diff --git a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/Globals.java b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/Globals.java
index 95281c2..64bed78 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/Globals.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/Globals.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import java.io.FileWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Reader;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -308,4 +309,22 @@ public void createInternalConverter() {
     public IMultiFormatConverter getInternalConverter() {
     	return internalConverter;
     }
+    
+
+	// list nodes of interest 
+	public static List<String> getSMNodeList(Set<String> smsOfInterest) {
+		List<String> ret = new ArrayList<String>();
+		
+		List<String> pubNodes = Globals.getInstance().getXMPP().listAllNodes();
+		
+		for (String n: pubNodes) {
+			//logger.info("Found node " + n);
+			for (String sm: smsOfInterest) {
+				if (n.matches(ManifestSubscriber.ORCA_SM_PREFIX + sm + ManifestSubscriber.ORCA_SM_SLICE_LIST_SUFFIX))
+					ret.add(n);
+			}
+		}
+		
+		return ret;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ManifestSubscriber.java b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ManifestSubscriber.java
index 37c76ab..6295e88 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ManifestSubscriber.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ManifestSubscriber.java
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
  */
 public class ManifestSubscriber implements IPubSubReconnectCallback {
 	public static final String buildVersion = "Blowhole " + ManifestSubscriber.class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion();
-	private static final String ORCA_SM_SLICE_LIST_SUFFIX = ".+sliceList";
-	private static final String ORCA_SM_PREFIX = "/orca/sm/";
+	public static final String ORCA_SM_SLICE_LIST_SUFFIX = ".+sliceList";
+	public static final String ORCA_SM_PREFIX = "/orca/sm/";
 
 	private static final String PUBSUB_SUBSCRIBER_RESOURCE = "GMOC-Subscriber";
 	public static final String PREF_FILE = ".xmpp.properties";
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ public class ManifestSubscriber implements IPubSubReconnectCallback {
 	private static final String PUBSUB_KEYSTORE_PASS = PUBSUB_PROP_PREFIX + ".keystorepass";
 	// Note truststore password would be read from the GMOC.pubsub.password property when using certificates
 
+	Set<String> smsOfInterest = null;
+	
 	static XPath xp;
 
 	protected Properties prefProperties = null;
@@ -143,10 +145,28 @@ private ManifestSubscriber() {
 		
 		Globals.getInstance().setXMPP(xmpp);
 		
-		// get the list of nodes that list manifests
-		List<String> smNodes = getSMNodeList();
+		// determine which SMs we will be subscribing to
+		String smPropVal = prefProperties.getProperty(PUBSUB_SMS_PROP);
+		
+		if ((smPropVal == null) || (smPropVal.length() == 0)){
+			// include everything
+			logger.error(PUBSUB_SMS_PROP + " not specifiedor empty, unable to subscribe");
+			System.exit(1);
+		} 
+		
+		smsOfInterest = new HashSet<String>();
+
+		for(String s: smPropVal.split(",")) {
+			smsOfInterest.add(s.trim());
+		}
+		
+		// get the list of nodes that list manifests now (possible that SM
+		// has listed nothing so far)
+		List<String> smNodes = Globals.getSMNodeList(smsOfInterest);
 		
+		// collect successfully subscribed ones
 		List<String> missingNodes = new ArrayList<String>();
+
 		Globals.info("Subscribing to known SM manifest lists");
 		for (String smListNode: smNodes) {
 			logger.info("  " + smListNode);
@@ -161,7 +181,7 @@ private ManifestSubscriber() {
 		}		
 		rst = new ResubscribeThread(Globals.getInstance().getSliceListener(), Globals.getInstance().getManifestListener());
 		
-		rst.updateSliceList(missingNodes);
+		rst.updateSliceList(smsOfInterest, missingNodes);
 		addShutDownHandler();
 		sem.release();
 		
@@ -327,38 +347,6 @@ protected XMPPPubSub prepareXMPPForAcctCreation() {
 
 		return xps;
 	}
-
-	// list nodes of interest 
-	private List<String> getSMNodeList() {
-		List<String> ret = new ArrayList<String>();
-		
-		String smPropVal = prefProperties.getProperty(PUBSUB_SMS_PROP);
-		
-		if (smPropVal == null) {
-			// include everything
-			Globals.warn(PUBSUB_SMS_PROP + " not specified, will subscribe to ALL SMs found on this server.");
-			smPropVal = "";
-		} else if (smPropVal.length() == 0)
-			Globals.warn(PUBSUB_SMS_PROP + " is empty, will subscribe to ALL SMs found on this server.");
-		
-		Set<String> smsOfInterest = new HashSet<String>();
-
-		for(String s: smPropVal.split(",")) {
-			smsOfInterest.add(s.trim());
-		}
-		
-		List<String> pubNodes = Globals.getInstance().getXMPP().listAllNodes();
-		
-		for (String n: pubNodes) {
-			//logger.info("Found node " + n);
-			for (String sm: smsOfInterest) {
-				if (n.matches(ORCA_SM_PREFIX + sm + ORCA_SM_SLICE_LIST_SUFFIX))
-					ret.add(n);
-			}
-		}
-		
-		return ret;
-	}
 	
 	private void unsubscribeAll(List<String> save) {
 		Globals.info("Unsubscribing from all slice lists");
@@ -413,7 +401,7 @@ public void onReconnect() {
 		Globals.getInstance().getSliceListener().unsubscribeAll(manifestNodes);
 		
 		// tell resubscription thread
-		rst.updateSliceList(listNodes);
+		rst.updateSliceList(smsOfInterest, listNodes);
 	}
 	
 	public static void main(String[] args) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ResubscribeThread.java b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ResubscribeThread.java
index 16e9881..9b285c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ResubscribeThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/renci/pubsub_daemon/ResubscribeThread.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 public class ResubscribeThread extends TimerTask {
 	private SliceListEventListener sll;
 	private ManifestEventListener ml;
+	private Set<String> smsOfInterest = new HashSet<String>();
 	private Set<String> remainingSliceLists = new HashSet<String>();
 	private Set<String> remainingManifests = new HashSet<String>();
 	
@@ -28,9 +29,20 @@ public ResubscribeThread(SliceListEventListener _sll, ManifestEventListener _ml)
 	public void run() {
 		// go through the sets and try to resubscribe
 		
-		// for now only slice lists
+		Globals.info("Getting updated list of available SM slice lists");
+		List<String> newSmNodes = Globals.getSMNodeList(smsOfInterest);
+		remainingSliceLists.addAll(newSmNodes);
+		
+		// filter out known subscriptions
+		Set<SubscriptionPair> subs = Globals.getInstance().getSubscriptions();
+		for(SubscriptionPair sub: subs) {
+			remainingSliceLists.remove(sub.node);
+		}
+		
+		// try to subscribe
 		List<String> success = new ArrayList<String>();
 		Globals.info("Trying to (re)subscribe to slice lists: ");
+		
 		for(String smListNode:remainingSliceLists) {
 			Globals.info("  " + smListNode);
 			SubscriptionPair sp = new SubscriptionPair(smListNode, 
@@ -42,20 +54,18 @@ public void run() {
 			} else 
 				Globals.info("  UNABLE, will try again later!");
 		}
-		for (String s: success) {
-			remainingSliceLists.remove(s);
-		}
+		remainingSliceLists.removeAll(success);
 	}
 
-	public synchronized void updateSliceList(final List<String> lst) {
-		if (lst == null) {
+	public synchronized void updateSliceList(final Set<String> sms, final List<String> missing) {
+		Globals.info("Adding SMs of interest: " + sms);
+		smsOfInterest.addAll(sms);
+		if (missing == null) {
 			remainingSliceLists.clear();
 			return;
 		}
-		for(String n: lst) {
-			Globals.info("Adding slice list " + n + " for later attempts");
-			remainingSliceLists.add(n);
-		}
+		Globals.info("Adding slice list for later attempts: " + missing);
+		remainingSliceLists.addAll(missing);
 	}
 	
 	public synchronized void updateManifestList(final List<String> lst) {