diff --git a/examples/wordplay/client/wordplay.js b/examples/wordplay/client/wordplay.js
index 0c0c2ce026..4f6167f53a 100644
--- a/examples/wordplay/client/wordplay.js
+++ b/examples/wordplay/client/wordplay.js
@@ -195,14 +195,17 @@ Template.words.total_score = function () {
   return score;
 };
 
-// subscribe to all the players, the game i'm in, and all
-// the words in that game.
 
-// on client startup, create a fresh Player
 Meteor.startup(function () {
-  var player_id = Players.insert({name: ''});
+  // Allocate a new player id.
+  //
+  // XXX this does not handle hot reload. In the reload case,
+  // Session.get('player_id') will return a real id.
+  var player_id = Players.insert({name: '', idle: false});
   Session.set('player_id', player_id);
 
+  // subscribe to all the players, the game i'm in, and all
+  // the words in that game.
   Meteor.autosubscribe(function () {
     Meteor.subscribe('players');
 
@@ -214,4 +217,10 @@ Meteor.startup(function () {
       }
     }
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+
+  // send keepalives so the server can tell when we go away.
+  Meteor.setInterval(function() {
+    if (Meteor.status().connected)
+      Meteor.call('keepalive', Session.get('player_id'));
+  }, 20*1000);
+});
diff --git a/examples/wordplay/model.js b/examples/wordplay/model.js
index d61435b151..34eae8fb50 100644
--- a/examples/wordplay/model.js
+++ b/examples/wordplay/model.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ Meteor.methods({
 
 if (Meteor.is_server) {
   Meteor.publish('players', function () {
-    return Players.find();
+    return Players.find({idle: false});
   });
 
   // publish single games
diff --git a/examples/wordplay/server/game.js b/examples/wordplay/server/game.js
index 1e796c70b6..ec4719f2e3 100644
--- a/examples/wordplay/server/game.js
+++ b/examples/wordplay/server/game.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Meteor.methods({
                                 clock: 120});
 
     // move everyone in the lobby to the game
-    Players.update({game_id: null},
+    Players.update({game_id: null, idle: false},
                    {$set: {game_id: game_id}},
                    {multi: true});
 
@@ -19,6 +19,25 @@ Meteor.methods({
     }, 1000);
 
     return game_id;
+  },
+
+
+  keepalive: function (player_id) {
+    Players.update({_id: player_id},
+                  {$set: {last_keepalive: (new Date()).getTime(),
+                          idle: false}});
   }
 });
 
+Meteor.setInterval(function () {
+  var now = (new Date()).getTime();
+  var idle_threshold = now - 70*1000; // 70 sec
+  var remove_threshold = now - 60*60*1000; // 1hr
+
+  Players.update({$lt: {last_keepalive: idle_threshold}},
+                 {$set: {idle: true}});
+
+  // XXX need to deal with people coming back!
+  // Players.remove({$lt: {last_keepalive: remove_threshold}});
+
+}, 30*1000);