diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.cpp
index 0fbde031..89020293 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,46 @@
 #include "luastack.hpp"
 #include "globaldb.hpp"
 
+LuaDefine(global_once, "string", "for a given string, returns true exactly once") {
+    LuaArg name;
+    LuaRet flag;
+    LuaVar oncedb, val;
+    LuaStack LS(L, name, flag, oncedb, val);
 
-LuaDefine(global, "globalname", "get a table where global data can be stored") {
+    // Get a pointer to the oncedb.
+    LS.rawget(oncedb, LuaRegistry, "oncedb");
+    if (!LS.istable(oncedb)) {
+        LS.set(flag, false);
+        return LS.result();
+    }
+
+    LS.checkstring(name);
+    LS.rawget(val, oncedb, name);
+    if (!LS.isnil(val)) {
+        LS.set(flag, false);
+        return LS.result();
+    }
+    LS.rawset(oncedb, name, true);
+    LS.set(flag, true);
+    return LS.result();
+}
+
+LuaDefine(global_clearonce, "name", "reset the specified once-flag") {
+    LuaArg name;
+    LuaVar oncedb;
+    LuaStack LS(L, name, oncedb);
+
+    // Get a pointer to the oncedb.
+    LS.rawget(oncedb, LuaRegistry, "oncedb");
+    if (!LS.istable(oncedb)) {
+        return LS.result();
+    }
+    LS.checkstring(name);
+    LS.rawset(oncedb, name, LuaNil);
+    return LS.result();
+}
+
+LuaDefine(global_table, "globalname", "get a table where global data can be stored") {
     LuaArg globalname;
     LuaRet globaltab;
     LuaVar globaldb;
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.hpp b/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.hpp
index 3d003d3e..73f831cf 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.hpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/globaldb.hpp
@@ -28,14 +28,6 @@
 
 #include "luastack.hpp"
 
-// The lua 'global' operator.
-//
-// Given a global name, returns a table for that global.
-//
-// If you haven't enabled the global DB using globaldb_enable, this
-// raises a donotpredict error.
-//
-int globaldb_global(lua_State *L);
 
 #endif // GLOBALDB_HPP
 
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/lpxclient.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/lpxclient.cpp
index c7b16869..e54353d7 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/lpxclient.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/lpxclient.cpp
@@ -24,18 +24,15 @@ public:
         // Create the world model.
         world_.reset(new World(util::WORLD_TYPE_C_SYNC));
 
-        // Snapshot the initial state.
-        world_->snapshot();
-
-        // Clear the unack command queue.
-        unack_.clear();
-
         // This is a temporary actor that will be used only until the server sends
         // us the first difference transmission.  We do this only to establish
         // the invariant that there's always an actor.  When the first difference
         // transmission arrives, this actor may be deleted, or it may just be
         // ignored, at the server's discretion.
         actor_id_ = world_->create_login_actor();
+
+        // Clear the unack command queue.
+        unack_.clear();
     }
 
 
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/world-core.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/world-core.cpp
index 14258dc9..0ca46afa 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/world-core.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/world-core.cpp
@@ -61,9 +61,10 @@ World::World(util::WorldType wt) {
     // Create the tangibles table in the registry.
     LS.rawset(LuaRegistry, "tangibles", LuaNewTable);
 
-    // Create the globaldb in the registry.
+    // Create the globaldb and oncedb in the registry.
     if (util::world_type_authoritative(wt)) {
         LS.rawset(LuaRegistry, "globaldb", LuaNewTable);
+        LS.rawset(LuaRegistry, "oncedb", LuaNewTable);
     }
 
     // Initialize the SourceDB.  At this stage, the sourcedb is
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/world-diffxmit.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/world-diffxmit.cpp
index 3057282b..e531ac55 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/world-diffxmit.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/world-diffxmit.cpp
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ void World::patch_luatabs(StreamBuffer *sb, DebugCollector *dbc) {
     util::HashValue closehash = sb->read_hashvalue();
     int ncreate = sb->read_int32();
     util::IdVector closetans = get_near(actor_id, RadiusClose, true, false);
+    std::cerr << "Sync closetans=" << util::id_vector_debug_string(closetans) << std::endl;
     assert(closehash == util::hash_id_vector(closetans));
     number_lua_tables(closetans);
     create_new_tables(ncreate);
@@ -183,6 +184,7 @@ void World::diff_luatabs(int64_t actor_id, World *master, StreamBuffer *xsb) {
 
     // Calculate the set of close tangibles.
     util::IdVector closetans = master->get_near(actor_id, RadiusClose, true, false);
+    std::cerr << "Master closetans=" << util::id_vector_debug_string(closetans) << std::endl;
     assert(get_near(actor_id, RadiusClose, true, false) == closetans);
     util::HashValue closehash = util::hash_id_vector(closetans);
 
@@ -281,6 +283,7 @@ void World::diff_tanclass(int64_t actor_id, World *master, StreamBuffer *xsb) {
 
 void World::patch_source(StreamBuffer *sb, DebugCollector *dbc) {
     DebugBlock dbb(dbc, "patch_source");
+    std::cerr << "Before PS ids=" << tangible_ids_debug_string() << std::endl;
     bool modified = source_db_.patch(sb, dbc);
     if (modified) {
         std::string errs = source_db_.rebuild();
@@ -288,6 +291,7 @@ void World::patch_source(StreamBuffer *sb, DebugCollector *dbc) {
         // TODO: I don't currently have any good place to send the
         // error messages.  This is a stopgap.
         std::cerr << errs;
+        std::cerr << "After PS ids=" << tangible_ids_debug_string() << std::endl;
     }
 }