diff --git a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
index 725d091..c3364ba 100644
--- a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
+++ b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) retryDisconnected() {
 
 		if p.state == connections.DISCONNECTED {
 			p.ticks++
-			if p.ticks == p.backoff {
+			if p.ticks >= p.backoff {
 				p.ticks = 0
 				if cr.networkUp {
 					if p.ctype == peerConn {
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) retryDisconnected() {
 
 func (cr *contactRetry) handleEvent(id string, state connections.ConnectionState, ctype connectionType) {
 	if _, exists := cr.connections.Load(id); !exists {
-		p := &contact{id: id, state: connections.DISCONNECTED, backoff: 1, ticks: 0, ctype: ctype}
+		p := &contact{id: id, state: connections.DISCONNECTED, backoff: 0, ticks: 0, ctype: ctype}
 		cr.connections.Store(id, p)
 		return
 	}
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) handleEvent(id string, state connections.ConnectionState
 	p := pinf.(*contact)
 	if state == connections.DISCONNECTED || state == connections.FAILED || state == connections.KILLED {
 		p.state = connections.DISCONNECTED
-		if p.backoff < maxBakoff {
+		if p.backoff == 0 {
+			p.backoff = 1
+		} else if p.backoff < maxBakoff {
 			p.backoff *= 2
 		}
 		p.ticks = 0
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) handleEvent(id string, state connections.ConnectionState
 		p.state = state
 	} else if state == connections.AUTHENTICATED {
 		p.state = state
-		p.backoff = 1
+		p.backoff = 0
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/peer/cwtch_peer.go b/peer/cwtch_peer.go
index b5319f0..e5abba4 100644
--- a/peer/cwtch_peer.go
+++ b/peer/cwtch_peer.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+const lastKnownSignature = "LastKnowSignature"
+
 var autoHandleableEvents = map[event.Type]bool{event.EncryptedGroupMessage: true, event.PeerStateChange: true,
 	event.ServerStateChange: true, event.NewGroupInvite: true, event.NewMessageFromPeer: true,
 	event.PeerAcknowledgement: true, event.PeerError: true, event.SendMessageToGroupError: true,
@@ -456,13 +458,9 @@ func (cp *cwtchPeer) JoinServer(onion string) error {
 		tokenY, yExists := cp.GetContact(onion).GetAttribute(string(model.KeyTypePrivacyPass))
 		tokenOnion, onionExists := cp.GetContact(onion).GetAttribute(string(model.KeyTypeTokenOnion))
 		if yExists && onionExists {
-			messages := cp.GetContact(onion).Timeline.GetMessages()
-			// by default we do a full sync
-			signature := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte{})
-			// if we know of messages on the server, we only ask to receive newer messages
-			if len(messages) > 0 {
-				lastMessageIndex := len(messages) - 1
-				signature = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(messages[lastMessageIndex].Signature)
+			signature, exists := cp.GetContactAttribute(onion, lastKnownSignature)
+			if !exists {
+				signature = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte{})
 			}
 			cp.eventBus.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.JoinServer, map[event.Field]string{event.GroupServer: onion, event.ServerTokenY: tokenY, event.ServerTokenOnion: tokenOnion, event.Signature: signature}))
 			return nil
@@ -679,9 +677,11 @@ func (cp *cwtchPeer) eventHandler() {
 			cp.mutex.Unlock()
 		case event.EncryptedGroupMessage:
 			// If successful, a side effect is the message is added to the group's timeline
-			cp.mutex.Lock()
+
 			ciphertext, _ := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(ev.Data[event.Ciphertext])
 			signature, _ := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(ev.Data[event.Signature])
+			cp.SetContactAttribute(ev.Data[event.GroupServer], lastKnownSignature, ev.Data[event.Signature])
+			cp.mutex.Lock()
 			ok, groupID, message, seen := cp.Profile.AttemptDecryption(ciphertext, signature)
 			cp.mutex.Unlock()
 			if ok && !seen {
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ func (cp *cwtchPeer) eventHandler() {
 			cp.mutex.Unlock()
 		case event.RetryServerRequest:
 			// Automated Join Server Request triggered by a plugin.
-			log.Infof("profile received an automated retry event for %v", ev.Data[event.GroupServer])
+			log.Debugf("profile received an automated retry event for %v", ev.Data[event.GroupServer])
 			cp.JoinServer(ev.Data[event.GroupServer])
 		case event.NewGetValMessageFromPeer:
 			onion := ev.Data[event.RemotePeer]
diff --git a/protocol/connections/engine.go b/protocol/connections/engine.go
index a6e5b5d..15b43c6 100644
--- a/protocol/connections/engine.go
+++ b/protocol/connections/engine.go
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ func (e *engine) deleteConnection(id string) {
 func (e *engine) receiveGroupMessage(server string, gm *groups.EncryptedGroupMessage) {
 	// Publish Event so that a Profile Engine can deal with it.
 	// Note: This technically means that *multiple* Profile Engines could listen to the same ProtocolEngine!
-	e.eventManager.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.EncryptedGroupMessage, map[event.Field]string{event.Ciphertext: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(gm.Ciphertext), event.Signature: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(gm.Signature)}))
+	e.eventManager.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.EncryptedGroupMessage, map[event.Field]string{event.GroupServer: server, event.Ciphertext: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(gm.Ciphertext), event.Signature: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(gm.Signature)}))
 }
 
 // sendMessageToGroup attempts to sent the given message to the given group id.