diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
index 8dee81b601..c3bb31ebab 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ using System.Linq;
 using IrrKlang;
 using IjwFramework.Collections;
 using System;
-using IjwFramework.Types;
+using IjwFramework.Types;
+using OpenRa.Game.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game
 {
@@ -180,6 +181,22 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		public static readonly Pair<VoicePool, VoicePool> SovietVoices =
 			Pair.New(
 				new VoicePool("ackno", "affirm1", "noprob", "overout", "ritaway", "roger", "ugotit"),
-				new VoicePool("await1", "ready", "report1", "yessir1"));
+				new VoicePool("await1", "ready", "report1", "yessir1"));
+
+		public static void BuildUnit(Player player, string name)
+		{
+			var producer = world.Actors
+				.FirstOrDefault(a => a.unitInfo != null && a.unitInfo.Name == "weap" && a.Owner == player);
+
+			if (producer == null)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("BuildUnit without suitable production structure!");
+
+			var unit = new Actor(name, (1/24f * producer.CenterLocation).ToInt2(), player);
+			unit.Order(unit.Location + new int2(0, 3)).Apply(false);
+
+			world.AddFrameEndTask(_ => world.Add(unit));
+
+			// todo: make the producing building play `build`
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
index 02916ef578..0d10a1c508 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
@@ -59,10 +59,15 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		}
 
 		public void Build(SidebarItem item)
-		{
-			if (item != null)
-				Game.controller.orderGenerator = new PlaceBuilding(Game.LocalPlayer, 
-					item.techTreeItem.tag.ToLowerInvariant());
+		{
+			if (item != null)
+			{
+				if (item.techTreeItem.IsStructure)
+					Game.controller.orderGenerator = new PlaceBuilding(Game.LocalPlayer,
+						item.techTreeItem.tag.ToLowerInvariant());
+				else
+					Game.BuildUnit(Game.LocalPlayer, item.techTreeItem.tag.ToLowerInvariant());
+			}
 		}
 
 		void LoadSprites( string category, string group )