diff --git a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
index c97bcb746..a05c6a079 100644
--- a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/guest-session.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class GuestSession
         console.log 'received document'
         doc = telepath.Document.deserialize(data, site: telepath.createSite(@getId()))
         atom.windowState = doc.get('windowState')
-        @participants = doc.get('participants')
+        @participants = doc.get('collaborationState.participants')
         @participants.on 'changed', =>
           @trigger 'participants-changed', @participants.toObject()
         connectDocument(doc, connection)
diff --git a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
index be8440666..ccec3286d 100644
--- a/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/collaboration/lib/host-session.coffee
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ class HostSession
     @peer = createPeer()
     @doc = telepath.Document.create({}, site: telepath.createSite(@getId()))
     @doc.set('windowState', atom.windowState)
-    @doc.set('participants', [])
-    @participants = @doc.get('participants')
+    @doc.set 'collaborationState',
+      participants: []
+      repository:
+        url: git.getConfigValue('remote.origin.url')
+        branch: git.getShortHead()
+
+    @participants = @doc.get('collaborationState.participants')
     @participants.push
       id: @getId()
       email: git.getConfigValue('user.email')