diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py b/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
index 669b4ed8..6cea50ea 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import base64
 import confluent.collective.invites as invites
+import confluent.config.configmanager as cfm
 import confluent.tlvdata as tlvdata
 import confluent.util as util
 import eventlet.green.socket as socket
@@ -26,8 +27,7 @@ except ImportError:
     # while not always required, we use pyopenssl required for at least collective
     crypto = None
 
-collcerts = {}
-
+currentleader = None
 
 def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
     operation = request['operation']
@@ -67,13 +67,8 @@ def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
             proof = base64.b64decode(proof)
             j = invites.check_server_proof(invitation, mycert, cert, proof)
             if not j:
-                tlvdata.send(connection,
-                             {'errorcode': 500,
-                              'error': 'Response failed validation'})
                 return
-            tlvdata.send(remote, {'collective': {'success': True}})
             tlvdata.send(connection, {'collective': {'status': 'Success'}})
-            #Ok, here start getting assimilated, connect to get the database and register for changes...
     if 'joinchallenge' == operation:
         mycert = util.get_certificate_from_file('/etc/confluent/srvcert.pem')
         proof = base64.b64decode(request['hmac'])
@@ -84,8 +79,16 @@ def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
             connection.close()
             return
         myrsp = base64.b64encode(myrsp)
-        tlvdata.send(connection, {'collective': {'approval': myrsp}})
-        clientready = tlvdata.recv(connection)
-        if clientready.get('collective', {}).get('success', False):
-            collcerts[request['name']] = cert
-            # store certificate signature for the collective trust
+        fprint = util.get_fingerprint(cert)
+        cfm.add_collective_member(request['name'],
+                                  connection.getpeername()[0], fprint)
+        tlvdata.send(connection,
+                     {'collective': {'approval': myrsp,
+                                     'leader': get_leader(connection)}})
+
+
+def get_leader(connection):
+    global currentleader
+    if currentleader is None:
+        currentleader = connection.getsockname()[0]
+    return currentleader
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py b/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
index 9d2087af..61bfbea8 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
@@ -363,6 +363,24 @@ def set_global(globalname, value):
     ConfigManager._bg_sync_to_file()
 
 
+def add_collective_member(name, address, fingerprint):
+    try:
+        name = name.encode('utf-8')
+    except AttributeError:
+        pass
+    if _cfgstore is None:
+        init()
+    if 'collective' not in _cfgstore:
+        _cfgstore['collective'] = {}
+    _cfgstore['collective'][name] = {'address': address,
+                                     'fingerprint': fingerprint}
+    with _dirtylock:
+        if 'collectivedirty' not in _cfgstore:
+            _cfgstore['collectivedirty'] = set([])
+        _cfgstore['collectivedirty'].add(name)
+    ConfigManager._bg_sync_to_file()
+
+
 def _mark_dirtykey(category, key, tenant=None):
     if type(key) in (str, unicode):
         key = key.encode('utf-8')
@@ -1521,6 +1539,8 @@ class ConfigManager(object):
         global _cfgstore
         _cfgstore = {}
         rootpath = cls._cfgdir
+        _load_dict_from_dbm(['collective'], os.path.join(rootpath,
+                                                         "collective"))
         _load_dict_from_dbm(['globals'], os.path.join(rootpath, "globals"))
         for confarea in _config_areas:
             _load_dict_from_dbm(['main', confarea], os.path.join(rootpath, confarea))
@@ -1579,6 +1599,22 @@ class ConfigManager(object):
                             del globalf[globalkey]
             finally:
                 globalf.close()
+        if 'collectivedirty' in _cfgstore:
+            collectivef = dbm.open(os.path.join(cls._cfgdir, "collective"),
+                                   'c', 384)
+            try:
+                with _dirtylock:
+                    colls = copy.deepcopy(_cfgstore['collectivedirty'])
+                    del _cfgstore['collectivedirty']
+                for coll in colls:
+                    if coll in _cfgstore['collective']:
+                        collectivef[coll] = cPickle.dumps(
+                            _cfgstore['collective'][coll])
+                    else:
+                        if coll in collectivef:
+                            del globalf[coll]
+            finally:
+                collectivef.close()
         if 'dirtykeys' in _cfgstore:
             with _dirtylock:
                 currdirt = copy.deepcopy(_cfgstore['dirtykeys'])