diff --git a/sneed/client.go b/sneed/client.go
index de5e8b3..02cf02c 100644
--- a/sneed/client.go
+++ b/sneed/client.go
@@ -37,25 +37,22 @@ type Client struct {
 	stopCh      chan struct{}
 	wg          sync.WaitGroup
 
-	// processed
 	processedMu         sync.Mutex
 	processedMessageIDs []int
+	messageEditDates    *utils.BoundedMap
 
-	messageEditDates *utils.BoundedMap
-
-	// event callbacks
 	OnMessage    func(map[string]interface{})
 	OnEdit       func(int, string)
 	OnDelete     func(int)
 	OnConnect    func()
 	OnDisconnect func()
 
-	// outbound correlation for echo suppression / mapping
 	recentOutboundIter func() []map[string]interface{}
 	mapDiscordSneed    func(int, int, string)
 
-	bridgeUserID   int
-	bridgeUsername string
+	bridgeUserID      int
+	bridgeUsername    string
+	baseLoopsStarted  bool
 }
 
 func NewClient(roomID int, cookieSvc *cookie.CookieRefreshService) *Client {
@@ -100,11 +97,17 @@ func (c *Client) Connect() error {
 	c.lastMessage = time.Now()
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 
-	c.wg.Add(3)
-	go c.readLoop()
-	go c.heartbeatLoop()
-	go c.joinRoom()
+	if !c.baseLoopsStarted {
+		c.baseLoopsStarted = true
+		c.wg.Add(2)
+		go c.heartbeatLoop()
+		go c.cleanupLoop()
+	}
 
+	c.wg.Add(1)
+	go c.readLoop()
+
+	c.Send(fmt.Sprintf("/join %d", c.roomID))
 	log.Printf("✅ Successfully connected to Sneedchat room %d", c.roomID)
 	if c.OnConnect != nil {
 		c.OnConnect()
@@ -113,14 +116,11 @@ func (c *Client) Connect() error {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) joinRoom() {
-	defer c.wg.Done()
 	c.Send(fmt.Sprintf("/join %d", c.roomID))
 }
 
 func (c *Client) readLoop() {
 	defer c.wg.Done()
-	defer c.handleDisconnect()
-
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-c.stopCh:
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ func (c *Client) readLoop() {
 		_, message, err := conn.ReadMessage()
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("Sneedchat read error: %v", err)
+			c.handleDisconnect()
 			return
 		}
 		c.lastMessage = time.Now()
@@ -165,6 +166,23 @@ func (c *Client) heartbeatLoop() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *Client) cleanupLoop() {
+	defer c.wg.Done()
+	t := time.NewTicker(MappingCleanupInterval)
+	defer t.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-t.C:
+			removed := c.messageEditDates.CleanupOldEntries()
+			if removed > 0 {
+				log.Printf("🧹 Cleaned up %d old message tracking entries", removed)
+			}
+		case <-c.stopCh:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Client) Send(s string) bool {
 	c.mu.RLock()
 	conn := c.conn
@@ -186,18 +204,29 @@ func (c *Client) handleDisconnect() {
 		return
 	default:
 	}
+
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	c.connected = false
 	if c.conn != nil {
 		c.conn.Close()
+		c.conn = nil
 	}
 	c.mu.Unlock()
+
 	log.Println("🔴 Sneedchat disconnected")
 	if c.OnDisconnect != nil {
 		c.OnDisconnect()
 	}
+
 	time.Sleep(ReconnectInterval)
-	_ = c.Connect()
+
+	if err := c.Connect(); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Reconnect attempt failed: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Println("🟢 Reconnected successfully")
+	c.joinRoom()
 }
 
 func (c *Client) Disconnect() {
@@ -217,7 +246,6 @@ func (c *Client) handleIncoming(raw string) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// top-level deletes
 	if payload.Delete != nil {
 		var ids []int
 		switch v := payload.Delete.(type) {
@@ -239,7 +267,6 @@ func (c *Client) handleIncoming(raw string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// messages list or single
 	var messages []SneedMessage
 	if len(payload.Messages) > 0 {
 		messages = payload.Messages
@@ -278,10 +305,8 @@ func (c *Client) processMessage(m SneedMessage) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// suppress bridge echoes
 	if (c.bridgeUserID > 0 && userID == c.bridgeUserID) ||
 		(c.bridgeUsername != "" && username == c.bridgeUsername) {
-		// correlate outbound -> map IDs
 		if m.MessageID > 0 && c.recentOutboundIter != nil && c.mapDiscordSneed != nil {
 			now := time.Now()
 			for _, entry := range c.recentOutboundIter() {
@@ -305,7 +330,6 @@ func (c *Client) processMessage(m SneedMessage) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// de-dup / edits
 	if c.isProcessed(m.MessageID) {
 		if prev, exists := c.messageEditDates.Get(m.MessageID); exists {
 			if editDate > prev.(int) {
@@ -318,7 +342,6 @@ func (c *Client) processMessage(m SneedMessage) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// new message
 	c.addToProcessed(m.MessageID)
 	c.messageEditDates.Set(m.MessageID, editDate)
 
@@ -364,19 +387,18 @@ func (c *Client) removeFromProcessed(id int) {
 	}
 }
 
-// helpers for mapping in bridge
 func (c *Client) SetOutboundIter(f func() []map[string]interface{}) {
 	c.recentOutboundIter = f
 }
+
 func (c *Client) SetMapDiscordSneed(f func(int, int, string)) {
 	c.mapDiscordSneed = f
 }
 
-// expose helper for mention replacement
 func ReplaceBridgeMention(content, bridgeUsername, pingID string) string {
 	if bridgeUsername == "" || pingID == "" {
 		return content
 	}
-	pat := regexp.MustCompile(fmt.Sprintf(`(?i)@%s(?:\W|$)`, regexp.QuoteMeta(bridgeUsername)))
+	pat := regexp.MustCompile(fmt.Sprintf(`(?i)@%s(?:\\W|$)`, regexp.QuoteMeta(bridgeUsername)))
 	return pat.ReplaceAllString(content, fmt.Sprintf("<@%s>", pingID))
 }