diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index adf4592..a03e306 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -9,19 +9,20 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
-var planetIndex map[int]exoSystem
-
-func dbconnect() (*sql.DB, error) {
-	return sql.Open("sqlite3", "./exo.db")
-}
+var (
+	planetIndex map[int]exoSystem
+	db          *sql.DB
+)
 
-func setupDb() {
-	db, err := dbconnect()
+func dbconnect() {
+	var err error
+	db, err = sql.Open("sqlite3", "./exo.db")
 	if err != nil {
-		bail(E_No_DB, "unable to open database: %v", err)
+		bail(E_No_DB, "couldn't connect to db: %v", err)
 	}
-	defer db.Close()
+}
 
+func planetsTable() {
 	stmnt := `create table if not exists planets (
         id integer not null primary key autoincrement,
         name text,
@@ -30,13 +31,17 @@ func setupDb() {
         z integer,
         planets integer
     );`
-	_, err = db.Exec(stmnt)
+	if _, err := db.Exec(stmnt); err != nil {
+		log_error("couldn't create planets table: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func planetsData() {
+	n, err := countPlanets()
 	if err != nil {
-		log_error("couldn't create table: %v", err)
+		log_error("couldn't count planets: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
-
-	n, err := countPlanets(db)
 	if n == 0 {
 		fi, err := os.Open(dataPath)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -48,32 +53,26 @@ func setupDb() {
 			planet.Store(db)
 		}
 	}
-
 	indexPlanets(db)
-	// log_info("%v", idx)
-	// fillEdges(db, idx)
+}
 
-	stmnt = `create table if not exists edges (
+func edgesTable() {
+	stmnt := `create table if not exists edges (
         id_1 integer,
         id_2 integer,
         distance real
     );`
-	_, err = db.Exec(stmnt)
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := db.Exec(stmnt); err != nil {
 		log_error("couldn't create distance table: %v", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	stmnt = `create table if not exists players (
-        id integer not null primary key autoincrement,
-        name text
-    );`
-	_, err = db.Exec(stmnt)
-	if err != nil {
-		log_error("couldn't create player table: %v", err)
-		return
 	}
+}
 
+func setupDb() {
+	planetsTable()
+	planetsData()
+	edgesTable()
+	playersTable()
+	// fillEdges(db, idx)
 }
 
 func sq(x float64) float64 {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1400b26..de0485a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-var dataPath = "/projects/exo/expl.speck"
+var (
+	dataPath = "/projects/exo/expl.speck"
+)
 
 func log_error(template string, args ...interface{}) {
 	fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "ERROR ")
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ func handleConnection(conn *Connection) {
 }
 
 func main() {
+	dbconnect()
 	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
 
 	setupDb()
diff --git a/player.go b/player.go
index 37c13b2..b119089 100644
--- a/player.go
+++ b/player.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 )
 
@@ -11,9 +12,38 @@ func ValidName(name string) bool {
 }
 
 type Player struct {
+	id   int
 	name string
 }
 
-func (p *Player) Load() {
+func (p *Player) Create() error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(`
+        insert into players
+        (name)
+        values
+        (?)
+    ;`, p.name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create player: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func playersTable() {
+	stmnt := `create table if not exists players (
+        id integer not null primary key autoincrement,
+        name text unique
+    );`
+	if _, err := db.Exec(stmnt); err != nil {
+		log_error("couldn't create player table: %v", err)
+	}
+}
 
+func loadPlayer(name string) (*Player, error) {
+	row := db.QueryRow(`select * from players where name = ?`, name)
+	var p Player
+	if err := row.Scan(&p.id, &p.name); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to fetch player from database: %v", err)
+	}
+	return &p, nil
 }
diff --git a/session.go b/session.go
index 642b358..cdb7715 100644
--- a/session.go
+++ b/session.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 type Connection struct {
 	net.Conn
 	*bufio.Reader
-	player Player
+	player *Player
 }
 
 func NewConnection(conn net.Conn) *Connection {
@@ -35,16 +35,31 @@ func (c *Connection) Login() {
 			continue
 		}
 		log_info("player connected: %v", name)
-		c.player = Player{name: name}
+		player, err := loadPlayer(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			log_error("could not read player: %v", err)
+			player = &Player{name: name}
+			if err := player.Create(); err != nil {
+
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(c, "godspeed, %s.\n", player.name)
+		} else {
+			c.player = player
+			fmt.Fprintf(c, "welcome back, %s.\n", player.name)
+		}
 		break
 	}
+
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) Close() error {
-	log_info("player disconnecting: %s", c.player.name)
+	log_info("player disconnecting: %s", c.PlayerName())
 	return c.Conn.Close()
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) PlayerName() string {
+	if c.player == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return c.player.name
 }
diff --git a/speck.go b/speck.go
index fe193e5..d936e98 100644
--- a/speck.go
+++ b/speck.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (e exoSystem) Store(db *sql.DB) {
 	}
 }
 
-func countPlanets(db *sql.DB) (int, error) {
+func countPlanets() (int, error) {
 	row := db.QueryRow(`select count(*) from planets`)
 
 	var n int