diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndtreeview.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndtreeview.h
index 083fee6378..bf84a17f5e 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndtreeview.h
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndtreeview.h
@@ -104,12 +104,11 @@ class /*LIBGTKMM2EXT_API*/ DnDTreeView : public DnDTreeViewBase
 
 		} else if (selection_data.get_target() == object_type) {
 
-			/* we don't care about the data passed around by DnD, but
-			   we have to provide something otherwise it will stop.
+			/* return a pointer to this object, which allows
+			 * the receiver to call on_drag_data_received()
 			 */
-
-			guchar c;
-			selection_data.set (8, (guchar*)&c, 1);
+			void *c = this;
+			selection_data.set (8, (guchar*)&c, sizeof(void*));
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ class /*LIBGTKMM2EXT_API*/ DnDTreeView : public DnDTreeViewBase
 	 * object that wants to get the list of dragged items.
 	 */
 
-	void get_object_drag_data (std::list<DataType>& l, Gtk::TreeView** source) {
+	void get_object_drag_data (std::list<DataType>& l, Gtk::TreeView** source) const {
 
 		if (drag_data.source == 0) {
 			return;
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndvbox.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndvbox.h
index 84289aff34..12e63c1c7f 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndvbox.h
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/dndvbox.h
@@ -51,9 +51,13 @@ template <class T>
 class /*LIBGTKMM2EXT_API*/ DnDVBox : public Gtk::EventBox
 {
 public:
-	DnDVBox () : _active (0), _drag_icon (0), _expecting_unwanted_button_event (false), _placeholder (0)
+	DnDVBox (std::list<Gtk::TargetEntry> targets)
+		: _targets (targets)
+		, _active (0)
+		, _drag_icon (0)
+		, _expecting_unwanted_button_event (false)
+		, _placeholder (0)
 	{
-		_targets.push_back (Gtk::TargetEntry ("processor"));
 
 		add (_internal_vbox);
 		add_events (
@@ -220,6 +224,7 @@ public:
 	 *  Parameters are the source DnDVBox, our child which the other one was dropped on (or 0) and the DragContext.
 	 */
 	sigc::signal<void, DnDVBox*, T*, Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> const & > DropFromAnotherBox;
+	sigc::signal<void, Gtk::SelectionData const &, T*, Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> const & > DropFromExternal;
 	sigc::signal<void> SelectionChanged;
 
 private:
@@ -352,6 +357,12 @@ private:
 		/* work out where it was dropped */
 		std::pair<T*, double> const drop = get_child_at_position (y);
 
+		if (selection_data.get_target () != _targets.front ().get_target ()) {
+			DropFromExternal (selection_data, drop.first, context);
+			context->drag_finish (false, false, time);
+			return;
+		}
+
 		if (_drag_source == this) {
 
 			/* dropped from ourselves onto ourselves */