diff --git a/ui/lib/jli.js b/ui/lib/jli.js
index e231344f..8875dfb8 100755
--- a/ui/lib/jli.js
+++ b/ui/lib/jli.js
@@ -672,7 +672,6 @@ jQuery.fn.sortChildren = function(func){
 // 				.on('deplete', func) -> pool
 //
 // XXX should this be an object or a factory???
-// XXX add a clean handler removal scheme (a-la jQuery event on/off)
 function makeDeferredPool(size, paused){
 	size = size == null ? POOL_SIZE : size
 	size = size < 0 ? 1 
diff --git a/ui/workers.js b/ui/workers.js
index fef9f895..157283f7 100755
--- a/ui/workers.js
+++ b/ui/workers.js
@@ -14,13 +14,7 @@ var WORKERS = {}
 
 /**************************************************** Progress bar ***/
 
-// NOTE: if the progress widget gets removed without removing the worker
-// 		this will result in dangling handlers for the previous widget...
-// 		i.e. handlers that still reverence the original widget...
-//
-// XXX add a clean removal scheme...
-// XXX should this have a pause button???
-function makeWorkerProgressBar(name, worker, parent){
+function getWorkerProgressFloatingContainer(parent){
 	parent = parent == null ? $('.viewer') : parent
 
 	// widget container...
@@ -30,9 +24,24 @@ function makeWorkerProgressBar(name, worker, parent){
 			.appendTo(parent)
 	}
 
+	return container
+}
+
+// NOTE: if the progress widget gets removed without removing the worker
+// 		this will result in dangling handlers for the previous widget...
+// 		i.e. handlers that still reverence the original widget...
+//
+// XXX add a clean removal scheme...
+// XXX should this have a pause button???
+function getWorkerProgressBar(name, worker, container){
+	container = container == null 
+		? getWorkerProgressFloatingContainer() 
+		: container
+
 	var widget = $('.progress-bar[name="'+name+'"]')
 
 	// a progress bar already exists, reset it and return...
+	// XXX should we re-bind the event handlers here???
 	if(widget.length > 0){
 		widget
 			.css('display', '')
@@ -109,7 +118,7 @@ function getWorkerQueue(name, pool_size, no_auto_start, no_progress){
 	}
 
 	if(!no_progress){
-		makeWorkerProgressBar(name, queue)
+		getWorkerProgressBar(name, queue)
 	}
 
 	return queue