diff --git a/app/controllers/access_controller.rb b/app/controllers/access_controller.rb
index 302e9385..c48ac418 100644
--- a/app/controllers/access_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/access_controller.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class AccessController < ApplicationController
 
   # POST maps/:id/access
   def access
-    user_ids = params[:access] || []
+    user_ids = params[:access].to_a.map(&:to_i) || []
 
     @map.add_new_collaborators(user_ids).each do |user_id|
       # add_new_collaborators returns array of added users,
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Synapse.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Synapse.js
index e5002824..5f2a6b88 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Synapse.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Synapse.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const Synapse = Backbone.Model.extend({
 
     newOptions.success = function(model, response, opt) {
       if (s) s(model, response, opt)
+      model.set('calculated_permission', model.get('permission'))
       model.trigger('saved')
 
       if (permBefore === 'private' && model.get('permission') !== 'private') {
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Topic.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Topic.js
index 1e27d138..dff635f2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Topic.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/DataModel/Topic.js
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ const Topic = Backbone.Model.extend({
 
     newOptions.success = function(model, response, opt) {
       if (s) s(model, response, opt)
-      model.trigger('saved')
       model.set('calculated_permission', model.get('permission'))
+      model.trigger('saved')
 
       if (permBefore === 'private' && model.get('permission') !== 'private') {
         model.trigger('noLongerPrivate')
diff --git a/realtime/reducer.js b/realtime/reducer.js
index ae2b7488..9b50d3a0 100644
--- a/realtime/reducer.js
+++ b/realtime/reducer.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { omit, omitBy, isNil, mapValues } = require('lodash')
+const { find, omit, mapValues, values } = require('lodash')
 const {
   JOIN_MAP,
   LEAVE_MAP,
@@ -9,7 +9,16 @@ const {
 const NOT_IN_CONVERSATION = 0
 const IN_CONVERSATION = 1
 
-const addMapperToMap = (map, userId) => { return Object.assign({}, map, { [userId]: NOT_IN_CONVERSATION }) }
+const addMapperToMap = (map, userId) => Object.assign({}, map, { [userId]: NOT_IN_CONVERSATION })
+const userStillPresent = (userId, liveMaps) => {
+  if (!userId) return false
+  let stillPresent = false
+  const userIdString = userId.toString()
+  values(liveMaps).forEach(presentUsers => {
+    if (find(Object.keys(presentUsers), id => id === userIdString)) stillPresent = true
+  })
+  return stillPresent
+}
 
 const reducer = (state = { connectedPeople: {}, liveMaps: {} }, action) => {
   const { type, payload } = action
@@ -37,10 +46,13 @@ const reducer = (state = { connectedPeople: {}, liveMaps: {} }, action) => {
       const newLiveMaps = mapWillEmpty
       ? omit(liveMaps, payload.mapid)
       : Object.assign({}, liveMaps, { [payload.mapid]: omit(map, payload.userid) })
+      delete newLiveMaps[undefined]
+      delete newLiveMaps[null]
+      const updateConnectedPeople = userStillPresent(payload.userid, newLiveMaps) ? connectedPeople : omit(connectedPeople, payload.userid)
 
       return {
-        connectedPeople: omit(connectedPeople, payload.userid),
-        liveMaps: omitBy(newLiveMaps, isNil)
+        connectedPeople: updateConnectedPeople,
+        liveMaps: newLiveMaps
       }
     case JOIN_CALL:
     // update the user (payload.id is user id) in the given map to be marked in the conversation
@@ -57,15 +69,18 @@ const reducer = (state = { connectedPeople: {}, liveMaps: {} }, action) => {
       : Object.assign({}, map, { [payload.userid]: NOT_IN_CONVERSATION })
 
       return Object.assign({}, state, {
-        liveMaps: Object.assign({}, liveMaps, { map: newMap })
+        liveMaps: Object.assign({}, liveMaps, { [payload.mapid]: newMap })
       })
     case 'DISCONNECT':
       const mapWithoutUser = omit(map, payload.userid)
       const newMapWithoutUser = callWillFinish ? mapValues(mapWithoutUser, () => NOT_IN_CONVERSATION) : mapWithoutUser
       const newLiveMapsWithoutUser = mapWillEmpty ? omit(liveMaps, payload.mapid) : Object.assign({}, liveMaps, { [payload.mapid]: newMapWithoutUser })
+      delete newLiveMapsWithoutUser[undefined]
+      delete newLiveMapsWithoutUser[null]
+      const newConnectedPeople = userStillPresent(payload.userid, newLiveMapsWithoutUser) ? connectedPeople : omit(connectedPeople, payload.userid)
       return {
-        connectedPeople: omit(connectedPeople, payload.userid),
-        liveMaps: omitBy(newLiveMapsWithoutUser, isNil)
+        connectedPeople: newConnectedPeople,
+        liveMaps: newLiveMapsWithoutUser
       }
     default:
       return state