diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
index 168a331c60b..097705ed545 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/GameLobby.java
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+
 import forge.util.TextUtil;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ public abstract class GameLobby implements IHasGameType {
 
     private final boolean allowNetworking;
     private HostedMatch hostedMatch;
-    private final Map<LobbySlot, IGameController> gameControllers = Maps.newHashMap();
+    private final HashMap<LobbySlot, IGameController> gameControllers = Maps.newHashMap();
     protected GameLobby(final boolean allowNetworking) {
         this.allowNetworking = allowNetworking;
     }
@@ -481,6 +483,8 @@ public abstract class GameLobby implements IHasGameType {
                     }
                 }
 
+                hostedMatch.gameControllers = gameControllers;
+
                 onGameStarted();
             }
         };
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
index 3e3f757a962..d42aaa68072 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/HostedMatch.java
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ package forge.match;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import forge.LobbyPlayer;
+import forge.interfaces.IGameController;
 import forge.util.TextUtil;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ public class HostedMatch {
     private Match match;
     private Game game;
     private String title;
+    public HashMap<LobbySlot, IGameController> gameControllers = null;
     private Runnable startGameHook = null;
     private final List<PlayerControllerHuman> humanControllers = Lists.newArrayList();
     private Map<RegisteredPlayer, IGuiGame> guis;
@@ -180,6 +184,12 @@ public class HostedMatch {
 
                 game.subscribeToEvents(new FControlGameEventHandler(humanController));
                 playersPerGui.add(gui, p.getView());
+
+                if (gameControllers != null ) {
+                    LobbySlot lobbySlot = getLobbySlot(p.getLobbyPlayer());
+                    gameControllers.put(lobbySlot, humanController);
+                }
+
                 humanControllers.add(humanController);
                 humanCount++;
             }
@@ -238,6 +248,18 @@ public class HostedMatch {
         });
     }
 
+    private LobbySlot getLobbySlot(LobbyPlayer lobbyPlayer) {
+        for (LobbySlot key: gameControllers.keySet()) {
+            IGameController value = gameControllers.get(key);
+            if (value instanceof PlayerControllerHuman) {
+                if (lobbyPlayer == ((PlayerControllerHuman) value).getLobbyPlayer()) {
+                    return key;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     public void registerSpectator(final IGuiGame gui) {
         final PlayerControllerHuman humanController = new WatchLocalGame(game, null, gui);
         gui.setSpectator(humanController);
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/client/GameClientHandler.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/client/GameClientHandler.java
index f15a4576bc5..08955a4d2c1 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/client/GameClientHandler.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/client/GameClientHandler.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ final class GameClientHandler extends GameProtocolHandler<IGuiGame> {
     private final FGameClient client;
     private final IGuiGame gui;
     private Tracker tracker;
+    private Match match;
+    private Game game;
 
     /**
      * Creates a client-side game handler.
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@ final class GameClientHandler extends GameProtocolHandler<IGuiGame> {
         this.client = client;
         this.gui = client.getGui();
         this.tracker = null;
+        this.match = null;
+        this.game = null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -58,32 +62,26 @@ final class GameClientHandler extends GameProtocolHandler<IGuiGame> {
     protected void beforeCall(final ProtocolMethod protocolMethod, final Object[] args) {
         switch (protocolMethod) {
             case openView:
-                if (this.tracker == null) {
-                    int maxAttempts = 5;
-                    for (int numAttempts = 0; numAttempts < maxAttempts; numAttempts++) {
-                        try {
+                // only need one **match**
+                if (this.match == null) {
+                    this.match = createMatch();
+                }
 
-                            this.tracker = createTracker();
+                // openView is called **once** per game, for now create a new Game instance each time
+                this.game = createGame();
 
-                            for (PlayerView myPlayer : (TrackableCollection<PlayerView>) args[0]) {
-                                if (myPlayer.getTracker() == null) {
-                                    myPlayer.setTracker(this.tracker);
-                                }
-                            }
+                // get a tracker
+                this.tracker = createTracker();
 
-                            final TrackableCollection<PlayerView> myPlayers = (TrackableCollection<PlayerView>) args[0];
-                            client.setGameControllers(myPlayers);
-
-                        } catch (Exception e) {
-                            System.err.println("Failed: attempt number: " + numAttempts + " - " + e.toString());
-                            try {
-                                Thread.sleep(100);
-                            } catch (InterruptedException e1) {
-                                e1.printStackTrace();
-                            }
-                        }
+                for (PlayerView myPlayer : (TrackableCollection<PlayerView>) args[0]) {
+                    if (myPlayer.getTracker() == null) {
+                        myPlayer.setTracker(this.tracker);
                     }
                 }
+
+                final TrackableCollection<PlayerView> myPlayers = (TrackableCollection<PlayerView>) args[0];
+                client.setGameControllers(myPlayers);
+
                 break;
             default:
                 break;
@@ -108,19 +106,17 @@ final class GameClientHandler extends GameProtocolHandler<IGuiGame> {
     }
 
     /**
-     * This method creates the necessary objects and state to retrieve a <b>Tracker</b> object.
-     *
-     * Near as I can tell, that means that we need to create a <b>Match</b>.
+     * This method retrieves enough of the existing (incomplete) game state to
+     * recreate a new viable Match object
      *
      * Creating a <b>Match</b> requires that we have:
      *  * <b>GameRules</b>
      *  * <b>RegisteredPlayers</b>
      *  * Title
      *
-     * @return Tracker
+     * @return Match
      */
-    private Tracker createTracker() {
-
+    private Match createMatch() {
         // retrieve what we can from the existing (but incomplete) state
         final IGuiGame gui = client.getGui();
         GameView gameView = gui.getGameView();
@@ -134,12 +130,24 @@ final class GameClientHandler extends GameProtocolHandler<IGuiGame> {
 
         // create a valid match object and game
         Match match = new Match(gameRules, registeredPlayers, title);
-        Game game = match.createGame();
 
+        return match;
+    }
+
+    private Game createGame() {
+        this.tracker = null;
+        return this.match.createGame();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure the stored GameView is correct and retrieve a <b>Tracker</b> object.
+     *
+     * @return Tracker
+     */
+    private Tracker createTracker() {
         // replace the existing incomplete GameView with the newly created one
         gui.setGameView(null);
         gui.setGameView(game.getView());
-
         return gui.getGameView().getTracker();
     }
 
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/server/FServerManager.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/server/FServerManager.java
index 8b8416c8a04..2d9118764e5 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/server/FServerManager.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/net/server/FServerManager.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 public final class FServerManager {
     private static FServerManager instance = null;
 
+    private byte[] externalAddress = new byte[]{8,8,8,8};
     private boolean isHosting = false;
     private final EventLoopGroup bossGroup = new NioEventLoopGroup(1);
     private final EventLoopGroup workerGroup = new NioEventLoopGroup();
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ public final class FServerManager {
     //  https://stackoverflow.com/a/901943
     private String getRoutableAddress(boolean preferIpv4, boolean preferIPv6) throws SocketException, UnknownHostException {
         DatagramSocket s = new DatagramSocket();
-        s.connect(InetAddress.getByAddress(new byte[]{8,8,8,8}), 0);
+        s.connect(InetAddress.getByAddress(this.externalAddress), 0);
         NetworkInterface n = NetworkInterface.getByInetAddress(s.getLocalAddress());
         Enumeration en = n.getInetAddresses();
         while (en.hasMoreElements()) {