diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8532ecb..a274032 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,38 +1,109 @@
 # apidApigeeSync
 
 This core plugin for [apid](http://github.com/30x/apid) connects to the Apigee Change Agent and publishes the data
-changes events onto the apid Event service.
+changes events onto the apid Event service. It also coordinates DB initialization for plugins on startup.
 
 ### Configuration
 
-#### apigeesync_poll_interval
+| name                         | description              |
+|------------------------------|--------------------------|
+| apigeesync_poll_interval     | int. seconds. default: 5 |
+| apigeesync_organization      | string. name. required.  |
+| apigeesync_proxy_server_base | string. url. required.   |
+| apigeesync_consumer_key      | string. required.        |
+| apigeesync_consumer_secret   | string. required.        |
 
-int. seconds. default: 5
+### Event Generated
 
-#### apigeesync_organization
+* Selector: "ApigeeSync"
+* Data: [payload.go](payload.go)
 
-string. name. required.
+### Startup Procedure
 
-#### apigeesync_proxy_server_base
+#### ApigeeSync
+1. Read DB version (Snapshot.SnapshotInfo) from default DB
+2. If version found, emit Snapshot event (using Snapshot.SnapshotInfo, no data)
+3. Ask server for Snapshot
+4. Each time a Snapshot is received
+    1. Verify Snapshot.SnapshotInfo is different than current
+    2. Stop processing change events
+    3. Remove or clean new DB version if it exists
+    4. Emit Snapshot event
+    5. Wait for plugins to finish processing
+    6. Save Snapshot.SnapshotInfo in default DB
+    7. Release old DB version
+    8. Start processing change events
 
-string. url. required.
+ToDo: ApigeeSync currently only receives a new snapshot during startup, so step #4 only happens once. However, it
+ will eventually receive snapshots over time and the sub-steps should be followed at that time. Plugins 
+ depending on ApigeeSync for data should assume that it can happen at any time and follow the heuristic below.
 
-#### apigeesync_consumer_key
+#### ApigeeSync-dependent plugins
+1. Initialization
+    1. Until receiving first Snapshot message, ApigeeSync-dependent APIs must either:
+         1. not register (endpoint will return a 404 by default) 
+         2. return a 503 until DB is initialized
+2. Upon receiving a snapshot notification (this is a HOT DB upgrade)
+    1. Get DB for version (use Snapshot.SnapshotInfo as version)
+    2. Create plugin's tables, if needed
+    3. Insert any snapshot data into plugin's tables
+    4. Set reference to new DB for all data access
+    5. If db-dependent services are not exposed yet, expose them
 
-string. required.
+Example plugin code:
 
-#### apigeesync_consumer_secret
+    var (
+      log      apid.LogService   // set in initPlugin
+      data     apid.DataService
+      unsafeDB apid.DB
+      dbMux    sync.RWMutex
+    )
+    
+    func init() {
+      apid.RegisterPlugin(initPlugin)
+    }
+    
+    func initPlugin(services apid.Services) error {
+      log = services.Log().ForModule("examplePlugin")
+      log.Debug("start init")
+      data = services.Data()
+      return nil
+    }
+    
+    // always use getDB() to safely access current DB
+    func getDB() apid.DB {
+      dbMux.RLock()
+      db := unsafeDB
+      dbMux.RUnlock()
+      return db
+    }
+    
+    func setDB(db apid.DB) {
+      dbMux.Lock()
+      if unsafeDB == nil { // init API on DB initialization (optional)
+        go initAPI()
+      }
+      unsafeDB = db
+      dbMux.Unlock()
+    }
 
-string. required.
+    func processSnapshot(snapshot *common.Snapshot) {
+    
+      log.Debugf("Snapshot received. Switching to DB version: %s", snapshot.SnapshotInfo)
+    
+      db, err := data.DBVersion(snapshot.SnapshotInfo)
+      if err != nil {
+        log.Panicf("Unable to access database: %v", err)
+      }
 
-
-### Event
-
-Selector:
-
-    apidApigeeSync.ApigeeSyncEventSelector
-
-
-Data:
-
-See: [payload.go](payload.go)
+      // init DB as needed (note: DB may exist, use 'CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS' if not explicitly checking)
+      initDB(db)
+    
+      for _, table := range snapshot.Tables {
+        // populate tables from snapshot...
+      }
+    
+      // switch to new database 
+      setDB(db)
+      log.Debug("Snapshot processed")
+    }
diff --git a/apigee_sync.go b/apigee_sync.go
index 8184353..e02a790 100644
--- a/apigee_sync.go
+++ b/apigee_sync.go
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 	"time"
 )
 
-// todo: The following was largely copied from old APID - needs review
-
-var latestSequence int64
 var token string
 var tokenActive, downloadDataSnapshot, downloadBootSnapshot, chfin bool
 var lastSequence string
@@ -270,7 +267,7 @@
  * the second call to the snapshot server to get all the data
  * associated with the scope(s).
  * Emit the data for the necessary plugins to process.
- * If there is already previous data in sqlite, donot fetch
+ * If there is already previous data in sqlite, don't fetch
  * again from snapshot server.
  */
 func DownloadSnapshots() {
@@ -283,6 +280,21 @@
 	if gsnapshotInfo != "" {
 		downloadDataSnapshot = true
 		downloadBootSnapshot = true
+
+		log.Infof("Starting on downloaded snapshot: %s", gsnapshotInfo)
+
+		// verify DB is accessible
+		_, err := data.DBVersion(gsnapshotInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Panicf("Database inaccessible: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// allow plugins to start immediately on existing database
+		snap := &common.Snapshot{
+			SnapshotInfo: gsnapshotInfo,
+		}
+		events.Emit(ApigeeSyncEventSelector, snap)
+
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -294,7 +306,7 @@
 	 * Snapshot
 	 */
 	for count := 0; count < 60; count++ {
-		if downloadBootSnapshot == false {
+		if !downloadBootSnapshot {
 			log.Debug("Waiting for bootscope snapshot download...")
 			time.Sleep(time.Duration(count) * 100 * time.Millisecond)
 		} else {
@@ -303,7 +315,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Phase 2 */
-	if downloadBootSnapshot == true && downloadDataSnapshot == true {
+	if downloadBootSnapshot && downloadDataSnapshot {
 		log.Debug("Proceeding with existing Sqlite data")
 	} else if downloadBootSnapshot == true {
 		log.Debug("Proceed to download Snapshot for data scopes")
@@ -423,7 +435,7 @@
 }
 
 /*
- * Retrieve SnapshotInfo for the given apidConfigId from apid_config table
+ * Retrieve LastSequence for the given apidConfigId from apid_config table
  */
 func findLastSeqInfo(configId string) (info string) {
 
@@ -446,7 +458,7 @@
 }
 
 /*
- * Retrieve LastSequence for the given apidConfigId from apid_config table
+ * Retrieve SnapshotInfo for the given apidConfigId from apid_config table
  */
 func findSnapshotInfo(configId string) (info string) {
 
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 3edc842..65b72ad 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 	/* This callback function will get called, once all the plugins are
 	 * initialized (not just this plugin). This is needed because,
 	 * DownloadSnapshots/Changes etc have to begin to be processed only
-	 * after all the plugins are intialized
+	 * after all the plugins are initialized
 	 */
 	events.ListenFunc(apid.SystemEventsSelector, postInitPlugins)
 
diff --git a/listener.go b/listener.go
index 83b87dd..32a1d94 100644
--- a/listener.go
+++ b/listener.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 		if ok {
 			res = processChange(changeSet, txn)
 		} else {
-			log.Fatal("Received Invalid event. This shouldn't happen!")
+			log.Fatal("Received invalid event: %v", e)
 		}
 	}
 	if res == true {