diff --git a/cmd/add_node.go b/cmd/add_node.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ea5f6cd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/add_node.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Molecula Corp. (DBA FeatureBase).
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/featurebasedb/featurebase/v3/ctl"
+	"github.com/featurebasedb/featurebase/v3/logger"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func newAddNodeCommand(logdest logger.Logger) *cobra.Command {
+	c := ctl.NewParquetInfoCommand(logdest)
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "add-node PATH|URL",
+		Short: "Add node to FeatureBase cluster.",
+		Long: `
+Displays schema and sample data from the specified file
+`,
+		Args: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			if len(args) == 0 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("data directory path required")
+			} else if len(args) > 1 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("too many command line arguments")
+			}
+			c.Path = args[0]
+			return nil
+		},
+		RunE: usageErrorWrapper(c),
+	}
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 22f562867..21d7a5e40 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ at https://docs.featurebase.com/.
 	rc.AddCommand(newDataframeCsvLoaderCommand(logdest))
 	rc.AddCommand(newPreSortCommand(logdest))
 	rc.AddCommand(newParquetInfoCommand(logdest))
+	rc.AddCommand(newAddNodeCommand(logdest))
 
 	rc.SetOutput(stderr)
 	return rc
diff --git a/ctl/server.go b/ctl/server.go
index 03261ffc2..28c592d10 100644
--- a/ctl/server.go
+++ b/ctl/server.go
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ func serverFlagSet(srv *server.Config, prefix string) *pflag.FlagSet {
 	flags.StringVar(&srv.Etcd.EtcdHosts, "etcd.etcd-hosts", srv.Etcd.EtcdHosts, "EXPERIMENTAL etcd server host:port comma separated list")
 	flags.MarkHidden("etcd.etcd-hosts") // TODO (twg) expose when ready for public consumption
 
+	flags.StringVar(&srv.Etcd.InitClusterToken, pre("etcd.initial-cluster-token"), srv.Etcd.InitClusterToken, "EXPERIMENTAL unique token for etcd cluster.")
+	flags.StringVar(&srv.Etcd.InitClusterState, pre("etcd.initial-cluster-state"), srv.Etcd.InitClusterState, "EXPERIMENTAL initial cluster state when this node is created.")
+
 	// External postgres database for ExternalLookup
 	flags.StringVar(&srv.LookupDBDSN, pre("lookup-db-dsn"), "", "external (postgres) database DSN to use for ExternalLookup calls")
 
diff --git a/etcd/embed.go b/etcd/embed.go
index 3eefab6ec..b008920f8 100644
--- a/etcd/embed.go
+++ b/etcd/embed.go
@@ -29,16 +29,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Options struct {
-	Name         string `toml:"name"`
-	Dir          string `toml:"dir"`
-	LClientURL   string `toml:"listen-client-url"`
-	AClientURL   string `toml:"advertise-client-url"`
-	LPeerURL     string `toml:"listen-peer-url"`
-	APeerURL     string `toml:"advertise-peer-url"`
-	ClusterURL   string `toml:"cluster-url"`
-	InitCluster  string `toml:"initial-cluster"`
-	ClusterName  string `toml:"cluster-name"`
-	HeartbeatTTL int64  `toml:"heartbeat-ttl"`
+	Name             string `toml:"name"`
+	Dir              string `toml:"dir"`
+	LClientURL       string `toml:"listen-client-url"`
+	AClientURL       string `toml:"advertise-client-url"`
+	LPeerURL         string `toml:"listen-peer-url"`
+	APeerURL         string `toml:"advertise-peer-url"`
+	ClusterURL       string `toml:"cluster-url"`
+	InitCluster      string `toml:"initial-cluster"`
+	InitClusterToken string `toml:"initial-cluster-token"`
+	InitClusterState string `toml:"initial-cluster-state"`
+	ClusterName      string `toml:"cluster-name"`
+	HeartbeatTTL     int64  `toml:"heartbeat-ttl"`
+
 	// TLS provided tls files
 	TrustedCAFile  string `toml:"tls-trusted-cafile"`
 	ClientCertFile string `toml:"tls-cert-file"`
@@ -388,14 +391,21 @@ func (e *Etcd) parseOptions() (*embed.Config, error) {
 			// %% end sonarcloud ignore %%
 		}
 		cfg.InitialCluster = e.options.InitCluster
-		cfg.ClusterState = embed.ClusterStateFlagNew
+		if e.options.InitClusterState != embed.ClusterStateFlagNew && e.options.InitClusterState != embed.ClusterStateFlagExisting {
+			return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("embed: initial cluster state must be %s or %s", embed.ClusterStateFlagNew, embed.ClusterStateFlagExisting))
+		} else {
+			cfg.ClusterState = e.options.InitClusterState
+		}
 	} else {
 		cfg.InitialCluster = cfg.Name + "=" + e.options.APeerURL
 	}
 
-	if e.options.ClusterURL != "" {
-		return nil, errors.New("joining an existing cluster is unsupported")
-	}
+	/*
+		if e.options.ClusterURL != "" {
+			return nil, errors.New("joining an existing cluster is unsupported")
+		}
+	*/
+
 	// can only use tls if not using pre-configured listeners
 	cfg.ClientTLSInfo = transport.TLSInfo{
 		TrustedCAFile: e.options.TrustedCAFile,
@@ -415,11 +425,20 @@ func (e *Etcd) parseOptions() (*embed.Config, error) {
 
 // Start starts etcd and hearbeat
 func (e *Etcd) Start(ctx context.Context) (_ disco.InitialClusterState, err error) {
+	// starting etcd service embeded in featurebase
+
 	opts, err := e.parseOptions()
 	if err != nil {
 		return disco.InitialClusterStateNew, err
 	}
+
 	state := disco.InitialClusterState(opts.ClusterState)
+	if state == embed.ClusterStateFlagNew {
+		e.logger.Infof("Starting new cluster")
+	} else {
+		e.logger.Infof("Starting a node which will be added to an existing cluster")
+	}
+
 	// create a context that can be used for our watch processes, etcetera.
 	e.childContext, e.childCancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	if e.options.EtcdHosts != "" {
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 34c759b04..ad33a65a7 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -625,8 +625,13 @@ func (s *Server) Open() error {
 	}
 	// I'm pretty sure this can't happen, because the path that would have led to it
 	// happening now generates an error already, but let's be careful.
+	/*
+		if initState == disco.InitialClusterStateExisting {
+			return errors.New("disco reports existing cluster, but this is not supported")
+		}
+	*/
 	if initState == disco.InitialClusterStateExisting {
-		return errors.New("disco reports existing cluster, but this is not supported")
+		s.logger.Infof("trying to join an existing cluster")
 	}
 
 	// Set node ID.