diff --git a/inc/MicroBitEvent.h b/inc/MicroBitEvent.h
index d9c05c9..425848b 100644
--- a/inc/MicroBitEvent.h
+++ b/inc/MicroBitEvent.h
@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@
 
 #include "mbed.h"
 
+enum MicroBitEventLaunchMode
+{
+    CREATE_ONLY,                        
+    CREATE_AND_QUEUE,
+    CREATE_AND_FIRE
+};
+
+#define MICROBIT_EVENT_DEFAULT_LAUNCH_MODE     CREATE_AND_QUEUE
+
 /**
   * Class definition for a MicrobitEvent
   * It represents a common event that is generated by the various components on the MB.
@@ -22,15 +31,24 @@ class MicroBitEvent
       * Constructor. 
       * @param src ID of the MicroBit Component that generated the event e.g. MICROBIT_ID_BUTTON_A.
       * @param value Component specific code indicating the cause of the event.
-      * @param fire whether the event should be fire immediately upon construction
+      * @param mode optional definition of how the event should be processed after construction (if at all):
+      *
+      * CREATE_ONLY: MicroBitEvent is initialised, and no further processing takes place.
+      * CREATE_AND_QUEUE: MicroBitEvent is initialised, and queued on the MicroBitMessageBus.
+      * CREATE_AND_FIRE: MicroBitEvent is initialised, and its event handlers are immediately fired (not suitable for use in interrupts!).
       * 
-      * Example:
+      * Example: Create and launch an event using the default configuration
       * @code 
-      * MicrobitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_CLICK,true); // auto fire
+      * MicrobitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_CLICK); 
+      * @endcode
+      *
+      * Example: Create and launch an event and process all registered event handlers immediately.
+      * @code 
+      * MicrobitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_CLICK,CREATE_AND_FIRE); 
       * @endcode
       */
-    
-    MicroBitEvent(uint16_t source, uint16_t value, bool fire = true);  
+   
+    MicroBitEvent(uint16_t source, uint16_t value, MicroBitEventLaunchMode mode = MICROBIT_EVENT_DEFAULT_LAUNCH_MODE);  
     
     /**
       * Default constructor - initialises all values, and sets timestamp to the current time.
@@ -38,9 +56,15 @@ class MicroBitEvent
     MicroBitEvent(); 
 
     /**
-      * Fires the represented event onto the message bus.
+      * Fires the represented event onto the message bus using the default configuration.
       */
     void fire();
+
+    /**
+      * Fires the represented event onto the message bus.
+      * @param mode Configuration of how the event is processed.
+      */
+    void fire(MicroBitEventLaunchMode mode);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/inc/MicroBitMessageBus.h b/inc/MicroBitMessageBus.h
index 85990f6..fdace6a 100644
--- a/inc/MicroBitMessageBus.h
+++ b/inc/MicroBitMessageBus.h
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ class MicroBitMessageBus : public MicroBitComponent
       * Internal function, used to deliver the given event to all relevant recipients.
       * Normally, this is called once an event has been removed from the event queue.
       *
-      * IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL EXTERNAL CODE USE THE send() FUNCTIONS INSTEAD OF THIS FUNCTION.
+      * IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL EXTERNAL CODE USE THE send() FUNCTIONS INSTEAD OF THIS FUNCTION,
+      * or the constructors provided by MicroBitEvent.
 	  *
 	  * @param evt The event to send. 
-	  * @param c The cache entry to reduce lookups for commonly used channels.
 	  */
 	void process(MicroBitEvent evt);
 
diff --git a/source/MicroBitEvent.cpp b/source/MicroBitEvent.cpp
index c12d33b..330048a 100644
--- a/source/MicroBitEvent.cpp
+++ b/source/MicroBitEvent.cpp
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@
   * MicrobitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_CLICK,true); // auto fire
   * @endcode
   */
-MicroBitEvent::MicroBitEvent(uint16_t source, uint16_t value, bool fire)
+MicroBitEvent::MicroBitEvent(uint16_t source, uint16_t value, MicroBitEventLaunchMode mode)
 {
     this->source = source;
     this->value = value;
     this->timestamp = ticks;
     
-    if(fire)
-        this->fire();
+    if(mode != CREATE_ONLY)
+        this->fire(mode);
 }    
 
 /**
@@ -37,14 +37,27 @@ MicroBitEvent::MicroBitEvent()
     this->timestamp = ticks;
 }
 
+/**
+  * Fires the represented event onto the message bus.
+  */
+void MicroBitEvent::fire(MicroBitEventLaunchMode mode)
+{
+    if (mode == CREATE_AND_QUEUE)
+        uBit.MessageBus.send(*this);
+
+    else if (mode == CREATE_AND_FIRE)
+        uBit.MessageBus.process(*this);
+}
+
 /**
   * Fires the represented event onto the message bus.
   */
 void MicroBitEvent::fire()
 {
-    uBit.MessageBus.send(*this);
+    fire(MICROBIT_EVENT_DEFAULT_LAUNCH_MODE);
 }
 
+
 /**
   * Constructor. 
   * Create a new MicroBitEventQueueItem.
diff --git a/source/MicroBitMessageBus.cpp b/source/MicroBitMessageBus.cpp
index 1223c32..3d7b999 100644
--- a/source/MicroBitMessageBus.cpp
+++ b/source/MicroBitMessageBus.cpp
@@ -189,8 +189,9 @@ int MicroBitMessageBus::isIdleCallbackNeeded()
   *
   * Example:
   * @code 
-  * MicroBitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_DOWN,ticks,false);
+  * MicroBitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_DOWN,ticks,CREATE_ONLY);
   * evt.fire();
+  *
   * //OR YOU CAN DO THIS...  
   * MicroBitEvent evt(id,MICROBIT_BUTTON_EVT_DOWN);
   * @endcode