DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination is initiated by the Ctp1 protein together with the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 nuclease complex in  Schizosaccharomyces pombe , but the mechanism by which Ctp1 promotes this process has remained unknown. Andres  et al.  now use atomic force microscopy to image Ctp1-DNA complexes, demonstrating a striking capacity of Ctp1 filaments to bridge DNA molecules. This unanticipated role of Ctp1 might help explain how the processing of DNA ends is coordinated to facilitate DNA break repair.