diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMine.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMine.cs
deleted file mode 100755
index feebe6ebd1..0000000000
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMine.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#region Copyright & License Information
-/*
- * Copyright 2007,2009,2010 Chris Forbes, Robert Pepperell, Matthew Bowra-Dean, Paul Chote, Alli Witheford.
- * This file is part of OpenRA.
- * 
- *  OpenRA is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
- *  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- *  (at your option) any later version.
- * 
- *  OpenRA is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- *  GNU General Public License for more details.
- * 
- *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- *  along with OpenRA.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-#endregion
-
-using OpenRA.Traits;
-
-namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Activities
-{
-	class LayMine : IActivity
-	{
-		public IActivity NextActivity { get; set; }
-
-		public IActivity Tick( Actor self )
-		{
-			self.World.AddFrameEndTask(
-				w => w.CreateActor(self.Info.Traits.Get<MinelayerInfo>().Mine, self.Location, self.Owner));
-			return NextActivity;
-		}
-
-		public void Cancel( Actor self )
-		{
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMines.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMines.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ddcf07669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Activities/LayMines.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007,2009,2010 Chris Forbes, Robert Pepperell, Matthew Bowra-Dean, Paul Chote, Alli Witheford.
+ * This file is part of OpenRA.
+ * 
+ *  OpenRA is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ *  (at your option) any later version.
+ * 
+ *  OpenRA is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ * 
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with OpenRA.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using System.Linq;
+using OpenRA.Traits;
+using OpenRA.Traits.Activities;
+
+namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Activities
+{
+	// assumes you have Minelayer on that unit
+
+	class LayMines : IActivity
+	{
+		bool canceled = false;
+		public IActivity NextActivity { get; set; }
+
+		public IActivity Tick( Actor self )
+		{
+			if (canceled) return NextActivity;
+
+			var limitedAmmo = self.traits.GetOrDefault<LimitedAmmo>();
+			if (!limitedAmmo.HasAmmo())
+			{
+				// todo: rearm at fix, then back out here to refill the minefield some more
+				return NextActivity;
+			}
+
+			var ml = self.traits.Get<Minelayer>();
+			if (ml.minefield.Contains(self.Location) &&
+				ShouldLayMine(self, self.Location))
+			{
+				LayMine(self);
+				return new Wait(20) { NextActivity = this };	// a little wait after placing each mine, for show
+			}
+
+			for (var n = 0; n < 20; n++)		// dont get stuck forever here
+			{
+				var p = ml.minefield.Random(self.World.SharedRandom);
+				if (ShouldLayMine(self, p))
+					return new Move(p, 0) { NextActivity = this };
+			}
+
+			return new Wait(20);	// nothing to do here
+		}
+
+		bool ShouldLayMine(Actor self, int2 p)
+		{
+			// if there is no unit (other than me) here, we want to place a mine here
+			return !self.World.WorldActor.traits.Get<UnitInfluence>()
+				.GetUnitsAt(p).Any(a => a != self);
+		}
+
+		void LayMine(Actor self)
+		{
+			var limitedAmmo = self.traits.GetOrDefault<LimitedAmmo>();
+			if (limitedAmmo != null) limitedAmmo.Attacking(self);
+
+			self.World.AddFrameEndTask(
+				w => w.CreateActor(
+					self.Info.Traits.Get<MinelayerInfo>().Mine, self.Location, self.Owner));
+		}
+
+		public void Cancel( Actor self ) { canceled = true; NextActivity = null; }
+	}
+}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Minelayer.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Minelayer.cs
index 5095536275..f53c8d6608 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Minelayer.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Minelayer.cs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA
 
 		public Order IssueOrder(Actor self, int2 xy, MouseInput mi, Actor underCursor)
 		{
-			if (mi.Button == MouseButton.Right && underCursor == null)
+			if (mi.Button == MouseButton.Right && underCursor == null && mi.Modifiers.HasModifier(Modifiers.Ctrl))
 				return new Order("BeginMinefield", self, xy);
 
 			return null;
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA
 					.Where(p => movement.CanEnterCell(p)).ToArray();
 
 				/* todo: start the mnly actually laying mines there */
+				self.CancelActivity();
+				self.QueueActivity(new LayMines());
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/OpenRA.Mods.RA.csproj b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/OpenRA.Mods.RA.csproj
index 7d470643bf..fb508b59f5 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/OpenRA.Mods.RA.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/OpenRA.Mods.RA.csproj
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Activities\HeliReturn.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Activities\Infiltrate.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Activities\Land.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Activities\LayMine.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Activities\LayMines.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Activities\Leap.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Activities\Rearm.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Activities\Repair.cs" />