diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/db/matches.rs b/planetwars-server/src/db/matches.rs
index 6ec1389..54fd113 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/db/matches.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/db/matches.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub struct NewMatchPlayer {
     /// player id within the match
     pub player_id: i32,
     /// id of the bot behind this player
-    pub code_bundle_id: i32,
+    pub code_bundle_id: Option<i32>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Queryable, Identifiable)]
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub struct MatchPlayer {
 }
 
 pub struct MatchPlayerData {
-    pub code_bundle_id: i32,
+    pub code_bundle_id: Option<i32>,
 }
 
 pub fn create_match(
diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/modules/matches.rs b/planetwars-server/src/modules/matches.rs
index a254bac..6d9261d 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/modules/matches.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/modules/matches.rs
@@ -16,32 +16,54 @@ use crate::{
 
 const PYTHON_IMAGE: &str = "python:3.10-slim-buster";
 
-pub struct RunMatch<'a> {
+pub struct RunMatch {
     log_file_name: String,
-    player_code_bundles: Vec<&'a db::bots::CodeBundle>,
+    players: Vec<MatchPlayer>,
     match_id: Option<i32>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> RunMatch<'a> {
-    pub fn from_players(player_code_bundles: Vec<&'a db::bots::CodeBundle>) -> Self {
+pub struct MatchPlayer {
+    bot_spec: Box<dyn BotSpec>,
+    // meta that will be passed on to database
+    code_bundle_id: Option<i32>,
+}
+
+impl MatchPlayer {
+    pub fn from_code_bundle(code_bundle: &db::bots::CodeBundle) -> Self {
+        MatchPlayer {
+            bot_spec: code_bundle_to_botspec(code_bundle),
+            code_bundle_id: Some(code_bundle.id),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_bot_spec(bot_spec: Box<dyn BotSpec>) -> Self {
+        MatchPlayer {
+            bot_spec,
+            code_bundle_id: None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl RunMatch {
+    pub fn from_players(players: Vec<MatchPlayer>) -> Self {
         let log_file_name = format!("{}.log", gen_alphanumeric(16));
         RunMatch {
             log_file_name,
-            player_code_bundles,
+            players,
             match_id: None,
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn runner_config(&self) -> runner::MatchConfig {
+    pub fn into_runner_config(self) -> runner::MatchConfig {
         runner::MatchConfig {
             map_path: PathBuf::from(MAPS_DIR).join("hex.json"),
             map_name: "hex".to_string(),
             log_path: PathBuf::from(MATCHES_DIR).join(&self.log_file_name),
             players: self
-                .player_code_bundles
-                .iter()
-                .map(|b| runner::MatchPlayer {
-                    bot_spec: code_bundle_to_botspec(b),
+                .players
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|player| runner::MatchPlayer {
+                    bot_spec: player.bot_spec,
                 })
                 .collect(),
         }
@@ -56,10 +78,10 @@ impl<'a> RunMatch<'a> {
             log_path: &self.log_file_name,
         };
         let new_match_players = self
-            .player_code_bundles
+            .players
             .iter()
-            .map(|b| db::matches::MatchPlayerData {
-                code_bundle_id: b.id,
+            .map(|p| db::matches::MatchPlayerData {
+                code_bundle_id: p.code_bundle_id,
             })
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
@@ -70,7 +92,7 @@ impl<'a> RunMatch<'a> {
 
     pub fn spawn(self, pool: ConnectionPool) -> JoinHandle<MatchOutcome> {
         let match_id = self.match_id.expect("match must be saved before running");
-        let runner_config = self.runner_config();
+        let runner_config = self.into_runner_config();
         tokio::spawn(run_match_task(pool, runner_config, match_id))
     }
 }
diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/modules/ranking.rs b/planetwars-server/src/modules/ranking.rs
index f76fbae..d83debb 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/modules/ranking.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/modules/ranking.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::{db::bots::Bot, DbPool};
 
 use crate::db;
-use crate::modules::matches::RunMatch;
+use crate::modules::matches::{MatchPlayer, RunMatch};
 use rand::seq::SliceRandom;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tokio;
@@ -43,9 +43,12 @@ async fn play_ranking_match(selected_bots: Vec<Bot>, db_pool: DbPool) {
         code_bundles.push(code_bundle);
     }
 
-    let code_bundle_refs = code_bundles.iter().map(|b| b).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let players = code_bundles
+        .iter()
+        .map(MatchPlayer::from_code_bundle)
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
-    let mut run_match = RunMatch::from_players(code_bundle_refs);
+    let mut run_match = RunMatch::from_players(players);
     run_match
         .store_in_database(&db_conn)
         .expect("could not store match in db");
diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/routes/demo.rs b/planetwars-server/src/routes/demo.rs
index 3318dfd..33dc02d 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/routes/demo.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/routes/demo.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::db;
 use crate::db::matches::{FullMatchData, FullMatchPlayerData};
 use crate::modules::bots::save_code_bundle;
-use crate::modules::matches::RunMatch;
+use crate::modules::matches::{MatchPlayer, RunMatch};
 use crate::ConnectionPool;
 use axum::extract::Extension;
 use axum::Json;
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ pub async fn submit_bot(
         // TODO: can we recover from this?
         .expect("could not save bot code");
 
-    let mut run_match = RunMatch::from_players(vec![&player_code_bundle, &opponent_code_bundle]);
+    let mut run_match = RunMatch::from_players(vec![
+        MatchPlayer::from_code_bundle(&player_code_bundle),
+        MatchPlayer::from_code_bundle(&opponent_code_bundle),
+    ]);
     let match_data = run_match
         .store_in_database(&conn)
         .expect("failed to save match");
diff --git a/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs b/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
index 7169ebe..874c775 100644
--- a/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
+++ b/planetwars-server/src/routes/matches.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ pub async fn play_match(
         });
 
         bot_ids.push(matches::MatchPlayerData {
-            code_bundle_id: code_bundle.id,
+            code_bundle_id: Some(code_bundle.id),
         });
     }