diff --git a/codes/connection-manager.h b/codes/connection-manager.h
index 69916b2cf5a0cb59b632e164d68863ff535d7aa0..64e6b86860686194b52bdc0fac8293292ba09a07 100644
--- a/codes/connection-manager.h
+++ b/codes/connection-manager.h
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ class ConnectionManager {
 
     map< int, Connection > _portMap; //Mapper for ports to connections
 
-    set< int > _other_groups_i_connect_to;
+    vector< int > _other_groups_i_connect_to;
+    set< int > _other_groups_i_connect_to_set;
 
     // map< int, vector< Connection > > intermediateRouterToGroupMap; //maps group id to list of routers that connect to it.
     //                                                                //ex: intermediateRouterToGroupMap[3] returns a vector
@@ -200,6 +201,11 @@ public:
      */
     vector< int > get_connected_group_ids();
 
+    /**
+    *
+    */
+    void solidify_connections();
+
     /**
      * @brief prints out the state of the connection manager
      */
@@ -265,7 +271,7 @@ void ConnectionManager::add_connection(int dest_gid, ConnectionType type)
     }
 
     if(conn.dest_group_id != conn.src_group_id)
-        _other_groups_i_connect_to.insert(conn.dest_group_id);
+        _other_groups_i_connect_to_set.insert(conn.dest_group_id);
 
     _portMap[conn.port] = conn;
 }
@@ -449,15 +455,19 @@ vector< Connection > ConnectionManager::get_connections_by_type(ConnectionType t
 
 vector< int > ConnectionManager::get_connected_group_ids()
 {
-    vector< int > retVec;
+    return _other_groups_i_connect_to;
+}
+
+void ConnectionManager::solidify_connections()
+{
     set< int >::iterator it;
-    for(it = _other_groups_i_connect_to.begin(); it != _other_groups_i_connect_to.end(); it++)
+    for(it = _other_groups_i_connect_to_set.begin(); it != _other_groups_i_connect_to_set.end(); it++)
     {
-        retVec.push_back(*it);
+        _other_groups_i_connect_to.push_back(*it);
     }
-    return retVec;
 }
 
+
 void ConnectionManager::print_connections()
 {
     printf("Connections for Router: %d ---------------------------------------\n",_source_id_global);
diff --git a/src/networks/model-net/dragonfly-plus.C b/src/networks/model-net/dragonfly-plus.C
index 7fcad3aeef2253b49693e05ff5bbbebeb47bb124..b6c0a2e03cec1aad2b86fcecb418bbdd0652825d 100644
--- a/src/networks/model-net/dragonfly-plus.C
+++ b/src/networks/model-net/dragonfly-plus.C
@@ -1261,6 +1261,9 @@ void router_plus_setup(router_state *r, tw_lp *lp)
         }
     }
 
+    if (r->dfp_router_type == SPINE)
+        r->connMan->solidify_connections();
+
     return;
 }