diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2a7fd08..b159e53 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # cd ~/go/src/google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go
 # go install
 
-all: droplet.pb.go hypervisor.pb.go event.pb.go goimports vet
+all: proto goimports vet
 
 vet:
 	@GO111MODULE=off go vet
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ clean:
 	rm -f *.pb.go
 	-rm -f go.*
 
+proto:droplet.pb.go hypervisor.pb.go event.pb.go cluster.pb.go
+
 droplet.pb.go: droplet.proto
 	autogenpb --proto droplet.proto
 
@@ -31,6 +33,9 @@ hypervisor.pb.go: hypervisor.proto
 event.pb.go: event.proto
 	autogenpb --proto event.proto
 
+cluster.pb.go: cluster.proto
+	autogenpb --proto cluster.proto
+
 deps:
 	apt install golang-goprotobuf-dev
 	apt install protobuf-compiler
diff --git a/add.go b/add.go
index ce3285c..28d103c 100644
--- a/add.go
+++ b/add.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 /*
-func (c *Cluster) InitDroplet(hostname string) (*Droplet, error) {
+func (c *OldCluster) InitDroplet(hostname string) (*Droplet, error) {
 	var d *Droplet
 	d = new(Droplet)
 	d.Current = new(Current)
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (x *Hypervisor) SetMemoryGB(gb int) {
 	x.Memory = int64(gb * 1024 * 1024 * 1024)
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) FindDropletByName(name string) *Droplet {
+func (c *OldCluster) FindDropletByName(name string) *Droplet {
 	loop := c.d.All() // get the list of droplets
 	for loop.Scan() {
 		d := loop.Next()
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) FindDropletByName(name string) *Droplet {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) FindHypervisorByName(name string) *Hypervisor {
+func (c *OldCluster) FindHypervisorByName(name string) *Hypervisor {
 	for _, h := range c.H.Hypervisors {
 		if h.Hostname == name {
 			return h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) FindHypervisorByName(name string) *Hypervisor {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) AddHypervisor(hostname string, cpus int, mem int) *Hypervisor {
+func (c *OldCluster) AddHypervisor(hostname string, cpus int, mem int) *Hypervisor {
 	h := c.FindHypervisorByName(hostname)
 	if h != nil {
 		return h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) AddHypervisor(hostname string, cpus int, mem int) *Hypervisor
 	return h
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) AddEvent(e *Event) {
+func (c *OldCluster) AddEvent(e *Event) {
 	c.e.Events = append(c.e.Events, e)
 }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func NewDefaultDroplet(hostname string) *Droplet {
 	return d
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) AddDropletSimple(uuid string, hostname string, cpus int, mem int) *Droplet {
+func (c *OldCluster) AddDropletSimple(uuid string, hostname string, cpus int, mem int) *Droplet {
 	d := c.FindDropletByName(hostname)
 	if d != nil {
 		return d
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) AddDropletSimple(uuid string, hostname string, cpus int, mem i
 }
 
 // This isn't for the marketing department
-func (c *Cluster) AddDropletLocal(name string, hypername string) *Droplet {
+func (c *OldCluster) AddDropletLocal(name string, hypername string) *Droplet {
 	d := &Droplet{
 		Hostname: name,
 	}
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) AddDropletLocal(name string, hypername string) *Droplet {
 	return d
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) BlankFields() {
+func (c *OldCluster) BlankFields() {
 	loop := c.d.All() // get the list of droplets
 	for loop.Scan() {
 		d := loop.Next()
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func (epb *Events) AppendEvent(e *Event) {
 	epb.Events = append(epb.Events, e)
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) ClusterStable() (bool, string) {
+func (c *OldCluster) ClusterStable() (bool, string) {
 	last := time.Since(c.Unstable.AsTime())
 	if last > c.UnstableTimeout.AsDuration() {
 		// the cluster has not been stable for 133 seconds
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) ClusterStable() (bool, string) {
 }
 
 // check the cluster and droplet to make sure it's ready to start
-func (c *Cluster) DropletReady(d *Droplet) (bool, string) {
+func (c *OldCluster) DropletReady(d *Droplet) (bool, string) {
 	if c == nil {
 		return false, "cluster == nil"
 	}
diff --git a/change.go b/change.go
index 726c4fd..133f173 100644
--- a/change.go
+++ b/change.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (d *Droplet) SetState(newState DropletState) {
 }
 
 // records an event that the droplet changed state (aka turned on, turned off, etc)
-func (c *Cluster) ChangeDropletState(d *Droplet, newState DropletState) error {
+func (c *OldCluster) ChangeDropletState(d *Droplet, newState DropletState) error {
 	if c == nil {
 		return errors.New("cluster is nil")
 	}
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) ChangeDropletState(d *Droplet, newState DropletState) error {
 }
 
 // records an event that the droplet migrated to another hypervisor
-func (c *Cluster) DropletMoved(d *Droplet, newh *Hypervisor) error {
+func (c *OldCluster) DropletMoved(d *Droplet, newh *Hypervisor) error {
 	if c == nil {
 		return errors.New("cluster is nil")
 	}
diff --git a/cluster.proto b/cluster.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f81b89b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+package virtpb;
+
+import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
+
+message Cluster {
+        string                      uuid         = 1;  // `autogenpb:unique`
+        string                      URL          = 2;  // `autogenpb:unique`
+        google.protobuf.Timestamp   ctime        = 3;  // when the cluster was created
+}
+
+message Clusters {                                     // `autogenpb:marshal`
+        string                      uuid         = 1;  // `autogenpb:uuid:57ddd763-75f6-4003-bf0e-8dd0f8a44044`
+        string                      version      = 2;  // `autogenpb:version:v0.0.1`
+        repeated Cluster            clusters     = 3;
+}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index c1acb92..81bfec4 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 // writes out the cluster information it seperate files
 // to make it humanly possible to hand edit things as needed
-func (c *Cluster) ConfigSave() error {
+func (c *OldCluster) ConfigSave() error {
 	// try to backup the current cluster config files
 	if err := backupConfig(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) ConfigSave() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) ConfigLoad() error {
+func (c *OldCluster) ConfigLoad() error {
 	if c == nil {
 		return errors.New("It's not safe to run ConfigLoad() on a nil cluster")
 	}
@@ -157,6 +157,23 @@ func ConfigWriteJSON(a any, filename string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *OldCluster) configWriteDroplets() error {
+	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("VIRTIGO_HOME"), "droplets.new.text")
+	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
+	defer cfgfile.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("open config file :", err)
+		return err
+	}
+	loop := c.d.All() // get the list of droplets
+	for loop.Scan() {
+		d := loop.Next()
+		text := prototext.Format(d)
+		fmt.Fprintln(cfgfile, text)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func ConfigWriteTEXT(a any, filename string) error {
 	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("VIRTIGO_HOME"), filename)
 	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
@@ -174,19 +191,18 @@ func ConfigWriteTEXT(a any, filename string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) configWriteDroplets() error {
-	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("VIRTIGO_HOME"), "droplets.new.text")
-	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
-	defer cfgfile.Close()
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("open config file :", err)
-		return err
+func (c *Clusters) ConfigLoad() error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return errors.New("It's not safe to run ConfigLoad() on a nil cluster")
 	}
-	loop := c.d.All() // get the list of droplets
-	for loop.Scan() {
-		d := loop.Next()
-		text := prototext.Format(d)
-		fmt.Fprintln(cfgfile, text)
+
+	if data, err := loadFile("cluster.text"); err == nil {
+		if err = prototext.Unmarshal(data, c); err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("broken cluster.textconfig file")
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		return err
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 5e716dc..ca1c92b 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -3,15 +3,15 @@ package virtpb
 // functions to import and export the protobuf
 // data to and from config files
 
-func InitCluster() *Cluster {
-	var c *Cluster
-	c = new(Cluster)
+func InitCluster() *OldCluster {
+	var c *OldCluster
+	c = new(OldCluster)
 	c.d = new(Droplets)
 	c.H = new(Hypervisors)
 	c.e = new(Events)
 	return c
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) DropletsAll() *DropletIterator {
+func (c *OldCluster) DropletsAll() *DropletIterator {
 	return c.d.All()
 }
diff --git a/human.go b/human.go
index bb64530..a9b2521 100644
--- a/human.go
+++ b/human.go
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (d *Droplet) DumpDroplet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) (string, e
 	return t, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) DumpDroplet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) (string, error) {
+func (c *OldCluster) DumpDroplet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) (string, error) {
 	hostname := r.URL.Query().Get("hostname")
 	d := c.FindDropletByName(hostname)
 	if d == nil {
diff --git a/cluster.go b/oldCluster.go
similarity index 75%
rename from cluster.go
rename to oldCluster.go
index 94f9ff2..c6d6fd9 100644
--- a/cluster.go
+++ b/oldCluster.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
-type Cluster struct {
+type OldCluster struct {
 	sync.RWMutex
 
 	Dirs            []string
@@ -18,20 +18,20 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	UnstableTimeout *durationpb.Duration
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) GetDropletsPB() *Droplets {
+func (c *OldCluster) GetDropletsPB() *Droplets {
 	return c.d
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) GetHypervisorsPB() *Hypervisors {
+func (c *OldCluster) GetHypervisorsPB() *Hypervisors {
 	return c.H
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) GetEventsPB() *Events {
+func (c *OldCluster) GetEventsPB() *Events {
 	return c.e
 }
 
 // adds a new droplet. enforce unique hostnames
-func (c *Cluster) AddDroplet(newd *Droplet) bool {
+func (c *OldCluster) AddDroplet(newd *Droplet) bool {
 	c.Lock()
 	defer c.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/sampleData.go b/sampleData.go
index 7cdf313..4a5af36 100644
--- a/sampleData.go
+++ b/sampleData.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func CreateSampleEvents(total int) *Events {
 	return e
 }
 
-func CreateSampleCluster(total int) *Cluster {
+func CreateSampleCluster(total int) *OldCluster {
 	c := InitCluster()
 
 	for i := 0; i < total; i++ {