diff --git a/src/lobby/react.js b/src/lobby/react.js
index b4de722a1..4e4c86a44 100644
--- a/src/lobby/react.js
+++ b/src/lobby/react.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import React from 'react';
 import Cookies from 'react-cookies';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { Client } from '../client/react';
+import { MCTSBot } from '../ai/mcts-bot';
+import { Local } from '../client/transport/local';
 import { SocketIO } from '../client/transport/socketio';
 import { LobbyConnection } from './connection';
 import LobbyLoginForm from './login-form';
@@ -188,6 +190,15 @@ class Lobby extends React.Component {
       }
     }
 
+    if (gameOpts.numPlayers == 1) {
+      const maxPlayers = gameCode.game.maxPlayers;
+      let bots = {};
+      for (let i = 1; i < maxPlayers; i++) {
+        bots[i + ''] = MCTSBot;
+      }
+      multiplayer = Local({ bots });
+    }
+
     const app = this.props.clientFactory({
       game: gameCode.game,
       board: gameCode.board,
@@ -198,7 +209,7 @@ class Lobby extends React.Component {
     const game = {
       app: app,
       gameID: gameOpts.gameID,
-      playerID: gameOpts.numPlayers > 1 ? gameOpts.playerID : null,
+      playerID: gameOpts.numPlayers > 1 ? gameOpts.playerID : '0',
       credentials: this.connection.playerCredentials,
     };
 
diff --git a/src/lobby/react.test.js b/src/lobby/react.test.js
index a2a3615cc..b7cd9e39d 100644
--- a/src/lobby/react.test.js
+++ b/src/lobby/react.test.js
@@ -443,8 +443,9 @@ describe('lobby', () => {
           .simulate('click');
         expect(lobby.instance().state.runningGame).toEqual({
           app: NullComponent,
+          credentials: undefined,
           gameID: 'gameID2',
-          playerID: null,
+          playerID: '0',
         });
       });