diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js
index c141df5..e903dc8 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/comm.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         var comm = new Comm(content.comm_id);
         this.register_comm(comm);
         callback(comm);
-        comm.handle_open(content.data);
+        comm.handle_open(msg);
     };
     
     CommManager.prototype.comm_close = function (msg) {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
             return;
         }
         delete this.comms[content.comm_id];
-        comm.handle_close(content.data);
+        comm.handle_close(msg);
     };
     
     CommManager.prototype.comm_msg = function (msg) {
@@ -89,16 +89,16 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         if (comm === undefined) {
             return;
         }
-        comm.handle_msg(content.data);
+        comm.handle_msg(msg);
     };
     
     //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Comm base class
     //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
     
-    var Comm = function (comm_id) {
+    var Comm = function (comm_id, target) {
         this.comm_id = comm_id;
-        this.target = 'comm';
+        this.target = target || 'comm';
     };
     
     // methods for sending messages
@@ -129,16 +129,16 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
     
     // methods for handling incoming messages
     
-    Comm.prototype.handle_open = function (data) {
-        $([this]).trigger("comm_open", data);
+    Comm.prototype.handle_open = function (msg) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_open", msg);
     };
     
-    Comm.prototype.handle_msg = function (data) {
-        $([this]).trigger("comm_msg", data);
+    Comm.prototype.handle_msg = function (msg) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_msg", msg);
     };
     
-    Comm.prototype.handle_close = function (data) {
-        $([this]).trigger("comm_close", data);
+    Comm.prototype.handle_close = function (msg) {
+        $([this]).trigger("comm_close", msg);
     };
     
     IPython.CommManager = CommManager;
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py b/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
index 1c4f7b9..00b839a 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/comm/comm.py
@@ -56,15 +56,12 @@ class Comm(LoggingConfigurable):
     
     primary = Bool(True, help="Am I the primary or secondary Comm?")
     
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, data=None, **kwargs):
         super(Comm, self).__init__(**kwargs)
         get_ipython().comm_manager.register_comm(self)
         if self.primary:
             # I am primary, open my peer
-            self.open()
-        else:
-            # I am secondary, handle creation
-            self.handle_open(self._open_data)
+            self.open(data)
     
     def _publish_msg(self, msg_type, data=None, **keys):
         """Helper for sending a comm message on IOPub"""
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ class Comm(LoggingConfigurable):
         self._closed = True
     
     def send(self, data=None):
-        """Update the frontend-side version of this comm"""
+        """Send a message to the frontend-side version of this comm"""
         self._publish_msg('comm_msg', data)
     
     # registering callbacks
@@ -130,23 +127,23 @@ class Comm(LoggingConfigurable):
     
     # handling of incoming messages
     
-    def handle_open(self, data):
+    def handle_open(self, msg):
         """Handle a comm_open message"""
-        self.log.debug("handle_open[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, data)
+        self.log.debug("handle_open[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, msg)
         if self._open_callback:
-            self._open_callback(data)
+            self._open_callback(msg)
     
-    def handle_close(self, data):
+    def handle_close(self, msg):
         """Handle a comm_close message"""
-        self.log.debug("handle_close[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, data)
+        self.log.debug("handle_close[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, msg)
         if self._close_callback:
-            self._close_callback(data)
+            self._close_callback(msg)
     
-    def handle_msg(self, data):
+    def handle_msg(self, msg):
         """Handle a comm_msg message"""
-        self.log.debug("handle_msg[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, data)
+        self.log.debug("handle_msg[%s](%s)", self.comm_id, msg)
         if self._msg_callback:
-            self._msg_callback(data)
+            self._msg_callback(msg)
 
 
 __all__ = ['Comm']
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/comm/manager.py b/IPython/kernel/comm/manager.py
index 47ac845..1908cad 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/comm/manager.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/comm/manager.py
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ class CommManager(LoggingConfigurable):
         comm = Comm(comm_id=comm_id,
                     shell=self.shell,
                     iopub_socket=self.iopub_socket,
-                    _open_data=content['data'],
                     primary=False,
         )
         if callback is None:
@@ -115,6 +114,7 @@ class CommManager(LoggingConfigurable):
             comm.close()
             return
         callback(comm)
+        comm.handle_open(msg)
         self.register_comm(comm)
     
     def comm_msg(self, stream, ident, msg):
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class CommManager(LoggingConfigurable):
         if comm is None:
             # no such comm
             return
-        comm.handle_msg(content['data'])
+        comm.handle_msg(msg)
     
     def comm_close(self, stream, ident, msg):
         """Handler for comm_close messages"""
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ class CommManager(LoggingConfigurable):
         if comm is None:
             # no such comm
             return
-        comm.handle_close(content['data'])
         del self.comms[comm_id]
+        comm.handle_close(msg)
 
 
 __all__ = ['CommManager']