diff --git a/app/actions/api.ts b/app/actions/api.ts
index ba981c1a..90d2cacc 100644
--- a/app/actions/api.ts
+++ b/app/actions/api.ts
@@ -327,3 +327,36 @@ export function addDatasetAndFetch (peername: string, name: string): ApiActionTh
     return response
   }
 }
+
+export function initDataset (filepath: string, name: string, format: string): ApiActionThunk {
+  return async (dispatch) => {
+    const action = {
+      type: 'init',
+      [CALL_API]: {
+        endpoint: 'init',
+        method: 'POST',
+        params: {
+          filepath,
+          name,
+          format
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return dispatch(action)
+  }
+}
+
+export function initDatasetAndFetch (filepath: string, name: string, format: string): ApiActionThunk {
+  return async (dispatch, getState) => {
+    const whenOk = chainSuccess(dispatch, getState)
+    let response: Action
+
+    try {
+      response = await initDataset(filepath, name, format)(dispatch, getState)
+      response = await whenOk(fetchMyDatasets())(response)
+    } catch (action) {
+      throw action
+    }
+    return response
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/components/App.tsx b/app/components/App.tsx
index b007697c..6269d77f 100644
--- a/app/components/App.tsx
+++ b/app/components/App.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ interface AppProps {
   fetchSession: () => Promise<ApiAction>
   fetchMyDatasetsAndLinks: () => Promise<ApiAction>
   addDataset: (peername: string, name: string) => Promise<ApiAction>
+  initDataset: (path: string, name: string, format: string) => Promise<ApiAction>
   acceptTOS: () => Action
   setPeername: () => Action
   hasDatasets: boolean
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ export default class App extends React.Component<AppProps, AppState> {
     switch (Modal.type) {
       case ModalType.CreateDataset:
         return (
-          <CreateDataset onSubmit={() => this.setState({ currentModal: NoModal })} onDismissed={() => this.setState({ currentModal: NoModal })}/>
+          <CreateDataset onSubmit={this.props.initDataset} onDismissed={() => this.setState({ currentModal: NoModal })}/>
         )
       case ModalType.AddDataset:
         return (
diff --git a/app/components/AppLoading.tsx b/app/components/AppLoading.tsx
index b42b80ae..15d25439 100644
--- a/app/components/AppLoading.tsx
+++ b/app/components/AppLoading.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
-// import Spinner from './chrome/Spinner'
 import WelcomeTemplate from './WelcomeTemplate'
 const version: string = require('../../version').default
 
@@ -10,30 +9,5 @@ export const AppLoading: React.FunctionComponent<any> = () =>
     id='app-loading'
     loading={true}
   ></WelcomeTemplate>
-  // <div style={{
-  //   display: 'flex',
-  //   alignItems: 'center',
-  //   justifyContent: 'center',
-  //   height: '100%',
-  //   width: '100%',
-  //   top: 0,
-  //   right: 0,
-  //   left: 0,
-  //   bottom: 0,
-  //   position: 'absolute',
-  //   zIndex: 100,
-  //   backgroundColor: '#fff'
-  // }}>
-  //   <div style={{
-  //     width: 300,
-  //     height: 300,
-  //     textAlign: 'center'
-  //   }}>
-  //     <img style={{ marginBottom: 20 }} className='app-loading-blob' src={logo} height={150} width={150}/>
-  //     <h4>Starting Qri Desktop</h4>
-  //     <h6>version {version}</h6>
-  //     <div style={{ marginTop: 20 }}><Spinner /></div>
-  //   </div>
-  // </div>
 
 export default AppLoading
diff --git a/app/components/modals/AddDataset.tsx b/app/components/modals/AddDataset.tsx
index 0a1d1cd9..790e6db3 100644
--- a/app/components/modals/AddDataset.tsx
+++ b/app/components/modals/AddDataset.tsx
@@ -111,12 +111,8 @@ const AddDataset: React.FunctionComponent<AddDatasetProps> = ({ onDismissed, onS
     }
   }
 
-  const handleSetDismissable = (dismissable: boolean) => {
-    setDismissable(dismissable)
-  }
-
   const handleSubmit = () => {
-    handleSetDismissable(false)
+    setDismissable(false)
     setLoading(true)
     // should fire off action and catch error response
     // if success, fetchDatatsets
diff --git a/app/components/modals/CreateDataset.tsx b/app/components/modals/CreateDataset.tsx
index 3ab1a7b8..f24b339a 100644
--- a/app/components/modals/CreateDataset.tsx
+++ b/app/components/modals/CreateDataset.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
 import { remote } from 'electron'
 import { CSSTransition } from 'react-transition-group'
-import Modal, { ModalProps } from './Modal'
+import Modal from './Modal'
+import { ApiAction } from '../../store/api'
 import TextInput from '../form/TextInput'
 import SelectInput from '../form/SelectInput'
 import Error from './Error'
@@ -23,7 +24,12 @@ enum TabTypes {
   ExistingBody = 'Use existing file',
 }
 
-const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<ModalProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSubmit }) => {
+interface CreateDatasetProps {
+  onDismissed: () => void
+  onSubmit: (path: string, name: string, format: string) => Promise<ApiAction>
+}
+
+const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<CreateDatasetProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSubmit }) => {
   const [datasetName, setDatasetName] = React.useState('')
   const [path, setPath] = React.useState('')
   const [bodyFormat, setBodyFormat] = React.useState(formatOptions[0].value)
@@ -104,12 +110,6 @@ const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<ModalProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSub
       .then(() => setDismissable(true))
   }
 
-  const handleSetActiveTab = (activeTab: TabTypes) => {
-    setActiveTab(activeTab)
-    toggleButton(activeTab)
-    setError('')
-  }
-
   const renderCreateDataset = () => {
     return (
       <div className='margin-bottom'>
@@ -148,11 +148,11 @@ const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<ModalProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSub
     }
     if (name === 'format') setBodyFormat(value)
     if (name === 'bodyPath') setBodyPath(value)
-    toggleButton(activeTab)
   }
 
   const renderTabs = () => {
-    return <Tabs tabs={[TabTypes.NewBody, TabTypes.ExistingBody]} active={activeTab} onClick={handleSetActiveTab}/>
+    // return <Tabs tabs={[TabTypes.NewBody, TabTypes.ExistingBody]} active={activeTab} onClick={(activeTab: TabTypes) => setActiveTab(activeTab)}/>
+    return <Tabs tabs={[TabTypes.NewBody]} active={activeTab} onClick={(activeTab: TabTypes) => setActiveTab(activeTab)}/>
   }
 
   const renderCreateNewBody = () =>
@@ -202,23 +202,13 @@ const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<ModalProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSub
     setLoading(true)
     // should fire off action and catch error response
     // if success, fetchDatatsets
-    const handleResponse = () => {
-      if (datasetName === 'error' || path === 'error' || bodyPath === 'error') {
-        setError('could not find dataset!')
-        setDismissable(true)
+    if (!onSubmit) return
+    onSubmit(path, datasetName, bodyFormat)
+      .then(() => onDismissed())
+      .catch((action) => {
         setLoading(false)
-        return
-      }
-      if (onSubmit) {
-        new Promise((resolve) => {
-          onSubmit()
-          resolve()
-        }).then(() =>
-          setTimeout(onDismissed, 200)
-        )
-      }
-    }
-    setTimeout(handleResponse, 1000)
+        setError(action.payload.err.message)
+      })
   }
 
   return (
@@ -243,7 +233,7 @@ const CreateDataset: React.FunctionComponent<ModalProps> = ({ onDismissed, onSub
       <Buttons
         cancelText='cancel'
         onCancel={onDismissed}
-        submitText='Add Dataset'
+        submitText='Create Dataset'
         onSubmit={handleSubmit}
         disabled={buttonDisabled}
         loading={loading}
diff --git a/app/containers/AppContainer.tsx b/app/containers/AppContainer.tsx
index 92e347a8..c8f6a5da 100644
--- a/app/containers/AppContainer.tsx
+++ b/app/containers/AppContainer.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux'
 import App from '../components/App'
 import Store from '../models/store'
 
-import { fetchSession, fetchMyDatasetsAndLinks, addDatasetAndFetch } from '../actions/api'
+import { fetchSession, fetchMyDatasetsAndLinks, addDatasetAndFetch, initDatasetAndFetch } from '../actions/api'
 import { acceptTOS, setPeername } from '../actions/ui'
 
 const AppContainer = connect(
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ const AppContainer = connect(
     fetchMyDatasetsAndLinks,
     acceptTOS,
     setPeername,
-    addDataset: addDatasetAndFetch
+    addDataset: addDatasetAndFetch,
+    initDataset: initDatasetAndFetch
   }
 )(App)
 
diff --git a/app/scss/_welcome.scss b/app/scss/_welcome.scss
index 9b814ed4..6df2db34 100644
--- a/app/scss/_welcome.scss
+++ b/app/scss/_welcome.scss
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@
     bottom: 0;
   }
 
-#app-loading { z-index: 100 }
-#welcome-page { z-index: 99 }
-#choose-peername-page { z-index: 98 }
-#no-datasets-page { z-index: 97 }
+#app-loading { z-index: 200 }
+#welcome-page { z-index: 199 }
+#choose-peername-page { z-index: 198 }
+#no-datasets-page { z-index: 197 }
   
 .welcome-center {
   width: 600px;