This paper focuses on the important holonic manufacturing systems issue of automatic and dynamic adaptability to change at the physical machine level of control. We propose a model to support configuration and reconfiguration of real-time distributed control systems that is built upon recent models for distributed intelligent control and provide an example of its implementation on a real-time Java platform. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR Copyright of Integrated Computer-Aided Engineering is the property of IOS Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)