diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Building.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Building.cs
index 3dd15bab13..c3a9f6db73 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Building.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Building.cs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			this.owner = owner;
 
 			animation = new Animation( name );
-			animation.PlayThen( "make", delegate { animation.Play( "idle" ); } );
+			animation.PlayThen( "make", delegate { animation.PlayRepeating( "idle" ); } );
 			owner.TechTree.Build( name, true );
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj b/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
index 22e27db09e..657430e706 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
     <Compile Include="TerrainRenderer.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Tree.cs" />
     <Compile Include="TreeCache.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="UiOverlay.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Unit.cs" />
     <Compile Include="UnitSheetBuilder.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Util.cs" />
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
index 4e59ef09a4..a3877ed5f7 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
@@ -73,9 +73,12 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 				DrawSprite(blank, ref p);
 		}
 
+		int buildPos = 0;
+		int unitPos = 0;
+
 		void PopulateItemList()
 		{
-			int buildPos = 0, unitPos = 0;
+			buildPos = 0; unitPos = 0;
 
 			items.Clear();
 
@@ -100,7 +103,10 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			foreach (SidebarItem i in items)
 				i.Paint(spriteRenderer, region.Location);
 
-			spriteRenderer.Flush();	//todo: fix filling
+			Fill(region.Size.Y, new float2(region.Location.X, buildPos + region.Location.Y));
+			Fill(region.Size.Y, new float2(region.Location.X + spriteWidth, unitPos + region.Location.Y));
+
+			spriteRenderer.Flush();
 
 			clockRenderer.DrawSprite( clockAnimation.Images[0], region.Location, 0 );
 			clockAnimation.Tick(1);
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/UiOverlay.cs b/OpenRa.Game/UiOverlay.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ebb70b987c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/UiOverlay.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Drawing;
+
+namespace OpenRa.Game
+{
+	class UiOverlay
+	{
+		SpriteRenderer spriteRenderer;
+		Sprite buildOk;
+		Sprite buildBlocked;
+		Game game;
+
+		public UiOverlay(SpriteRenderer spriteRenderer, Game game)
+		{
+			this.spriteRenderer = spriteRenderer;
+			this.game = game;
+
+			buildOk = SynthesizeTile(0x80);
+			buildBlocked = SynthesizeTile(0xe6);
+		}
+
+		Sprite SynthesizeTile(byte paletteIndex)
+		{
+			byte[] data = new byte[24 * 24];
+
+			for (int i = 0; i < 24; i++)
+				for (int j = 0; j < 24; j++)
+					data[i * 24 + j] = ((i + j) % 4 < 2) ? (byte)0 : paletteIndex;
+
+			return SheetBuilder.Add( data, new Size(24,24) );
+		}
+
+		public void Draw()
+		{
+			spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(buildOk, new float2(48, 48), 0);
+			spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(buildBlocked, new float2(96, 48), 0);
+			spriteRenderer.Flush();
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/World.cs b/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
index a9076ed459..a9ceb4e37a 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		Game game;
 		Region region;
 		public IOrderGenerator orderGenerator;
+		UiOverlay uiOverlay;
 
 		public World(Renderer renderer, Game game)
 		{
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			game.viewport.AddRegion(region);
 			
 			spriteRenderer = new SpriteRenderer(renderer, true);
+
+			uiOverlay = new UiOverlay(spriteRenderer, game);
 		}
 
 		public void Add(Actor a) { actors.Add(a); }
@@ -73,6 +76,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			}
 			frameEndActions.Clear();
 
+			uiOverlay.Draw();
 			spriteRenderer.Flush();
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/sequences.xml b/sequences.xml
index 570edfef2f..3856828cae 100644
--- a/sequences.xml
+++ b/sequences.xml
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@
 	<!-- soviet barracks -->
 
 	<unit name="barr">
-		<sequence name="idle" start="0"/>
-		<sequence name="damaged-idle" start="1"/>
+		<sequence name="idle" start="0" length="10"/>
+		<sequence name="damaged-idle" start="10" length="10"/>
 		<sequence name="make" start="0" length="*" src="barrmake" />
 	</unit>