diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Orders/GenericSelectTarget.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Orders/GenericSelectTarget.cs
index cecdcaf52c..1bff25ab91 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Orders/GenericSelectTarget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Orders/GenericSelectTarget.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #endregion
 
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Orders
 {
@@ -48,9 +49,28 @@ namespace OpenRA.Orders
 				yield return new Order(order, subject, xy);
 		}
 
-		public void Tick(World world) { }
+		public virtual void Tick(World world) { }
 		public void Render(World world) { }
 
 		public string GetCursor(World world, int2 xy, MouseInput mi) { return cursor; }
 	}
+
+	// variant that requires a tag trait (T) to be present on some actor owned
+	// by the activating player
+	public class GenericSelectTargetWithBuilding<T> : GenericSelectTarget
+	{
+		public GenericSelectTargetWithBuilding(Actor subject, string order, string cursor)
+			: base(subject, order, cursor) { }
+
+		public override void Tick(World world)
+		{
+			var hasStructure = world.Queries.OwnedBy[world.LocalPlayer]
+					.WithTrait<T>()
+					.Any();
+
+			if (!hasStructure)
+				Game.controller.CancelInputMode();
+		}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Cnc/IonCannonPower.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Cnc/IonCannonPower.cs
index 3d679b9eb0..8d3466854f 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Cnc/IonCannonPower.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Cnc/IonCannonPower.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using OpenRA.Mods.Cnc.Effects;
 using OpenRA.Traits;
+using OpenRA.Orders;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Mods.Cnc
 {
@@ -34,36 +35,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Cnc
 	{
 		public IonCannonPower(Actor self, IonCannonPowerInfo info) : base(self, info) { }
 
-		class SelectTarget : IOrderGenerator
-		{
-			public IEnumerable<Order> Order(World world, int2 xy, MouseInput mi)
-			{
-				if (mi.Button == MouseButton.Right)
-					Game.controller.CancelInputMode();
-				return OrderInner(world, xy, mi);
-			}
-
-			IEnumerable<Order> OrderInner(World world, int2 xy, MouseInput mi)
-			{
-				if (mi.Button == MouseButton.Left)
-					yield return new Order("IonCannon", world.LocalPlayer.PlayerActor, xy);
-			}
-
-			public void Tick(World world)
-			{
-				var hasStructure = world.Queries.OwnedBy[world.LocalPlayer]
-					.WithTrait<IonControl>()
-					.Any();
-
-				if (!hasStructure)
-					Game.controller.CancelInputMode();
-			}
-
-			public void Render(World world) { }
-
-			public string GetCursor(World world, int2 xy, MouseInput mi) { return "ability"; }
-		}
-
 		public void ResolveOrder(Actor self, Order order)
 		{
 			if (order.OrderString == "IonCannon")
@@ -84,7 +55,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Cnc
 
 		protected override void OnActivate()
 		{
-			Game.controller.orderGenerator = new SelectTarget();
+			Game.controller.orderGenerator =
+				new GenericSelectTargetWithBuilding<IonControl>(Owner.PlayerActor, "IonCannon", "ability");
 			Sound.PlayToPlayer(Owner, Info.SelectTargetSound);
 		}
 	}