d = Display.getCurrent();
 		if (d == null) {