diff --git a/server/socket/index.js b/server/socket/index.js
index 129bb89..65a1b38 100644
--- a/server/socket/index.js
+++ b/server/socket/index.js
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ module.exports = io => {
     )
 
     socket.on('message', message => {
+      if (!message) {
+        console.log('Weird. Received empty message.')
+        return
+      }
       console.log('sending message to ', message.to, message)
       io.to(message.to).emit('message', message)
     })
@@ -21,6 +25,7 @@ module.exports = io => {
     socket.on('join', room => {
       console.log(`${socket.id} joins ${room}`)
       socket.join(room, () => {
+        sendNamespace(room)
         io.to(room).emit('user joined', { room, socketId: socket.id })
         io.of(room).clients((error, clients) => {
           if (error) throw error
@@ -34,31 +39,48 @@ module.exports = io => {
         console.log('all clients:', c)
       })
     })
-    socket.on('part', namespace => {
-      console.log('part', socket.id, namespace)
-      io.to(namespace).emit('user left', { namespace, socketId: socket.id })
-      socket.leave(namespace)
+    socket.on('part', room => {
+      console.log('part', socket.id, room)
+      socket.leave(room, () => {
+        console.log(Object.keys(io.sockets.adapter.rooms))
+        if (io.sockets.adapter.rooms[room]) {
+          Object.keys(io.sockets.adapter.rooms[room]['sockets']).map(s => {
+            sendNamespace(room, s)
+            return s
+          })
+        } else {
+          console.log(`room ${room} disappeared`)
+        }
+        io.to(room).emit('user left', { room, socketId: socket.id })
+      })
     })
 
     socket.on('change nick', nick => {
-      io.emit('changed nick', { socketId: socket.id, nick: nick })
+      console.log(`${users[socket.id]['nick']} changed nick to ${nick}`)
+      socket.broadcast.emit('changed nick', { socketId: socket.id, nick: nick })
       users[socket.id]['nick'] = nick
     })
 
-    socket.on('get namespaces', () => sendNamespaces())
-
-    const sendNamespaces = () => {
-      const namespaces = Object.keys(io.sockets.adapter.rooms).map(k => ({
-        namespace: k,
-        sockets: Object.keys(io.sockets.adapter.rooms[k]['sockets']),
-      }))
-      io.emit('got namespaces', namespaces)
+    const sendNamespace = (room, socketId) => {
+      if (io.sockets.adapter.rooms[room]) {
+        const namespace = {
+          namespace: room,
+          sockets: Object.keys(io.sockets.adapter.rooms[room]['sockets']),
+        }
+        if (socketId) {
+          socket.emit('got namespace', namespace)
+        } else {
+          io.emit('got namespace', namespace)
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     socket.on('disconnect', async () => {
-      io.emit('user disconnected', socket.id)
       console.log(`${socket.id} has disconnected.`)
-      //sendNamespaces()
+      io.emit('user disconnected', socket.id)
+      // OPTIMIZE if there's an easy way to inform rooms the socket was part of
+      // they should be informed here
+      //socket.rooms.map(r => r.sockets.map(s => sendNamespace(r, s)))
     })
   })
 }
diff --git a/src/App.js b/src/App.js
index e542c72..edf24b2 100644
--- a/src/App.js
+++ b/src/App.js
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ import moment from 'moment'
 
 const initialState = {
   loading: true,
+  messages: [],
+  allNamespaces: [],
+  chats: [],
+  room: '/',
+  allUsers: [],
   allSockets: [],
   allMessages: [],
   buffers: [],
@@ -18,9 +23,8 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     super()
     this.state = initialState
     this.socket = socket
-    this.submitMessage = this.submitMessage.bind(this)
     this.join = this.join.bind(this)
-    this.readMessages = this.readMessages.bind(this)
+    this.formatMessage = this.formatMessage.bind(this)
     this.countUnreadMessages = this.countUnreadMessages.bind(this)
     this.readMessages = this.readMessages.bind(this)
     this.activateChat = this.activateChat.bind(this)
@@ -33,6 +37,9 @@ class App extends React.Component {
 
   componentDidMount() {
     this.fetchData()
+
+    // EVENTS
+
     this.socket.on('connect', () => {
       console.log(`I am ${this.socket.id}`)
       this.join('#projex')
@@ -46,73 +53,64 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     })
 
     this.socket.on('user disconnected', socketId => {
-      console.log(`${socketId} disconnected.`)
+      // mark user as offline
+      const oldNick = this.state.allUsers.find(u => u.socketId === socketId)
+        .nick
+      console.log(`${oldNick} disconnected.`)
       const allUsers = this.state.allUsers.map(u => {
+        // TODO find a better way to preserve existing chat windows
         if (u.socketId === socketId) u.offline = true
         return u
       })
-      const oldNick = allUsers.find(u => u.socketId === socketId).nick
       this.setState({ allUsers })
-      // inform channels user was part of
-      this.state.chats.map(c => {
-        if (c === socketId) {
-          const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-            this.addNotification(`${oldNick} disconnected`, c)
-          )
-          this.setState({ messages })
-        }
-        this.state.allNamespaces.map(n => {
-          if (n.namespace === c && n.sockets.find(s => s === socketId)) {
-            const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-              this.addNotification(`${oldNick} disconnected`, c)
-            )
-            this.setState({ messages })
-          }
-          return n
+      // inform sockets the user was chatting with
+      this.state.chats
+        .filter(c => c === socketId)
+        .map(c => {
+          this.addNotification(`${oldNick} disconnected`, this.socket.id, c)
+          return c
         })
-        return c
+      // inform channels the user was part of and update their socket list
+      const allNamespaces = this.state.allNamespaces.map(n => {
+        if (n.sockets.find(s => s === socketId)) {
+          n.sockets = n.sockets.filter(s => s === socketId)
+          this.addNotification(`${oldNick} disconnected`, n.namespace)
+        }
+        return n
       })
+      this.setState({ allNamespaces })
     })
 
     this.socket.on('user joined', data => {
-      const { namespace, socketId } = data
+      const { room, socketId } = data
       const user = this.state.allUsers.find(u => u.socketId === socketId)
-      console.log(`${user.nick} joined ${namespace}`)
-      const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-        this.addNotification(`${user.nick} joined ${namespace}`, namespace)
-      )
-      this.setState({ messages })
+      console.log(`${user.nick} joined ${room}`)
+      this.addNotification(`${user.nick} joined ${room}`, room)
     })
 
     this.socket.on('user left', data => {
-      const { namespace, socketId } = data
+      const { room, socketId } = data
       const user = this.state.allUsers.find(u => u.socketId === socketId)
-      console.log(`${user.nick} left ${namespace}`)
-      const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-        this.addNotification(`${user.nick} left ${namespace}`, namespace)
-      )
-      this.setState({ messages })
+      console.log(`${user.nick} left ${room}`)
+      this.addNotification(`${user.nick} left ${room}`, room)
     })
 
     this.socket.on('changed nick', user => {
-      if (user.socketId === this.state.user.socketId) return
       console.log(`${user.socketId} is now known as ${user.nick}.`)
       const allUsers = this.state.allUsers
       const oldNick = allUsers.find(u => u.socketId === user.socketId).nick
       // inform channels user is part of
       this.state.chats.map(c => {
         if (c === user.socketId) {
-          const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-            this.addNotification(`${oldNick} is now known as ${user.nick}`, c)
+          this.addNotification(
+            `${oldNick} is now known as ${user.nick}`,
+            this.socket.id,
+            c
           )
-          this.setState({ messages })
         }
         this.state.allNamespaces.map(n => {
           if (n.namespace === c && n.sockets.find(s => s === user.socketId)) {
-            const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
-              this.addNotification(`${oldNick} is now known as ${user.nick}`, c)
-            )
-            this.setState({ messages })
+            this.addNotification(`${oldNick} is now known as ${user.nick}`, c)
           }
           return n
         })
@@ -120,7 +118,7 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       })
       // update nick
       allUsers.map(u => {
-        if (u.socketId === user.socketId) u.nick = user.nick
+        if (u.socketId === user.socketId) u.nick = this.socket.nick
         return u
       })
       this.setState({ allUsers })
@@ -134,11 +132,6 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       this.setState({ allNamespaces })
     })
 
-    this.socket.on('got namespaces', allNamespaces => {
-      console.log('got namespaces:', allNamespaces)
-      this.setState({ allNamespaces })
-    })
-
     this.socket.on('got users', allUsers => {
       console.log('got users:', allUsers)
       this.setState({ allUsers })
@@ -146,7 +139,7 @@ class App extends React.Component {
 
     this.socket.on('message', msg => {
       if (
-        msg.to === this.state.user.socketId &&
+        msg.to === this.socket.id &&
         !this.state.chats.find(c => c === msg.from)
       ) {
         console.log(`${msg.from} wants to chat with me.`)
@@ -154,50 +147,65 @@ class App extends React.Component {
         this.setState({ chats })
       }
       if (
-        (msg.to[0] === '#' && msg.to === this.state.namespace) ||
-        (msg.to[0] !== '#' && msg.from === this.state.namespace)
+        (msg.to[0] === '#' && msg.to === this.state.buffer) ||
+        (msg.to[0] !== '#' && msg.from === this.state.buffer)
       )
         msg.read = true
       const messages = this.state.messages.concat(msg)
-      console.log(msg)
       this.setState({ messages })
     })
   }
 
-  parseCommand() {
-    const args = this.state.message.split(' ')
-    const cmd = args[0].slice(1)
-    if (cmd === 'join') {
-      if (!args[1]) {
-        alert('did you forget a channel to join?')
-        return
-      }
-      this.join(args[1])
-    } else if (cmd === 'part' || cmd === 'leave') {
-      this.part(args[1] ? args[1] : this.state.namespace)
-    } else if (cmd === 'nick') this.nick(args[1])
-    else {
-      alert(`unknown command: ${cmd}`)
+  // FUNCTIONS
+
+  join(room) {
+    if (room[0] !== '#') return alert('Use a leading #, silly!')
+    if (this.state.chats.find(c => c === room)) return
+    console.log('joining', room)
+    const chats = this.state.chats.concat(room)
+    this.socket.emit('join', room, ack => console.log('ack', ack))
+    this.activateChat(room, chats)
+  }
+  query(user) {
+    if (this.state.chats.find(c => c === user.socketId)) {
+      this.activateChat(user.socketId)
+      return
     }
     this.setState({ message: '' })
+    console.log(`starting chat with ${user.nick}`)
+    const chats = this.state.chats.concat(user.socketId)
+    this.activateChat(user.socketId, chats)
   }
 
-  addNotification(text, namespace) {
-    return this.formatMessage(
-      text,
-      'server',
-      'server',
-      namespace,
-      namespace === this.state.namespace ? true : false
+  addNotification(text, to, from) {
+    if (!text || !to) {
+      console.log('[addNotification] Missing parameter(s)', text, to)
+      return
+    }
+    const messages = this.state.messages.concat(
+      this.formatMessage(
+        text,
+        from ? from : 'server',
+        'server',
+        to,
+        to === this.state.buffer ? true : false
+      )
     )
+    this.setState({ messages })
   }
   formatMessage(text, from, nick, to, read) {
     if (!text || !from || !to || !nick) {
       console.log(
-        '[formatMessage] Dropping malformed message (requiring text, from, nick and to).'
+        '[formatMessage] Dropping malformed message (requiring text, from, nick and to).',
+        text,
+        from,
+        nick,
+        to,
+        read
       )
+      return
     }
-    const message = {
+    return {
       id: uuid(),
       date: moment().format('MMMM D YYYY, h:mm a'),
       text: text,
@@ -206,22 +214,6 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       to: to,
       read: read,
     }
-    return message
-  }
-  submitMessage(msg) {
-    console.log(msg)
-    if (msg[0] === '/') return this.parseCommand()
-    if (!msg.length > 0) return
-
-    this.sendMessage(
-      this.formatMessage(
-        msg,
-        this.state.user.socketId,
-        this.state.user.nick,
-        this.state.namespace
-      )
-    )
-    this.setState({ message: '' })
   }
   renderLoading() {
     return <div>loading...</div>
@@ -230,54 +222,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
   renderError() {
     return <div>something went wrong.</div>
   }
-  join(room) {
-    if (room[0] !== '#') return alert('Use a leading #, silly!')
-    if (this.state.chats.find(c => c === room)) return
-    console.log('joining', room)
-    const chats = this.state.chats.concat(room)
-    this.socket.emit('join', room, ack => console.log('ack', ack))
-    this.setState({ room, chats })
-  }
-  part(namespace) {
-    console.log(`leaving ${namespace}`)
-    socket.emit('part', namespace)
-    const chats = this.state.chats.filter(c => c !== namespace)
-    this.setState({ chats, namespace: '/' })
-  }
-  nick(nick) {
-    if (nick[0] === '#') {
-      alert('nick cannot start with #, sorry!')
-      return
-    }
-    console.log(`Changing nick to ${nick}`)
-    const user = this.state.user
-    user.nick = nick
-    this.setState({ user })
-    this.socket.emit('change nick', nick)
-  }
-  query(user) {
-    if (this.state.chats.find(c => c === user.socketId)) {
-      this.setState({ namespace: user.socketId })
-      return
-    }
-    console.log(`starting chat with ${user.nick}`)
-    const chats = this.state.chats.concat(user.socketId)
-    this.setState({ namespace: user.socketId, chats })
-  }
-  sendMessage(msg) {
-    this.socket.emit('message', msg)
-    if (msg.to[0] !== '#') {
-      if (msg.to === this.state.namespace) msg.read = true
-      const messages = this.state.messages.concat(msg)
-      this.setState({ messages })
-    }
-  }
-
   countUnreadMessages(nsp) {
     return this.state.messages.filter(
       m =>
-        !m.read &&
-        (m.to === nsp || (m.to === this.state.user.socketId && m.from === nsp))
+        !m.read && (m.to === nsp || (m.to === this.socket.id && m.from === nsp))
     ).length
   }
 
@@ -292,21 +240,26 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     this.setState({ messages })
   }
 
-  activateChat(namespace) {
-    this.readMessages(namespace)
-    this.setState({ namespace })
+  activateChat(buffer, chats) {
+    this.readMessages(buffer)
+    this.setState({ buffer })
+    if (chats) this.setState({ chats })
   }
   renderApp() {
     const title =
-      this.state.namespace[0] === '#'
+      this.state.buffer[0] === '#'
         ? 'Channel'
-        : this.state.namespace === this.state.user.socketId
-        ? 'Namespace'
+        : this.state.buffer === this.socket.id
+        ? 'buffer'
         : 'Chat with'
-    console.log(this.socket)
     return (
       <main role="main" className="d-flex h-100 flex-column">
-        <Topbar query={this.query} join={this.join} {...this.state} />
+        <Topbar
+          query={this.query}
+          join={this.join}
+          socket={this.socket}
+          {...this.state}
+        />
         <div className="d-flex h-100">
           <Sidebar
             activateChat={this.activateChat}
@@ -315,7 +268,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
           />
           <Messages
             title={title}
-            submitMessage={this.submitMessage}
+            socket={this.socket}
+            activateChat={this.activateChat}
+            join={this.join}
+            formatMessage={this.formatMessage}
             {...this.state}
           />
         </div>
diff --git a/src/components/MessageEntryForm.js b/src/components/MessageEntryForm.js
index af420cf..52d1b59 100644
--- a/src/components/MessageEntryForm.js
+++ b/src/components/MessageEntryForm.js
@@ -12,13 +12,76 @@ class MessageEntryForm extends React.Component {
   handleChange(e) {
     this.setState({ [e.target.name]: e.target.value })
   }
-
   handleSubmit(e) {
     e.preventDefault()
-    this.props.submitMessage(this.state.message)
+    this.submitMessage(this.state.message)
   }
+  submitMessage(msg) {
+    if (msg[0] === '/') return this.parseCommand()
+    if (!msg.length > 0) return
+
+    this.sendMessage(
+      this.props.formatMessage(
+        msg,
+        this.props.socket.id,
+        this.props.socket.nick,
+        this.props.buffer
+      )
+    )
+    this.setState({ message: '' })
+  }
+  sendMessage(msg) {
+    if (!msg) {
+      console.log('[sendMessage] Got no message. Fix your code!')
+      return
+    }
+    this.props.socket.emit('message', msg)
+    if (msg.to[0] !== '#') {
+      if (msg.to === this.props.buffer) msg.read = true
+      const messages = this.props.messages.concat(msg)
+      this.setState({ messages })
+    }
+  }
+  parseCommand() {
+    const args = this.state.message.split(' ')
+    const cmd = args[0].slice(1)
+    if (cmd === 'join') {
+      if (!args[1]) {
+        alert('did you forget a channel to join?')
+        return
+      }
+      this.props.join(args[1])
+    } else if (cmd === 'part' || cmd === 'leave') {
+      this.part(args[1] ? args[1] : this.props.buffer)
+    } else if (cmd === 'nick') {
+      if (!args[1]) {
+        alert('A new nick could be useful.')
+        return
+      }
+      this.nick(args[1])
+    } else {
+      alert(`unknown command: ${cmd}`)
+    }
+    this.setState({ message: '' })
+  }
+  part(room) {
+    console.log(`leaving ${room}`)
+    this.props.socket.emit('part', room)
+    const chats = this.props.chats.filter(c => c !== room)
+    this.props.activateChat('/', chats)
+  }
+  nick(nick) {
+    if (nick[0] === '#') {
+      alert('nick cannot start with #, sorry!')
+      return
+    }
+    console.log(`Changing nick to ${nick}`)
+    this.props.socket.nick = nick
+    this.props.socket.emit('change nick', nick)
+  }
+
   render() {
-    return (
+    return this.props.socket.id ? (
       <form onSubmit={this.handleSubmit}>
         <input
           className="bg-light p-2 w-100"
@@ -32,9 +95,11 @@ class MessageEntryForm extends React.Component {
           type="submit"
           onSubmit={this.handleSubmit}
         >
-          submit as {this.props.user.nick}
+          submit as {this.props.socket.nick}
         </Button>
       </form>
+    ) : (
+      <div>Disconnected</div>
     )
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Messages.js b/src/components/Messages.js
index 03f08d1..fc822c5 100644
--- a/src/components/Messages.js
+++ b/src/components/Messages.js
@@ -1,13 +1,23 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import MessageEntryForm from './MessageEntryForm'
 const Messages = props => {
-  const { title, namespace, messages, user, submitMessage } = props
+  const {
+    title,
+    buffer,
+    chats,
+    messages,
+    socket,
+    activateChat,
+    join,
+    formatMessage,
+    submitMessage,
+  } = props
   return (
     <div className="bg-secondary d-flex flex-column flex-grow-1 px-2 pb-4">
       {/*Main Section Header*/}
       <div className="d-flex justify-content-between flex-wrap flex-md-nowrap pt-3 pb-2 mb-3 border-bottom">
         <h4 className="mr-auto ml-3">
-          {title} {namespace}
+          {title} {buffer}
         </h4>
       </div>
       {/*Main Section Content*/}
@@ -16,19 +26,34 @@ const Messages = props => {
           {messages
             .filter(
               m =>
-                (m.to[0] === '#' && m.to === namespace) ||
-                (m.to[0] !== '#' && m.from === namespace) ||
-                (m.from === user.socketId && m.to === namespace)
+                (m.to[0] === '#' && m.to === buffer) ||
+                (m.to[0] !== '#' && m.from === buffer) ||
+                (m.from === socket.socketId && m.to === buffer)
             )
-            .map(m => (
-              <div className="row d-flex justify-content-between" key={m.id}>
-                <div className="col">{m.date}</div>
-                <div className="col">{m.nick}</div>
-                <div>{m.text}</div>
-              </div>
-            ))}
+            .map(m => {
+              console.log(m)
+              const rowColor = m.nick === 'server' ? 'text-secondary' : ''
+              return (
+                <div className={`d-flex ${rowColor}`} key={m.id}>
+                  <div className="pr-3 text-nowrap">{m.date}</div>
+                  {m.nick === 'server' ? null : (
+                    <div className="pr-3 text-nowrap">{m.nick}:</div>
+                  )}
+                  <div className="pr-3 flex-grow-1">{m.text}</div>
+                </div>
+              )
+            })}
         </div>
-        <MessageEntryForm submitMessage={submitMessage} user={user} />
+        <MessageEntryForm
+          activateChat={activateChat}
+          formatMessage={formatMessage}
+          submitMessage={submitMessage}
+          join={join}
+          buffer={buffer}
+          chats={chats}
+          messages={messages}
+          socket={socket}
+        />
       </div>
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/src/components/Topbar.js b/src/components/Topbar.js
index 7600b54..0651ad0 100644
--- a/src/components/Topbar.js
+++ b/src/components/Topbar.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react'
 import { Navbar, Nav, Dropdown } from 'react-bootstrap'
 
 const Topbar = props => {
-  const { allUsers, user, allNamespaces, query, join } = props
+  const { allUsers, socket, allNamespaces, query, join } = props
 
   return (
     <Navbar bg="dark" variant="dark" expand="lg">
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const Topbar = props => {
 
             <Dropdown.Menu className="bg-dark">
               {allUsers
-                .filter(u => u.socketId !== user.id && u.offline !== true)
+                .filter(u => u.socketId !== socket.id && u.offline !== true)
                 .map(u => (
                   <Dropdown.Item
                     key={u.socketId}