diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/Connection.cs b/OpenRA.Server/Connection.cs
index fd547df34d..bb7246386e 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/Connection.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/Connection.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 		public int ExpectLength = 8;
 		public int Frame = 0;
 
+		/* client data */
+		public bool IsReady;
+
 		public byte[] PopBytes(int n)
 		{
 			var result = data.GetRange(0, n);
diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
index 188f415568..defb7c98b2 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,55 @@ using System.Collections;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Server
 {
+	class ServerOrder
+	{
+		public readonly int PlayerId;
+		public readonly string Name;
+		public readonly string Data;
+
+		public ServerOrder(int playerId, string name, string data)
+		{
+			PlayerId = playerId;
+			Name = name;
+			Data = data;
+		}
+
+		public static ServerOrder Deserialize(BinaryReader r)
+		{
+			byte b;
+			switch (b = r.ReadByte())
+			{
+				case 0xff:
+					Console.WriteLine("This isn't a server order.");
+					return null;
+
+				case 0xfe:
+					{
+						var playerID = r.ReadInt32();
+						var name = r.ReadString();
+						var data = r.ReadString();
+
+						return new ServerOrder(playerID, name, data);
+					}
+
+				default:
+					throw new NotImplementedException(b.ToString("x2"));
+			}
+		}
+
+		public byte[] Serialize()
+		{
+			var ms = new MemoryStream();
+			var bw = new BinaryWriter(ms);
+
+			bw.Write((byte)0xfe);
+			bw.Write(PlayerId);
+			bw.Write(Name);
+			bw.Write(Data);
+			return ms.ToArray();
+		}
+	}
+
 	static class Server
 	{
 		static List<Connection> conns = new List<Connection>();
@@ -27,10 +76,11 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				checkRead.Add(listener.Server);
 				foreach (var c in conns) checkRead.Add(c.socket);
 
-				Socket.Select(checkRead, null, null, 1000000 /* 1s */);
+				/* msdn lies, -1 doesnt work. this is ~1h instead. */
+				Socket.Select(checkRead, null, null, -2	);
 
-				Console.WriteLine("Select() completed with {0} sockets",
-					checkRead.Count);
+				//Console.WriteLine("Select() completed with {0} sockets",
+				//    checkRead.Count);
 
 				foreach (Socket s in checkRead)
 					if (s == listener.Server) AcceptConnection();
@@ -62,7 +112,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				{
 					if (0 < (len = conn.socket.Receive(rx)))
 					{
-						Console.WriteLine("Read {0} bytes", len);
+					//	Console.WriteLine("Read {0} bytes", len);
 						conn.data.AddRange(rx.Take(len));
 					}
 					else
@@ -81,8 +131,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 
 		static void ReadData(Connection conn)
 		{
-			Console.WriteLine("Start ReadData() for {0}",
-				conn.socket.RemoteEndPoint);
+			//Console.WriteLine("Start ReadData() for {0}",
+			//    conn.socket.RemoteEndPoint);
 
 			if (ReadDataInner(conn))
 				while (conn.data.Count >= conn.ExpectLength)
@@ -106,8 +156,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 					}
 				}
 
-			Console.WriteLine("End ReadData() for {0}",
-				conn.socket.RemoteEndPoint);
+			//Console.WriteLine("End ReadData() for {0}",
+			//    conn.socket.RemoteEndPoint);
 		}
 
 		static void DispatchOrders(Connection conn, int frame, byte[] data)
@@ -125,13 +175,40 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 				catch (Exception e) { DropClient(c, e); }
 			}
 
-			if (frame == 0)
-				InterpretServerOrders(data);
+			if (frame == 0 && conn != null)
+				InterpretServerOrders(conn, data);
 		}
 
-		static void InterpretServerOrders(byte[] data)
+		static void InterpretServerOrders(Connection conn, byte[] data)
 		{
-			/* todo: handle all server orders! */
+			var ms = new MemoryStream(data);
+			var br = new BinaryReader(ms);
+
+			try
+			{
+				for (; ; )
+				{
+					var so = ServerOrder.Deserialize(br);
+					if (so == null) return;
+					InterpretServerOrder(conn, so);
+				}
+			}
+			catch (EndOfStreamException) { }
+		}
+
+		static void InterpretServerOrder(Connection conn, ServerOrder so)
+		{
+			switch (so.Name)
+			{
+				case "ToggleReady":
+					conn.IsReady ^= true;
+
+					// start the game if everyone is ready.
+					if (conns.All(c => c.IsReady))
+						DispatchOrders(null, 0, 
+							new ServerOrder(0, "StartGame", "").Serialize());
+					break;
+			}
 		}
 
 		static void DropClient(Connection c, Exception e)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
index 270ef53c6e..34edc7f9ef 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
@@ -86,13 +86,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			buildItems.Clear();
 
 			renderer.Device.DisableScissor();
-			renderer.DrawText(string.Format("RenderFrame {0} ({2:F1} ms)\nTick {1} ({3:F1} ms)\n$ {4}\nPower {5}",
+			renderer.DrawText(string.Format("RenderFrame {0} ({2:F1} ms)\nTick {1} ({3:F1} ms)\n$ {4}\nPower {5}\nReady: {6}",
 				Game.RenderFrame,
 				Game.orderManager.FrameNumber,
 				PerfHistory.items["render"].LastValue,
 				PerfHistory.items["tick_time"].LastValue,
 				Game.LocalPlayer.DisplayCash,
-				Game.LocalPlayer.GetTotalPower()
+				Game.LocalPlayer.GetTotalPower(),
+				Game.LocalPlayer.IsReady ? "Yes" : "No"
 				), new int2(140, 5), Color.White);
 
 			PerfHistory.Render(renderer, Game.worldRenderer.lineRenderer);
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
index 5adc13624c..2c608a8977 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
@@ -129,8 +129,13 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			base.OnKeyDown(e);
 
 			/* hack hack hack */
-			if (e.KeyCode == Keys.F8 && !Game.orderManager.GameStarted)
-				Game.orderManager.StartGame();
+			if (e.KeyCode == Keys.F8)
+			{
+				Game.LocalPlayer.IsReady ^= true;
+				Game.controller.AddOrder(
+					new Order(Game.LocalPlayer,
+						"ToggleReady", null, null, int2.Zero, "") { IsImmediate = true });
+			}
 		}
 
 		protected override void OnKeyPress(KeyPressEventArgs e)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
index c9f1fd8a22..21a50bfb92 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Order.cs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		public readonly string TargetString;
 		public bool IsImmediate;
 
-		Order(Player player, string orderString, Actor subject, 
+		public Order(Player player, string orderString, Actor subject, 
 			Actor targetActor, int2 targetLocation, string targetString)
 		{
 			this.Player = player;
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		public byte[] Serialize()
 		{
+			if (IsImmediate)		/* chat, whatever */
+			{
+				var ret = new MemoryStream();
+				var w = new BinaryWriter(ret);
+				w.Write((byte)0xfe);
+				w.Write((uint)Player.Index);
+				w.Write(OrderString);
+				w.Write(TargetString);
+				return ret.ToArray();
+			}
+
 			switch (OrderString)
 			{
 				// Format:
@@ -56,6 +67,13 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			}
 		}
 
+		static Player LookupPlayer(uint index)
+		{
+			return Game.players
+				.Where(x => x.Value.Index == index)
+				.First().Value;
+		}
+
 		public static Order Deserialize(BinaryReader r)
 		{
 			switch (r.ReadByte())
@@ -72,9 +90,21 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 						if (r.ReadBoolean())
 							targetString = r.ReadString();
 
-						var player = Game.players.Where( x => x.Value.Index == playerID ).First().Value;
-						return new Order( player, order, subject, targetActor, targetLocation, targetString);
+						return new Order( LookupPlayer(playerID), 
+							order, subject, targetActor, targetLocation, 
+							targetString);
 					}
+
+				case 0xfe:
+					{
+						var playerID = r.ReadUInt32();
+						var name = r.ReadString();
+						var data = r.ReadString();
+
+						return new Order(LookupPlayer(playerID),
+							name, null, null, int2.Zero, data);
+					}
+
 				default:
 					throw new NotImplementedException();
 			}
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
index 80bd86a7da..ce4b86b60f 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		int powerProvided;
 		int powerDrained;
 
+		public bool IsReady;
+
 		public Player( int index, int palette, string playerName, Race race )
 		{
 			this.Index = index;
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs b/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
index f8c723fcf6..f6be083700 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/UnitOrders.cs
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 					Game.chat.AddLine(Pair.New(order.Player.PlayerName + ":", order.TargetString));
 					break;
 				}
+			case "ToggleReady":
+				{
+					Game.chat.AddLine(Pair.New(order.Player.PlayerName, "toggled ready status" ));
+					break;
+				}
+			case "AssignPlayer":
+				{
+					break;		/* todo: set LocalPlayer based on this */
+				}
+			case "StartGame":
+				{
+					Game.chat.AddLine(Pair.New("Server:", "The game has started."));
+					Game.orderManager.StartGame();
+					break;
+				}
+
 			default:
 				throw new NotImplementedException();
 			}