diff --git a/src/orbitdb/index.js b/src/orbitdb/index.js
index 65fd9d8..1b4d352 100644
--- a/src/orbitdb/index.js
+++ b/src/orbitdb/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import BoardStore from 'orbit-db-discussion-board'
 import multihashes from 'multihashes'
+import { getBoardIdFromAddress } from '../utils/orbitdb'
 
 export function isValidID(id) {
   try {
@@ -48,10 +49,66 @@ export async function open(id, metadata, options = {}) {
     throw new Error('invalid address')
   }
   const db = await window.orbitDb.open(address, Object.assign(defaultOptions, options))
-  if (metadata) {
+  await db.load()
+  if (metadata && defaultOptions.create) {
     await db.updateMetadata(metadata)
   }
   if (!window.dbs) window.dbs = {}
   window.dbs[db.address.toString()] = db
   return db
 }
+
+export function connectDb(db, dispatch) {
+  db.events.on('write', (dbname, hash, entry) => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_WRITE',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString()),
+        hash,
+        entry
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('replicated', address => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_REPLICATED',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString())
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('replicate.progress', (address, hash, entry, progress, have) => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_REPLICATE_PROGRESS',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString()),
+        hash,
+        entry,
+        progress,
+        have
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('replicate', address => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_REPLICATE',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString())
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('close', address => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_CLOSE',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString())
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('load', address => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_LOAD',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString())
+    })
+  })
+  db.events.on('load.progress', (address, hash, entry, progress, total) => {
+    dispatch({
+        type: 'ORBITDB_LOAD_PROGRESS',
+        id: getBoardIdFromAddress(db.address.toString()),
+        hash,
+        entry,
+        progress,
+        total
+    })
+  })
+}
diff --git a/src/sagas/boards.js b/src/sagas/boards.js
index 4689801..5534484 100644
--- a/src/sagas/boards.js
+++ b/src/sagas/boards.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { put, call } from 'redux-saga/effects'
 import { push } from 'react-router-redux'
-import { open } from '../orbitdb'
+import { open, connectDb } from '../orbitdb'
 import { creatingBoard, createdBoard, boardError } from '../actions/board'
 import { getBoardIdFromAddress } from '../utils/orbitdb'
 
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ export function* createBoard({ board }) {
     yield put(creatingBoard(board))
     let db
     try {
-        db = yield call(open, board.id)
+        db = yield call(open, board.id, {
+            title: board.title
+        })
     } catch (error) {
         yield put(boardError, error)
     }
@@ -17,7 +19,8 @@ export function* createBoard({ board }) {
         id: getBoardIdFromAddress(address),
         address
     }
-    // TODO watch db status
+    // TODO: use https://redux-saga.js.org/docs/advanced/Channels.html to handle orbitdb events
+    // yield call(connectDb(db, dispatch))
     yield put(createdBoard(Object.assign({}, board, dbInfo)))
     yield put(push('/b/' + dbInfo.id + '/'))
 }
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