diff --git a/src/client/transport/local.ts b/src/client/transport/local.ts
index 9a64de74f..a82b0bcb5 100644
--- a/src/client/transport/local.ts
+++ b/src/client/transport/local.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ import type {
   State,
 } from '../../types';
 import { getFilterPlayerView } from '../../master/filter-player-view';
+import { createMatch } from '../../server/util';
+import * as StorageAPI from '../../server/db/base';
 
 /**
  * Returns null if it is not a bot's turn.
@@ -63,6 +65,40 @@ export class LocalMaster extends Master {
     callback: (data: TransportData) => void
   ) => void;
 
+  async onSync(
+    matchID: string,
+    playerID: string | null | undefined,
+    credentials?: string,
+    numPlayers = 2
+  ): Promise<void | { error: string }> {
+    // If the game doesn't exist, then create one on demand.
+    // TODO: Move this out of the sync call.
+    const match = createMatch({
+      game: this.game,
+      unlisted: true,
+      numPlayers: numPlayers,
+      setupData: undefined,
+    });
+
+    if ('setupDataError' in match) {
+      return { error: 'game requires setupData' };
+    }
+
+    const state = match.initialState;
+    const initialState = state;
+    const metadata = match.metadata;
+
+    this.subscribeCallback({ state, matchID });
+
+    if (StorageAPI.isSynchronous(this.storageAPI)) {
+      this.storageAPI.createMatch(matchID, { initialState, metadata });
+    } else {
+      await this.storageAPI.createMatch(matchID, { initialState, metadata });
+    }
+
+    super.onSync(matchID, playerID, credentials, numPlayers);
+  }
+
   constructor({ game, bots, storageKey, persist }: LocalMasterOpts) {
     const clientCallbacks: Record<PlayerID, (data: TransportData) => void> = {};
     const initializedBots = {};
diff --git a/src/master/master.ts b/src/master/master.ts
index c17e003d9..76a97f6c4 100644
--- a/src/master/master.ts
+++ b/src/master/master.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import type {
   PlayerID,
   ChatMessage,
 } from '../types';
-import { createMatch } from '../server/util';
 import type { Auth } from '../server/auth';
 import * as StorageAPI from '../server/db/base';
 import type { Operation } from 'rfc6902';
@@ -336,7 +335,7 @@ export class Master {
       ? this.storageAPI.fetch(key, fetchOpts)
       : await this.storageAPI.fetch(key, fetchOpts);
 
-    let { state, initialState, log, metadata } = fetchResult;
+    const { state, initialState, log, metadata } = fetchResult;
 
     if (this.auth && playerID !== undefined && playerID !== null) {
       const isAuthentic = await this.auth.authenticateCredentials({
@@ -349,32 +348,6 @@ export class Master {
       }
     }
 
-    // If the game doesn't exist, then create one on demand.
-    // TODO: Move this out of the sync call.
-    if (state === undefined) {
-      const match = createMatch({
-        game: this.game,
-        unlisted: true,
-        numPlayers,
-        setupData: undefined,
-      });
-
-      if ('setupDataError' in match) {
-        return { error: 'game requires setupData' };
-      }
-
-      initialState = state = match.initialState;
-      metadata = match.metadata;
-
-      this.subscribeCallback({ state, matchID });
-
-      if (StorageAPI.isSynchronous(this.storageAPI)) {
-        this.storageAPI.createMatch(key, { initialState, metadata });
-      } else {
-        await this.storageAPI.createMatch(key, { initialState, metadata });
-      }
-    }
-
     const filteredMetadata = metadata ? filterMatchData(metadata) : undefined;
 
     const syncInfo: SyncInfo = {