diff --git a/src/Dispatcher.cpp b/src/Dispatcher.cpp
index ad2460a098..8a9091934f 100644
--- a/src/Dispatcher.cpp
+++ b/src/Dispatcher.cpp
@@ -180,8 +180,10 @@ void Dispatcher::QueueOutgoing(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg,
   for (auto& conn : m_connections) {
     if (conn.net.get() == except) continue;
     if (only && conn.net.get() != only) continue;
-    if (conn.net->state() != NetworkConnection::kDead)
-      conn.outgoing.push_back(msg);
+    auto state = conn.net->state();
+    if (state != NetworkConnection::kSynchronized &&
+        state != NetworkConnection::kActive) continue;
+    conn.outgoing.push_back(msg);
   }
 }
 
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@ void Dispatcher::ServerThreadMain(const char* listen_address,
         std::move(stream),
         std::bind(&Dispatcher::ServerHandshake, this, _1, _2, _3),
         std::bind(&Storage::GetEntryType, &storage, _1),
-        std::bind(&Storage::ProcessIncoming, &storage, _1, _2, _3)));
+        std::bind(&Storage::ProcessIncoming, &storage, _1, _2)));
     auto conn = conn_unique.get();
     {
       std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_user_mutex);
@@ -237,7 +239,7 @@ void Dispatcher::ClientThreadMain(const char* server_name, unsigned int port) {
         std::move(stream),
         std::bind(&Dispatcher::ClientHandshake, this, _1, _2, _3),
         std::bind(&Storage::GetEntryType, &storage, _1),
-        std::bind(&Storage::ProcessIncoming, &storage, _1, _2, _3)));
+        std::bind(&Storage::ProcessIncoming, &storage, _1, _2)));
     auto conn = conn_unique.get();
     m_connections.resize(0);  // disconnect any current
     m_connections.emplace_back(std::move(conn_unique));
@@ -310,8 +312,8 @@ bool Dispatcher::ClientHandshake(
   // generate outgoing assignments
   NetworkConnection::Outgoing outgoing;
 
-  Storage::GetInstance().ApplyInitialAssignments(incoming, new_server,
-                                                 conn.proto_rev(), &outgoing);
+  Storage::GetInstance().ApplyInitialAssignments(conn, incoming, new_server,
+                                                 &outgoing);
 
   if (conn.proto_rev() >= 0x0300)
     outgoing.emplace_back(Message::ClientHelloDone());
@@ -361,7 +363,7 @@ bool Dispatcher::ServerHandshake(
   }
 
   // Get snapshot of initial assignments
-  Storage::GetInstance().GetInitialAssignments(&outgoing);
+  Storage::GetInstance().GetInitialAssignments(conn, &outgoing);
 
   // Finish with server hello done
   outgoing.emplace_back(Message::ServerHelloDone());
@@ -395,7 +397,7 @@ bool Dispatcher::ServerHandshake(
       msg = get_msg();
     }
     Storage& storage = Storage::GetInstance();
-    for (auto& msg : incoming) storage.ProcessIncoming(msg, &conn, proto_rev);
+    for (auto& msg : incoming) storage.ProcessIncoming(msg, &conn);
   }
 
   INFO("server: client CONNECTED: " << conn.stream().getPeerIP() << " port "
diff --git a/src/NetworkConnection.cpp b/src/NetworkConnection.cpp
index d9526159a2..5ed20063af 100644
--- a/src/NetworkConnection.cpp
+++ b/src/NetworkConnection.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void NetworkConnection::ReadThreadMain() {
       if (m_stream) m_stream->close();
       break;
     }
-    m_process_incoming(std::move(msg), this, m_proto_rev);
+    m_process_incoming(std::move(msg), this);
   }
   DEBUG3("read thread died");
   m_state = static_cast<int>(kDead);
diff --git a/src/NetworkConnection.h b/src/NetworkConnection.h
index 9e59e67261..28e062c0ad 100644
--- a/src/NetworkConnection.h
+++ b/src/NetworkConnection.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ namespace nt {
 
 class NetworkConnection {
  public:
-  enum State { kCreated, kInit, kHandshake, kActive, kDead };
+  enum State { kCreated, kInit, kHandshake, kSynchronized, kActive, kDead };
 
   typedef std::function<bool(
       NetworkConnection& conn,
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ class NetworkConnection {
       std::function<void(llvm::ArrayRef<std::shared_ptr<Message>>)> send_msgs)>
       HandshakeFunc;
   typedef std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg,
-                             NetworkConnection* conn, unsigned int proto_rev)>
-      ProcessIncomingFunc;
+                             NetworkConnection* conn)> ProcessIncomingFunc;
   typedef std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>> Outgoing;
   typedef ConcurrentQueue<Outgoing> OutgoingQueue;
 
diff --git a/src/Storage.cpp b/src/Storage.cpp
index cf7fc862aa..a8fac63d71 100644
--- a/src/Storage.cpp
+++ b/src/Storage.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "llvm/StringExtras.h"
 #include "Base64.h"
 #include "Log.h"
+#include "NetworkConnection.h"
 
 using namespace nt;
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ NT_Type Storage::GetEntryType(unsigned int id) const {
 }
 
 void Storage::ProcessIncoming(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg,
-                              NetworkConnection* conn, unsigned int proto_rev) {
+                              NetworkConnection* conn) {
   std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
   switch (msg->type()) {
     case Message::kKeepAlive:
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ void Storage::ProcessIncoming(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg,
       entry->seq_num = seq_num;
 
       // don't update flags from a <3.0 remote (not part of message)
-      if (proto_rev >= 0x0300) entry->flags = msg->flags();
+      if (conn->proto_rev() >= 0x0300) entry->flags = msg->flags();
 
       // broadcast to all other connections (note for client there won't
       // be any other connections, so don't bother)
@@ -261,8 +262,9 @@ void Storage::ProcessIncoming(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg,
 }
 
 void Storage::GetInitialAssignments(
-    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* msgs) {
+    NetworkConnection& conn, std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* msgs) {
   std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+  conn.set_state(NetworkConnection::kSynchronized);
   for (auto& i : m_entries) {
     auto entry = i.getValue();
     msgs->emplace_back(Message::EntryAssign(i.getKey(), entry->id,
@@ -272,11 +274,13 @@ void Storage::GetInitialAssignments(
 }
 
 void Storage::ApplyInitialAssignments(
-    llvm::ArrayRef<std::shared_ptr<Message>> msgs, bool new_server,
-    unsigned int proto_rev, std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* out_msgs) {
+    NetworkConnection& conn, llvm::ArrayRef<std::shared_ptr<Message>> msgs,
+    bool new_server, std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* out_msgs) {
   std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
   if (m_server) return;  // should not do this on server
 
+  conn.set_state(NetworkConnection::kSynchronized);
+
   std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>> update_msgs;
 
   // clear existing id's
@@ -319,7 +323,7 @@ void Storage::ApplyInitialAssignments(
         entry->value = msg->value();
         entry->seq_num = seq_num;
         // don't update flags from a <3.0 remote (not part of message)
-        if (proto_rev >= 0x0300) entry->flags = msg->flags();
+        if (conn.proto_rev() >= 0x0300) entry->flags = msg->flags();
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Storage.h b/src/Storage.h
index ab3c4f9328..9ff92ad045 100644
--- a/src/Storage.h
+++ b/src/Storage.h
@@ -44,11 +44,12 @@ class Storage {
 
   NT_Type GetEntryType(unsigned int id) const;
 
-  void ProcessIncoming(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg, NetworkConnection* conn,
-                       unsigned int proto_rev);
-  void GetInitialAssignments(std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* msgs);
-  void ApplyInitialAssignments(llvm::ArrayRef<std::shared_ptr<Message>> msgs,
-                               bool new_server, unsigned int proto_rev,
+  void ProcessIncoming(std::shared_ptr<Message> msg, NetworkConnection* conn);
+  void GetInitialAssignments(NetworkConnection& conn,
+                             std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* msgs);
+  void ApplyInitialAssignments(NetworkConnection& conn,
+                               llvm::ArrayRef<std::shared_ptr<Message>> msgs,
+                               bool new_server,
                                std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Message>>* out_msgs);
 
   std::mutex& mutex() { return m_mutex; }