diff --git a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/comm.js b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/comm.js
index 91f3dc8..f25517b 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/comm.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/comm.js
@@ -65,20 +65,40 @@ define([
     
     CommManager.prototype.comm_open = function (msg) {
         var content = msg.content;
-        var f = this.targets[content.target_name];
-        if (f === undefined) {
-            console.log("No such target registered: ", content.target_name);
-            console.log("Available targets are: ", this.targets);
-            return;
-        }
-        var comm = new Comm(content.target_name, content.comm_id);
-        this.register_comm(comm);
-        try {
-            f(comm, msg);
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.log("Exception opening new comm:", e, e.stack, msg);
-            comm.close();
-            this.unregister_comm(comm);
+        var that = this;
+        
+        var instantiate_comm = function(target) {
+            var comm = new Comm(content.target_name, content.comm_id);
+            that.register_comm(comm);
+            try {
+                target(comm, msg);
+            } catch (e) {
+                console.log("Exception opening new comm:", e, e.stack, msg);
+                comm.close();
+                that.unregister_comm(comm);
+            }
+        };
+
+        if (content.target_module) {
+            // Load requirejs module for comm target
+            require([content.target_module], function(mod) {
+                var target = mod[content.target_name];
+                if (target !== undefined) {
+                    instantiate_comm(target)
+                } else {
+                    console.log("Comm target " + content.target_name + 
+                        " not found in module " + content.target_module);
+                }
+            }, function(err) { console.log(err); });
+        } else {
+            // No requirejs module specified: look for target in registry
+            var f = this.targets[content.target_name];
+            if (f === undefined) {
+                console.log("No such target registered: ", content.target_name);
+                console.log("Available targets are: ", this.targets);
+                return;
+            }
+            instantiate_comm(f)
         }
     };
     
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py b/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
index 4f5660c..3a65cb0 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ class Comm(LoggingConfigurable):
             return self.kernel.session
     
     target_name = Unicode('comm')
+    target_module = Unicode(None, allow_none=True, help="""requirejs module from
+        which to load comm target.""")
     
     topic = Bytes()
     def _topic_default(self):
@@ -91,7 +93,9 @@ class Comm(LoggingConfigurable):
         try:
             self._publish_msg('comm_open',
                               data=data, metadata=metadata, buffers=buffers,
-                              target_name=self.target_name)
+                              target_name=self.target_name,
+                              target_module=self.target_module,
+                              )
             self._closed = False
         except:
             comm_manager.unregister_comm(self)