diff --git a/server/routes/games.js b/server/routes/games.js
index 587b629..fd77ca6 100755
--- a/server/routes/games.js
+++ b/server/routes/games.js
@@ -1842,7 +1842,8 @@ const trade = (game, session, action, offer) => {
 
 const clearTimeNotice= (game, session) => {
   if (!session.player.turnNotice) {
-    return `You have not been idle.`;
+    /* benign state; don't alert the user */
+    //return `You have not been idle.`;
   }
   session.player.turnNotice = "";
   sendUpdateToPlayer(game, session, {
@@ -1852,7 +1853,7 @@ const clearTimeNotice= (game, session) => {
 
 const startTurnTimer = (game, session) => {
   const timeout = 90;
-  if (!session.connection) {
+  if (!session.ws) {
     console.log(`${session.id}: Aborting turn timer as ${session.name} is disconnected.`);
   } else {
     console.log(`${session.id}: (Re)setting turn timer for ${session.name} to ${timeout} seconds.`);
@@ -1942,6 +1943,7 @@ const pass = (game, session) => {
     chat: game.chat,
     activities: game.activities
   });
+  saveGame(game);
 }
 
 const placeRobber = (game, session, robber) => {
@@ -3052,7 +3054,7 @@ const saveGame = async (game) => {
   delete reducedGame.unselected;
 
   /* Save per turn while debugging... */
-  await writeFile(`games/${game.id}.${game.turns}`, JSON.stringify(reducedGame, null, 2))
+  await writeFile(`games/${game.id}.${game.step++}`, JSON.stringify(reducedGame, null, 2))
   .catch((error) => {
     console.error(`${session.id} Unable to write to games/${game.id}`);
     console.error(error);
@@ -3156,7 +3158,6 @@ const sendUpdateToPlayers = async (game, update) => {
       _session.ws.send(message);
     }
   }
-  await saveGame(game);
 }
 
 const sendUpdateToPlayer = async (game, session, update) => {
@@ -3525,9 +3526,9 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
       error = setPlayerName(game, session, data.name);
       if (error) {
         sendError(session, error);
-        break;
+      }else {
+        saveGame(game);
       }
-      saveGame(game);
       break;
 
     case 'set':
@@ -3538,7 +3539,7 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
         if (warning) {
           sendWarning(session, warning);
         } else {
-          await saveGame(game);
+          saveGame(game);
         }
         break;
 
@@ -3547,7 +3548,7 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
         if (warning) {
           sendWarning(session, warning);
         } else {
-          await saveGame(game);
+          saveGame(game);
         }
         break;
       default:
@@ -3615,6 +3616,7 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
       addChatMessage(game, session, `${session.name}: ${data.message}`);
       parseChatCommands(game, data.message);
       sendUpdateToPlayers(game, { chat: game.chat });
+      saveGame(game);
       break;
 
     default:
@@ -3623,6 +3625,7 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
     }
 
     if (processed) {
+      /* saveGame(game); -- do not save here; only save on changes */
       return;
     }
  
@@ -3789,6 +3792,11 @@ router.ws("/ws/:id", async (ws, req) => {
       break;
     }
 
+    /* If action was taken, persist the game */
+    if (processed) {
+      saveGame(game);
+    }
+
     /* If the current player took an action, reset the session timer */
     if (processed && session.color === game.turn.color && game.state !== 'winner') {
       resetTurnTimer(game, session);
@@ -3945,6 +3953,7 @@ const resetGame = (game) => {
     startTime: Date.now(),
     state: 'lobby',
     turns: 0,
+    step: 0, /* used for the suffix # in game backups */
     turn: {},
     sheep: 19,
     ore: 19,
@@ -4069,7 +4078,8 @@ const createGame = (id) => {
     },
     sessions: {},
     unselected: [],
-    active: 0
+    active: 0,
+    step: 0 /* used for the suffix # in game backups */
    };
 
   [ "pips", "borders", "tiles" ].forEach((field) => {