diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 73ed088f..4384f053 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@
     "webpack-stream": "^4.0.0"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "async": "^2.1.2",
-    "axios": "^0.16.2",
-    "eventemitter2": "^2.2.1",
-    "pubnub": "^4.20.1"
+    "async": "2.1.2",
+    "axios": "0.16.2",
+    "eventemitter2": "2.2.1",
+    "pubnub": "4.20.2"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/bootstrap.js b/src/bootstrap.js
index 71eabcd9..6f0f10f9 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap.js
+++ b/src/bootstrap.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ module.exports = (ceConfig = {}, pnConfig = {}) => {
 
         let countObject = {};
 
-        ChatEngine.onAny((event, payload) => {
+        ChatEngine.onAny((event) => {
             countObject['event: ' + event] = countObject[event] || 0;
             countObject['event: ' + event] += 1;
         });
diff --git a/src/components/chat.js b/src/components/chat.js
index 08dbc8d7..7760cb0c 100644
--- a/src/components/chat.js
+++ b/src/components/chat.js
@@ -678,14 +678,7 @@ class Chat extends Emitter {
     connect() {
 
         // establish good will with the server
-        this.handshake((response) => {
-
-            // asign metadata locally
-            if (response.data.found) {
-                this.meta = response.data.chat.meta;
-            } else {
-                this.update(this.meta);
-            }
+        this.handshake(() => {
 
             // now that we've got connection, do everything else via connectionReady
             this.connectionReady();
@@ -733,9 +726,27 @@ class Chat extends Emitter {
             },
             (next) => {
 
-                this.chatEngine.request('get', 'chat', {}, { channel: this.channel })
-                    .then(callback)
-                    .catch(next);
+
+                if (this.chatEngine.ceConfig.enableMeta) {
+
+                    this.chatEngine.request('get', 'chat', {}, { channel: this.channel })
+                        .then((response) => {
+
+                            // asign metadata locally
+                            if (response.data.found) {
+                                this.meta = response.data.chat.meta;
+                            } else {
+                                this.update(this.meta);
+                            }
+
+                            callback();
+
+                        })
+                        .catch(next);
+
+                } else {
+                    callback();
+                }
 
             }
         ], (error) => {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 48417dbc..d3da71a0 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Global object used to create an instance of {@link ChatEngine}.
 @param ceConfig {Object} A list of ChatEngine specific configuration options.
 @param [ceConfig.globalChannel=chat-engine] {String} The root channel. See {@link ChatEngine.global}
 @param [ceConfig.enableSync] {Boolean} Synchronizes chats between instances with the same {@link Me#uuid}. See {@link Me#sync}.
+@param [ceConfig.enableMeta] {Boolean} Persists {@link Chat#meta} on the server. See {@link Chat#update}.
 @param [ceConfig.throwErrors=true] {Boolean} Throws errors in JS console.
 @param [ceConfig.endpoint='https://pubsub.pubnub.com/v1/blocks/sub-key/YOUR_SUB_KEY/chat-engine-server'] {String} The root URL of the server used to manage permissions for private channels. Set by default to match the PubNub functions deployed to your account. See {@tutorial privacy} for more.
 @param [ceConfig.debug] {Boolean} Logs all ChatEngine events to the console This should not be enabled in production.
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ const create = (pnConfig, ceConfig = {}) => {
         ceConfig.enableSync = false;
     }
 
+    if (typeof ceConfig.enableMeta === 'undefined') {
+        ceConfig.enableMeta = false;
+    }
+
     ceConfig.endpoint = ceConfig.endpoint || 'https://pubsub.pubnub.com/v1/blocks/sub-key/' + pnConfig.subscribeKey + '/chat-engine-server';
 
     pnConfig.heartbeatInterval = pnConfig.heartbeatInterval || 120;
diff --git a/test/integration/main.test.js b/test/integration/main.test.js
index 45f5a9c1..c24e1dd5 100644
--- a/test/integration/main.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/main.test.js
@@ -154,6 +154,25 @@ function createChatEngineConnect(done) {
 
 }
 
+function createChatEngineMeta(done) {
+
+    this.timeout(60000);
+
+    ChatEngine = require('../../src/index.js').create({
+        publishKey: pubkey,
+        subscribeKey: subkey
+    }, {
+        globalChannel,
+        throwErrors: true,
+        enableMeta: true
+    });
+    ChatEngine.connect(username, { works: true }, username);
+    ChatEngine.on('$.ready', () => {
+        done();
+    });
+
+}
+
 let examplePlugin = () => {
 
     class extension {
@@ -538,6 +557,28 @@ describe('history', () => {
     });
 });
 
+describe('meta', () => {
+
+    beforeEach(reset);
+    beforeEach(createChatEngineMeta);
+
+    it('should update meta', function getMeta(done) {
+
+        this.timeout(60000);
+
+        let meta = { works: true };
+
+        let chat = new ChatEngine.Chat('chat-tester' + new Date().getTime(), false, true, meta);
+
+        chat.on('$.connected', () => {
+            assert.equal(chat.meta, meta);
+            done();
+        });
+
+    });
+
+});
+
 describe('remote chat list', () => {
 
     beforeEach(reset);
diff --git a/test/unit/components/chat.test.js b/test/unit/components/chat.test.js
index 0070e500..14752c91 100644
--- a/test/unit/components/chat.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/components/chat.test.js
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ describe('#chat', () => {
     });
 
     it('connect chat', (done) => {
-        chatInstance.on('$.connected', () => {
+
+        chatInstance.once('$.connected', () => {
             done();
         });
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ describe('#chat', () => {
 
     it('user join to chat', (done) => {
 
-        chatInstance.on('$.online.join', () => {
+        chatInstance.once('$.online.join', () => {
             done();
         });