diff --git a/NetworkClient.cpp b/NetworkClient.cpp
index 52389aac..9ea9a3b3 100644
--- a/NetworkClient.cpp
+++ b/NetworkClient.cpp
@@ -593,6 +593,12 @@ void NetworkClient::ProcessReply_ControllerData(unsigned int data_size, char * d
 
         new_controller->ReadDeviceDescription((unsigned char *)data, GetProtocolVersion());
 
+        /*-----------------------------------------------------*\
+        | Mark this controller as remote owned                  |
+        \*-----------------------------------------------------*/
+        new_controller->flags &= ~CONTROLLER_FLAG_LOCAL;
+        new_controller->flags |= CONTROLLER_FLAG_REMOTE;
+
         ControllerListMutex.lock();
 
         if(dev_idx >= server_controllers.size())
diff --git a/NetworkProtocol.h b/NetworkProtocol.h
index 05fe1bb1..b8973954 100644
--- a/NetworkProtocol.h
+++ b/NetworkProtocol.h
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
 |   2:      Add profile controls (Release 0.6)                          |
 |   3:      Add brightness field to modes (Release 0.7)                 |
 |   4:      Add segments field to zones, network plugins (Release 0.9)  |
-|   5:      Zone flags, resizable effects-only zones (Release 1.0)      |
+|   5:      Zone flags, controller flags, resizable effects-only zones  |
+                (Release 1.0)                                           |
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 #define OPENRGB_SDK_PROTOCOL_VERSION    5
 
diff --git a/RGBController/RGBController.cpp b/RGBController/RGBController.cpp
index 84d653d3..a67fa86f 100644
--- a/RGBController/RGBController.cpp
+++ b/RGBController/RGBController.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ zone::~zone()
 
 RGBController::RGBController()
 {
+    flags       = 0;
     DeviceThreadRunning = true;
     DeviceCallThread = new std::thread(&RGBController::DeviceCallThreadFunction, this);
 }
@@ -288,6 +289,14 @@ unsigned char * RGBController::GetDeviceDescription(unsigned int protocol_versio
         }
     }
 
+    /*---------------------------------------------------------*\
+    | Controller flags                                          |
+    \*---------------------------------------------------------*/
+    if(protocol_version >= 5)
+    {
+        data_size += sizeof(flags);
+    }
+
     data_size += sizeof(num_colors);
     data_size += num_colors * sizeof(RGBColor);
 
@@ -731,6 +740,15 @@ unsigned char * RGBController::GetDeviceDescription(unsigned int protocol_versio
         }
     }
 
+    /*---------------------------------------------------------*\
+    | Controller flags data                                     |
+    \*---------------------------------------------------------*/
+    if(protocol_version >= 5)
+    {
+        memcpy(&data_buf[data_ptr], &flags, sizeof(flags));
+        data_ptr += sizeof(flags);
+    }
+
     delete[] mode_name_len;
     delete[] zone_name_len;
     delete[] led_name_len;
@@ -1188,6 +1206,15 @@ void RGBController::ReadDeviceDescription(unsigned char* data_buf, unsigned int
         }
     }
 
+    /*---------------------------------------------------------*\
+    | Copy in controller flags data                             |
+    \*---------------------------------------------------------*/
+    if(protocol_version >= 5)
+    {
+        memcpy(&flags, &data_buf[data_ptr], sizeof(flags));
+        data_ptr += sizeof(flags);
+    }
+
     /*---------------------------------------------------------*\
     | Setup colors                                              |
     \*---------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -2090,13 +2117,29 @@ void RGBController::DeviceCallThreadFunction()
     {
         if(CallFlag_UpdateMode.load() == true)
         {
-            DeviceUpdateMode();
-            CallFlag_UpdateMode = false;
+            if(flags & CONTROLLER_FLAG_RESET_BEFORE_UPDATE)
+            {
+                CallFlag_UpdateMode = false;
+                DeviceUpdateMode();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                DeviceUpdateMode();
+                CallFlag_UpdateMode = false;
+            }
         }
         if(CallFlag_UpdateLEDs.load() == true)
         {
-            DeviceUpdateLEDs();
-            CallFlag_UpdateLEDs = false;
+            if(flags & CONTROLLER_FLAG_RESET_BEFORE_UPDATE)
+            {
+                CallFlag_UpdateLEDs = false;
+                DeviceUpdateLEDs();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                DeviceUpdateLEDs();
+                CallFlag_UpdateLEDs = false;
+            }
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/RGBController/RGBController.h b/RGBController/RGBController.h
index b016b561..939f77c3 100644
--- a/RGBController/RGBController.h
+++ b/RGBController/RGBController.h
@@ -215,6 +215,19 @@ enum
     DEVICE_TYPE_UNKNOWN,
 };
 
+/*------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+| Controller Flags                                                   |
+\*------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+enum
+{
+    CONTROLLER_FLAG_LOCAL               = (1 << 0), /* Device is local to this instance */
+    CONTROLLER_FLAG_REMOTE              = (1 << 1), /* Device is on a remote instance   */
+    CONTROLLER_FLAG_VIRTUAL             = (1 << 2), /* Device is a virtual device       */
+
+    CONTROLLER_FLAG_RESET_BEFORE_UPDATE = (1 << 8), /* Device resets update flag before */
+                                                    /* calling update function          */
+};
+
 /*------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 | RGBController Callback Types                                       |
 \*------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -313,6 +326,7 @@ public:
     int                     active_mode = 0;/* active mode              */
     std::vector<std::string>
                             led_alt_names;  /* alternate LED names      */
+    unsigned int            flags;          /* controller flags         */
 
     /*---------------------------------------------------------*\
     | RGBController base class constructor                      |
diff --git a/ResourceManager.cpp b/ResourceManager.cpp
index b76e825b..d06c4739 100644
--- a/ResourceManager.cpp
+++ b/ResourceManager.cpp
@@ -255,6 +255,12 @@ std::vector<i2c_smbus_interface*> & ResourceManager::GetI2CBusses()
 
 void ResourceManager::RegisterRGBController(RGBController *rgb_controller)
 {
+    /*-------------------------------------------------*\
+    | Mark this controller as locally owned             |
+    \*-------------------------------------------------*/
+    rgb_controller->flags &= ~CONTROLLER_FLAG_REMOTE;
+    rgb_controller->flags |= CONTROLLER_FLAG_LOCAL;
+
     LOG_INFO("[%s] Registering RGB controller", rgb_controller->name.c_str());
     rgb_controllers_hw.push_back(rgb_controller);