diff --git a/IPython/parallel/controller/dependency.py b/IPython/parallel/controller/dependency.py
index 0499762..b6d4561 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/controller/dependency.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/controller/dependency.py
@@ -5,18 +5,21 @@ Authors:
 * Min RK
 """
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Copyright (C) 2010-2011  The IPython Development Team
+#  Copyright (C) 2013  The IPython Development Team
 #
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+import sys
+
 from types import ModuleType
 
 from IPython.parallel.client.asyncresult import AsyncResult
 from IPython.parallel.error import UnmetDependency
 from IPython.parallel.util import interactive
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
+from IPython.utils.pickleutil import can, uncan
 
 class depend(object):
     """Dependency decorator, for use with tasks.
@@ -60,8 +63,9 @@ class dependent(object):
         self.dkwargs = dkwargs
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        # if hasattr(self.f, 'func_globals') and hasattr(self.df, 'func_globals'):
-        #     self.df.func_globals = self.f.func_globals
+        user_ns = sys.modules['__main__'].__dict__
+        for key, value in self.dkwargs.items():
+            self.dkwargs[key] = uncan(value, user_ns)
         if self.df(*self.dargs, **self.dkwargs) is False:
             raise UnmetDependency()
         return self.f(*args, **kwargs)
@@ -72,41 +76,62 @@ class dependent(object):
             return self.func_name
 
 @interactive
-def _require(*names):
+def _require(*modules, **mapping):
     """Helper for @require decorator."""
     from IPython.parallel.error import UnmetDependency
+    from IPython.utils.pickleutil import uncan
     user_ns = globals()
-    for name in names:
-        if name in user_ns:
-            continue
+    for name in modules:
         try:
-            exec 'import %s'%name in user_ns
+            exec 'import %s' % name in user_ns
         except ImportError:
             raise UnmetDependency(name)
+            
+    for name, cobj in mapping.items():
+        user_ns[name] = uncan(cobj, user_ns)
     return True
 
-def require(*mods):
-    """Simple decorator for requiring names to be importable.
+def require(*objects, **mapping):
+    """Simple decorator for requiring local objects and modules to be available
+    when the decorated function is called on the engine.
+    
+    Modules specified by name or passed directly will be imported
+    prior to calling the decorated function.
+    
+    Objects other than modules will be pushed as a part of the task.
+    Functions can be passed positionally,
+    and will be pushed to the engine with their __name__.
+    Other objects can be passed by keyword arg.
     
     Examples
     --------
     
     In [1]: @require('numpy')
        ...: def norm(a):
-       ...:     import numpy
        ...:     return numpy.linalg.norm(a,2)
+
+    In [2]: foo = lambda x: x*x
+    In [3]: @require(foo)
+       ...: def bar(a):
+       ...:     return foo(1-a)
     """
     names = []
-    for mod in mods:
-        if isinstance(mod, ModuleType):
-            mod = mod.__name__
+    for obj in objects:
+        if isinstance(obj, ModuleType):
+            obj = obj.__name__
         
-        if isinstance(mod, basestring):
-            names.append(mod)
+        if isinstance(obj, basestring):
+            names.append(obj)
+        elif hasattr(obj, '__name__'):
+            mapping[obj.__name__] = obj
         else:
-            raise TypeError("names must be modules or module names, not %s"%type(mod))
+            raise TypeError("Objects other than modules and functions "
+                "must be passed by kwarg, but got: %s" % type(obj)
+            )
     
-    return depend(_require, *names)
+    for name, obj in mapping.items():
+        mapping[name] = can(obj)
+    return depend(_require, *names, **mapping)
 
 class Dependency(set):
     """An object for representing a set of msg_id dependencies.