diff --git a/evennia/server/inputfuncs.py b/evennia/server/inputfuncs.py
index 3715bb53fe..28546c2064 100644
--- a/evennia/server/inputfuncs.py
+++ b/evennia/server/inputfuncs.py
@@ -160,10 +160,10 @@ def client_options(session, *args, **kwargs):
         raw (bool): Turn off parsing
 
     """
-    flags = session.protocol_flags
+    old_flags = session.protocol_flags
     if not kwargs or kwargs.get("get", False):
         # return current settings
-        options = dict((key, flags[key]) for key in flags
+        options = dict((key, old_flags[key]) for key in old_flags
                        if key.upper() in ("ANSI", "XTERM256", "MXP",
                                           "UTF-8", "SCREENREADER", "ENCODING",
                                           "MCCP", "SCREENHEIGHT",
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ def client_options(session, *args, **kwargs):
             return True if val.lower() in ("true", "on", "1") else False
         return bool(val)
 
+    flags = {}
     for key, value in kwargs.iteritems():
         key = key.lower()
         if key == "client":
@@ -230,9 +231,11 @@ def client_options(session, *args, **kwargs):
             err = _ERROR_INPUT.format(
                 name="client_settings", session=session, inp=key)
             session.msg(text=err)
-    session.protocol_flags = flags
-    # we must update the portal as well
-    session.sessionhandler.session_portal_sync(session)
+
+    session.protocol_flags.update(flags)
+    # we must update the protocol flags on the portal session copy as well
+    session.sessionhandler.session_portal_partial_sync(
+            {session.sessid: {"protocol_flags": flags}})
 
 
 # GMCP alias
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
index 4112d85e2a..afd0a9094f 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class TelnetProtocol(Telnet, StatefulTelnetProtocol, Session):
 
         # timeout the handshakes in case the client doesn't reply at all
         from evennia.utils.utils import delay
-        delay(2, callback=self.handshake_done, force=True)
+        delay(2, callback=self.handshake_done, timeout=True)
 
         # TCP/IP keepalive watches for dead links
         self.transport.setTcpKeepAlive(1)
@@ -100,17 +100,18 @@ class TelnetProtocol(Telnet, StatefulTelnetProtocol, Session):
             self.nop_keep_alive = LoopingCall(self._send_nop_keepalive)
             self.nop_keep_alive.start(30, now=False)
 
-    def handshake_done(self, force=False):
+    def handshake_done(self, timeout=False):
         """
         This is called by all telnet extensions once they are finished.
         When all have reported, a sync with the server is performed.
         The system will force-call this sync after a small time to handle
         clients that don't reply to handshakes at all.
         """
-        if self.handshakes > 0:
-            if force:
+        if timeout:
+            if self.handshakes > 0:
+                self.handshakes = 0
                 self.sessionhandler.sync(self)
-                return
+        else:
             self.handshakes -= 1
             if self.handshakes <= 0:
                 # do the sync
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/ttype.py b/evennia/server/portal/ttype.py
index 96ae1c1100..b9c3e8b239 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/ttype.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/ttype.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class Ttype(object):
             option (Option): Not used.
 
         """
-        self.protocol.protocol_flags['TTYPE'] = True
+        self.protocol.protocol_flags['TTYPE'] = False
         self.protocol.handshake_done()
 
     def will_ttype(self, option):
diff --git a/evennia/server/session.py b/evennia/server/session.py
index 70be0708d7..cf29430185 100644
--- a/evennia/server/session.py
+++ b/evennia/server/session.py
@@ -118,7 +118,13 @@ class Session(object):
 
         """
         for propname, value in sessdata.items():
-            setattr(self, propname, value)
+            if (propname == "prototocol_flags" and isinstance(value, dict) and
+                    hasattr(self, "protocol_flags") and
+                    isinstance(self.protocol_flags.propname, dict)):
+                # special handling to allow partial update of protocol flags
+                self.protocol_flags.update(value)
+            else:
+                setattr(self, propname, value)
 
     def at_sync(self):
         """
diff --git a/evennia/server/sessionhandler.py b/evennia/server/sessionhandler.py
index 825cf6da30..c8c0fafd64 100644
--- a/evennia/server/sessionhandler.py
+++ b/evennia/server/sessionhandler.py
@@ -538,6 +538,22 @@ class ServerSessionHandler(SessionHandler):
                                                                 sessiondata=sessdata,
                                                                 clean=False)
 
+    def session_portal_partial_sync(self, session_data):
+        """
+        Call to make a partial update of the session, such as only a particular property.
+
+        Args:
+            session_data (dict): Store `{sessid: {property:value}, ...}` defining one or
+                more sessions in detail.
+
+        """
+        return self.server.amp_protocol.send_AdminServer2Portal(DUMMYSESSION,
+                                                                operation=SSYNC,
+                                                                sessiondata=session_data,
+                                                                clean=False)
+
+
+
     def disconnect_all_sessions(self, reason="You have been disconnected."):
         """
         Cleanly disconnect all of the connected sessions.