diff --git a/core/client.js b/core/client.js
index a6cfae52..40872fa2 100644
--- a/core/client.js
+++ b/core/client.js
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ function Client(/*input, output*/) {
 
     Object.defineProperty(this, 'node', {
         get : function() {
-            return self.session.id + 1;
+            return self.session.id;
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/core/client_connections.js b/core/client_connections.js
index e2c8d577..d1a6be6e 100644
--- a/core/client_connections.js
+++ b/core/client_connections.js
@@ -61,27 +61,27 @@ function getActiveConnectionList(authUsersOnly) {
 
 function addNewClient(client, clientSock) {
     //
-    //  Assign ID/client ID to next lowest & available #
+    //  Find a node ID "slot"
     //
-    let id = 0;
-    for(let i = 0; i < clientConnections.length; ++i) {
-        if(clientConnections[i].id > id) {
-            break;
+    let nodeId;
+    for (nodeId = 1; nodeId < Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER; ++nodeId) {
+        const existing = clientConnections.find(client => nodeId === client.node);
+        if (!existing) {
+            break;  //  available slot
         }
-        id++;
     }
 
-    client.session.id = id;
-    const remoteAddress = client.remoteAddress  = clientSock.remoteAddress;
+    client.session.id = nodeId;
+    const remoteAddress = client.remoteAddress = clientSock.remoteAddress;
     //  create a unique identifier one-time ID for this session
-    client.session.uniqueId = new hashids('ENiGMA½ClientSession').encode([ id, moment().valueOf() ]);
+    client.session.uniqueId = new hashids('ENiGMA½ClientSession').encode([ nodeId, moment().valueOf() ]);
 
     clientConnections.push(client);
     clientConnections.sort( (c1, c2) => c1.session.id - c2.session.id);
 
     //  Create a client specific logger
     //  Note that this will be updated @ login with additional information
-    client.log = logger.log.child( { clientId : id, sessionId : client.session.uniqueId } );
+    client.log = logger.log.child( { nodeId, sessionId : client.session.uniqueId } );
 
     const connInfo = {
         remoteAddress   : remoteAddress,
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function addNewClient(client, clientSock) {
         { client : client, connectionCount : clientConnections.length }
     );
 
-    return id;
+    return nodeId;
 }
 
 function removeClient(client) {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function removeClient(client) {
         logger.log.info(
             {
                 connectionCount : clientConnections.length,
-                clientId        : client.session.id
+                nodeId          : client.node,
             },
             'Client disconnected'
         );
diff --git a/core/download_queue.js b/core/download_queue.js
index d80ddf34..4380ded1 100644
--- a/core/download_queue.js
+++ b/core/download_queue.js
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ module.exports = class DownloadQueue {
         this.add(entry, true);    //  true=systemFile
 
         //  clean up after ourselves when the session ends
-        const thisClientId = this.client.session.id;
+        const thisUniqueId = this.client.session.uniqueId;
         Events.once(Events.getSystemEvents().ClientDisconnected, evt => {
-            if(thisClientId === _.get(evt, 'client.session.id')) {
+            if(thisUniqueId === _.get(evt, 'client.session.uniqueId')) {
                 FileEntry.removeEntry(entry, { removePhysFile : true }, err => {
                     const Log = require('./logger').log;
                     if(err) {
diff --git a/core/login_server_module.js b/core/login_server_module.js
index a08abfe9..da3e06de 100644
--- a/core/login_server_module.js
+++ b/core/login_server_module.js
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ module.exports = class LoginServerModule extends ServerModule {
         });
 
         client.on('error', err => {
-            logger.log.info({ clientId : client.session.id, error : err.message }, 'Connection error');
+            logger.log.info({ nodeId : client.node, error : err.message }, 'Connection error');
         });
 
         client.on('close', err => {
             const logFunc = err ? logger.log.info : logger.log.debug;
-            logFunc( { clientId : client.session.id }, 'Connection closed');
+            logFunc( { nodeId : client.node }, 'Connection closed');
 
             clientConns.removeClient(client);
         });
diff --git a/core/user_login.js b/core/user_login.js
index 99faa1a2..3db6b5cc 100644
--- a/core/user_login.js
+++ b/core/user_login.js
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ function userLogin(client, username, password, options, cb) {
         if(existingClientConnection) {
             client.log.info(
                 {
-                    existingClientId    : existingClientConnection.session.id,
-                    username            : user.username,
-                    userId              : user.userId
+                    existingNodeId  : existingClientConnection.node,
+                    username        : user.username,
+                    userId          : user.userId
                 },
                 'Already logged in'
             );
@@ -97,11 +97,12 @@ function userLogin(client, username, password, options, cb) {
         //  update client logger with addition of username
         client.log = logger.log.child(
             {
-                clientId    : client.log.fields.clientId,
+                nodeId      : client.log.fields.nodeId,
                 sessionId   : client.log.fields.sessionId,
                 username    : user.username,
             }
         );
+
         client.log.info('Successful login');
 
         //  User's unique session identifier is the same as the connection itself