diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/base.ts b/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/base.ts
index 72af05e92b..ea38486eb4 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/base.ts
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/base.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,7 @@ export const stateSetter = <StateType>(
   fn: (state: StateType) => void,
   set
 ): void => {
-  // fn = (state: StateType) => {
-  //   // TODO this is a stub for the store debugging
-  //   fn(state);
-  // }
-  return set(fn);
-  // TODO we want to use the below, but it makes everything read-only
-  return set(produce(fn));
+  set(produce(fn));
 };
 
 export const reduceState = <
@@ -25,10 +19,10 @@ export const reduceState = <
   data: UpdateType,
   reducers: ((data: UpdateType, state: StateType) => StateType)[]
 ): void => {
-  const oldState = state.getState();
-  const reducer = compose(reducers.map(reducer => reducer.bind(reducer, data)));
-  const newState = reducer(oldState);
-  state.getState().set(state => state = newState);
+  const reducer = compose(reducers.map(r => sta => r(data, sta)));
+  state.getState().set(state => {
+    reducer(state);
+  });
 };
 
 export let stateStorageKeys: string[] = [];
@@ -61,4 +55,4 @@ export const createState = <StateType extends BaseState<any>>(
   blacklist,
   name: stateStorageKey(name),
   version: 1, // TODO version these according to base hash
-}));
\ No newline at end of file
+}));
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/group.ts b/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/group.ts
index 218567ce20..5317665b75 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/group.ts
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/logic/state/group.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-import { Path, JoinRequests } from "@urbit/api";
+import { Path, JoinRequests, Group } from "@urbit/api";
 
 import { BaseState, createState } from "./base";
 
 export interface GroupState extends BaseState<GroupState> {
-  groups: Set<Path>;
+  groups: { [rid: string]: Group; };
   pendingJoin: JoinRequests;
 };
 
 const useGroupState = createState<GroupState>('Group', {
-  groups: new Set(),
+  groups: {},
   pendingJoin: {},
 }, ['groups']);
 
-export default useGroupState;
\ No newline at end of file
+export default useGroupState;
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/logic/store/base.ts b/pkg/interface/src/logic/store/base.ts
index b2c894f34e..f798f228f6 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/logic/store/base.ts
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/logic/store/base.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ export default class BaseStore<S extends object> {
     }
 
     this.reduce(json, this.state);
-    this.setState(this.state);
+    if('connection' in json) {
+      this.setState(this.state);
+    }
   }
 
   reduce(data, state) {