diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/container.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/container.cpp
index 17b7b6b8276..d119850ee78 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/container.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/container.cpp
@@ -83,5 +83,20 @@ void tcontainer_::draw(surface& surface, const bool force,
 	grid_.draw(surface, force, redraw_background);
 }
 
+void tcontainer_::set_active(const bool active)
+{
+	// Not all our children might have the proper state so let them run
+	// unconditionally.
+	grid_.set_active(active);
+
+	if(active == get_active()) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	set_dirty();
+
+	set_self_active(active);
+}
+
 } // namespace gui2
 
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/container.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/container.hpp
index 77e38b0e985..e1d15d2dd03 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/container.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/container.hpp
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ public:
 		set_client_size(get_client_rect());
 	}
 
+	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
+	void set_active(const bool active);
+
 	/***** **** ***** ***** wrappers to the grid **** ********* *****/
 
 	tgrid::iterator begin() { return grid_.begin(); }
@@ -147,6 +150,15 @@ private:
 	/** Returns the space used by the border. */
 	virtual tpoint border_space() const { return tpoint(0, 0); }
 
+	/**
+	 * Helper for set_active.
+	 *
+	 * This function should set the control itself active. It's called by
+	 * set_active if the state needs to change. The widget is set to dirty() by
+	 * set_active so we only need to change the state.
+	 */
+	virtual void set_self_active(const bool active) = 0;
+
 	/** 
 	 * If the background has been changed the next draw cycle needs to do a full
 	 * redraw and also tell the child items to invalidate their background. This
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
index 0e621412f9c..a8c52f93fa0 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ public:
 	
 	tlistbox();
 
-	// FIXME this might not the right thing to do.
-	void set_active(const bool active) { set_state(active ? ENABLED : DISABLED); };
 	bool get_active() const { return state_ != DISABLED; }
 	unsigned get_state() const { return state_; }
 
@@ -263,6 +261,10 @@ private:
 	const std::string& get_control_type() const 
 		{ static const std::string type = "listbox"; return type; }
 
+	/** Inherited from tcontainer_. */
+	void set_self_active(const bool active) 
+		{ state_ = active ? ENABLED : DISABLED; }
+
 	/** The (lastly) selected row */
 	unsigned selected_row_;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/menubar.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/menubar.hpp
index 90a139683e8..e5912947961 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/menubar.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/menubar.hpp
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ public:
 
 	/***** ***** ***** ***** Inherited ***** ***** ***** *****/
 
-	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
-	void set_active(const bool active) {} ; // FIXME implement
-
 	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
 	bool get_active() const { return state_ != DISABLED; }
 
@@ -114,6 +111,10 @@ private:
 	/** The builder needs to call us so we can wire in the proper callbacks. */
 	void finalize_setup();
 
+	/** Inherited from tcontainer_. */
+	void set_self_active(const bool active) 
+		{ state_ = active ? ENABLED : DISABLED; }
+
 	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
 	const std::string& get_control_type() const 
 		{ static const std::string type = "menubar"; return type; }
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/panel.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/panel.hpp
index f4a5fad2203..d5d0fb99900 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/panel.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/panel.hpp
@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@ public:
 	 */
 	virtual SDL_Rect get_client_rect() const;
 
-	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
-	void set_active(const bool /*active*/) {}
-
 	/** Inherited from tcontrol. */
 	bool get_active() const { return true; }
 
@@ -75,6 +72,9 @@ private:
 	/** Inherited from tcontainer_. */
 	tpoint border_space() const;
 
+	/** Inherited from tcontainer_. */
+	void set_self_active(const bool /*active*/) {}
+
 }; 
 
 } // namespace gui2
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/window.hpp b/src/gui/widgets/window.hpp
index 5003fd0a4de..09420dbf9a6 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/window.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/window.hpp
@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@ public:
 	void window_resize(tevent_handler&, 
 		const unsigned new_width, const unsigned new_height);
 
-	//! A window is always active atm so ignore the request.
-	void set_active(const bool /*active*/) {}
+	//! At the moment a window is always active.
 	bool get_active() const { return true; }
 	unsigned get_state() const { return 0; }
 	bool needs_full_redraw() const { return false; /* FIXME IMPLEMENT */ }