diff --git a/API.txt b/API.txt
index 17c24be..1564337 100644
--- a/API.txt
+++ b/API.txt
@@ -822,7 +822,6 @@ Flot to keep track of its state, so be careful.
     flat array (the field "pointsize" is the increment in the flat
     array to get to the next point so for a dataset consisting only of
     (x,y) pairs it would be 2).
-  
 
   - getAxes()
 
@@ -835,12 +834,15 @@ Flot to keep track of its state, so be careful.
     transforming from data point space to the canvas plot space and
     back. Both returns values that are offset with the plot offset.
  
+  - getPlaceholder()
+
+    Returns placeholder that the plot was put into. This can be useful
+    for plugins for adding DOM elements or firing events.
 
   - getCanvas()
 
     Returns the canvas used for drawing in case you need to hack on it
     yourself. You'll probably need to get the plot offset too.
-
   
   - getPlotOffset()
 
diff --git a/NEWS.txt b/NEWS.txt
index df75aa3..2e9f6fd 100644
--- a/NEWS.txt
+++ b/NEWS.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Flot 0.x
 
 API changes:
 
-In the global options specified in the $.plot command,
+1. In the global options specified in the $.plot command,
 "lines", "points", "bars" and "shadowSize" have been moved to a
 sub-object called "series", i.e.
 
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ becomes
 
   $.plot(placeholder, data, { series: { lines: { show: true }}})
 
-All future series-specific options will go into this sub-object (to
-simplify plugin writing). Backward-compatibility hooks are in place,
+All future series-specific options will go into this sub-object to
+simplify plugin writing. Backward-compatibility hooks are in place,
 so old code should not break.
 
-"plothover" no longer provides the original data point, but instead a
-normalized one, since there may be no corresponding original point.
+2. "plothover" no longer provides the original data point, but instead
+a normalized one, since there may be no corresponding original point.
 
-Due to a bug in previous versions of jQuery, you now need at least
+3. Due to a bug in previous versions of jQuery, you now need at least
 jQuery 1.2.6. But if you can, try jQuery 1.3.2 as it got some
 improvements in event handling speed.
 
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ Changes:
   
 - Plugin system: register an init method in the $.flot.plugins array
   to get started, see PLUGINS.txt for details on how to write plugins.
+  There are also some extra methods to enable access to internal
+  state.
 
 - Hooks: you can register functions that are called while Flot is
   crunching the data and doing the plot. This can be used to modify
diff --git a/jquery.flot.js b/jquery.flot.js
index 15bf315..5f1ebe7 100644
--- a/jquery.flot.js
+++ b/jquery.flot.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 (function($) {
-    function Plot(target, data_, options_, plugins) {
+    function Plot(placeholder, data_, options_, plugins) {
         // data is on the form:
         //   [ series1, series2 ... ]
         // where series is either just the data as [ [x1, y1], [x2, y2], ... ]
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
         plot.clearSelection = clearSelection;
         plot.setSelection = setSelection;
         plot.getSelection = getSelection;
+        plot.getPlaceholder = function() { return placeholder; };
         plot.getCanvas = function() { return canvas; };
         plot.getPlotOffset = function() { return plotOffset; };
         plot.width = function () { return plotWidth; }
@@ -515,11 +516,11 @@
                 return c;
             }
             
-            canvasWidth = target.width();
-            canvasHeight = target.height();
-            target.html(""); // clear target
-            if (target.css("position") == 'static')
-                target.css("position", "relative"); // for positioning labels and overlay
+            canvasWidth = placeholder.width();
+            canvasHeight = placeholder.height();
+            placeholder.html(""); // clear placeholder
+            if (placeholder.css("position") == 'static')
+                placeholder.css("position", "relative"); // for positioning labels and overlay
 
             if (canvasWidth <= 0 || canvasHeight <= 0)
                 throw "Invalid dimensions for plot, width = " + canvasWidth + ", height = " + canvasHeight;
@@ -528,11 +529,11 @@
                 window.G_vmlCanvasManager.init_(document); // make sure everything is setup
             
             // the canvas
-            canvas = $(makeCanvas(canvasWidth, canvasHeight)).appendTo(target).get(0);
+            canvas = $(makeCanvas(canvasWidth, canvasHeight)).appendTo(placeholder).get(0);
             ctx = canvas.getContext("2d");
 
             // overlay canvas for interactive features
-            overlay = $(makeCanvas(canvasWidth, canvasHeight)).css({ position: 'absolute', left: 0, top: 0 }).appendTo(target).get(0);
+            overlay = $(makeCanvas(canvasWidth, canvasHeight)).css({ position: 'absolute', left: 0, top: 0 }).appendTo(placeholder).get(0);
             octx = overlay.getContext("2d");
             octx.stroke();
         }
@@ -606,7 +607,7 @@
                         
                         if (labels.length > 0) {
                             var dummyDiv = $('<div style="position:absolute;top:-10000px;width:10000px;font-size:smaller">'
-                                             + labels.join("") + '<div style="clear:left"></div></div>').appendTo(target);
+                                             + labels.join("") + '<div style="clear:left"></div></div>').appendTo(placeholder);
                             axis.labelHeight = dummyDiv.height();
                             dummyDiv.remove();
                         }
@@ -622,7 +623,7 @@
                     
                     if (labels.length > 0) {
                         var dummyDiv = $('<div style="position:absolute;top:-10000px;font-size:smaller">'
-                                         + labels.join("") + '</div>').appendTo(target);
+                                         + labels.join("") + '</div>').appendTo(placeholder);
                         if (axis.labelWidth == null)
                             axis.labelWidth = dummyDiv.width();
                         if (axis.labelHeight == null)
@@ -1184,7 +1185,7 @@
         }
 
         function insertLabels() {
-            target.find(".tickLabels").remove();
+            placeholder.find(".tickLabels").remove();
             
             var html = ['<div class="tickLabels" style="font-size:smaller;color:' + options.grid.color + '">'];
 
@@ -1218,7 +1219,7 @@
 
             html.push('</div>');
             
-            target.append(html.join(""));
+            placeholder.append(html.join(""));
         }
 
         function drawSeries(series) {
@@ -1669,7 +1670,7 @@
         }
         
         function insertLegend() {
-            target.find(".legend").remove();
+            placeholder.find(".legend").remove();
 
             if (!options.legend.show)
                 return;
@@ -1719,7 +1720,7 @@
                     pos += 'right:' + (m[0] + plotOffset.right) + 'px;';
                 else if (p.charAt(1) == "w")
                     pos += 'left:' + (m[0] + plotOffset.left) + 'px;';
-                var legend = $('<div class="legend">' + table.replace('style="', 'style="position:absolute;' + pos +';') + '</div>').appendTo(target);
+                var legend = $('<div class="legend">' + table.replace('style="', 'style="position:absolute;' + pos +';') + '</div>').appendTo(placeholder);
                 if (options.legend.backgroundOpacity != 0.0) {
                     // put in the transparent background
                     // separately to avoid blended labels and
@@ -1839,7 +1840,7 @@
                                        function (s) { return s["hoverable"] != false; });
 
             if (selection.active) {
-                target.trigger("plotselecting", [ getSelection() ]);
+                placeholder.trigger("plotselecting", [ getSelection() ]);
 
                 updateSelection(lastMousePos);
             }
@@ -1917,7 +1918,7 @@
                     highlight(item.series, item.datapoint, eventname);
             }
             
-            target.trigger(eventname, [ pos, item ]);
+            placeholder.trigger(eventname, [ pos, item ]);
         }
 
         function triggerRedrawOverlay() {
@@ -2059,11 +2060,11 @@
         function triggerSelectedEvent() {
             var r = getSelection();
             
-            target.trigger("plotselected", [ r ]);
+            placeholder.trigger("plotselected", [ r ]);
 
             // backwards-compat stuff, to be removed in future
             if (axes.xaxis.used && axes.yaxis.used)
-                target.trigger("selected", [ { x1: r.xaxis.from, y1: r.yaxis.from, x2: r.xaxis.to, y2: r.yaxis.to } ]);
+                placeholder.trigger("selected", [ { x1: r.xaxis.from, y1: r.yaxis.from, x2: r.xaxis.to, y2: r.yaxis.to } ]);
         }
         
         function onSelectionMouseUp(e) {
@@ -2083,8 +2084,8 @@
             }
             else {
                 // this counts as a clear
-                target.trigger("plotunselected", [ ]);
-                target.trigger("plotselecting", [ null ]);
+                placeholder.trigger("plotunselected", [ ]);
+                placeholder.trigger("plotselecting", [ null ]);
             }
             
             return false;
@@ -2128,7 +2129,7 @@
                 selection.show = false;
                 triggerRedrawOverlay();
                 if (!preventEvent)
-                    target.trigger("plotunselected", [ ]);
+                    placeholder.trigger("plotunselected", [ ]);
             }
         }
 
@@ -2188,8 +2189,8 @@
         }
     }
 
-    $.plot = function(target, data, options) {
-        var plot = new Plot($(target), data, options, $.plot.plugins);
+    $.plot = function(placeholder, data, options) {
+        var plot = new Plot($(placeholder), data, options, $.plot.plugins);
         /*var t0 = new Date();
         var t1 = new Date();
         var tstr = "time used (msecs): " + (t1.getTime() - t0.getTime())