diff --git a/client/src/MediaControl.tsx b/client/src/MediaControl.tsx
index 038befe..5e52c74 100644
--- a/client/src/MediaControl.tsx
+++ b/client/src/MediaControl.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import WebRTCStatus from "./WebRTCStatus";
 
 const debug = true;
 // When true, do not send host candidates to the signaling server. Keeps TURN relays preferred.
-const FILTER_HOST_CANDIDATES = true;
+const FILTER_HOST_CANDIDATES = false; // Temporarily disabled to test direct connections
 
 /* ---------- Synthetic Tracks Helpers ---------- */
 
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
   const [media, setMedia] = useState<MediaStream | null>(null);
   const [pendingPeers, setPendingPeers] = useState<AddPeerConfig[]>([]);
 
+  // Extract has_media value to avoid unnecessary effect re-runs when session object changes
+  const localUserHasMedia = session?.has_media !== false; // Default to true for backward compatibility
+
   // Refs for singleton resources
   const mediaStreamRef = useRef<MediaStream | null>(null);
   const connectionsRef = useRef<Map<string, RTCPeerConnection>>(new Map());
@@ -454,7 +457,7 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
 
       // Create RTCPeerConnection
       const connection = new RTCPeerConnection({
-        iceTransportPolicy: "relay",
+        iceTransportPolicy: "all", // Allow both direct and relay connections
         iceServers: [
           { urls: "stun:ketrenos.com:3478" },
           {
@@ -462,6 +465,9 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
             username: "ketra",
             credential: "ketran",
           },
+          // DO NOT add Google's public STUN server as fallback; if ketrenos.com STUN/TURN fails,
+          // this is an infrastructure failure that must be resolved (not silently bypassed).
+          // { urls: "stun:stun.l.google.com:19302" },
         ],
       });
 
@@ -552,13 +558,42 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
         updatePeerConnectionState(peer_id, connection.connectionState);
 
         if (connection.connectionState === "failed") {
+          console.error(`media-agent - addPeer:${peer.peer_name} Connection failed for`, peer.peer_name);
+          
+          // Immediate cleanup of failed connection
+          connectionsRef.current.delete(peer_id);
+          makingOfferRef.current.delete(peer_id);
+          isNegotiatingRef.current.delete(peer_id);
+          initiatedOfferRef.current.delete(peer_id);
+          
+          // Clean up the peer from state
+          setPeers((prevPeers) => {
+            const updated = { ...prevPeers };
+            delete updated[peer_id];
+            return updated;
+          });
+          
+          // Close the connection
+          try {
+            connection.close();
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.warn(`media-agent - Error closing failed connection:`, e);
+          }
+        } else if (connection.connectionState === "disconnected") {
+          console.warn(`media-agent - addPeer:${peer.peer_name} Connection disconnected for`, peer.peer_name, "- may recover");
+          
+          // Set a timeout for disconnected state recovery
           setTimeout(() => {
-            if (connection.connectionState === "failed") {
-              console.log(`media-agent - addPeer:${peer.peer_name} Cleaning up failed connection for`, peer.peer_name);
+            if (connection.connectionState === "disconnected" || connection.connectionState === "failed") {
+              console.log(`media-agent - addPeer:${peer.peer_name} Connection did not recover, cleaning up`);
               connectionsRef.current.delete(peer_id);
-              // You might want to trigger a reconnection attempt here
             }
-          }, 5000);
+          }, 10000); // Give 10 seconds for recovery
+        } else if (connection.connectionState === "connected") {
+          console.log(`media-agent - addPeer:${peer.peer_name} Connection established successfully`);
+          // Clear any negotiation flags on successful connection
+          isNegotiatingRef.current.set(peer_id, false);
+          makingOfferRef.current.set(peer_id, false);
         }
       });
 
@@ -677,8 +712,36 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
           connection.iceConnectionState,
           event
         );
+
         if (connection.iceConnectionState === "failed") {
-          console.log("media-agent - ICE connection failed for", peer.peer_name);
+          console.error(`media-agent - ICE connection failed for ${peer.peer_name}`);
+          // Log ICE candidate gathering stats for debugging
+          connection
+            .getStats()
+            .then((stats) => {
+              const candidateStats: any[] = [];
+              stats.forEach((report) => {
+                if (report.type === "local-candidate" || report.type === "remote-candidate") {
+                  candidateStats.push({
+                    type: report.type,
+                    candidateType: (report as any).candidateType,
+                    protocol: (report as any).protocol,
+                    address: (report as any).address,
+                    port: (report as any).port,
+                  });
+                }
+              });
+              console.error(`media-agent - ICE candidates for failed connection to ${peer.peer_name}:`, candidateStats);
+            })
+            .catch((e) => console.log("Could not get stats:", e));
+        } else if (connection.iceConnectionState === "disconnected") {
+          console.warn(`media-agent - ICE connection disconnected for ${peer.peer_name}, may recover`);
+        } else if (connection.iceConnectionState === "connected") {
+          console.log(`media-agent - ICE connection established successfully for ${peer.peer_name}`);
+        } else if (connection.iceConnectionState === "checking") {
+          console.log(`media-agent - ICE connection checking for ${peer.peer_name}`);
+        } else if (connection.iceConnectionState === "completed") {
+          console.log(`media-agent - ICE connection completed for ${peer.peer_name}`);
         }
       };
 
@@ -746,7 +809,7 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
         }
       }
     },
-    [peers, setPeers, media, sendJsonMessage, session?.has_media, updatePeerConnectionState]
+    [peers, setPeers, media, sendJsonMessage, localUserHasMedia, updatePeerConnectionState]
   );
 
   // Process queued peers when media becomes available
@@ -1174,8 +1237,6 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
   useEffect(() => {
     mountedRef.current = true;
 
-    const localUserHasMedia = session?.has_media !== false; // Default to true for backward compatibility
-
     if (mediaStreamRef.current || readyState !== ReadyState.OPEN) return;
 
     // Capture the connections at effect setup time
@@ -1222,7 +1283,7 @@ const MediaAgent = (props: MediaAgentProps) => {
       connectionsToCleanup.forEach((connection) => connection.close());
       connectionsToCleanup.clear();
     };
-  }, [readyState, setup_local_media, session]);
+  }, [readyState, setup_local_media, localUserHasMedia]);
 
   return null;
 };
diff --git a/server/api/admin.py b/server/api/admin.py
index 12b586b..e37c36b 100644
--- a/server/api/admin.py
+++ b/server/api/admin.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from shared.models import (
     AdminMetricsResponse,
     AdminMetricsConfig,
 )
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from core.session_manager import SessionManager, SessionConfig
diff --git a/server/api/bot_config.py b/server/api/bot_config.py
index f2ec61b..bf625cd 100644
--- a/server/api/bot_config.py
+++ b/server/api/bot_config.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from typing import Dict, Any
 from fastapi import APIRouter, HTTPException, BackgroundTasks, WebSocket
 
 from core.bot_manager import BotManager
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from core.bot_config_manager import BotConfigManager
 
 # Import WebSocket handler base class
diff --git a/server/api/lobbies.py b/server/api/lobbies.py
index 4adf128..1aef6f5 100644
--- a/server/api/lobbies.py
+++ b/server/api/lobbies.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from shared.models import (
     ChatMessagesResponse,
 )
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ..core.session_manager import SessionManager
diff --git a/server/api/monitoring.py b/server/api/monitoring.py
index 698f64c..ca4e6be 100644
--- a/server/api/monitoring.py
+++ b/server/api/monitoring.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from typing import Optional
 from fastapi import APIRouter, HTTPException, Query
 from datetime import datetime
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import monitoring components
 try:
diff --git a/server/api/sessions.py b/server/api/sessions.py
index 6d9e073..01bc969 100644
--- a/server/api/sessions.py
+++ b/server/api/sessions.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import os
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))))
 from shared.models import SessionResponse, HealthResponse, LobbyModel
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ..core.session_manager import SessionManager
diff --git a/server/core/auth_manager.py b/server/core/auth_manager.py
index 6de5071..5b9ac9f 100644
--- a/server/core/auth_manager.py
+++ b/server/core/auth_manager.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ except ImportError:
             "Cannot import shared.models. Ensure the project is run as a package or PYTHONPATH is set."
         )
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 class AuthManager:
diff --git a/server/core/bot_config_manager.py b/server/core/bot_config_manager.py
index 5848f66..ff0f455 100644
--- a/server/core/bot_config_manager.py
+++ b/server/core/bot_config_manager.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import httpx
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Any
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import shared models
 import sys
diff --git a/server/core/bot_manager.py b/server/core/bot_manager.py
index 8a49b83..be533e5 100644
--- a/server/core/bot_manager.py
+++ b/server/core/bot_manager.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import json
 import asyncio
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 from pydantic import ValidationError
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import shared models
 import sys
diff --git a/server/core/cache.py b/server/core/cache.py
index 1ce81cc..2085abb 100644
--- a/server/core/cache.py
+++ b/server/core/cache.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Callable, TypeVar
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 T = TypeVar('T')
 
diff --git a/server/core/error_handling.py b/server/core/error_handling.py
index 4a967e0..ab5ea57 100644
--- a/server/core/error_handling.py
+++ b/server/core/error_handling.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from fastapi import WebSocket
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 T = TypeVar('T')
 
diff --git a/server/core/health.py b/server/core/health.py
index 14e4cf5..f1a51bc 100644
--- a/server/core/health.py
+++ b/server/core/health.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional, NamedTuple
 from enum import Enum
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 class HealthStatus(Enum):
diff --git a/server/core/lobby_manager.py b/server/core/lobby_manager.py
index 7af02ee..4c56500 100644
--- a/server/core/lobby_manager.py
+++ b/server/core/lobby_manager.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ except ImportError:
             f"Failed to import shared models: {e}. Ensure shared/models.py is accessible and PYTHONPATH is correctly set."
         )
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Use try/except for importing events to handle both relative and absolute imports
 try:
diff --git a/server/core/performance.py b/server/core/performance.py
index 8cfcbcb..3efbd0c 100644
--- a/server/core/performance.py
+++ b/server/core/performance.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from collections import defaultdict, deque
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/server/core/session_manager.py b/server/core/session_manager.py
index 0f1333c..a2e49f6 100644
--- a/server/core/session_manager.py
+++ b/server/core/session_manager.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ except ImportError:
         )
 
 from core.lobby_manager import Lobby
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import WebRTC signaling for peer management
 from websocket.webrtc_signaling import WebRTCSignalingHandlers
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ class Session:
         self.bot_instance_id: Optional[str] = None  # Bot instance ID for tracking
         self.session_lock = threading.RLock()  # Instance-level lock
 
+    def is_bot(self) -> bool:
+        """Check if this session represents a bot"""
+        return bool(self.bot_run_id or self.bot_provider_id or self.bot_instance_id)
+
     def getName(self) -> str:
         with self.session_lock:
             return f"{self.short}:{self.name if self.name else '[  ----  ]'}"
@@ -401,6 +405,10 @@ class SessionManager:
             with self.lock:
                 sessions_list: List[SessionSaved] = []
                 for s in self._instances:
+                    # Skip bot sessions - they should not be persisted
+                    # Bot sessions are managed by the voicebot service lifecycle
+                    if s.bot_instance_id is not None or s.bot_run_id is not None or s.bot_provider_id is not None:
+                        continue
                     sessions_list.append(s.to_saved())
 
                 # Note: We'll need to handle name_passwords separately or inject it
diff --git a/server/logger.py b/server/logger.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c36454c..0000000
--- a/server/logger.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,81 +0,0 @@
-import os
-from typing import Any
-import warnings
-import logging
-
-logging_level = os.getenv("LOGGING_LEVEL", "INFO").upper()
-
-
-class RelativePathFormatter(logging.Formatter):
-    def __init__(
-        self, fmt: Any = None, datefmt: Any = None, remove_prefix: str | None = None
-    ):
-        super().__init__(fmt, datefmt)
-        self.remove_prefix = remove_prefix or os.getcwd()
-        # Ensure the prefix ends with a separator
-        if not self.remove_prefix.endswith(os.sep):
-            self.remove_prefix += os.sep
-
-    def format(self, record: logging.LogRecord):
-        # Make a copy of the record to avoid modifying the original
-        record = logging.makeLogRecord(record.__dict__)
-
-        # Remove the prefix from pathname
-        if record.pathname.startswith(self.remove_prefix):
-            record.pathname = record.pathname[len(self.remove_prefix) :]
-
-        return super().format(record)
-
-
-def _setup_logging(level: Any = logging_level) -> logging.Logger:
-    os.environ["TORCH_CPP_LOG_LEVEL"] = "ERROR"
-    warnings.filterwarnings(
-        "ignore", message="Overriding a previously registered kernel"
-    )
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="Warning only once for all operators")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message=".*Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv.*")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="'force_all_finite' was renamed to")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="n_jobs value 1 overridden")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message=".*websocket.*is deprecated")
-
-    numeric_level = getattr(logging, level.upper(), None)
-    if not isinstance(numeric_level, int):
-        raise ValueError(f"Invalid log level: {level}")
-
-    # Create a custom formatter
-    formatter = RelativePathFormatter(
-        fmt="%(levelname)s - %(pathname)s:%(lineno)d - %(message)s",
-        datefmt="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
-    )
-
-    # Create a handler (e.g., StreamHandler for console output)
-    handler = logging.StreamHandler()
-    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
-
-    # Configure root logger
-    logging.basicConfig(
-        level=numeric_level,
-        handlers=[handler],  # Use only your handler
-        force=True,
-    )
-
-    # Set levels for noisy loggers
-    for noisy_logger in (
-        "uvicorn",
-        "uvicorn.error",
-        "uvicorn.access",
-        "fastapi",
-        "starlette",
-        "httpx",
-    ):
-        logger = logging.getLogger(noisy_logger)
-        logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-        logger.handlers = []  # Remove default handlers
-        logger.addHandler(handler)  # Add your custom handler
-
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-    return logger
-
-
-logger = _setup_logging(level=logging_level)
-logger.debug(f"Logging initialized with level: {logging_level}")
diff --git a/server/main.py b/server/main.py
index 557ba58..5ad3d51 100644
--- a/server/main.py
+++ b/server/main.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ except ImportError:
     from api.bots import create_bot_router
     from api.bot_config import create_bot_config_router, setup_websocket_config_handlers
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import performance monitoring components
 try:
diff --git a/server/models/events.py b/server/models/events.py
index 434ae70..a512aee 100644
--- a/server/models/events.py
+++ b/server/models/events.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Event system for decoupled communication between server components.
 from abc import ABC
 from typing import Protocol, Dict, List
 import asyncio
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 class Event(ABC):
diff --git a/server/websocket/connection.py b/server/websocket/connection.py
index 3eb6bb1..3839c42 100644
--- a/server/websocket/connection.py
+++ b/server/websocket/connection.py
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ WebSocket connection management.
 This module handles WebSocket connections and integrates with the message router.
 """
 
+import asyncio
 from typing import Dict, Any, Optional, TYPE_CHECKING
 from fastapi import WebSocket, WebSocketDisconnect
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from .message_handlers import MessageRouter
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -100,7 +101,23 @@ class WebSocketConnectionManager:
         if session.id in lobby.sessions:
             logger.info(f"{session.getName()} - Stale session in lobby {lobby.getName()}. Re-joining.")
             try:
+                # Leave the lobby to clean up peer connections
                 await session.leave_lobby(lobby)
+                # Verify the session has been properly removed before proceeding
+                while session.id in lobby.sessions:
+                    logger.debug(
+                        f"Waiting for session {session.getName()} to be fully removed from lobby"
+                    )
+                    # Brief yield to allow cleanup to complete
+                    await asyncio.sleep(0.01)
+                    # Safety check to prevent infinite loop
+                    if session.id in lobby.sessions:
+                        logger.warning(
+                            f"Force removing stale session {session.getName()} from lobby"
+                        )
+                        with lobby.lock:
+                            lobby.sessions.pop(session.id, None)
+                        break
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.warning(f"Error cleaning up stale session: {e}")
         
diff --git a/server/websocket/message_handlers.py b/server/websocket/message_handlers.py
index 811303b..aa92bd1 100644
--- a/server/websocket/message_handlers.py
+++ b/server/websocket/message_handlers.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import Dict, Any, TYPE_CHECKING
 from fastapi import WebSocket
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from .webrtc_signaling import WebRTCSignalingHandlers
 from core.error_handling import (
     error_handler,
diff --git a/server/websocket/webrtc_signaling.py b/server/websocket/webrtc_signaling.py
index 8a0123a..c8b9871 100644
--- a/server/websocket/webrtc_signaling.py
+++ b/server/websocket/webrtc_signaling.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Handles ICE candidate relay and session description exchange between peers.
 from typing import Any, Dict, TYPE_CHECKING
 from fastapi import WebSocket
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from core.error_handling import with_webrtc_error_handling
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -216,6 +216,9 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
             peer_session: The existing peer session in the lobby
             lobby: The lobby context
         """
+        logger.info(
+            f"[TRACE] handle_add_peer called: session={session.getName()} (id={session.id}), peer_session={peer_session.getName()} (id={peer_session.id}), lobby={lobby.getName()}"
+        )
         # Only establish WebRTC connections if at least one has media
         if session.has_media or peer_session.has_media:
             # Add peer_session to session's peer list
@@ -229,11 +232,23 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
                 if lobby.id not in peer_session.lobby_peers:
                     peer_session.lobby_peers[lobby.id] = []
                 peer_session.lobby_peers[lobby.id].append(session.id)
+            logger.info(
+                f"[TRACE] {session.getName()} lobby_peers after add: {session.lobby_peers}"
+            )
 
-            # Notify existing peer about new peer (they should not create offer)
+            # Determine offer roles: bots should never create offers
+            # When a bot joins: existing humans create offers to the bot
+            # When a human joins: human creates offers to existing bots, bots don't create offers to human
+
+            # Determine who should create the offer based on timing
+            # In our polite peer implementation, the newer peer typically creates the offer
+            existing_peer_should_offer = False
+            new_session_should_offer = True
+
+            # Notify existing peer about new peer
             logger.info(
                 f"{session.getName()} -> {peer_session.getName()}:addPeer("
-                f"{session.getName()}, {lobby.getName()}, should_create_offer=False, "
+                f"{session.getName()}, {lobby.getName()}, should_create_offer={existing_peer_should_offer}, "
                 f"has_media={session.has_media})"
             )
             try:
@@ -245,7 +260,7 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
                                 "peer_id": session.id,
                                 "peer_name": session.name,
                                 "has_media": session.has_media,
-                                "should_create_offer": False,
+                                "should_create_offer": existing_peer_should_offer,
                             },
                         }
                     )
@@ -254,10 +269,10 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
                     f"Failed to send addPeer to {peer_session.getName()}: {e}"
                 )
 
-            # Notify new session about existing peer (they should create offer)
+            # Notify new session about existing peer
             logger.info(
                 f"{session.getName()} -> {session.getName()}:addPeer("
-                f"{peer_session.getName()}, {lobby.getName()}, should_create_offer=True, "
+                f"{peer_session.getName()}, {lobby.getName()}, should_create_offer={new_session_should_offer}, "
                 f"has_media={peer_session.has_media})"
             )
             try:
@@ -269,7 +284,7 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
                                 "peer_id": peer_session.id,
                                 "peer_name": peer_session.name,
                                 "has_media": peer_session.has_media,
-                                "should_create_offer": True,
+                                "should_create_offer": new_session_should_offer,
                             },
                         }
                     )
@@ -297,6 +312,9 @@ class WebRTCSignalingHandlers:
             peer_session: The peer session to disconnect from
             lobby: The lobby context
         """
+        logger.info(
+            f"[TRACE] handle_remove_peer called: session={session.getName()} (id={session.id}), peer_session={peer_session.getName()} (id={peer_session.id}), lobby={lobby.getName()}"
+        )
         # Notify peer about session removal
         if peer_session.ws:
             logger.info(
diff --git a/voicebot/ai_providers.py b/voicebot/ai_providers.py
index b27aa5d..a1b07a1 100644
--- a/voicebot/ai_providers.py
+++ b/voicebot/ai_providers.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 class AIProviderType(str, Enum):
diff --git a/voicebot/bot_orchestrator.py b/voicebot/bot_orchestrator.py
index b71889c..e9db0b9 100644
--- a/voicebot/bot_orchestrator.py
+++ b/voicebot/bot_orchestrator.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
 import uvicorn
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from voicebot.models import JoinRequest
 from voicebot.webrtc_signaling import WebRTCSignalingClient
 
diff --git a/voicebot/bots/ai_chatbot.py b/voicebot/bots/ai_chatbot.py
index f0a0cf3..f02c163 100644
--- a/voicebot/bots/ai_chatbot.py
+++ b/voicebot/bots/ai_chatbot.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from aiortc import MediaStreamTrack
 import sys
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from shared.models import ChatMessageModel
 
 # Import advanced bot management modules
diff --git a/voicebot/bots/chatbot.py b/voicebot/bots/chatbot.py
index 8ce1104..80fdb0c 100644
--- a/voicebot/bots/chatbot.py
+++ b/voicebot/bots/chatbot.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ rather than media streams.
 from typing import Dict, Optional, Callable, Awaitable
 import time
 import random
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from aiortc import MediaStreamTrack
 
 # Import shared models for chat functionality
diff --git a/voicebot/bots/synthetic_media.py b/voicebot/bots/synthetic_media.py
index ee4e533..0d9c78b 100644
--- a/voicebot/bots/synthetic_media.py
+++ b/voicebot/bots/synthetic_media.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from typing import TypedDict, TYPE_CHECKING, Tuple, List, Optional, Any
 import numpy.typing as npt
 from aiortc import MediaStreamTrack
 from av import VideoFrame
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     pass
diff --git a/voicebot/bots/whisper.py b/voicebot/bots/whisper.py
index c36eff0..ffab7db 100644
--- a/voicebot/bots/whisper.py
+++ b/voicebot/bots/whisper.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, ConfigDict
 
 # Core dependencies
 import librosa
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from aiortc import MediaStreamTrack
 from aiortc.mediastreams import MediaStreamError
 from av import AudioFrame
diff --git a/voicebot/client_app.py b/voicebot/client_app.py
index 192020f..f00972b 100644
--- a/voicebot/client_app.py
+++ b/voicebot/client_app.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from typing import Optional
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
 
 from fastapi import FastAPI
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 # Import shared models
 from shared.models import ClientStatusResponse
diff --git a/voicebot/client_main.py b/voicebot/client_main.py
index 7ce8c27..f4f5d0d 100644
--- a/voicebot/client_main.py
+++ b/voicebot/client_main.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ This module contains the main client functionality and entry points.
 import asyncio
 import sys
 import os
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from voicebot.bots.synthetic_media import AnimatedVideoTrack
 
 # Add the parent directory to sys.path to allow absolute imports
diff --git a/voicebot/conversation_context.py b/voicebot/conversation_context.py
index 757418c..0e3caf4 100644
--- a/voicebot/conversation_context.py
+++ b/voicebot/conversation_context.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 from collections import defaultdict
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/voicebot/entrypoint.sh b/voicebot/entrypoint.sh
index a5c7394..ab9d85c 100644
--- a/voicebot/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/voicebot/entrypoint.sh
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ if [ "$PRODUCTION" != "true" ]; then
         exec uv run uvicorn main:uvicorn_app \
             --host 0.0.0.0 \
             --port 8788 \
-            --reload \
-            --reload-dir /voicebot \
-            --reload-dir /shared \
             --log-level info
     else
         echo "Running as client (connecting to lobby)..."
diff --git a/voicebot/logger.py b/voicebot/logger.py
deleted file mode 100644
index f961404..0000000
--- a/voicebot/logger.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,125 +0,0 @@
-import os
-import warnings
-import logging
-import time
-from typing import Optional, Tuple
-
-logging_level = os.getenv("LOGGING_LEVEL", "INFO").upper()
-#logging_level = os.getenv("LOGGING_LEVEL", "DEBUG").upper()
-
-
-class RelativePathFormatter(logging.Formatter):
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        fmt: Optional[str] = None,
-        datefmt: Optional[str] = None,
-        remove_prefix: Optional[str] = None,
-    ) -> None:
-        super().__init__(fmt, datefmt)
-        self.remove_prefix = remove_prefix or os.getcwd()
-        # Ensure the prefix ends with a separator
-        if not self.remove_prefix.endswith(os.sep):
-            self.remove_prefix += os.sep
-
-    def format(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> str:
-        """Create a shallow copy of the record and rewrite the pathname
-        to be relative to the configured prefix. Defensive checks are used
-        to satisfy static type checkers.
-        """
-        # Make a copy of the record dict so we don't mutate the caller's record
-        record_dict = record.__dict__.copy()
-        new_record = logging.makeLogRecord(record_dict)
-
-        # Remove the prefix from pathname if present
-        pathname = getattr(new_record, "pathname", "")
-        if pathname.startswith(self.remove_prefix):
-            new_record.pathname = pathname[len(self.remove_prefix) :]
-
-        return super().format(new_record)
-
-
-def _setup_logging(level: str=logging_level) -> logging.Logger:
-    os.environ["TORCH_CPP_LOG_LEVEL"] = "ERROR"
-    warnings.filterwarnings(
-        "ignore", message="Overriding a previously registered kernel"
-    )
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="Warning only once for all operators")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message=".*Couldn't find ffmpeg or avconv.*")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="'force_all_finite' was renamed to")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="n_jobs value 1 overridden")
-    warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message=".*websocket.*is deprecated")
-
-    logging.getLogger("aiortc").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-    logging.getLogger("aioice").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-    logging.getLogger("asyncio").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-
-    numeric_level = getattr(logging, level.upper(), None)
-    if not isinstance(numeric_level, int):
-        raise ValueError(f"Invalid log level: {level}")
-
-    # Create a custom formatter
-    formatter = RelativePathFormatter(
-        fmt="%(levelname)s - %(pathname)s:%(lineno)d - %(message)s",
-        datefmt="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
-    )
-
-    # Create a handler (e.g., StreamHandler for console output)
-    handler = logging.StreamHandler()
-    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
-
-    # Simple repeat-suppression filter: if the exact same message (level+text)
-    # appears repeatedly within a short window, drop duplicates. This keeps
-    # the first occurrence for diagnostics but avoids log flooding from
-    # recurring asyncio/aioice stack traces.
-    class _RepeatFilter(logging.Filter):
-        def __init__(self, interval: float = 5.0) -> None:
-            super().__init__()
-            self._interval = interval
-            self._last: Optional[Tuple[int, str]] = None
-            self._last_time: float = 0.0
-
-        def filter(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> bool:
-            try:
-                msg = record.getMessage()
-            except Exception:
-                # Fallback to a string representation if getMessage fails
-                msg = str(record)
-
-            key: Tuple[int, str] = (getattr(record, "levelno", 0), msg)
-            now = time.time()
-            if self._last == key and (now - self._last_time) < self._interval:
-                return False
-            self._last = key
-            self._last_time = now
-            return True
-
-    handler.addFilter(_RepeatFilter())
-
-    # Configure root logger
-    logging.basicConfig(
-        level=numeric_level,
-        handlers=[handler],  # Use only your handler
-        force=True,
-    )
-
-    # Set levels for noisy loggers
-    for noisy_logger in (
-        "uvicorn",
-        "uvicorn.error",
-        "uvicorn.access",
-        "fastapi",
-        "starlette",
-    ):
-        logger = logging.getLogger(noisy_logger)
-        logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-        logger.handlers = []  # Remove default handlers
-        logger.addHandler(handler)  # Add your custom handler
-
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-    return logger
-
-
-logger = _setup_logging(level=logging_level)
-logger.debug(f"Logging initialized with level: {logging_level}")
-
-
diff --git a/voicebot/main.py b/voicebot/main.py
index f58d4b2..39ed786 100644
--- a/voicebot/main.py
+++ b/voicebot/main.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import os
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
 
 # Import logger for reload debugging
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 from voicebot.models import VoicebotArgs, VoicebotMode
 from voicebot.client_main import main_with_args, start_client_with_reload
diff --git a/voicebot/personality_system.py b/voicebot/personality_system.py
index befa69c..b4011c6 100644
--- a/voicebot/personality_system.py
+++ b/voicebot/personality_system.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Any
 from enum import Enum
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 class PersonalityTrait(str, Enum):
diff --git a/voicebot/set_whisper_debug.py b/voicebot/set_whisper_debug.py
index ab48d05..1aa61ac 100644
--- a/voicebot/set_whisper_debug.py
+++ b/voicebot/set_whisper_debug.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import os
 # Add the voicebot directory to the path
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 
 
 def set_debug_logging():
diff --git a/voicebot/utils.py b/voicebot/utils.py
index 299f681..c54d6cd 100644
--- a/voicebot/utils.py
+++ b/voicebot/utils.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def create_ssl_context(insecure: bool = False) -> ssl.SSLContext | None:
 
 def log_network_info():
     """Log network information for debugging."""
-    from logger import logger
+    from shared.logger import logger
     
     try:
         import socket
diff --git a/voicebot/webrtc_signaling.py b/voicebot/webrtc_signaling.py
index 0861ad2..c16ddf0 100644
--- a/voicebot/webrtc_signaling.py
+++ b/voicebot/webrtc_signaling.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ from shared.models import (
     ChatMessageModel,
 )
 
-from logger import logger
+from shared.logger import logger
 from voicebot.bots.synthetic_media import create_synthetic_tracks
 from voicebot.models import Peer, MessageData
 from voicebot.utils import create_ssl_context, log_network_info
@@ -442,8 +442,8 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
 
     async def _setup_local_media(self):
         """Create local media tracks"""
-        # If a bot provided a create_tracks callable, use it to create tracks.
-        # Otherwise, use default synthetic tracks.
+        # Always clear out old tracks to avoid reusing stopped or stale tracks
+        self.local_tracks.clear()
         try:
             if self.create_tracks:
                 tracks = self.create_tracks(self.session_name)
@@ -679,26 +679,66 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
         logger.info(
             f"Adding peer: {peer_name} (should_create_offer: {should_create_offer})"
         )
+        logger.info(f"_handle_add_peer: Current peer_connections count: {len(self.peer_connections)}")
+        logger.info(f"_handle_add_peer: Current active peers: {list(self.peer_connections.keys())}")
         logger.debug(
             f"_handle_add_peer: peer_id={peer_id}, peer_name={peer_name}, should_create_offer={should_create_offer}"
         )
 
-        # Check if peer already exists
+        # Check if peer already exists and clean up stale connections
         if peer_id in self.peer_connections:
             pc = self.peer_connections[peer_id]
-            logger.debug(
-                f"_handle_add_peer: Existing connection state: {pc.connectionState}"
-            )
-            if pc.connectionState in ["new", "connected", "connecting"]:
-                logger.info(f"Peer connection already exists for {peer_name}")
-                return
-            else:
-                # Clean up stale connection
-                logger.debug(
-                    f"_handle_add_peer: Closing stale connection for {peer_name}"
-                )
+            logger.info(f"_handle_add_peer: Found existing connection for {peer_name} (state: {pc.connectionState})")
+            logger.info("_handle_add_peer: Cleaning up existing connection to ensure fresh start")
+            
+            # Always clean up existing connection for fresh start
+            # This prevents stale connection issues during page refresh
+            try:
                 await pc.close()
-                del self.peer_connections[peer_id]
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Error closing existing connection for {peer_name}: {e}")
+            
+            # Clean up all associated state
+            self.is_negotiating.pop(peer_id, None)
+            self.making_offer.pop(peer_id, None)
+            self.initiated_offer.discard(peer_id)
+            self.pending_ice_candidates.pop(peer_id, None)
+            self.peers.pop(peer_id, None)  # Also clean up peers dictionary
+            del self.peer_connections[peer_id]
+            
+            # Give the connection a moment to close, but don't block indefinitely
+            # If it doesn't close quickly, proceed anyway to avoid blocking other operations
+            try:
+                await asyncio.wait_for(
+                    self._wait_for_connection_close(pc, peer_name), 
+                    timeout=1.0
+                )
+            except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+                logger.warning(f"Connection to {peer_name} did not close within timeout, proceeding anyway")
+
+        # Also check for any existing connections with the same peer name but different ID
+        # This handles cases where the frontend gets a new session ID after refresh
+        connections_to_remove: list[str] = []
+        for existing_peer_id, existing_peer in self.peers.items():
+            if existing_peer.peer_name == peer_name and existing_peer_id != peer_id:
+                logger.info(f"_handle_add_peer: Found existing connection for peer name {peer_name} with different ID {existing_peer_id}, cleaning up")
+                connections_to_remove.append(existing_peer_id)
+        
+        for old_peer_id in connections_to_remove:
+            if old_peer_id in self.peer_connections:
+                pc = self.peer_connections[old_peer_id]
+                try:
+                    await pc.close()
+                except Exception as e:
+                    logger.warning(f"Error closing old connection for {peer_name}: {e}")
+                
+                # Clean up all associated state for old connection
+                self.is_negotiating.pop(old_peer_id, None)
+                self.making_offer.pop(old_peer_id, None)
+                self.initiated_offer.discard(old_peer_id)
+                self.pending_ice_candidates.pop(old_peer_id, None)
+                self.peers.pop(old_peer_id, None)
+                del self.peer_connections[old_peer_id]
 
         # Create new peer
         peer = Peer(session_id=peer_id, peer_name=peer_name, local=False)
@@ -713,8 +753,6 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
                     username="ketra",
                     credential="ketran",
                 ),
-                # Add Google's public STUN server as fallback
-                RTCIceServer(urls="stun:stun.l.google.com:19302"),
             ],
         )
         logger.debug(
@@ -734,12 +772,39 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
 
         # Add connection state change handler
         def on_connection_state_change() -> None:
-            logger.info(f"Connection state: {pc.connectionState}")
+            logger.info(f"🔄 Connection state changed for {peer_name}: {pc.connectionState}")
+
+            # Log additional details for debugging connection closure/failure
+            logger.info(f"    ICE connection state: {pc.iceConnectionState}")
+            logger.info(f"    Signaling state: {pc.signalingState}")
+            # If available, log the last ICE candidate pair and any error details
+            selected_pair = None
+            try:
+                if hasattr(pc, 'sctp') and pc.sctp:
+                    selected_pair = getattr(pc.sctp.transport, 'iceTransport', None)
+                elif hasattr(pc, 'iceTransport'):
+                    selected_pair = pc.iceTransport
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Error accessing selected ICE pair: {e}")
+            if selected_pair:
+                logger.info(f"    Selected ICE candidate pair: {getattr(selected_pair, 'selectedCandidatePair', None)}")
+
+            # Handle failed connections - could be due to network issues during refresh
+            if pc.connectionState == "failed":
+                logger.warning(f"❌ Connection to {peer_name} failed - this might be due to page refresh")
+            elif pc.connectionState == "disconnected":
+                logger.info(f"⚠️  Connection to {peer_name} disconnected")
+            elif pc.connectionState == "connected":
+                logger.info(f"✅ Connection to {peer_name} established successfully")
+            elif pc.connectionState == "closed":
+                logger.info(f"🔒 Connection to {peer_name} closed")
 
         pc.on("connectionstatechange")(on_connection_state_change)
 
+        logger.info(f"📝 Storing peer connection for {peer_name} (ID: {peer_id})")
         self.peer_connections[peer_id] = pc
         peer.connection = pc
+        logger.info(f"📊 Total peer connections now: {len(self.peer_connections)}")
 
         # Set up event handlers
         def on_track(track: MediaStreamTrack) -> None:
@@ -1043,19 +1108,33 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
         # Close peer connection
         if peer_id in self.peer_connections:
             pc = self.peer_connections[peer_id]
-            await pc.close()
+            try:
+                await pc.close()
+                # Wait for connection to be properly closed
+                while pc.connectionState not in ["closed", "failed"]:
+                    logger.debug(f"Waiting for connection to {peer_name} to close (current state: {pc.connectionState})")
+                    # Brief yield to allow cleanup
+                    await asyncio.sleep(0.01)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Error closing peer connection for {peer_name}: {e}")
             del self.peer_connections[peer_id]
 
-        # Clean up state
-        self.is_negotiating.pop(peer_id, None)
-        self.making_offer.pop(peer_id, None)
+        # Extra forced cleanup: remove all state for this peer_id
+        for state_dict in [self.is_negotiating, self.making_offer, self.pending_ice_candidates]:
+            if peer_id in state_dict:
+                logger.debug(f"Force removing {peer_id} from {state_dict}")
+                state_dict.pop(peer_id, None)
         self.initiated_offer.discard(peer_id)
-        self.pending_ice_candidates.pop(peer_id, None)
 
         # Remove peer
         peer = self.peers.pop(peer_id, None)
         if peer and self.on_peer_removed:
-            await self.on_peer_removed(peer)
+            try:
+                await self.on_peer_removed(peer)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Error in on_peer_removed callback for {peer_name}: {e}")
+
+        logger.info(f"Completed removing peer: {peer_name} (all state reset)")
 
     async def _handle_session_description(self, data: SessionDescriptionModel):
         """Handle sessionDescription message"""
@@ -1084,12 +1163,12 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
         )
         we_initiated = peer_id in self.initiated_offer
         
-        # For bots, be more polite - always yield to human users in collision
-        # Bots should generally be the polite peer
-        ignore_offer = offer_collision and we_initiated
+        # For bots, be more polite - accept remote offers even in collision scenarios
+        # Only ignore if we're in the middle of sending our own offer AND it's actually conflicting
+        ignore_offer = offer_collision and we_initiated and pc.signalingState != "stable"
         
         if ignore_offer:
-            logger.info(f"Ignoring offer from {peer_name} due to collision (bot being polite)")
+            logger.info(f"Ignoring offer from {peer_name} due to active collision (bot being polite)")
             # Reset our offer state to allow the remote offer to proceed
             if peer_id in self.initiated_offer:
                 self.initiated_offer.remove(peer_id)
@@ -1101,7 +1180,11 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
                 await asyncio.sleep(1.0)  # Wait 1 second
                 if pc.connectionState not in ["connected", "closed", "failed"]:
                     logger.info(f"Retrying connection setup for {peer_name} after collision")
-                    # Don't create offer, let the remote peer drive
+                    # Reset state to allow the remote peer to retry
+                    self.making_offer[peer_id] = False
+                    self.is_negotiating[peer_id] = False
+                    if peer_id in self.initiated_offer:
+                        self.initiated_offer.remove(peer_id)
             
             asyncio.create_task(retry_connection())
             return
@@ -1212,7 +1295,7 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
         peer_name = data.peer_name
         candidate_data = data.candidate
 
-        logger.info(f"Received ICE candidate from {peer_name}")
+        logger.info(f"Received ICE candidate from {peer_name}: {candidate_data}")
 
         pc = self.peer_connections.get(peer_id)
         if not pc:
@@ -1250,6 +1333,7 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
             except Exception:
                 cand_type = "unknown"
 
+            logger.info(f"Attempting to add ICE candidate for {peer_name}: type={cand_type}, sdp='{sdp_part}'")
             try:
                 rtc_candidate = candidate_from_sdp(sdp_part)
                 rtc_candidate.sdpMid = candidate_data.sdpMid
@@ -1257,7 +1341,7 @@ class WebRTCSignalingClient:
 
                 # aiortc expects an object with attributes (RTCIceCandidate)
                 await pc.addIceCandidate(rtc_candidate)
-                logger.info(f"ICE candidate added for {peer_name}: type={cand_type}")
+                logger.info(f"ICE candidate successfully added for {peer_name}: type={cand_type}")
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(
                     f"Failed to add ICE candidate for {peer_name}: type={cand_type} error={e} sdp='{sdp_part}'",