diff --git a/src/Application.cpp b/src/Application.cpp
index ef00d19fdf..a5d458dc18 100644
--- a/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/Application.cpp
@@ -98,12 +98,14 @@ void Application::run()
 		Log(lsINFO) << "Loading Old Ledger";
 		loadOldLedger();
 	}
-	else
-	{ // TODO: This should really not validate a ledger until it gets the current one from our peers
-		// but I'll let david make this change since a lot of code assumes we have a ledger
-		// for now just do what we always were doing
+	else if (theConfig.START_UP == Config::NETWORK)
+	{ // This should probably become the default once we have a stable network
+		if (!theConfig.RUN_STANDALONE)
+			mNetOps.needNetworkLedger();
 		startNewLedger();
 	}
+	else
+		startNewLedger();
 
 	//
 	// Begin validation and ip maintenance.
diff --git a/src/Config.h b/src/Config.h
index cc2b85ed4b..f4c0d9a96b 100644
--- a/src/Config.h
+++ b/src/Config.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
 	std::vector<std::string>	IPS;					// Peer IPs from newcoind.cfg.
 	std::vector<std::string>	SNTP_SERVERS;			// SNTP servers from newcoind.cfg.
 
-	enum StartUpType {FRESH,NORMAL,LOAD};
+	enum StartUpType { FRESH, NORMAL, LOAD, NETWORK };
 	StartUpType					START_UP;
 
 	// Network parameters
diff --git a/src/NetworkOPs.cpp b/src/NetworkOPs.cpp
index 00bc4e5f69..855128bdf2 100644
--- a/src/NetworkOPs.cpp
+++ b/src/NetworkOPs.cpp
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@
 SETUP_LOG();
 
 NetworkOPs::NetworkOPs(boost::asio::io_service& io_service, LedgerMaster* pLedgerMaster) :
-	mMode(omDISCONNECTED),mNetTimer(io_service), mLedgerMaster(pLedgerMaster), mCloseTimeOffset(0),
-	mLastCloseProposers(0), mLastCloseConvergeTime(1000 * LEDGER_IDLE_INTERVAL), mLastValidationTime(0)
+	mMode(omDISCONNECTED), mNeedNetworkLedger(false), mNetTimer(io_service), mLedgerMaster(pLedgerMaster),
+	mCloseTimeOffset(0), mLastCloseProposers(0), mLastCloseConvergeTime(1000 * LEDGER_IDLE_INTERVAL),
+	mLastValidationTime(0)
 {
 }
 
@@ -424,7 +425,8 @@ void NetworkOPs::checkState(const boost::system::error_code& result)
 	// If full or tracking, check only at wobble time!
 	uint256 networkClosed;
 	bool ledgerChange = checkLastClosedLedger(peerList, networkClosed);
-	if(networkClosed.isZero())return;
+	if(networkClosed.isZero())
+		return;
 
 	// WRITEME: Unless we are in omFULL and in the process of doing a consensus,
 	// we must count how many nodes share our LCL, how many nodes disagree with our LCL,
@@ -435,7 +437,8 @@ void NetworkOPs::checkState(const boost::system::error_code& result)
 	if ((mMode == omCONNECTED) && !ledgerChange)
 	{ // count number of peers that agree with us and UNL nodes whose validations we have for LCL
 		// if the ledger is good enough, go to omTRACKING - TODO
-		setMode(omTRACKING);
+		if (!mNeedNetworkLedger)
+			setMode(omTRACKING);
 	}
 
 	if ((mMode == omTRACKING) && !ledgerChange )
@@ -617,6 +620,7 @@ void NetworkOPs::switchLastClosedLedger(Ledger::pointer newLedger, bool duringCo
 	else
 		cLog(lsERROR) << "JUMP last closed ledger to " << newLedger->getHash();
 
+	mNeedNetworkLedger = false;
 	newLedger->setClosed();
 	Ledger::pointer openLedger = boost::make_shared<Ledger>(false, boost::ref(*newLedger));
 	mLedgerMaster->switchLedgers(newLedger, openLedger);
diff --git a/src/NetworkOPs.h b/src/NetworkOPs.h
index 8f4d3557d1..043ae313b7 100644
--- a/src/NetworkOPs.h
+++ b/src/NetworkOPs.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ protected:
 	typedef boost::unordered_map<uint160,boost::unordered_set<InfoSub*> >::iterator		subInfoMapIterator;
 
 	OperatingMode						mMode;
+	bool								mNeedNetworkLedger;
 	boost::posix_time::ptime			mConnectTime;
 	boost::asio::deadline_timer			mNetTimer;
 	boost::shared_ptr<LedgerConsensus>	mConsensus;
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ public:
 	void setStandAlone()				{ setMode(omFULL); }
 	void setStateTimer();
 	void newLCL(int proposers, int convergeTime, const uint256& ledgerHash);
+	void needNetworkLedger()			{ mNeedNetworkLedger = true; }
 	void consensusViewChange();
 	int getPreviousProposers()			{ return mLastCloseProposers; }
 	int getPreviousConvergeTime()		{ return mLastCloseConvergeTime; }
diff --git a/src/SerializeProto.h b/src/SerializeProto.h
index 736a83a3e8..df7d2f6d5c 100644
--- a/src/SerializeProto.h
+++ b/src/SerializeProto.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 	// 8-bit integers
 	FIELD(CloseResolution,		UINT8, 1)
+	FIELD(TemplateEntryType,	UINT8, 2)
 
 	// 16-bit integers
 	FIELD(LedgerEntryType,		UINT16, 1)
@@ -123,9 +124,13 @@
 
 	// inner object
 	// OBJECT/1 is reserved for end of object
+	FIELD(TemplateEntry,		OBJECT, 1)
 
 	// array of objects
 	// ARRAY/1 is reserved for end of array
 	FIELD(SigningAccounts,		ARRAY, 2)
 	FIELD(TxnSignatures,		ARRAY, 3)
 	FIELD(Signatures,			ARRAY, 4)
+	FIELD(Template,				ARRAY, 5)
+	FIELD(Necessary,			ARRAY, 6)
+	FIELD(Sufficient,			ARRAY, 7)
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 63a7812136..17a46eefa2 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -98,8 +98,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		("test,t", "Perform unit tests.")
 		("parameters", po::value< vector<string> >(), "Specify comma separated parameters.")
 		("verbose,v", "Increase log level.")
-		("load","Load the current ledger from the local DB.")
-		("start","Start from a fresh Ledger.")
+		("load", "Load the current ledger from the local DB.")
+		("start", "Start from a fresh Ledger.")
+		("net", "Get the initial ledger from the network.")
 	;
 
 	// Interpret positional arguments as --parameters.
@@ -156,8 +157,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
-	if(vm.count("start")) theConfig.START_UP=Config::FRESH;
-	else if(vm.count("load")) theConfig.START_UP=Config::LOAD;
+	if (vm.count("start")) theConfig.START_UP = Config::FRESH;
+	else if (vm.count("load")) theConfig.START_UP = Config::LOAD;
+	else if (vm.count("net")) theConfig.START_UP = Config::NETWORK;
 
 	if (iResult)
 	{