diff --git a/src/client/page-app.tsx b/src/client/page-app.tsx
index 36a6812..b83f57a 100644
--- a/src/client/page-app.tsx
+++ b/src/client/page-app.tsx
@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@ export const App: preact.FunctionComponent = () => {
   const connectionFallback = (p: RealmConnectionFallbackProps) =>
     p.error ? <h1>Connection Error! {p.error.message}</h1> : <h1>Connection Loading</h1>
 
+  const wshost = window.location.host
+  const wsproto = window.location.protocol === 'https' ? 'wss' : 'ws'
+  const wsurl = `${wsproto}://${wshost}/stream`
+
   return (
     <DatabaseProvider>
       <RealmIdentityProvider fallback={identityFallback}>
-        <RealmConnectionProvider fallback={connectionFallback} url="ws://localhost:3001/stream">
+        <RealmConnectionProvider fallback={connectionFallback} url={wsurl}>
           <SkypodProvider>
             <RealmConnectionManager />
             <PeerList />
diff --git a/src/client/realm/service-connection.ts b/src/client/realm/service-connection.ts
index b7d0423..4db5342 100644
--- a/src/client/realm/service-connection.ts
+++ b/src/client/realm/service-connection.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ export class RealmConnection extends EventTarget {
   }
 
   send<T extends unknown>(identid: IdentID, data: T) {
+    console.debug('sending:', identid, data)
     this.sendRaw(identid, JSON.stringify(data))
   }
 
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ export class RealmConnection extends EventTarget {
   }
 
   broadcast(data: unknown, self = false) {
+    console.debug('broadcasting:', self, data)
     this.broadcastRaw(JSON.stringify(data), self)
   }
 
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ export class RealmConnection extends EventTarget {
   }
 
   #dispatchCustomEvent(type: string, detail?: object) {
-    this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(type, {detail}))
+    this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(type, {bubbles: true, detail}))
   }
 
   // typed helpers
@@ -224,6 +226,7 @@ export class RealmConnection extends EventTarget {
       for (const peerid of resp.dat.peers) {
         if (peerid === this.#identity.identid) continue
 
+        console.debug('connecting...:', peerid)
         this.#connectPeer(peerid, true)
       }
 
diff --git a/src/client/skypod/context.tsx b/src/client/skypod/context.tsx
index 3679a29..a28fea5 100644
--- a/src/client/skypod/context.tsx
+++ b/src/client/skypod/context.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import {useSignalEffect} from '@preact/signals'
 import {createContext} from 'preact'
 import {useContext, useEffect, useRef} from 'preact/hooks'
 import {z} from 'zod/v4'
@@ -81,10 +80,16 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
     },
   ])
 
-  const context: SkypodContext = {
+  const context = useRef<SkypodContext>({
     dispatch: async <K extends keyof ActionMap>(action: ActionMap[K]) => {
       const actions = [action] as Action[]
 
+      // broadcast if not a local action
+      if (!action.opt?.local) {
+        realm.value?.broadcast(action, false)
+        // TODO: queue these for rebroadcast if not connected
+      }
+
       for (const action of actions) {
         for (const mware of middleware.current) {
           const mwarefn =
@@ -99,11 +104,6 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
             }
           }
         }
-
-        // no-op if not connected
-        if (!action.opt?.local) {
-          realm.value?.broadcast(action, false)
-        }
       }
     },
 
@@ -151,11 +151,11 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
         middleware.current = [...prefix, ...suffix]
       }
     },
-  }
+  })
 
   // watch the connection
   // while we're connected, watch peers for action messages
-  useSignalEffect(() => {
+  useEffect(() => {
     const connection = realm.value
     if (!connection?.connected) return
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
       const parsed = schema.safeParse(event.detail.data)
       if (parsed.success) {
         console.log('handling forwarded event:', parsed)
-        context.dispatch({...parsed.data, opt: {local: true}}).catch((ex: unknown) => {
+        context.current.dispatch({...parsed.data, opt: {local: true}}).catch((ex: unknown) => {
           console.error('couldnt dispatch realm action!', ex)
         })
       }
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
     return () => {
       connection.removeEventListener('peerdata', handler as EventListener)
     }
-  })
+  }, [context, realm.value])
 
   const patchSchema = z.union([
     z.object({
@@ -199,11 +199,15 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
       console.log('message from fetch worker', parsed)
 
       switch (parsed.data?.msg) {
-        case 'patch':
-          await context.dispatch(
-            context.action('feed:patch', {url: parsed.data.key, payload: parsed.data.changes}),
-          )
+        case 'patch': {
+          const action = context.current.action('feed:patch', {
+            url: parsed.data.key,
+            payload: parsed.data.changes,
+          })
+          console.log('sending action:', action)
+          await context.current.dispatch(action)
           break
+        }
 
         case 'error':
         default:
@@ -224,7 +228,7 @@ export const SkypodProvider: preact.FunctionComponent<{children: preact.Componen
   })
 
   console.log('rendering the skypod context')
-  return <SkypodContext.Provider value={context}>{props.children}</SkypodContext.Provider>
+  return <SkypodContext.Provider value={context.current}>{props.children}</SkypodContext.Provider>
 }
 
 export function useSkypod() {
diff --git a/src/client/skypod/feed-fetch.worker.ts b/src/client/skypod/feed-fetch.worker.ts
index e28576a..1b70ac2 100644
--- a/src/client/skypod/feed-fetch.worker.ts
+++ b/src/client/skypod/feed-fetch.worker.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class FeedFetch {
             key: feed.url,
             changes: {
               ...parsed,
+              lock: null,
               lastRefresh: {
                 hp: 100,
                 at: lock,
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ class FeedFetch {
             msg: 'patch',
             key: feed.url,
             changes: {
+              lock: null,
               lastRefresh: {
                 hp: feed.lastRefresh.hp - 10,
                 at: lock,
diff --git a/src/cmd/server.ts b/src/cmd/server.ts
index f318ac2..937b234 100644
--- a/src/cmd/server.ts
+++ b/src/cmd/server.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const __dirname = dirname(__filename)
 const args = parseArgs({
   args: process.argv.slice(2),
   options: {
-    port: {type: 'string', default: '3001'},
+    port: {type: 'string', default: '4001'},
     host: {type: 'string', default: '127.0.0.1'},
   },
 })