diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/PopupMessageHandler.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/PopupMessageHandler.java
index 0198a64bf..2aa7df446 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/PopupMessageHandler.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/PopupMessageHandler.java
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ public interface PopupMessageHandler
      * @param popupMessage the message to show
      */
     public void showPopupMessage(PopupMessage popupMessage);
+    
+    /**
+     * Returns a preference index, which indicates how many features the handler 
+     * implements. Implementer should calculate preference index by adding "1" 
+     * for each of the the following features that the implementation supports: 
+     * 
+     * 1) showing images
+     * 2) detecting clicks
+     * 3) being able to match a click to a message
+     * 4) using a native popup mechanism
+     * 
+     * @returns an integer representing preference index of this popup handler
+     */
+    public int getPreferenceIndex();
 
     /**
      * Returns a readable description of this popup handler. It is expected
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/SystrayService.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/SystrayService.java
index 7123f2e84..0ebb3e6d0 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/SystrayService.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/systray/SystrayService.java
@@ -103,4 +103,9 @@ public PopupMessageHandler setActivePopupMessageHandler(
      * @param imageType the type of the image to set
      */
     public void setSystrayIcon(int imageType);
+
+    /**
+     * Selects the best available popup message handler
+     */
+    public void selectBestPopupMessageHandler();
 }
diff --git a/test/net/java/sip/communicator/slick/popupmessagehandler/TestPopupMessageHandler.java b/test/net/java/sip/communicator/slick/popupmessagehandler/TestPopupMessageHandler.java
index 8fb7d3ecf..113f96390 100644
--- a/test/net/java/sip/communicator/slick/popupmessagehandler/TestPopupMessageHandler.java
+++ b/test/net/java/sip/communicator/slick/popupmessagehandler/TestPopupMessageHandler.java
@@ -161,5 +161,13 @@ public void showPopupMessage(PopupMessage popupMsg)
             // is it the expected handler which is handling it ?
             assertEquals(handler2, this);
         }
+        
+        /**
+         * implements <tt>getPreferenceIndex</tt> from <tt>PopupMessageHandler</tt>
+         */
+        public int getPreferenceIndex()
+        {
+            return 0;
+        }
     }
 }