diff --git a/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.cpp b/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.cpp
index faa914580..515a39886 100644
--- a/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.cpp
+++ b/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Paul Licameli
 
 **********************************************************************/
 #include "BasicUI.h"
-#include "Internat.h"
 
 #include <mutex>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.h b/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.h
index a055a4505..6714fc64d 100644
--- a/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.h
+++ b/libraries/lib-basic-ui/BasicUI.h
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ Paul Licameli
 
 #include <functional>
 #include "Identifier.h"
-
-class TranslatableString;
+#include "Internat.h"
 
 namespace BasicUI {
 
@@ -74,6 +73,66 @@ struct ErrorDialogOptions {
 //! "Message", suitably translated
 BASIC_UI_API TranslatableString DefaultCaption();
 
+enum class Icon {
+   None,
+   Warning,
+   Error,
+   Question,
+   Information,
+};
+
+enum class Button {
+   Default, //!< Like Ok, except maybe minor difference of dialog position
+   Ok,      //!< One button
+   YesNo    //!< Two buttons
+};
+
+struct MessageBoxOptions {
+   //! @name Chain-call style initializers
+   //! @{
+
+   MessageBoxOptions &&Parent(WindowPlacement *parent_) &&
+   { parent = parent_; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   MessageBoxOptions &&Caption(TranslatableString caption_) &&
+   { caption = std::move(caption_); return std::move(*this); }
+
+   MessageBoxOptions &&IconStyle(Icon style) &&
+   { iconStyle = style; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   MessageBoxOptions &&ButtonStyle(Button style) &&
+   { buttonStyle = style; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   //! Override the usual defaulting to Yes; affects only the YesNo case
+   MessageBoxOptions &&DefaultIsNo() &&
+   { yesOrOkDefaultButton = false; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   MessageBoxOptions &&CancelButton() &&
+   { cancelButton = true; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   //! Center the dialog on its parent window, if any
+   MessageBoxOptions &&Centered() &&
+   { centered = true; return std::move(*this); }
+
+   //! @}
+
+   WindowPlacement *parent{ nullptr };
+   TranslatableString caption{ DefaultCaption() };
+   Icon iconStyle{ Icon::None };
+   Button buttonStyle{ Button::Default };
+   bool yesOrOkDefaultButton{ true };
+   bool cancelButton{ false };
+   bool centered{ false };
+};
+
+enum class MessageBoxResult : int {
+   None, //!< May be returned if no Services are installed
+   Yes,
+   No,
+   Ok,
+   Cancel,
+};
+
 //! @}
 
 //! Abstract class defines a few user interface services, not mentioning particular toolkits
@@ -90,6 +149,9 @@ public:
       const TranslatableString &message,
       const ManualPageID &helpPage,
       const ErrorDialogOptions &options) = 0;
+   virtual MessageBoxResult DoMessageBox(
+      const TranslatableString& message,
+      MessageBoxOptions options) = 0;
 };
 
 //! Fetch the global instance, or nullptr if none is yet installed
@@ -132,6 +194,19 @@ inline void ShowErrorDialog(
       p->DoShowErrorDialog(placement, dlogTitle, message, helpPage, options);
 }
 
+//! Show a modal message box with either Ok or Yes and No, and optionally Cancel
+/*!
+ @return indicates which button was pressed
+ */
+inline MessageBoxResult ShowMessageBox( const TranslatableString &message,
+   MessageBoxOptions options = {})
+{
+   if (auto p = Get())
+      return p->DoMessageBox(message, std::move(options));
+   else
+      return MessageBoxResult::None;
+}
+
 //! @}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.cpp b/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.cpp
index 823dcbcb8..839734c6a 100644
--- a/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Paul Licameli
 #ifdef HAS_SENTRY_REPORTING
 #include "widgets/ErrorReportDialog.h"
 #endif
+#include "widgets/AudacityMessageBox.h"
 #include <wx/app.h>
 
 using namespace BasicUI;
@@ -88,3 +89,72 @@ void wxWidgetsBasicUI::DoShowErrorDialog(
       pDlog.release(); // not a memory leak, because it has a parent
    }
 }
+
+BasicUI::MessageBoxResult
+wxWidgetsBasicUI::DoMessageBox(
+   const TranslatableString &message,
+   MessageBoxOptions options)
+{
+   // Compute the style argument to pass to wxWidgets
+   long style = 0;
+   switch (options.iconStyle) {
+      case Icon::Warning :
+         style = wxICON_WARNING;
+         break;
+      case Icon::Error :
+         style = wxICON_ERROR;
+         break;
+      case Icon::Question :
+         style = wxICON_QUESTION;
+         break;
+      case Icon::Information :
+         style = wxICON_INFORMATION;
+         break;
+      default:
+         break;
+   }
+   switch (options.buttonStyle) {
+      case Button::Ok :
+         style |= wxOK;
+         break;
+      case Button::YesNo :
+         style |= wxYES_NO;
+         break;
+      default:
+         break;
+   }
+   if (!options.yesOrOkDefaultButton && options.buttonStyle == Button::YesNo)
+      style |= wxNO_DEFAULT;
+   if (options.cancelButton)
+      style |= wxCANCEL;
+   if (options.centered)
+      style |= wxCENTER;
+
+   // Preserving the default style AudacityMessageBox had,
+   // when none of the above were explicitly specified
+   if (!style)
+      style = wxOK | wxCENTRE;
+
+   // This calls through to ::wxMessageBox:
+   auto wxResult =
+      ::AudacityMessageBox(message, options.caption, style,
+         options.parent ? GetParent(*options.parent) : nullptr);
+   // This switch exhausts all possibilities for the return from::wxMessageBox.
+   // see utilscmn.cpp in wxWidgets.
+   // Remap to our toolkit-neutral enumeration.
+   switch (wxResult) {
+   case wxID_YES:
+      return MessageBoxResult::Yes;
+   case wxID_NO:
+      return MessageBoxResult::No;
+   case wxID_OK:
+      return MessageBoxResult::Ok;
+   case wxID_CANCEL:
+      return MessageBoxResult::Cancel;
+   case wxID_HELP:
+      // should not happen, because we don't ever pass wxHELP
+   default:
+      wxASSERT(false);
+      return MessageBoxResult::None;
+   }
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.h b/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.h
index 65c1a03d4..8093d4ec8 100644
--- a/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.h
+++ b/src/widgets/wxWidgetsBasicUI.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ protected:
       const TranslatableString &message,
       const ManualPageID &helpPage,
       const BasicUI::ErrorDialogOptions &options) override;
+   BasicUI::MessageBoxResult DoMessageBox(
+      const TranslatableString &message,
+      BasicUI::MessageBoxOptions options) override;
 };
 
 #endif