diff --git a/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp b/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
index 2798ea772e..0ec63141f8 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ AppServer::AppServer() :
 	// Set up the Desktop
 	gDesktop = new Desktop();
 	gDesktop->Init();
+	gDesktop->Run();
 
 	// TODO: Maybe this is not the best place for this
 	InitializeColorMap();
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp b/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
index 9f0cdf207f..ec3181844c 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
@@ -57,11 +57,18 @@
 
 
 Desktop::Desktop()
-	:
+	: MessageLooper("desktop"),
 	fSettings(new DesktopSettings::Private()),
 	fWinBorderList(64),
 	fActiveScreen(NULL)
 {
+	// TODO: use user name
+	char name[B_OS_NAME_LENGTH];
+	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "d:%s", "baron");
+
+	fMessagePort = create_port(DEFAULT_MONITOR_PORT_SIZE, name);
+	if (fMessagePort < B_OK)
+		return;
 }
 
 
@@ -72,6 +79,8 @@ Desktop::~Desktop()
 
 	delete fRootLayer;
 	delete fSettings;
+
+	delete_port(fMessagePort);
 }
 
 
@@ -97,6 +106,13 @@ Desktop::Init()
 }
 
 
+void
+Desktop::_GetLooperName(char* name, size_t length)
+{
+	snprintf(name, length, "d:%d:%s", /*id*/0, /*name*/"baron");
+}
+
+
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //				Methods for layer(WinBorder) manipulation.
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Desktop.h b/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
index dbf600998a..d96a6c98e2 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "ServerScreen.h"
 #include "VirtualScreen.h"
 #include "DesktopSettings.h"
+#include "MessageLooper.h"
 
 #include <InterfaceDefs.h>
 #include <List.h>
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ namespace BPrivate {
 };
 
 
-class Desktop : public BLocker, public ScreenOwner {
+class Desktop : public MessageLooper, public ScreenOwner {
  public:
 	// startup methods
 								Desktop();
@@ -85,11 +86,16 @@ class Desktop : public BLocker, public ScreenOwner {
 			void				WriteWindowList(team_id team, BPrivate::LinkSender& sender);
 			void				WriteWindowInfo(int32 serverToken, BPrivate::LinkSender& sender);
 
+ private:
+	virtual void				_GetLooperName(char* name, size_t size);
+	virtual port_id				_MessagePort() const { return fMessagePort; }
+
  private:
 			friend class DesktopSettings;
 
 			::VirtualScreen		fVirtualScreen;
 			DesktopSettings::Private* fSettings;
+			port_id				fMessagePort;
 			BList				fWinBorderList;
 
 			RootLayer*			fRootLayer;