diff --git a/src/machi_chain_manager1.erl b/src/machi_chain_manager1.erl
index ef02f97..9afa807 100644
--- a/src/machi_chain_manager1.erl
+++ b/src/machi_chain_manager1.erl
@@ -104,6 +104,14 @@ stop(Pid) ->
 ping(Pid) ->
     gen_server:call(Pid, {ping}, infinity).
 
+%% @doc Set chain members list.
+%%
+%% NOTE: This implementation is a bit brittle, in that an author with
+%% higher rank may try to re-suggest the old membership list if it
+%% races with an author of lower rank.  For now, we suggest calling
+%% set_chain_members() first on the author of highest rank and finish
+%% with lowest rank, i.e. name z* first, name a* last.
+
 set_chain_members(Pid, MembersDict) ->
     gen_server:call(Pid, {set_chain_members, MembersDict}, infinity).
 
diff --git a/src/machi_flu_psup.erl b/src/machi_flu_psup.erl
index 4f9d408..4405bf6 100644
--- a/src/machi_flu_psup.erl
+++ b/src/machi_flu_psup.erl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 -behaviour(supervisor).
 
 %% External API
--export([start_flu_package/4, stop_flu_package/1]).
+-export([make_package_spec/4, start_flu_package/4, stop_flu_package/1]).
 %% Internal API
 -export([start_link/4,
          make_p_regname/1, make_mgr_supname/1, make_proj_supname/1]).
@@ -34,10 +34,13 @@
 %% Supervisor callbacks
 -export([init/1]).
 
+make_package_spec(FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props) ->
+    {FluName, {machi_flu_psup, start_link,
+               [FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props]},
+     permanent, 5000, supervisor, []}.
+
 start_flu_package(FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props) ->
-    Spec = {FluName, {machi_flu_psup, start_link,
-                      [FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props]},
-            permanent, 5000, supervisor, []},
+    Spec = make_package_spec(FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props),
     {ok, _SupPid} = supervisor:start_child(machi_flu_sup, Spec).
 
 stop_flu_package(FluName) ->
diff --git a/src/machi_flu_sup.erl b/src/machi_flu_sup.erl
index f74ea07..51efd87 100644
--- a/src/machi_flu_sup.erl
+++ b/src/machi_flu_sup.erl
@@ -41,5 +41,11 @@ init([]) ->
     MaxRestarts = 1000,
     MaxSecondsBetweenRestarts = 3600,
     SupFlags = {RestartStrategy, MaxRestarts, MaxSecondsBetweenRestarts},
-    {ok, {SupFlags, []}}.
+
+    Ps = application:get_env(machi, initial_flus, []),
+    FLU_specs = [machi_flu_psup:make_package_spec(FluName, TcpPort,
+                                                  DataDir, Props) ||
+                    {FluName, TcpPort, DataDir, Props} <- Ps],
+
+    {ok, {SupFlags, FLU_specs}}.