diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d84682f..c96777c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -245,6 +245,59 @@ The plugin's `ep.json` must list each hook on the right side:
 - `enforceSettings` on → use the pad-wide value
 - `enforceSettings` off → use the user cookie value, falling back to pad-wide, falling back to `defaultEnabled`
 
+### ToolbarSelect
+
+DRY up the toolbar `<select>`-change → ace edit → focus-restore boilerplate that plugins like `ep_font_color`, `ep_font_size`, and `ep_headings2` each implement by hand:
+
+```js
+// before — repeated in each plugin
+exports.postAceInit = (hookName, context) => {
+  const hs = $('#font-size, select.size-selection');
+  hs.on('change', function () {
+    const value = $(this).val();
+    const intValue = parseInt(value, 10);
+    if (!isNaN(intValue)) {
+      context.ace.callWithAce((ace) => {
+        ace.ace_doInsertsizes(intValue);
+      }, 'insertsize', true);
+      hs.val('dummy');
+      context.ace.focus();
+    }
+  });
+};
+```
+
+With this helper:
+
+```js
+// Client-only — import the sub-path directly so esbuild doesn't pull
+// any server-only deps into the pad bundle.
+const {toolbarSelect} = require('ep_plugin_helpers/toolbar-select');
+
+exports.postAceInit = (hookName, context) => {
+  toolbarSelect({
+    selector: '#font-size, select.size-selection',
+    context,
+    invoke: (ace, value) => ace.ace_doInsertsizes(value),
+    op: 'insertsize',
+  });
+};
+```
+
+**Config:**
+
+| Field | Required | Default | Description |
+|-------|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `selector` | yes | — | jQuery selector for the toolbar `<select>`. |
+| `context` | yes | — | The `context` argument from `postAceInit` — must expose `context.ace.callWithAce` and `context.ace.focus`. |
+| `invoke` | yes | — | `(ace, coercedValue) => void`. Runs inside `callWithAce` so the edit joins the undo stack. |
+| `op` | no | `'toolbarSelect'` | `callWithAce` label — useful for debugging the undo stack. |
+| `coerce` | no | `'int'` | One of `'int' \| 'number' \| 'string' \| 'identity'`, or a custom `(raw) => coerced \| null`. Returning `null` skips the edit but still restores focus. |
+| `resetValue` | no | `'dummy'` | Value to write back to the select after a successful edit, so picking the same option again still fires `change`. |
+| `onAfterChange` | no | — | `(coercedValue) => void`, called after focus is restored. Errors are swallowed and logged so a buggy callback can't break the editor. |
+
+Focus restoration runs unconditionally — even if `coerce` returned `null` — so an accidental pick on a non-numeric option leaves the user typing back in the pad, not on the toolbar control.
+
 ### Message Relay
 
 Intercept and relay real-time COLLABROOM messages.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 980985d..67ed037 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ep_plugin_helpers",
-  "version": "0.5.3",
+  "version": "0.6.0",
   "description": "Shared factory functions to eliminate boilerplate across Etherpad plugins",
   "author": {
     "name": "John McLear",
diff --git a/test/toolbar-select.js b/test/toolbar-select.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a56a75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/toolbar-select.js
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const {toolbarSelect} = require('../toolbar-select');
+
+// Minimal jQuery-shaped stub. The real plugin runs under Etherpad's bundled
+// jQuery; the helper only uses `.on('change', fn)` and `.val(...)`.
+const makeFakeSelect = (initialValue = '12') => {
+  let value = initialValue;
+  let changeHandler = null;
+  const $el = {
+    on(event, handler) {
+      if (event !== 'change') throw new Error(`unexpected event: ${event}`);
+      changeHandler = handler;
+      return $el;
+    },
+    val(v) {
+      if (v === undefined) return value;
+      value = v;
+      return $el;
+    },
+    // Test-only helper: simulate the user picking an option.
+    _fire(newValue) {
+      value = newValue;
+      if (changeHandler) changeHandler.call({_isThis: true, _$: $el});
+    },
+  };
+  return $el;
+};
+
+const installJqueryStub = ($el) => {
+  // Capture the previous global so multiple tests can swap stubs cleanly.
+  const prev = globalThis.window;
+  globalThis.window = {
+    $: (selectorOrThis) => {
+      // window.$(this) inside the change handler returns the element wrapper;
+      // window.$(selector) returns the captured $el.
+      if (selectorOrThis && selectorOrThis._isThis) return selectorOrThis._$;
+      return $el;
+    },
+  };
+  return () => { globalThis.window = prev; };
+};
+
+const makeContext = () => {
+  const calls = [];
+  let focused = 0;
+  const aceObj = {
+    ace_invoked: (val) => calls.push({type: 'invoked', val}),
+  };
+  return {
+    calls,
+    get focusCount() { return focused; },
+    ctx: {
+      ace: {
+        callWithAce(fn, op, fast) { calls.push({type: 'callWithAce', op, fast}); fn(aceObj); },
+        focus() { focused++; },
+      },
+    },
+  };
+};
+
+describe('toolbarSelect', () => {
+  describe('config validation', () => {
+    let restore;
+    beforeEach(() => { restore = installJqueryStub(makeFakeSelect()); });
+    afterEach(() => restore());
+
+    const ok = () => {
+      const {ctx} = makeContext();
+      return {
+        selector: '#x',
+        context: ctx,
+        invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+      };
+    };
+
+    it('throws when config is missing', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect(), /config object/);
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect(null), /config object/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when selector is missing or not a string', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), selector: ''}), /selector/);
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), selector: 42}), /selector/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when context.ace is absent or missing required methods', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), context: {}}), /context\.ace/);
+      assert.throws(
+          () => toolbarSelect({...ok(), context: {ace: {callWithAce: () => {}}}}),
+          /callWithAce \/ focus/);
+      assert.throws(
+          () => toolbarSelect({...ok(), context: {ace: {focus: () => {}}}}),
+          /callWithAce \/ focus/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when invoke is not a function', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), invoke: undefined}), /invoke/);
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), invoke: 'not-a-fn'}), /invoke/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when op is provided but empty', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), op: ''}), /op must be a non-empty string/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when coerce is an unknown token', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), coerce: 'bigint'}),
+          /coerce must be a function or one of/);
+    });
+
+    it('throws when onAfterChange is provided but not a function', () => {
+      assert.throws(() => toolbarSelect({...ok(), onAfterChange: 42}), /onAfterChange/);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('change behaviour', () => {
+    it("calls invoke with coerced int, resets select, and focuses editor", () => {
+      const $sel = makeFakeSelect('initial');
+      const restore = installJqueryStub($sel);
+      const {ctx, calls} = makeContext();
+      let captured = ctx; // alias for clarity
+
+      toolbarSelect({
+        selector: '#font-size',
+        context: ctx,
+        invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+        op: 'insertsize',
+      });
+
+      $sel._fire('24');
+      restore();
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(calls, [
+        {type: 'callWithAce', op: 'insertsize', fast: true},
+        {type: 'invoked', val: 24},
+      ]);
+      assert.strictEqual($sel.val(), 'dummy', 'select should be reset to sentinel');
+      assert.strictEqual(captured === ctx, true);
+    });
+
+    it('still focuses the editor when the coerced value is unusable', () => {
+      const $sel = makeFakeSelect('initial');
+      const restore = installJqueryStub($sel);
+      const ce = makeContext();
+
+      toolbarSelect({
+        selector: '#font-size',
+        context: ce.ctx,
+        invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+      });
+
+      $sel._fire('not-a-number');
+      restore();
+
+      // No edit happened, but focus was restored — the user picked from a
+      // toolbar control and we don't want keystrokes to land back on it.
+      assert.strictEqual(ce.calls.length, 0);
+      assert.strictEqual(ce.focusCount, 1);
+      assert.strictEqual($sel.val(), 'not-a-number',
+          'unusable picks must not reset the select — the user can see what they picked');
+    });
+
+    it('supports a function coercer', () => {
+      const $sel = makeFakeSelect();
+      const restore = installJqueryStub($sel);
+      const ce = makeContext();
+
+      toolbarSelect({
+        selector: '#x',
+        context: ce.ctx,
+        invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+        coerce: (raw) => raw === 'special' ? {marker: true} : null,
+      });
+
+      $sel._fire('special');
+      restore();
+
+      assert.strictEqual(ce.calls.length, 2);
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(ce.calls[1], {type: 'invoked', val: {marker: true}});
+    });
+
+    it('honours a custom resetValue', () => {
+      const $sel = makeFakeSelect();
+      const restore = installJqueryStub($sel);
+      const ce = makeContext();
+
+      toolbarSelect({
+        selector: '#x',
+        context: ce.ctx,
+        invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+        resetValue: '__none__',
+      });
+
+      $sel._fire('7');
+      restore();
+
+      assert.strictEqual($sel.val(), '__none__');
+    });
+
+    it('invokes onAfterChange with the coerced value and swallows callback errors', () => {
+      const $sel = makeFakeSelect();
+      const restore = installJqueryStub($sel);
+      const ce = makeContext();
+      const seen = [];
+      const consoleErr = console.error;
+      console.error = () => {}; // silence the expected error log
+
+      try {
+        toolbarSelect({
+          selector: '#x',
+          context: ce.ctx,
+          invoke: (ace, v) => ace.ace_invoked(v),
+          onAfterChange: (v) => {
+            seen.push(v);
+            if (v === 99) throw new Error('boom');
+          },
+        });
+
+        $sel._fire('5');
+        $sel._fire('99');
+      } finally {
+        console.error = consoleErr;
+        restore();
+      }
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(seen, [5, 99]);
+      assert.strictEqual(ce.focusCount, 2, 'focus must run for both changes');
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/toolbar-select.js b/toolbar-select.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef2639b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolbar-select.js
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// toolbarSelect (client side) — binds the change handler for a toolbar
+// <select> dropdown that triggers an ace edit operation, then restores
+// focus to the editor so the user can keep typing without an extra click.
+//
+// Centralises the three-step boilerplate that ep_font_color, ep_font_size,
+// ep_headings2 and similar plugins repeat by hand:
+//
+//   1. on change → coerce the picked value
+//   2. wrap the edit in callWithAce(...) so it joins the undo stack
+//   3. reset the <select> to a sentinel value (so picking the same option
+//      again still fires `change`) and route focus back to the editor
+//
+// No top-level requires that touch server-only modules — esbuild bundles
+// this into the browser pad bundle, and any node-only path would break
+// the client build.
+
+const ALLOWED_COERCE = new Set(['int', 'number', 'string', 'identity']);
+
+const validateConfig = (config) => {
+  if (!config || typeof config !== 'object') {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect requires a config object');
+  }
+  const {
+    selector,
+    context,
+    invoke,
+    op = 'toolbarSelect',
+    coerce = 'int',
+    resetValue = 'dummy',
+    onAfterChange,
+  } = config;
+
+  if (!selector || typeof selector !== 'string') {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect requires selector (jQuery selector string)');
+  }
+  if (!context || typeof context !== 'object' || !context.ace) {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect requires the postAceInit `context` (must include context.ace)');
+  }
+  if (typeof context.ace.callWithAce !== 'function' || typeof context.ace.focus !== 'function') {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect: context.ace is missing callWithAce / focus — wrong context?');
+  }
+  if (typeof invoke !== 'function') {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect requires invoke: (ace, value) => void');
+  }
+  if (typeof op !== 'string' || !op) {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect: op must be a non-empty string when provided');
+  }
+  if (typeof coerce !== 'function' && !ALLOWED_COERCE.has(coerce)) {
+    throw new Error(
+        `toolbarSelect: coerce must be a function or one of ${[...ALLOWED_COERCE].join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (onAfterChange != null && typeof onAfterChange !== 'function') {
+    throw new Error('toolbarSelect: onAfterChange must be a function when provided');
+  }
+
+  return {selector, context, invoke, op, coerce, resetValue, onAfterChange};
+};
+
+// Resolve a coerce token (or function) into a unary coercer. The coercer
+// returns null whenever the value cannot be used — the caller then skips
+// the edit but still restores focus.
+const resolveCoerce = (coerce) => {
+  if (typeof coerce === 'function') return coerce;
+  if (coerce === 'int') return (raw) => {
+    const n = parseInt(raw, 10);
+    return Number.isNaN(n) ? null : n;
+  };
+  if (coerce === 'number') return (raw) => {
+    const n = Number(raw);
+    return Number.isNaN(n) ? null : n;
+  };
+  if (coerce === 'string') return (raw) => (raw == null || raw === '') ? null : String(raw);
+  // 'identity'
+  return (raw) => (raw == null || raw === '') ? null : raw;
+};
+
+const toolbarSelect = (rawConfig) => {
+  const cfg = validateConfig(rawConfig);
+  const coercer = resolveCoerce(cfg.coerce);
+
+  // window.$ is jQuery as exposed by Etherpad's pad bundle. We don't import
+  // jquery directly so the helper works whether the host plugin pulls jQuery
+  // from the same npm version or relies on the bundled one.
+  const $sel = window.$(cfg.selector);
+
+  $sel.on('change', function onToolbarSelectChange() {
+    const $this = window.$(this);
+    const raw = $this.val();
+    const value = coercer(raw);
+
+    if (value != null) {
+      cfg.context.ace.callWithAce((ace) => {
+        cfg.invoke(ace, value);
+      }, cfg.op, true);
+      $this.val(cfg.resetValue);
+    }
+
+    // Focus restoration runs unconditionally: even if the coerced value was
+    // unusable, the user clicked the select and we don't want to leave focus
+    // stuck on a toolbar control where the next keystroke would be lost
+    // (or, in some browsers, scroll the select's option list).
+    cfg.context.ace.focus();
+
+    if (cfg.onAfterChange) {
+      try { cfg.onAfterChange(value); } catch (e) {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+        if (typeof console !== 'undefined') console.error('toolbarSelect onAfterChange threw', e);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  return {$sel};
+};
+
+module.exports = {toolbarSelect};