diff --git a/hobo/CHANGES-1.4.txt b/hobo/CHANGES-1.4.txt
index 52e55abe6..98b019081 100644
--- a/hobo/CHANGES-1.4.txt
+++ b/hobo/CHANGES-1.4.txt
@@ -646,6 +646,14 @@ The signature for the function update_response and friends has changed.   This s
       end
     end
 
+## default controller actions now use respond_with
+
+All Hobo model controller actions now use [respond_with](http://apidock.com/rails/ActionController/MimeResponds/respond_with) where appropriate.   This means that you can create an API interface for a controller simply by adding:
+
+    respond_to :html, :json, :xml
+
+See [respond_to](http://apidock.com/rails/ActionController/MimeResponds/ClassMethods/respond_to) and Google for "respond_with" for more information.
+
 ### before-unload
 
 `<form>` has gained a new option, before-unload, which adds an
diff --git a/hobo/TODO-1.4.txt b/hobo/TODO-1.4.txt
index bbd3111de..76c7a121c 100644
--- a/hobo/TODO-1.4.txt
+++ b/hobo/TODO-1.4.txt
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ you notice any such omissions, please let us know, it is easy to fix..
  * multiple file support for AJAX uploads
  * cache: redis support
  * fixup deprecation warnings
- * port to Rails 3.2 and/or 4.0
- * nuke any remaining prototype code
- * add a sane default for non-AJAX JSON requests.
  * trawl the lighthouse && pull requests
  * steal the tags from Portal
  * fixup hobo-contrib
@@ -59,4 +56,4 @@ you notice any such omissions, please let us know, it is easy to fix..
  * create a bootstrap theme
  * add theme chooser to setup wizard
  * add support for has-one
- * convert old Hobo plugins:  imaginary-dryml, hoboyui
+ * convert old Hobo plugins:  imaginary-dryml, hoboyui, nice theme
diff --git a/hobo/lib/hobo/controller.rb b/hobo/lib/hobo/controller.rb
index 424ac54bb..ae7451b64 100644
--- a/hobo/lib/hobo/controller.rb
+++ b/hobo/lib/hobo/controller.rb
@@ -107,15 +107,6 @@ def ajax_update_response(render_specs, results={}, options={})
       render :js => page
     end
 
-    # use this function to send arbitrary bits of javascript
-    def ajax_response(response, options)
-      page = options[:preamble] || "var _update = typeof Hobo == 'undefined' ? Element.update : Hobo.updateElement;\n"
-      page << response
-      page << options[:postamble] if options[:postamble]
-      render :js => page
-    end
-
-
     # dryml does not use layouts
     def action_has_layout?
       false
diff --git a/hobo/lib/hobo/controller/model.rb b/hobo/lib/hobo/controller/model.rb
index ab862ce59..f3fc017f9 100644
--- a/hobo/lib/hobo/controller/model.rb
+++ b/hobo/lib/hobo/controller/model.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ def included(base)
           rescue_from Hobo::PermissionDeniedError,         :with => :permission_denied
           rescue_from Hobo::Model::Lifecycles::LifecycleKeyError, :with => :permission_denied
 
+          respond_to :html
+
           alias_method_chain :render, :hobo_model
 
         end
@@ -386,12 +388,25 @@ def re_render_form(default_action=nil)
     end
 
 
-    def destination_after_submit(record=this, destroyed=false)
+    def destination_after_submit(*args)
+      options = args.extract_options!
+      destroyed = args[1]
       after_submit = params[:after_submit]
 
       # The after_submit post parameter takes priority
       (after_submit == "stay-here" ? url_for_page_path : after_submit) ||
 
+        # Then try options[:redirect]
+        ((o=options[:redirect]) && begin
+                                     if o.is_a?(Symbol)
+                                       object_url(@this, o)
+                                     elsif o.is_a?(String) || o.is_a?(Hash)
+                                       o
+                                     else
+                                       object_url(*Array(o))
+                                     end
+                                   end)
+
         # Then try the record's show page
         (!destroyed && object_url(@this)) ||
 
@@ -411,24 +426,6 @@ def owning_object
     end
 
 
-    def redirect_after_submit(*args)
-      options = args.extract_options!
-      o = options[:redirect]
-      if o
-        url = if o.is_a?(Symbol)
-                object_url(this, o)
-              elsif o.is_a?(String) || o.is_a?(Hash)
-                o
-              else
-                object_url(*Array(o))
-              end
-        redirect_to url
-      else
-        redirect_to destination_after_submit(*args)
-      end
-    end
-
-
     def response_block(&b)
       if b
         respond_to do |format|
@@ -521,6 +518,8 @@ def show_response
       if request.xhr? && params[:render]
         hobo_ajax_response
         render :nothing => true unless performed?
+      else
+        respond_with(self.this)
       end
     end
 
@@ -528,6 +527,8 @@ def index_response
       if request.xhr? && params[:render]
         hobo_ajax_response(:page => :blah)
         render :nothing => true unless performed?
+      else
+        respond_with(self.this)
       end
     end
 
@@ -547,6 +548,7 @@ def hobo_create(*args, &b)
         self.this = new_for_create(attributes)
         this.user_save(current_user)
       end
+      flash_notice (ht( :"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.create.success", :default=>["The #{@this.class.model_name.human} was created successfully"])) if valid?
       response_block(&b) || create_response(:new, options)
     end
 
@@ -561,6 +563,7 @@ def hobo_create_for(owner_association, *args, &b)
         self.this = association.new(attributes)
         this.save
       end
+      flash_notice (ht( :"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.create.success", :default=>["The #{@this.class.model_name.human} was created successfully"])) if valid?
       response_block(&b) || create_response(:"new_for_#{name_of_auto_action_for(owner_association)}", options)
     end
 
@@ -587,30 +590,31 @@ def flash_notice(message)
     end
 
 
-    def create_response(new_action, options={}, &b)
-      flash_notice (ht( :"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.create.success", :default=>["The #{@this.class.model_name.human} was created successfully"])) if valid?
+    def create_response(new_action, options={})
+      valid = valid?  # valid? can be expensive
+      if params[:render]
+        if (params[:render_options] && params[:render_options][:errors_ok]) || valid
+          hobo_ajax_response
 
-      response_block(&b) or begin
-                              valid = valid?  # valid? can be expensive
-                              if params[:render]
-                                if (params[:render_options] && params[:render_options][:errors_ok]) || valid
-                                  hobo_ajax_response
-
-                                  # Maybe no ajax requests were made
-                                  render :nothing => true unless performed?
-                                else
-                                  errors = @this.errors.full_messages.join('\n')
-                                  message = ht( :"#{this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.create.error", :errors=>errors,:default=>["Couldn't create the #{this.class.name.titleize.downcase}.\n #{errors}"])
-                                  ajax_response("alert('#{message}');", params[:render_options])
-                                end
-                              else
-                                if valid
-                                  redirect_after_submit options
-                                else
-                                  re_render_form(new_action)
-                                end
-                              end
-                            end
+          # Maybe no ajax requests were made
+          render :nothing => true unless performed?
+        else
+          errors = @this.errors.full_messages.join('\n')
+          message = ht( :"#{this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.create.error", :errors=>errors,:default=>["Couldn't create the #{this.class.name.titleize.downcase}.\n #{errors}"])
+          render :js => "alert(#{message.to_json});\n"
+        end
+      else
+        location = destination_after_submit(options)
+        respond_with(self.this, :location => location) do |format|
+          format.html do
+            if valid
+              redirect_to location
+            else
+              re_render_form(new_action)
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
     end
 
 
@@ -642,7 +646,7 @@ def hobo_update(*args, &b)
     #
     # parameters:
     #   valid is a cache of valid?
-    #   options is passed through to redirect_after_submit
+    #   options is passed through to destination_after_submit
     def update_response(valid=nil, options={})
       # valid? can be expensive, cache it
       valid = valid? if valid.nil?
@@ -656,15 +660,19 @@ def update_response(valid=nil, options={})
           errors = @this.errors.full_messages.join('\n')
           message = ht(:"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.update.error", :default=>["There was a problem with that change\\n#{errors}"], :errors=>errors)
 
-          ajax_response("alert('#{message}');", params[:render_options])
+          render :js => "alert(#{message.to_json});\n"
         end
       else
-        if valid
-          flash_notice (ht(:"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.update.success", :default=>["Changes to the #{@this.class.model_name.human} were saved"]))
-
-          redirect_after_submit options
-        else
-          re_render_form(:edit)
+        location = destination_after_submit(options)
+        respond_with(self.this, :location => location) do |format|
+          format.html do
+            if valid
+              flash_notice (ht(:"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.update.success", :default=>["Changes to the #{@this.class.model_name.human} were saved"]))
+              redirect_to location
+            else
+              re_render_form(:edit)
+            end
+          end
         end
       end
     end
@@ -674,16 +682,16 @@ def hobo_destroy(*args, &b)
       self.this ||= args.first || find_instance
       this.user_destroy(current_user)
       flash_notice ht( :"#{model.to_s.underscore}.messages.destroy.success", :default=>["The #{model.name.titleize.downcase} was deleted"])
-      destroy_response(options, &b)
+      response_block(&b) || destroy_response(options, &b)
     end
 
 
-    def destroy_response(options={}, &b)
-      response_block(&b) or
-        respond_to do |wants|
-          wants.html { redirect_after_submit(this, true, options) }
-          wants.js   { hobo_ajax_response || render(:nothing => true) }
-        end
+    def destroy_response(options={})
+      if params[:render]
+        hobo_ajax_response || render(:nothing => true)
+      else
+        respond_with(self.this, :location => destination_after_submit(this, true, options))
+      end
     end
 
 
@@ -701,26 +709,32 @@ def creator_page_action(name, options={}, &b)
     def do_creator_action(name, options={}, &b)
       @creator = model::Lifecycle.creator(name)
       self.this = @creator.run!(current_user, attribute_parameters)
-      response_block(&b) or
-        if valid?
-          respond_to do |wants|
-            wants.html { redirect_after_submit(options) }
-            wants.js   { hobo_ajax_response || render(:nothing => true) }
-          end
+      response_block(&b) || do_creator_response(name, options)
+    end
+
+    def do_creator_response(name, options)
+      if valid?
+        if params[:render]
+          hobo_ajax_response || render(:nothing => true)
         else
-          this.exempt_from_edit_checks = true
-          respond_to do |wants|
-  			# errors is used by the translation helper, ht, below.
-			errors = this.errors.full_messages.join("\n")
+          location = destination_after_submit(options)
+          respond_with(self.this, :location => location)
+        end
+      else
+        this.exempt_from_edit_checks = true
+        if params[:render] && params[:render_options] && params[:render_options][:errors_ok]
+          hobo_ajax_response
+          render :nothing => true unless performed?
+        else
+          # errors is used by the translation helper, ht, below.
+          errors = this.errors.full_messages.join("\n")
+          respond_with(self.this) do |wants|
             wants.html { re_render_form(name) }
-            wants.js   { render(:status => 500,
-                                :text => ht(:"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.creator.error", :default=>["Couldn't do creator #{name}.\n#{errors}"], :name=>name, :errors=>errors)
-                               )}
           end
         end
+      end
     end
 
-
     def prepare_transition(name, options)
       key = options.delete(:key) || params[:key]
 
@@ -744,25 +758,9 @@ def do_transition_action(name, *args, &b)
       options = args.extract_options!
       @transition = prepare_transition(name, options)
       @transition.run!(this, current_user, attribute_parameters)
-      response_block(&b) or
-        if valid?
-          respond_to do |wants|
-            wants.html { redirect_after_submit(options) }
-            wants.js   { hobo_ajax_response || render(:nothing => true) }
-          end
-        else
-          respond_to do |wants|
-  			# errors is used by the translation helper, ht, below.
-			errors = this.errors.full_messages.join("\n")
-            wants.html { re_render_form(name) }
-            wants.js   { render(:status => 500,
-                                :text => ht(:"#{@this.class.to_s.underscore}.messages.transition.error", :default=>["Couldn't do transition #{name}.\n#{errors}"], :name=>name, :errors=>errors)
-                               )}
-          end
-        end
+      response_block(&b) || update_response(nil, options)
     end
 
-
     # --- Miscelaneous Actions --- #
 
     # Hobo 1.3's name one uses params[:query], jQuery-UI's autocomplete