At an application executing using a processor in a touch-sensitive device, a detection is made that the touch-based gesture does not correspond to a perimeter defining a action, wherein the touch-based gesture is made relative to the touch-sensitive device. A set of possible actions intended by the touch-based gesture is determined. Using a disambiguation rule, an action is selected from the set of possible actions, wherein the selected action matches an action computed using the disambiguation rule. The selected action is caused to occur at the touch-sensitive device.