diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 4ae6f31..2fd4c33 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -23,9 +23,18 @@ func (c *Cluster) ConfigSave() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// make a new droplets struct
 	var d *Droplets
 	d = new(Droplets)
 	d.Droplets = c.Droplets
+	// copy all the records over to the new struct
+	for _, drop := range c.Droplets {
+		d.Droplets = append(d.Droplets, drop)
+	}
+	// delete all the Current data so it's not put in the config file
+	for _, drop := range d.Droplets {
+		drop.Current = nil
+	}
 	if err := ConfigWriteJSON(d, "droplets.json"); err != nil {
 		fmt.Println("droplets.json write failed")
 		return err
@@ -139,6 +148,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) ConfigLoad() error {
 	e = new(Events)
 
 	if c.E == nil {
+		// this seems to panic on nil. something is wrong about doing this
+		// does it not stay allocated after this function ends?
 		c.E = new(Events)
 	}
 	if err := e.loadEvents(); err != nil {
diff --git a/droplet.proto b/droplet.proto
index 21333a0..c40d730 100644
--- a/droplet.proto
+++ b/droplet.proto
@@ -11,23 +11,24 @@ message Droplets {
 }
 
 message Droplet {
-	string  uuid	                = 1;       // should be unique across the cluster
-	string	hostname                = 2;       // should be unique and work in DNS
-	int64	cpus	                = 3;       // what's the point of int64 vs int32
-	int64	memory	                = 4;       // in bytes
-	Current current                 = 5;       // what the state and values of the droplet is
-	DropletState start_state        = 6;       // what the state of the droplet is SUPPOSED TO BE ('on' or 'off')
-	string	preferred_hypervisor    = 7;       // the hypervisor to prefer to run the droplet on
-	string	force_hypervisor        = 8;       // use this hypervisor and this hypervisor only
-	string	preferred_arch          = 9;       // the cpu arch to use "x86_64" (should really get this from the disk?)
-	string	qemu_machine            = 10;      // the qemu machine type to use "pc-q35-9.0"
-        int64   spice_port              = 11;      // preferred port to use for spice
+	string          uuid	        = 1;       // should be unique across the cluster
+	string	        hostname        = 2;       // should be unique and work in DNS
+	int64	        cpus	        = 3;       // what's the point of int64 vs int32
+	int64	        memory	        = 4;       // in bytes
+	Current         current         = 5;       // what the state and values of the droplet is
+	DropletState    start_state     = 6;       // what the state of the droplet is SUPPOSED TO BE ('on' or 'off')
+	string	        qemu_machine    = 7;       // the qemu machine type to use "pc-q35-9.0"
+        int64           spice_port      = 8;       // preferred port to use for spice
 
+	string	 preferred_hypervisor   = 9;       // the hypervisor to prefer to run the droplet on
+	string	 force_hypervisor       = 10;      // use this hypervisor and this hypervisor only
+	string	 preferred_arch         = 11;      // the cpu arch to use "x86_64" (should really get this from the disk?)
 	repeated Network networks       = 12;      // really just mac addresses. should be unique across cluster
 	repeated Disk disks             = 13;      // disks to attach
 
-	string  local_only              = 14;      // this is only defined locally on the hypervisor
-	string  custom_xml              = 15;      // if needed,
+	string          local_only      = 14;      // this is only defined locally on the hypervisor
+	string          custom_xml      = 15;      // if needed,
+	DropletArchive  archive         = 16;      // what the state of the droplet is SUPPOSED TO BE ('on' or 'off')
 }
 
 // volatile data. the current settings and values of things.
@@ -42,6 +43,11 @@ message Current {
         string                          image_url       = 6;    // url to the image
 }
 
+message Archive {
+        DropletArchive                  reason          = 1;    // why the droplet was archived
+        google.protobuf.Timestamp       when            = 2;    // when it was archived
+}
+
 // virtual machine state
 enum DropletState {
 	ON              = 0;
@@ -52,6 +58,11 @@ enum DropletState {
 	INMIGRATE       = 5;
 }
 
+enum DropletArchive {
+	ARCHIVE_DUP     = 0;
+	ARCHIVE_USER    = 1;
+}
+
 message Network {
 	string	mac     = 1;
 	string	name	= 2;