diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/mtest.cc b/gtk2_ardour/mtest.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49311e65d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/mtest.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <gtkmm.h>
+#include <gtkmm/accelmap.h>
+
+using namespace Gtk;
+using namespace std;
+using namespace sigc;
+
+void
+printit (string txt)
+{
+	cout << "This is the " << txt << " item\n";
+}
+
+Glib::RefPtr<Action>
+make_action (Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> group, Glib::RefPtr<AccelGroup> accel_group, string name, string label, slot<void> sl, guint key, Gdk::ModifierType mods)
+{
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
+
+	act = Action::create (name, label);
+	group->add (act, sl);
+	AccelMap::add_entry (act->get_accel_path(), key, mods);
+	act->set_accel_group (accel_group);
+
+	cerr << "action " << name << " has path " << act->get_accel_path() << endl;
+	
+	return act;
+}
+
+Glib::RefPtr<Action>
+make_action (Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> group, string name, string label, slot<void> sl, guint key, Gdk::ModifierType mods)
+{
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
+
+	act = Action::create (name, label);
+	group->add (act, sl);
+	AccelMap::add_entry (act->get_accel_path(), key, mods);
+
+	cerr << "action " << name << " has path " << act->get_accel_path() << endl;
+	
+	return act;
+}
+
+Glib::RefPtr<Action>
+make_action (Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> group, string name, string label, slot<void> sl)
+{
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
+
+	act = Action::create (name, label);
+	group->add (act, sl);
+
+	cerr << "action " << name << " has path " << act->get_accel_path() << endl;
+
+	return act;
+}
+
+Glib::RefPtr<Action>
+make_action (Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> group, string name, string label)
+{
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act;
+
+	act = Action::create (name, label);
+	group->add (act);
+
+	cerr << "action " << name << " has path " << act->get_accel_path() << endl;
+
+	return act;
+}
+
+int
+main (int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+	Main app (argc, argv);
+	Window window (WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
+	Window other_window (WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
+	Button button ("click me for baz");
+	Button other_button ("click me for baz");
+	VBox   vpacker;
+	VBox   other_vpacker;
+
+	Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> shared_actions;
+	Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> actions;
+	Glib::RefPtr<ActionGroup> other_actions;
+	Glib::RefPtr<UIManager> uimanager;
+	Glib::RefPtr<UIManager> other_uimanager;
+	Glib::RefPtr<UIManager> shared_uimanager;
+	Glib::RefPtr<AccelGroup> shared_accel_group;
+
+	window.set_name ("Editor");
+	window.set_title ("Editor");
+
+	other_window.set_name ("Other");
+	other_window.set_title ("Other");
+
+	uimanager = UIManager::create();
+	other_uimanager = UIManager::create();
+	shared_uimanager = UIManager::create();
+
+	actions = ActionGroup::create("MyActions");
+	other_actions = ActionGroup::create("OtherActions");
+	shared_actions = ActionGroup::create();
+
+	uimanager->add_ui_from_file ("mtest.menus");
+	other_uimanager->add_ui_from_file ("mtest_other.menus");
+	
+	AccelMap::load ("mtest.bindings");
+
+	make_action (shared_actions, "SharedMenuBar", "shared");
+	make_action (shared_actions, "SharedMenu", "sharedm");
+	Glib::RefPtr<Action> act = make_action (shared_actions, "Baz", "baz", bind (sigc::ptr_fun (printit), "baz"), GDK_p, Gdk::MOD1_MASK);
+	
+	act->connect_proxy (button);
+	act->connect_proxy (other_button);
+
+	make_action (actions, "TopMenu", "top");
+	make_action (actions, "Foo", "foo", bind (sigc::ptr_fun (printit), "foo"), GDK_p, Gdk::ModifierType (0));
+	make_action (actions, "Bar", "bar", bind (sigc::ptr_fun (printit), "bar"), GDK_p, Gdk::CONTROL_MASK);
+	make_action (other_actions, "OTopMenu", "otop");
+	make_action (other_actions, "OFoo", "foo", bind (sigc::ptr_fun (printit), "o-foo"), GDK_p, Gdk::ModifierType (0));
+	make_action (other_actions, "OBar", "bar", bind (sigc::ptr_fun (printit), "o-bar"), GDK_p, Gdk::CONTROL_MASK);
+	
+	other_uimanager->insert_action_group (other_actions);
+	other_uimanager->insert_action_group (shared_actions);
+
+	uimanager->insert_action_group (actions);
+	uimanager->insert_action_group (shared_actions);
+	
+	shared_uimanager->insert_action_group (shared_actions);
+
+	other_window.add_accel_group (other_uimanager->get_accel_group());
+	other_window.add_accel_group (shared_uimanager->get_accel_group());
+
+	window.add_accel_group (uimanager->get_accel_group());
+	window.add_accel_group (shared_uimanager->get_accel_group());
+
+	Gtk::MenuBar* m;
+
+	m = dynamic_cast<MenuBar*>(other_uimanager->get_widget ("/OTop"));
+
+	other_vpacker.pack_start (*m);
+	other_vpacker.pack_start (other_button);
+
+	other_window.add (other_vpacker);
+	other_window.show_all ();
+
+	m = dynamic_cast<MenuBar*>(uimanager->get_widget ("/Top"));
+
+	vpacker.pack_start (*m);
+	vpacker.pack_start (button);
+
+	shared_uimanager->add_ui_from_file ("mtest_shared.menu");
+
+	MenuBar* item = dynamic_cast<MenuBar*> (shared_uimanager->get_widget ("/SharedMenuBar"));
+
+	window.add (vpacker);
+	window.show_all ();
+
+	Settings::get_default()->property_gtk_can_change_accels() = true;
+
+	cerr << " shared = " << shared_uimanager->get_accel_group()
+	     << " first = " << uimanager->get_accel_group()
+	     << " second = " << other_uimanager->get_accel_group ()
+	     << endl;
+
+	app.run ();
+
+	return 0;
+}