diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 13fb33de..81fcecab 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ go 1.12
 require (
 	cwtch.im/cwtch v0.2.1-pr-1
 	git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/libricochet-go v1.0.6
+	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.3.2
 	github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20190812055157-5d271430af9f // indirect
 	github.com/kr/pretty v0.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.4.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go/characters/appEventListener.go b/go/characters/appEventListener.go
index d2c3c786..0c328d90 100644
--- a/go/characters/appEventListener.go
+++ b/go/characters/appEventListener.go
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ func AppEventListener(gcd *gothings.GrandCentralDispatcher, subscribed chan bool
 			incSubscribed := make(chan bool)
 			go IncomingListener(&gcd.UIState, incSubscribed)
 			<-incSubscribed
-			go PresencePoller(&gcd.UIState)
 
 			gcd.UpdateMyProfile(the.Peer.GetProfile().Name, the.Peer.GetProfile().Onion, cwutil.RandomProfileImage(the.Peer.GetProfile().Onion))
 
diff --git a/go/characters/incominglistener.go b/go/characters/incominglistener.go
index c991d231..c2f6697d 100644
--- a/go/characters/incominglistener.go
+++ b/go/characters/incominglistener.go
@@ -77,7 +77,18 @@ func IncomingListener(uiState *gothings.InterfaceState, subscribed chan bool) {
 				DisplayName:  name,
 			})
 		case event.NewGroupInvite:
-			log.Debugf("got a group invite!")
+			gid, err := the.Peer.GetProfile().ProcessInvite(e.Data[event.GroupInvite], e.Data[event.RemotePeer])
+			group := the.Peer.GetGroup(gid)
+			if err == nil && group != nil {
+				uiState.AddContact(&gobjects.Contact{
+					Handle:      gid,
+					DisplayName: gid,
+					Image:       cwutil.RandomGroupImage(gid),
+					Server:      group.GroupServer,
+					Trusted:     false,
+					Loading:     false,
+				})
+			}
 		case event.SendMessageToGroupError:
 			uiState.AddSendMessageError(e.Data[event.GroupServer], e.Data[event.Signature], e.Data[event.Error])
 		case event.SendMessageToPeerError:
@@ -85,6 +96,7 @@ func IncomingListener(uiState *gothings.InterfaceState, subscribed chan bool) {
 		case event.PeerStateChange:
 			cxnState := connections.ConnectionStateToType[e.Data[event.ConnectionState]]
 
+			// if it's not in the.Peer it's new. Only add once Authed
 			_, exists := the.Peer.GetProfile().Contacts[e.Data[event.RemotePeer]]
 			if !exists {
 				// Contact does not exist, we will add them but we won't know who they are until they are authenticated
@@ -95,11 +107,27 @@ func IncomingListener(uiState *gothings.InterfaceState, subscribed chan bool) {
 				}
 			}
 
+			// if it's in the.Peer its either existing and needs an update or not in the UI and needs to be added
 			if contact, exists := the.Peer.GetProfile().Contacts[e.Data[event.RemotePeer]]; exists {
+				contact.State = e.Data[event.ConnectionState]
 				uiContact := uiState.GetContact(contact.Onion)
-				if uiContact != nil && uiContact.Status != int(cxnState) {
-					uiContact.Status = int(cxnState)
-					uiState.UpdateContact(contact.Onion)
+				if uiContact != nil {
+					if uiContact.Status != int(cxnState) {
+						uiContact.Status = int(cxnState)
+						uiState.UpdateContact(contact.Onion)
+					}
+				} else {
+					uiState.AddContact(&gobjects.Contact{
+						e.Data[event.RemotePeer],
+						e.Data[event.RemotePeer],
+						cwutil.RandomProfileImage(e.Data[event.RemotePeer]),
+						"",
+						0,
+						int(cxnState),
+						false,
+						false,
+						false,
+					})
 				}
 			}
 		case event.ServerStateChange:
@@ -108,6 +136,7 @@ func IncomingListener(uiState *gothings.InterfaceState, subscribed chan bool) {
 			groups := the.Peer.GetGroups()
 			for _, groupID := range groups {
 				group := the.Peer.GetGroup(groupID)
+				group.State = e.Data[event.ConnectionState]
 				if group != nil && group.GroupServer == serverOnion {
 					uiState.GetContact(group.GroupID).Status = int(state)
 					if state == connections.AUTHENTICATED {
diff --git a/go/characters/presencepoller.go b/go/characters/presencepoller.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c7a91e1..00000000
--- a/go/characters/presencepoller.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-package characters
-
-import (
-	"cwtch.im/cwtch/event"
-	"cwtch.im/ui/go/cwutil"
-	"cwtch.im/ui/go/gobjects"
-	"cwtch.im/ui/go/gothings"
-	"cwtch.im/ui/go/the"
-	"time"
-)
-
-func PresencePoller(uiState *gothings.InterfaceState) {
-	time.Sleep(time.Second * 4)
-	for {
-		contacts := the.Peer.GetContacts()
-		for i := range contacts {
-			ct := uiState.GetContact(contacts[i])
-			if ct == nil { // new contact has attempted to connect with us, treat it as an invite
-				toc := the.Peer.GetContact(contacts[i])
-				c, _ := the.Peer.GetProfile().GetContact(contacts[i])
-
-				uiState.AddContact(&gobjects.Contact{
-					toc.Onion,
-					toc.Name,
-					cwutil.RandomProfileImage(toc.Onion),
-					"",
-					0,
-					0,
-					c.Trusted,
-					c.Blocked,
-					false,
-				})
-
-				the.EventBus.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.SetPeerAttribute, map[event.Field]string{
-					event.RemotePeer: contacts[i],
-					event.Key:        "name",
-					event.Data:       c.Name,
-				}))
-			}
-		}
-		time.Sleep(time.Second * 4)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/go/gothings/gcd.go b/go/gothings/gcd.go
index f708ac32..b9f5b169 100644
--- a/go/gothings/gcd.go
+++ b/go/gothings/gcd.go
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ func (this *GrandCentralDispatcher) importString(str string) {
 
 	//eg: torv3JFDWkXExBsZLkjvfkkuAxHsiLGZBk0bvoeJID9ItYnU=EsEBCiBhOWJhZDU1OTQ0NWI3YmM2N2YxYTM5YjkzMTNmNTczNRIgpHeNaG+6jy750eDhwLO39UX4f2xs0irK/M3P6mDSYQIaOTJjM2ttb29ibnlnaGoyenc2cHd2N2Q1N3l6bGQ3NTNhdW8zdWdhdWV6enB2ZmFrM2FoYzRiZHlkCiJAdVSSVgsksceIfHe41OJu9ZFHO8Kwv3G6F5OK3Hw4qZ6hn6SiZjtmJlJezoBH0voZlCahOU7jCOg+dsENndZxAA==
 	if str[0:5] == "torv3" { // GROUP INVITE
-		_, err := the.Peer.ImportGroup(str)
+		err := the.Peer.ImportGroup(str)
 		if err != nil {
 			this.InvokePopup("not a valid group invite")
 			return