diff --git a/relation/README.txt b/relation/README.txt
index 69cd508..d60c7bd 100644
--- a/relation/README.txt
+++ b/relation/README.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
-Yet Another Relations Engine...
-===============================
+Yet Another Relations (Reference) Engine...
+===========================================
+
+    >>> from zope.app.testing.placelesssetup import setUp
+    >>> setUp()
 
 Let's start with two classes and a few objects that we will connect using
-relations:
+relations (we derive the classes from Persistent, thus we will be able to
+reference these objects via IntIds later; the __parent__ and __name__
+attributes are also needed later when we send an IObjectRemovedEvent event):
 
-    >>> class Person(object):
-    ...     pass
+    >>> from persistent import Persistent
+    >>> class Person(Persistent):
+    ...     __name__= __parent__ = None
 
-    >>> class City(object):
+    >>> class City(Persistent):
     ...     pass
 
     >>> clark = Person()
@@ -20,6 +26,7 @@ The relation we'll use tells us in which city a person lives; this is a dyadic
 relation as it connects two objects. We also associate the relationship
 with an interface as we will later use this interface for querying relations.
 
+
 Dyadic Relations
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
@@ -65,6 +72,7 @@ It is also possible to remove a relation from the relation registry:
     >>> nyRels[0].first == kirk
     True
 
+    
 Triadic Relations
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
@@ -97,14 +105,19 @@ all relations for clark's children:
     >>> clarkChildren[0].third == kirk
     True
 
+    
 Setting up and using a RelationsRegistry local utility
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 We now do the same stuff as above with a real, catalog-based implementation of
-the relations registry.
+the relations registry. We also register the relations registry as a
+utility for demonstration purposes (and to be able to use it later when
+working with events).
 
     >>> from cybertools.relation.registry import RelationsRegistry
-    >>> relations = RelationsRegistry()
+    >>> from cybertools.relation.interfaces import IRelationsRegistry
+    >>> from zope.app.testing import ztapi
+    >>> ztapi.provideUtility(IRelationsRegistry, RelationsRegistry())    
 
 In order to register relations the objects that are referenced have to be
 registered with an IntIds (unique ids) utility, so we have to set up such
@@ -112,7 +125,6 @@ an utility (using a stub/dummy implementation for testing purposes):
 
     >>> from cybertools.relation.tests import IntIdsStub
     >>> from zope.app.intid.interfaces import IIntIds
-    >>> from zope.app.testing import ztapi
     >>> ztapi.provideUtility(IIntIds, IntIdsStub())
 
 We also have to provide an adapter for the Relation objects that provides
@@ -127,6 +139,9 @@ the attributes needed for indexing:
 So we are ready again to register a set of relations with our new relations
 registry and query it.
 
+    >>> from zope.app import zapi
+    >>> relations = zapi.getUtility(IRelationsRegistry)
+    
     >>> relations.register(LivesIn(clark, washington))
     >>> relations.register(LivesIn(audrey, newyork))
     >>> relations.register(LivesIn(kirk, newyork))
@@ -170,3 +185,32 @@ It should work also for triadic relations:
     >>> clarkChildren[0].third == kirk
     True
 
+
+Handling object removal
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Often it is desirable to unregister a when one of the objects
+involved in the relation is removed from its container. This can be
+done by subscribing to IObjectRemovedEvent. The relation.registry module
+provides a simple handler for this event.
+
+    >>> from zope.app.container.interfaces import IObjectRemovedEvent
+    >>> from zope.interface import Interface
+    >>> from cybertools.relation.registry import unregisterRelations 
+    >>> ztapi.subscribe([Interface, IObjectRemovedEvent], None, unregisterRelations)
+
+We simulate the removal of kirk by calling notify:
+
+    >>> from zope.app.container.contained import ObjectRemovedEvent
+    >>> from zope.event import notify
+    
+    >>> len(relations.query(first=clark))
+    2
+    
+    >>> notify(ObjectRemovedEvent(kirk))
+
+Thus there should only remain one relation containing clark as first:
+
+    >>> len(relations.query(first=clark))
+    1
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/relation/configure.zcml b/relation/configure.zcml
index b317083..700b7ed 100644
--- a/relation/configure.zcml
+++ b/relation/configure.zcml
@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@
 
   <localUtility class=".registry.RelationsRegistry">
     <require
-        permission="zope.Public"
-        interface=".interfaces.IRelationsRegistry"
+        permission="zope.View"
+        interface=".interfaces.IRelationsRegistryQuery"
+        />
+    <require
+        permission="zope.ManageContent"
+        interface=".interfaces.IRelationsRegistryUpdate"
         />
     <require
         interface="zope.app.catalog.interfaces.ICatalogQuery"
-        permission="zope.Public"
+        permission="zope.View"
         />
     <require
         interface="zope.app.catalog.interfaces.ICatalogEdit"
@@ -29,8 +33,17 @@
         for=".interfaces.IRelation"
         provides=".registry.IIndexableRelation"
         factory=".registry.IndexableRelationAdapter"
+        trusted="true"
         />
 
+  <subscriber
+        for="zope.interface.Interface
+             zope.app.container.interfaces.IObjectRemovedEvent"
+        handler=".registry.unregisterRelations"
+        />
+
+  <!-- browser settings -->
+        
   <browser:tool
       interface=".interfaces.IRelationsRegistry"
       title="Relations Registry"
diff --git a/relation/interfaces.py b/relation/interfaces.py
index cd8a360..2427eee 100644
--- a/relation/interfaces.py
+++ b/relation/interfaces.py
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ $Id$
 from zope.interface import Interface, Attribute
 
 
-class IRelationsRegistry(Interface):
-    """ Local utility for registering (cataloguing) and searching relations.
+class IRelationsRegistryUpdate(Interface):
+    """ Interface for registering and unregistering relations with a
+        relations registry.
     """
 
     def register(relation):
@@ -37,6 +38,11 @@ class IRelationsRegistry(Interface):
         """ Remove the relation given from this registry.
         """
 
+
+class IRelationsRegistryQuery(Interface):
+    """ Interface for querying a relations registry.
+    """
+
     def query(**kw):
         """ Return a list of relations that fulfill the criteria given.
 
@@ -45,14 +51,15 @@ class IRelationsRegistry(Interface):
         """
 
 
+class IRelationsRegistry(IRelationsRegistryUpdate, IRelationsRegistryQuery):
+    """ Local utility for registering (cataloguing) and searching relations.
+    """
+
+
 class IRelation(Interface):
     """ Base class for relations.
     """
     
-    relationship = Attribute(
-        'A string specific for a kind of relation; e.g. the full module '
-        'path and class name of the class implementing a certain type of relation.')
-
     
 class IDyadicRelation(IRelation):
     """ Relation connecting two objects.
diff --git a/relation/registry.py b/relation/registry.py
index 8ffa630..1a19f6a 100644
--- a/relation/registry.py
+++ b/relation/registry.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Implementation of the utilities needed for the relations package.
 $Id$
 """
 
+from persistent import Persistent
 from zope.interface import Interface, Attribute, implements
 from zope.app import zapi
 from zope.app.catalog.catalog import Catalog
@@ -120,8 +121,13 @@ class IndexableRelationAdapter(object):
 
     def __getattr__(self, attr):
         value = getattr(self.context, attr)
-        return _getUid(value)
+        if isinstance(value, Persistent):
+            return _getUid(value)
+        else:
+            return value
 
+
+# helper functions
         
 def _getUid(ob):
     return zapi.getUtility(IIntIds).getId(ob)
@@ -132,3 +138,19 @@ def _getRelationship(relation):
 def _getClassString(cls):
     return cls.__module__ + '.' + cls.__name__
 
+
+# event handler
+
+def unregisterRelations(context, event):
+    """ Handles IObjectRemoved event: unregisters all relations for the
+        object that has been removed.
+    """
+    relations = []
+    registry = zapi.getUtility(IRelationsRegistry)
+    for attr in ('first', 'second', 'third'):
+        relations = registry.query(**{attr: context})
+        for relation in relations:
+            registry.unregister(relation)
+            # to do: unregister relation also from the IntId utility
+            #        (if appropriate).
+