diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
index cebdf21cc8..44c263fa90 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 			listener.Start();
 
 			Console.WriteLine("Server started.");
+			Console.WriteLine("Testing.");
 
 			for (; ; )
 			{
@@ -282,8 +283,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 							return true;
 						}
 
-						DispatchOrders( null, 0,
-							new ServerOrder(0, "ChangeMap", s).Serialize());
+						lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Map = s;
+						SyncLobbyInfo();
 						return true;
 					}},
 			};
@@ -379,10 +380,12 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 		{
 			var clientData = lobbyInfo.Clients.ToDictionary(
 				a => a.Index.ToString(),
-				a => FieldSaver.Save(a)).WriteToString();
+				a => FieldSaver.Save(a));
 
-			DispatchOrders(null, 0, 
-				new ServerOrder(0, "SyncInfo", clientData).Serialize());
+			clientData["GlobalSettings"] = FieldSaver.Save(lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings);
+
+			DispatchOrders(null, 0,
+				new ServerOrder(0, "SyncInfo", clientData.WriteToString()).Serialize());
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs b/OpenRa.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
index 0c0046df5b..f5f1b1616f 100644
--- a/OpenRa.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 				var field = self.GetType().GetField(x.Key.Trim());
 				if (field == null)
 					throw new NotImplementedException("Missing field `{0}` on `{1}`".F(x.Key.Trim(), self.GetType().Name));
-				field.SetValue(self, GetValue(field.FieldType, x.Value.Value.Trim()));
+				field.SetValue(self, GetValue(field.FieldType, x.Value.Value));
 			}
 		}
 
 		static object GetValue( Type fieldType, string x )
 		{
+			if (x != null) x = x.Trim();
 			if( fieldType == typeof( int ) )
 				return int.Parse( x );
 
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 
 			else if (fieldType.IsArray)
 			{
+				if (x == null)
+					return Array.CreateInstance(fieldType.GetElementType(), 0);
+
 				var parts = x.Split(new char[] { ',' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
 
 				var ret = Array.CreateInstance(fieldType.GetElementType(), parts.Length);
diff --git a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
index 375d49205c..c3efa20afc 100644
--- a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
@@ -8,13 +8,12 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 	public class Session
 	{
 		public List<Client> Clients = new List<Client>();
-		// todo: add mods, mapname, global settings here
+		public Global GlobalSettings = new Global();
 
 		public enum ClientState
 		{
 			NotReady,
-			// Downloading,
-			// Uploading,
+			Downloading,
 			Ready
 		}
 
@@ -27,5 +26,12 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 			public string Name;
 			public ClientState State;
 		}
+
+		public class Global
+		{
+			public string Map = "scm12ea.ini";
+			public string[] Mods = {};	// filename:sha1 pairs.
+			public int OrderLatency;
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
index 91d1943ddf..780461466d 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
@@ -48,12 +48,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		static bool usingAftermath;
 		static int2 clientSize;
 		static HardwarePalette palette;
+		static string mapName;
 		public static Minimap minimap;
 
 		public static Session LobbyInfo = new Session();
 
 		public static void ChangeMap(string mapName)
 		{
+			Game.mapName = mapName;
 			SheetBuilder.Initialize(renderer);
 			SpriteSheetBuilder.Initialize();
 			FileSystem.UnmountTemporaryPackages();
@@ -352,6 +354,12 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			var ys = MiniYaml.FromString(data);
 			foreach (var y in ys)
 			{
+				if (y.Key == "GlobalSettings")
+				{
+					FieldLoader.Load(session.GlobalSettings, y.Value);
+					continue;
+				}
+
 				int index;
 				if (!int.TryParse(y.Key, out index))
 					continue;	// not a player.
@@ -364,6 +372,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			}
 
 			LobbyInfo = session;
+
+			// todo: if we don't have all the resources, we don't want to do this yet.
+
+			if (mapName != LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Map)
+			{
+				chat.AddLine(Color.White, "Debug", "Map change {0} -> {1}".F(mapName, session.GlobalSettings.Map));
+				ChangeMap(LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Map);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/UnitOrders.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/UnitOrders.cs
index 9031aa3488..c669259074 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Orders/UnitOrders.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Orders/UnitOrders.cs
@@ -68,12 +68,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Orders
 					Game.orderManager.StartGame();
 					break;
 				}
-			case "ChangeMap":
-				{
-					Game.chat.AddLine(Color.White, "Server", "Changing map to {0}".F(order.TargetString));
-					Game.ChangeMap(order.TargetString);
-					break;
-				}
 			case "SyncInfo":
 				{
 	//				Game.chat.AddLine(Color.White, "Server", "Synchronizing lobby info...");