diff --git a/nameserver/entry.go b/nameserver/entry.go
index 52e901a5..a3310423 100644
--- a/nameserver/entry.go
+++ b/nameserver/entry.go
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ type Entry struct {
 	ContainerID string
 	Origin      router.PeerName
 	Addr        address.Address
-	Hostname    string
+	Hostname    string // as supplied
+	lHostname   string // lowercased (not exported, so not encoded by gob)
 	Version     int
 	Tombstone   int64 // timestamp of when it was deleted
 }
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ func (e1 *Entry) less(e2 *Entry) bool {
 
 func (e1 *Entry) insensitiveLess(e2 *Entry) bool {
 	// Entries are kept sorted by Hostname, Origin, ContainerID then address
-	e1Hostname, e2Hostname := strings.ToLower(e1.Hostname), strings.ToLower(e2.Hostname)
+	e1Hostname, e2Hostname := e1.lHostname, e2.lHostname
 	switch {
 	case e1Hostname != e2Hostname:
 		return e1Hostname < e2Hostname
@@ -100,6 +101,10 @@ func (e1 *Entry) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s -> %s", e1.Hostname, e1.Addr.String())
 }
 
+func (e1 *Entry) addLowercase() {
+	e1.lHostname = strings.ToLower(e1.Hostname)
+}
+
 func check(es SortableEntries) error {
 	if !sort.IsSorted(es) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Not sorted!")
@@ -126,7 +131,8 @@ func (es *Entries) checkAndPanic() *Entries {
 func (es *Entries) add(hostname, containerid string, origin router.PeerName, addr address.Address) Entry {
 	defer es.checkAndPanic().checkAndPanic()
 
-	entry := Entry{Hostname: hostname, Origin: origin, ContainerID: containerid, Addr: addr}
+	entry := Entry{Hostname: hostname, lHostname: strings.ToLower(hostname),
+		Origin: origin, ContainerID: containerid, Addr: addr}
 	i := sort.Search(len(*es), func(i int) bool {
 		return !(*es)[i].insensitiveLess(&entry)
 	})
@@ -145,6 +151,7 @@ func (es *Entries) add(hostname, containerid string, origin router.PeerName, add
 
 func (es *Entries) merge(incoming Entries) Entries {
 	defer es.checkAndPanic().checkAndPanic()
+	incoming.checkAndPanic()
 
 	newEntries := Entries{}
 	i := 0
@@ -203,14 +210,14 @@ func (es Entries) lookup(hostname string) Entries {
 
 	lowerHostname := strings.ToLower(hostname)
 	i := sort.Search(len(es), func(i int) bool {
-		return strings.ToLower(es[i].Hostname) >= lowerHostname
+		return es[i].lHostname >= lowerHostname
 	})
-	if i >= len(es) || strings.ToLower(es[i].Hostname) != lowerHostname {
+	if i >= len(es) || es[i].lHostname != lowerHostname {
 		return Entries{}
 	}
 
 	j := sort.Search(len(es)-i, func(j int) bool {
-		return strings.ToLower(es[i+j].Hostname) > lowerHostname
+		return es[i+j].lHostname > lowerHostname
 	})
 
 	return es[i : i+j]
@@ -227,14 +234,18 @@ func (es Entries) first(f func(*Entry) bool) (*Entry, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Not found")
 }
 
+func (es Entries) addLowercase() {
+	for i := range es {
+		es[i].addLowercase()
+	}
+}
+
 type GossipData struct {
 	Timestamp int64
 	Entries
 }
 
 func (g *GossipData) Merge(o router.GossipData) {
-	checkAndPanic(CaseSensitive(g.Entries))
-	defer func() { checkAndPanic(CaseSensitive(g.Entries)) }()
 	other := o.(*GossipData)
 	g.Entries.merge(other.Entries)
 	if g.Timestamp < other.Timestamp {
@@ -242,10 +253,23 @@ func (g *GossipData) Merge(o router.GossipData) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (g *GossipData) Decode(msg []byte) error {
+	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(msg)).Decode(g); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	g.Entries.addLowercase() // lowercase strings not sent on the wire
+	sort.Sort(CaseInsensitive(g.Entries))
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (g *GossipData) Encode() [][]byte {
-	checkAndPanic(CaseSensitive(g.Entries))
+	// Make a copy so we can sort: all outgoing data is sent in case-sensitive order
+	g2 := GossipData{Timestamp: g.Timestamp, Entries: make(Entries, len(g.Entries))}
+	copy(g2.Entries, g.Entries)
+	sort.Sort(CaseSensitive(g2.Entries))
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
-	if err := gob.NewEncoder(buf).Encode(g); err != nil {
+	if err := gob.NewEncoder(buf).Encode(g2); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	return [][]byte{buf.Bytes()}
diff --git a/nameserver/entry_test.go b/nameserver/entry_test.go
index 96d2b883..1e350e64 100644
--- a/nameserver/entry_test.go
+++ b/nameserver/entry_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/router"
 )
 
+func l(es Entries) Entries {
+	es.addLowercase()
+	return es
+}
+
+func makeEntries(values string) Entries {
+	entries := make(Entries, len(values))
+	for i, c := range values {
+		entries[i] = Entry{Hostname: string(c)}
+	}
+	return l(entries)
+}
+
 func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
 	oldNow := now
 	defer func() { now = oldNow }()
@@ -16,68 +29,46 @@ func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
 
 	entries := Entries{}
 	entries.add("A", "", router.UnknownPeerName, address.Address(0))
-	expected := Entries{
+	expected := l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "A", Origin: router.UnknownPeerName, Addr: address.Address(0)},
-	}
+	})
 	require.Equal(t, entries, expected)
 
 	entries.tombstone(router.UnknownPeerName, func(e *Entry) bool { return e.Hostname == "A" })
-	expected = Entries{
+	expected = l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "A", Origin: router.UnknownPeerName, Addr: address.Address(0), Version: 1, Tombstone: 1234},
-	}
+	})
 	require.Equal(t, entries, expected)
 
 	entries.add("A", "", router.UnknownPeerName, address.Address(0))
-	expected = Entries{
+	expected = l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "A", Origin: router.UnknownPeerName, Addr: address.Address(0), Version: 2},
-	}
+	})
 	require.Equal(t, entries, expected)
 }
 
 func TestMerge(t *testing.T) {
-	e1 := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "C"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "D"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "F"},
-	}
-
-	e2 := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "E"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "F"},
-	}
+	e1 := makeEntries("ACDF")
+	e2 := makeEntries("BEF")
 
 	diff := e1.merge(e2)
-	expectedDiff := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "E"},
-	}
-	require.Equal(t, expectedDiff, diff)
 
-	expected := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "C"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "D"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "E"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "F"},
-	}
-	require.Equal(t, expected, e1)
+	require.Equal(t, makeEntries("BE"), diff)
+	require.Equal(t, makeEntries("ABCDEF"), e1)
 
 	diff = e1.merge(e1)
 	require.Equal(t, Entries{}, diff)
 }
 
 func TestOldMerge(t *testing.T) {
-	e1 := Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 0}}
-	diff := e1.merge(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}})
-	require.Equal(t, Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}, diff)
-	require.Equal(t, Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}, e1)
+	e1 := l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 0}})
+	diff := e1.merge(l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}))
+	require.Equal(t, l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}), diff)
+	require.Equal(t, l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}), e1)
 
-	diff = e1.merge(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 0}})
+	diff = e1.merge(l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 0}}))
 	require.Equal(t, Entries{}, diff)
-	require.Equal(t, Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}, e1)
+	require.Equal(t, l(Entries{Entry{Hostname: "A", Version: 1}}), e1)
 }
 
 func TestTombstone(t *testing.T) {
@@ -85,48 +76,48 @@ func TestTombstone(t *testing.T) {
 	defer func() { now = oldNow }()
 	now = func() int64 { return 1234 }
 
-	es := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-	}
+	es := makeEntries("AB")
 
 	es.tombstone(router.UnknownPeerName, func(e *Entry) bool {
 		return e.Hostname == "B"
 	})
-	expected := Entries{
+	expected := l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
 		Entry{Hostname: "B", Version: 1, Tombstone: 1234},
-	}
+	})
 	require.Equal(t, expected, es)
 }
 
 func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
-	es := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-	}
+	es := makeEntries("AB")
 
 	es.filter(func(e *Entry) bool {
 		return e.Hostname != "A"
 	})
-	expected := Entries{
-		Entry{Hostname: "B"},
-	}
-	require.Equal(t, expected, es)
+	require.Equal(t, makeEntries("B"), es)
 }
 
 func TestLookup(t *testing.T) {
-	es := Entries{
+	es := l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "A"},
 		Entry{Hostname: "B", ContainerID: "bar"},
 		Entry{Hostname: "B", ContainerID: "foo"},
 		Entry{Hostname: "C"},
-	}
+	})
 
 	have := es.lookup("B")
-	want := Entries{
+	want := l(Entries{
 		Entry{Hostname: "B", ContainerID: "bar"},
 		Entry{Hostname: "B", ContainerID: "foo"},
-	}
+	})
 	require.Equal(t, have, want)
 }
+
+func TestGossipDataMerge(t *testing.T) {
+	g1 := GossipData{Entries: makeEntries("AcDf")}
+	g2 := GossipData{Entries: makeEntries("BEf")}
+
+	g1.Merge(&g2)
+
+	require.Equal(t, GossipData{Entries: makeEntries("ABcDEf")}, g1)
+}
diff --git a/nameserver/nameserver.go b/nameserver/nameserver.go
index 48501db6..5a87fb02 100644
--- a/nameserver/nameserver.go
+++ b/nameserver/nameserver.go
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 package nameserver
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"encoding/gob"
 	"fmt"
-	"sort"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -192,7 +189,6 @@ func (n *Nameserver) Gossip() router.GossipData {
 		Timestamp: now(),
 	}
 	copy(gossip.Entries, n.entries)
-	sort.Sort(CaseSensitive(gossip.Entries))
 	return gossip
 }
 
@@ -202,16 +198,13 @@ func (n *Nameserver) OnGossipUnicast(sender router.PeerName, msg []byte) error {
 
 func (n *Nameserver) receiveGossip(msg []byte) (router.GossipData, router.GossipData, error) {
 	var gossip GossipData
-	if err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(msg)).Decode(&gossip); err != nil {
+	if err := gossip.Decode(msg); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-
 	if delta := gossip.Timestamp - now(); delta > gossipWindow || delta < -gossipWindow {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("clock skew of %d detected", delta)
 	}
 
-	sort.Sort(CaseInsensitive(gossip.Entries))
-
 	n.Lock()
 	defer n.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/nameserver/nameserver_test.go b/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
index dda9f1e5..ccb4857c 100644
--- a/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
+++ b/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (m mapping) Addrs() []address.Address {
 }
 
 func TestNameservers(t *testing.T) {
-	wt.RunWithTimeout(t, time.Minute, func() {
+	wt.RunWithTimeout(t, 2*time.Minute, func() {
 		testNameservers(t)
 	})
 }
@@ -85,8 +85,12 @@ func testNameservers(t *testing.T) {
 	//common.SetLogLevel("debug")
 
 	lookupTimeout := 10 // ms
-	nameservers, grouter := makeNetwork(50)
+	nameservers, grouter := makeNetwork(30)
 	defer stopNetwork(nameservers, grouter)
+	// This subset will sometimes lose touch with some of the others
+	badNameservers := nameservers[25:]
+	// This subset will remain well-connected, and we will deal mainly with them
+	nameservers = nameservers[:25]
 	nameserversByName := map[router.PeerName]*Nameserver{}
 	for _, n := range nameservers {
 		nameserversByName[n.ourName] = n
@@ -110,7 +114,13 @@ func testNameservers(t *testing.T) {
 	addMapping := func() {
 		nameserver := nameservers[rand.Intn(len(nameservers))]
 		addr := address.Address(rand.Int31())
-		hostname := fmt.Sprintf("hostname%d", rand.Int63())
+		// Create a hostname which has some upper and lowercase letters,
+		// and a unique number so we don't have to check if we allocated it already
+		randomBits := rand.Int63()
+		firstLetter := 'H' + (randomBits&1)*32
+		secondLetter := 'O' + (randomBits&2)*16
+		randomBits = randomBits >> 2
+		hostname := fmt.Sprintf("%c%cstname%d", firstLetter, secondLetter, randomBits)
 		mapping := mapping{hostname, []pair{{nameserver.ourName, addr}}}
 		mappings = append(mappings, mapping)
 
@@ -133,6 +143,12 @@ func testNameservers(t *testing.T) {
 		check(nameserver, mapping)
 	}
 
+	loseConnection := func() {
+		nameserver1 := badNameservers[rand.Intn(len(badNameservers))]
+		nameserver2 := nameservers[rand.Intn(len(nameservers))]
+		nameserver1.PeerGone(&router.Peer{Name: nameserver2.ourName})
+	}
+
 	deleteMapping := func() {
 		if len(mappings) <= 0 {
 			return
@@ -183,7 +199,7 @@ func testNameservers(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, mapping.hostname, hostname)
 	}
 
-	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < 800; i++ {
 		r := rand.Float32()
 		switch {
 		case r < 0.1:
@@ -195,7 +211,10 @@ func testNameservers(t *testing.T) {
 		case 0.2 <= r && r < 0.3:
 			deleteMapping()
 
-		case 0.3 <= r && r < 0.9:
+		case 0.3 <= r && r < 0.35:
+			loseConnection()
+
+		case 0.35 <= r && r < 0.9:
 			doLookup()
 
 		case 0.9 <= r:
@@ -245,14 +264,14 @@ func TestTombstoneDeletion(t *testing.T) {
 	err = nameserver.Delete("hostname", "containerid", "", address.Address(0))
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, []address.Address{}, nameserver.Lookup("hostname"))
-	require.Equal(t, Entries{{
+	require.Equal(t, l(Entries{Entry{
 		ContainerID: "containerid",
 		Origin:      peername,
 		Addr:        address.Address(0),
 		Hostname:    "hostname",
 		Version:     1,
 		Tombstone:   1234,
-	}}, nameserver.entries)
+	}}), nameserver.entries)
 
 	now = func() int64 { return 1234 + int64(tombstoneTimeout/time.Second) + 1 }
 	nameserver.deleteTombstones()
diff --git a/testing/gossip/mocks.go b/testing/gossip/mocks.go
index ebc63242..ae5791f1 100644
--- a/testing/gossip/mocks.go
+++ b/testing/gossip/mocks.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ type TestRouterClient struct {
 }
 
 func (grouter *TestRouter) run(sender router.PeerName, gossiper router.Gossiper, gossipChan chan interface{}) {
-	gossipTimer := time.Tick(10 * time.Second)
+	gossipTimer := time.Tick(2 * time.Second)
 	for {
 		select {
 		case gossip := <-gossipChan: