diff --git a/add.go b/add.go
index d4bd08a..a7f9b7a 100644
--- a/add.go
+++ b/add.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package virtbuf
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -8,6 +9,32 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
+func (c *NewCluster) InitDroplet(hostname string) (*Droplet, error) {
+	var d *Droplet
+	d = new(Droplet)
+	d.Current = new(Current)
+
+	d = c.FindDropletByName(hostname)
+	if d != nil {
+		return d, errors.New("duplicate hostname: " + hostname)
+	}
+	d.Hostname = hostname
+	// d.Uuid = uuid.New() // not appropriate here
+
+	// set some defaults
+	d.StartState = DropletState_OFF
+	d.Current.State = DropletState_UNKNOWN
+	c.appendDroplet(d)
+	return d, nil
+}
+
+func (c *NewCluster) appendDroplet(d *Droplet) {
+	c.Lock()
+	defer c.Unlock()
+
+	c.d.Droplets = append(c.d.Droplets, d)
+}
+
 // can the json protobuf output use a string and have a type handler
 // to convert it back to int64?
 func SetGB(gb int) int64 {
@@ -22,15 +49,6 @@ func (x *Hypervisor) SetMemoryGB(gb int) {
 	x.Memory = int64(gb * 1024 * 1024 * 1024)
 }
 
-func (all *Droplets) oldFindDroplet(name string) *Droplet {
-	for _, d := range all.Droplets {
-		if d.Hostname == name {
-			return d
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (c *NewCluster) FindDropletByName(name string) *Droplet {
 	loop := c.DropletsAll() // get the list of droplets
 	for loop.Scan() {