diff --git a/app/src/firebase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/firebase/FirebaseMain.java b/app/src/firebase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/firebase/FirebaseMain.java
index 433d43e..b9e9fe2 100644
--- a/app/src/firebase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/firebase/FirebaseMain.java
+++ b/app/src/firebase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/firebase/FirebaseMain.java
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec) {
-        mTodoLists.push().setValue(listSpec);
+    public String addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec) {
+        Firebase newListItem = mTodoLists.push();
+        newListItem.setValue(listSpec);
+        return newListItem.getKey();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/MainActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/MainActivity.java
index 520816c..113fc17 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/MainActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/MainActivity.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.os.Handler;
 import android.support.annotation.VisibleForTesting;
 import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
 import android.support.v7.widget.helper.ItemTouchHelper;
@@ -49,11 +50,7 @@
             @Override
             public void onClick(View view) {
                 String fbKey = (String)view.getTag();
-
-                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, TodoListActivity.class);
-                intent.putExtra(INTENT_SNACKOO_KEY, fbKey);
-                startActivity(intent);
-                overridePendingTransition(R.anim.right_slide_in, R.anim.left_slide_out);
+                enterList(fbKey);
             }
         });
 
@@ -119,7 +116,7 @@
                 // probably better just to rebind.
                 TodoListViewHolder vh = (TodoListViewHolder) mRecyclerView
                         .findViewHolderForAdapterPosition(end);
-                if (vh.itemView.getAlpha() < 1) {
+                if (vh != null && vh.itemView.getAlpha() < 1) {
                     mAdapter.bindViewHolder(vh, end);
                 } else {
                     mAdapter.notifyItemChanged(end);
@@ -140,11 +137,25 @@
         UIUtil.showAddDialog(this, "New Todo List", new UIUtil.DialogResponseListener() {
             @Override
             public void handleResponse(String response) {
-                mPersistence.addTodoList(new ListSpec(response));
+                String newKey = mPersistence.addTodoList(new ListSpec(response));
+                enterList(newKey);
             }
         });
     }
 
+    private void enterList(final String listKey) {
+        new Handler().postDelayed(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+
+                Intent intent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, TodoListActivity.class);
+                intent.putExtra(INTENT_SNACKOO_KEY, listKey);
+                startActivity(intent);
+                overridePendingTransition(R.anim.right_slide_in, R.anim.left_slide_out);
+            }
+        }, 100); // Use a short delay to allow the keyboard to disappear.
+    }
+
     // The following methods are boilerplate for handling the Menu in the top right corner.
     @Override
     public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/persistence/MainPersistence.java b/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/persistence/MainPersistence.java
index 11327e2..e078ea3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/persistence/MainPersistence.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/v/todos/persistence/MainPersistence.java
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@
 import io.v.todos.model.ListSpec;
 
 public interface MainPersistence extends Persistence {
-    void addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec);
+    String addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec);
     void deleteTodoList(String key);
 }
diff --git a/app/src/mock/java/io/v/todos/persistence/PersistenceFactory.java b/app/src/mock/java/io/v/todos/persistence/PersistenceFactory.java
index 253b2d1..f3da934 100644
--- a/app/src/mock/java/io/v/todos/persistence/PersistenceFactory.java
+++ b/app/src/mock/java/io/v/todos/persistence/PersistenceFactory.java
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
 
     static class MockMainPersistence implements MainPersistence {
         @Override
-        public void addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec) {
+        public String addTodoList(ListSpec listSpec) {
+            return "";
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/app/src/syncbase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/syncbase/SyncbaseMain.java b/app/src/syncbase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/syncbase/SyncbaseMain.java
index eb8d410..4534380 100644
--- a/app/src/syncbase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/syncbase/SyncbaseMain.java
+++ b/app/src/syncbase/java/io/v/todos/persistence/syncbase/SyncbaseMain.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     private static final String
             TAG = SyncbaseMain.class.getSimpleName();
 
-    private static int DEFAULT_MAX_JOIN_ATTEMPTS = 5;
+    private static int DEFAULT_MAX_JOIN_ATTEMPTS = 10;
 
     private final IdGenerator mIdGenerator = new IdGenerator(IdAlphabets.COLLECTION_ID, true);
     private final Map<String, MainListTracker> mTaskTrackers = new HashMap<>();
@@ -108,31 +108,24 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void addTodoList(final ListSpec listSpec) {
+    public String addTodoList(final ListSpec listSpec) {
         final String listName = LISTS_PREFIX + mIdGenerator.generateTailId();
         final Collection listCollection = getDatabase().getCollection(getVContext(), listName);
 
-        // TODO(alexfandrianto): Syncgroup creation is slow if you specify a cloud and are offline.
-        // We'll try to connect to the cloud and then time out our RPC. The error is swallowed, so
-        // we'll just think there's a blank space of time. Maybe we should just write to these
-        // collections anyway. If https://github.com/vanadium/issues/issues/1326 is done, however,
-        // we won't need to change this code.
         Futures.addCallback(listCollection.create(getVContext(), null),
                 new SyncTrappingCallback<Void>() {
                     @Override
                     public void onSuccess(@Nullable Void result) {
-                        Futures.addCallback(createListSyncgroup(listCollection.id()),
-                                new SyncTrappingCallback<Void>() {
-                                    @Override
-                                    public void onSuccess(@Nullable Void result) {
-                                        // These can happen in either order.
-                                        trap(rememberTodoList(listName));
-                                        trap(listCollection.put(getVContext(),
-                                                SyncbaseTodoList.LIST_METADATA_ROW_NAME, listSpec));
-                                    }
-                                });
+                        // These can happen in any order.
+                        trap(listCollection.put(getVContext(),
+                                SyncbaseTodoList.LIST_METADATA_ROW_NAME, listSpec));
+                        trap(rememberTodoList(listName));
+                        // TODO(alexfandrianto): Syncgroup creation is slow if you specify a cloud
+                        // and are offline. https://github.com/vanadium/issues/issues/1326
+                        trap(createListSyncgroup(listCollection.id()));
                     }
                 });
+        return listName;
     }
 
     private ListenableFuture<SyncgroupSpec> joinListSyncgroup(String listId, String ownerBlessing) {