diff --git a/src/model.js b/src/model.js
index 137244d7..1464ec46 100644
--- a/src/model.js
+++ b/src/model.js
@@ -141,6 +141,36 @@ my.Dataset = Backbone.Model.extend({
   }
 });
 
+
+// ### Dataset.restore
+//
+// Restore a Dataset instance from a serialized state. Serialized state for a
+// Dataset is an Object like:
+// 
+// <pre>
+// {
+//   backend: {backend type - i.e. value of dataset.backend.__type__}
+//   dataset: {result of dataset.toJSON()}
+//   ...
+// }
+my.Dataset.restore = function(state) {
+  // hack-y - restoring a memory dataset does not mean much ...
+  var dataset = null;
+  if (state.backend === 'memory') {
+    dataset = recline.Backend.createDataset(
+      [{stub: 'this is a stub dataset because we do not restore memory datasets'}],
+      [],
+      state.dataset
+    );
+  } else {
+    dataset = new recline.Model.Dataset(
+      state.dataset,
+      state.backend
+    );
+  }
+  return dataset;
+};
+
 // ## <a id="document">A Document (aka Row)</a>
 // 
 // A single entry or row in the dataset
diff --git a/src/view.js b/src/view.js
index 6dedc111..5e3a4c02 100644
--- a/src/view.js
+++ b/src/view.js
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ this.recline.View = this.recline.View || {};
 //     readOnly: (default: false) run in read-only mode
 // }
 // </pre>
+//
+// Note that at present we do *not* serialize information about the actual set
+// of views in use -- e.g. those specified by the views argument. Instead we
+// expect the client to have initialized the DataExplorer with the relevant views.
 my.DataExplorer = Backbone.View.extend({
   template: ' \
   <div class="recline-data-explorer"> \
@@ -362,20 +366,7 @@ my.DataExplorer = Backbone.View.extend({
 //
 // Restore a DataExplorer instance from a serialized state including the associated dataset
 my.DataExplorer.restore = function(state) {
-  // hack-y - restoring a memory dataset does not mean much ...
-  var dataset = null;
-  if (state.backend === 'memory') {
-    dataset = recline.Backend.createDataset(
-      [{stub: 'this is a stub dataset because we do not restore memory datasets'}],
-      [],
-      state.dataset
-    );
-  } else {
-    dataset = new recline.Model.Dataset(
-      state.dataset,
-      state.backend
-    );
-  }
+  var dataset = recline.Model.Dataset.restore(state);
   var explorer = new my.DataExplorer({
     model: dataset,
     state: state