diff --git a/contrib/menusystem.py b/contrib/menusystem.py
index 8a32db155c..adc97dfb28 100644
--- a/contrib/menusystem.py
+++ b/contrib/menusystem.py
@@ -149,15 +149,19 @@ class MenuTree(object):
     'START' and 'END' respectively. 
 
     """
-    def __init__(self, caller, nodes=None, startnode="START", endnode="END"):
+    def __init__(self, caller, nodes=None, startnode="START", endnode="END", exec_end="look"):
         """
         We specify startnode/endnode so that the system knows where to
         enter and where to exit the menu tree. If nodes is given, it
         shuld be a list of valid node objects to add to the tree.
+        
+        exec_end - if not None, will execute the given command string
+                   directly after the menu system has been exited.
         """
         self.tree = {}
         self.startnode = startnode
         self.endnode = endnode 
+        self.exec_end = exec_end
         self.caller = caller 
         if nodes and utils.is_iter(nodes):
             for node in nodes:
@@ -186,7 +190,8 @@ class MenuTree(object):
             # if we was given the END node key, we clean up immediately.
             self.caller.cmdset.delete("menucmdset")
             del self.caller.db._menu_data
-            self.caller.execute_cmd("look")
+            if self.exec_end != None:
+                self.caller.execute_cmd(self.exec_end)
             return 
         # not exiting, look for a valid code. 
         node = self.tree.get(key, None)
diff --git a/game/gamesrc/objects/baseobjects.py b/game/gamesrc/objects/baseobjects.py
index f4b9a9470f..e8603438b7 100644
--- a/game/gamesrc/objects/baseobjects.py
+++ b/game/gamesrc/objects/baseobjects.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class Character(BaseCharacter):
         # save location again to be sure 
         self.db.prelogout_location = self.location
 
-        self.location.msg_contents("%s has entered the game." % self.name)
+        self.location.msg_contents("%s has entered the game." % self.name, exclude=[self])
         self.location.at_object_receive(self, self.location)
 
 class Room(BaseRoom):
diff --git a/src/commands/cmdhandler.py b/src/commands/cmdhandler.py
index 8ae98f9560..ba802c1e3b 100644
--- a/src/commands/cmdhandler.py
+++ b/src/commands/cmdhandler.py
@@ -50,11 +50,17 @@ COMMAND_PARSER = utils.mod_import(*settings.COMMAND_PARSER.rsplit('.', 1))
 # allow for custom behaviour when the command handler hits
 # special situations -- it then calls a normal Command
 # that you can customize! 
+# Import these variables and use them rather than trying
+# to remember the actual string constants. 
 
 CMD_NOINPUT = "__noinput_command"
 CMD_NOMATCH = "__nomatch_command"
 CMD_MULTIMATCH = "__multimatch_command"
-CMD_CHANNEL = "__send_to_channel"
+CMD_CHANNEL = "__send_to_channel_command"
+# this is the name of the command the engine calls when the player
+# connects. It is expected to show the login screen.
+CMD_LOGINSTART = "__unloggedin_look_command" 
+
 
 class NoCmdSets(Exception):
     "No cmdsets found. Critical error."
diff --git a/src/commands/default/unloggedin.py b/src/commands/default/unloggedin.py
index 57f999972b..6f2d8486ff 100644
--- a/src/commands/default/unloggedin.py
+++ b/src/commands/default/unloggedin.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from src.comms.models import Channel
 
 from src.utils import create, logger, utils, ansi
 from src.commands.default.muxcommand import MuxCommand
+from src.commands.cmdhandler import CMD_LOGINSTART
 
 CONNECTION_SCREEN_MODULE = settings.CONNECTION_SCREEN_MODULE
 
@@ -221,10 +222,12 @@ class CmdQuit(MuxCommand):
 class CmdUnconnectedLook(MuxCommand):
     """
     This is an unconnected version of the look command for simplicity. 
-    All it does is re-show the connect screen. 
+
+    This is called by the server and kicks everything in gear. 
+    All it does is display the connect screen. 
     """
-    key = "look"
-    aliases = "l"
+    key = CMD_LOGINSTART
+    aliases = ["look", "l"]
     locks = "cmd:all()"
     
     def func(self):
diff --git a/src/server/serversession.py b/src/server/serversession.py
index 4bcba0201f..450508e755 100644
--- a/src/server/serversession.py
+++ b/src/server/serversession.py
@@ -59,10 +59,6 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
             # start (persistent) scripts on this object
             ScriptDB.objects.validate(obj=character)
 
-    def at_cmdset_get(self):
-        "dummy hook all objects with cmdsets need to have"
-        pass
-
     def session_login(self, player):
         """
         Startup mechanisms that need to run at login. This is called
@@ -96,11 +92,10 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
         player.at_pre_login()        
 
         character = player.character
-        #print "at_init() - character"
-        character.at_init()
         if character: 
             # this player has a character. Check if it's the
             # first time *this character* logs in
+            character.at_init()
             if character.db.FIRST_LOGIN:
                 character.at_first_login()
                 del character.db.FIRST_LOGIN            
@@ -190,7 +185,7 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
         if str(command_string).strip() == IDLE_COMMAND:
             self.update_session_counters(idle=True)            
             return 
-
+        
         # all other inputs, including empty inputs
         character = self.get_character()        
     
@@ -216,6 +211,7 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
     def __eq__(self, other):
         return self.address == other.address
 
+    
     def __str__(self):
         """
         String representation of the user session class. We use
@@ -249,3 +245,57 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
     def msg(self, string='', data=None):
         "alias for at_data_out"
         self.data_out(string, data=data)
+
+
+    # Dummy API hooks for use a non-loggedin operation
+        
+    def at_cmdset_get(self):
+        "dummy hook all objects with cmdsets need to have"
+        pass
+
+    # Mock db/ndb properties for allowing easy storage on the session
+    # (note that no databse is involved at all here. session.db.attr =
+    # value just saves a normal property in memory, just like ndb).
+    
+    #@property
+    def ndb_get(self):
+        """
+        A non-persistent store (ndb: NonDataBase). Everything stored 
+        to this is guaranteed to be cleared when a server is shutdown.
+        Syntax is same as for the _get_db_holder() method and
+        property, e.g. obj.ndb.attr = value etc.
+        """
+        try:
+            return self._ndb_holder
+        except AttributeError:
+            class NdbHolder(object):
+                "Holder for storing non-persistent attributes."
+                def all(self):
+                    return [val for val in self.__dict__.keys() 
+                            if not val.startswith['_']]                    
+                def __getattribute__(self, key):
+                    # return None if no matching attribute was found. 
+                    try:
+                        return object.__getattribute__(self, key)
+                    except AttributeError:
+                        return None 
+            self._ndb_holder = NdbHolder()
+            return self._ndb_holder
+    #@ndb.setter
+    def ndb_set(self, value):
+        "Stop accidentally replacing the db object"
+        string = "Cannot assign directly to ndb object! "
+        string = "Use ndb.attr=value instead."
+        raise Exception(string)
+    #@ndb.deleter
+    def ndb_del(self):
+        "Stop accidental deletion."
+        raise Exception("Cannot delete the ndb object!")
+    ndb = property(ndb_get, ndb_set, ndb_del)
+    db = property(ndb_get, ndb_set, ndb_del)
+
+    # Mock access method for the session (there is no lock info
+    # at this stage, so we just present a uniform API)
+    def access(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        "Dummy method."
+        return True 
diff --git a/src/server/sessionhandler.py b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
index 952458a8fa..37937ffb71 100644
--- a/src/server/sessionhandler.py
+++ b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from src.server.models import ServerConfig
 from src.utils import utils 
 
+from src.commands.cmdhandler import CMD_LOGINSTART
+
 # i18n
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ class ServerSessionHandler(SessionHandler):
         Creates a new, unlogged-in game session.
         """
         self.sessions[sessid] = session
-        session.execute_cmd('look')
+        session.execute_cmd(CMD_LOGINSTART)
 
     def portal_disconnect(self, sessid):
         """