diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index bea266a763..b5f4e11dab 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -5,19 +5,34 @@ var adler32 = require('adler32');
 
 var Rx = require('rx'),
     _ = require('lodash'),
+    utils = require('../server/utils'),
     getChallenges = require('./getChallenges'),
     app = require('../server/server');
 
 
+var dasherize = utils.dasherize;
+var nameify = utils.nameify;
+var Observable = Rx.Observable;
 var Challenge = app.models.Challenge;
-var destroy = Rx.Observable.fromNodeCallback(Challenge.destroyAll, Challenge);
-var create = Rx.Observable.fromNodeCallback(Challenge.create, Challenge);
 
-destroy()
-  .flatMap(function() { return Rx.Observable.from(getChallenges()); })
+var destroyChallenges =
+  Observable.fromNodeCallback(Challenge.destroyAll, Challenge);
+var createChallenges =
+  Observable.fromNodeCallback(Challenge.create, Challenge);
+
+var Block = app.models.Block;
+var destroyBlocks = Observable.fromNodeCallback(Block.destroyAll, Block);
+var createBlocks = Observable.fromNodeCallback(Block.create, Block);
+
+Observable.combineLatest(
+  destroyChallenges(),
+  destroyBlocks()
+)
+  .last()
+  .flatMap(function() { return Observable.from(getChallenges()); })
   .flatMap(function(challengeSpec) {
     var order = challengeSpec.order;
-    var block = challengeSpec.name;
+    var blockName = challengeSpec.name;
     var superBlock = challengeSpec.superBlock;
     var superOrder = challengeSpec.superOrder;
     var isBeta = !!challengeSpec.isBeta;
@@ -25,48 +40,62 @@ destroy()
     var fileName = challengeSpec.fileName;
     var helpRoom = challengeSpec.helpRoom || 'Help';
 
-    console.log('parsed %s successfully', block);
+    console.log('parsed %s successfully', blockName);
 
     // challenge file has no challenges...
     if (challengeSpec.challenges.length === 0) {
-      return Rx.Observable.just([{ block: 'empty ' + block }]);
+      return Rx.Observable.just([{ block: 'empty ' + blockName }]);
     }
 
-    var challenges = challengeSpec.challenges
-      .map(function(challenge, index) {
-        challenge.name = challenge.title.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s]/g, '');
+    var block = {
+      title: blockName,
+      name: nameify(blockName),
+      dashedName: dasherize(blockName),
+      superOrder: superOrder,
+      superBlock: superBlock,
+      order: order
+    };
 
-        challenge.dashedName = challenge.name
-          .toLowerCase()
-          .replace(/\:/g, '')
-          .replace(/\s/g, '-');
+    return createBlocks(block)
+      .map(block => {
+        console.log('successfully created %s block', block.name);
 
-        challenge.checksum = adler32.sum(
-          Buffer(challenge.title +
-            JSON.stringify(challenge.description) +
-            JSON.stringify(challenge.challengeSeed) +
-            JSON.stringify(challenge.tests)));
+        return challengeSpec.challenges
+          .map(function(challenge, index) {
+            challenge.name = nameify(challenge.title);
 
-        challenge.fileName = fileName;
-        challenge.helpRoom = helpRoom;
-        challenge.order = order;
-        challenge.suborder = index + 1;
-        challenge.block = block;
-        challenge.isBeta = challenge.isBeta || isBeta;
-        challenge.isComingSoon = challenge.isComingSoon || isComingSoon;
-        challenge.time = challengeSpec.time;
-        challenge.superOrder = superOrder;
-        challenge.superBlock = superBlock
-          .split('-')
-          .map(function(word) {
-            return _.capitalize(word);
-          })
-          .join(' ');
+            challenge.dashedName = dasherize(challenge.name);
 
-        return challenge;
-      });
+            challenge.checksum = adler32.sum(
+              Buffer(
+                challenge.title +
+                JSON.stringify(challenge.description) +
+                JSON.stringify(challenge.challengeSeed) +
+                JSON.stringify(challenge.tests)
+              )
+            );
 
-    return create(challenges);
+            challenge.fileName = fileName;
+            challenge.helpRoom = helpRoom;
+            challenge.order = order;
+            challenge.suborder = index + 1;
+            challenge.block = blockName;
+            challenge.blockId = block.id;
+            challenge.isBeta = challenge.isBeta || isBeta;
+            challenge.isComingSoon = challenge.isComingSoon || isComingSoon;
+            challenge.time = challengeSpec.time;
+            challenge.superOrder = superOrder;
+            challenge.superBlock = superBlock
+              .split('-')
+              .map(function(word) {
+                return _.capitalize(word);
+              })
+              .join(' ');
+
+            return challenge;
+          });
+      })
+      .flatMap(challenges => createChallenges(challenges));
   })
   .subscribe(
     function(challenges) {