Game mode doesn't get saved in LAN

I was playing on a LAN in peaceful difficulty, creative mode, flying in mid-air, when I suddenly I lost connection to the server. I logged back in, and was immediately in survival mode. I tried to switch back to creative, but while I was typing the command, I fell (from mid-air--remember, I had been flying before the disconnect) and died.

Two possible solutions:
1. User can set default game mode that persists in the event of a crash or server disconnect.
2. Game mode is saved each time it is changed, and that setting persists in the event of a crash or server disconnect.