The AAA ATPase Cdc48/p97 together with its adaptors, Ufd1-Npl4, regulate membrane-related functions and mitotic spindle disassembly by directly binding to membrane-associated proteins or spindle assembly factors, modulating their interactions with membranes or spindles, respectively. Here, we discuss the possibility that the Cdc48/ p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex has a more general role in mediating morphological transitions as the cell exits mitosis and enters G(1).