diff --git a/server/reflector/db/meetings.py b/server/reflector/db/meetings.py
index f0257846..12a0c187 100644
--- a/server/reflector/db/meetings.py
+++ b/server/reflector/db/meetings.py
@@ -147,7 +147,12 @@ class MeetingController:
         Get a meeting by room name.
         For backward compatibility, returns the most recent meeting.
         """
-        query = meetings.select().where(meetings.c.room_name == room_name).order_by(end_date.desc())
+        end_date = getattr(meetings.c, "end_date")
+        query = (
+            meetings.select()
+            .where(meetings.c.room_name == room_name)
+            .order_by(end_date.desc())
+        )
         result = await get_database().fetch_one(query)
         if not result:
             return None
diff --git a/server/reflector/views/rooms.py b/server/reflector/views/rooms.py
index d3de0185..85336ea0 100644
--- a/server/reflector/views/rooms.py
+++ b/server/reflector/views/rooms.py
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ async def rooms_get_by_name(
 ):
     user_id = user["sub"] if user else None
     room = await rooms_controller.get_by_name(room_name)
+    logger.debug("room: %s", room)
     if not room:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Room not found")
 
diff --git a/www/app/[roomName]/useRoomMeeting.tsx b/www/app/[roomName]/useRoomMeeting.tsx
index 8b81277b..8a9f7b4a 100644
--- a/www/app/[roomName]/useRoomMeeting.tsx
+++ b/www/app/[roomName]/useRoomMeeting.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState, useRef } from "react";
 import { useError } from "../(errors)/errorContext";
 import type { components } from "../reflector-api";
 import { shouldShowError } from "../lib/errorUtils";
@@ -37,11 +37,16 @@ const useRoomMeeting = (
   const createMeetingMutation = useRoomsCreateMeeting();
   const reloadHandler = () => setReload((prev) => prev + 1);
 
+  // this is to undupe dev mode room creation
+  const creatingRef = useRef(false);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!roomName) return;
+    if (creatingRef.current) return;
 
     // For any case where we need a meeting (with or without meetingId),
     const createMeeting = async () => {
+      creatingRef.current = true;
       try {
         const result = await createMeetingMutation.mutateAsync({
           params: {
@@ -64,6 +69,8 @@ const useRoomMeeting = (
         } else {
           setError(error);
         }
+      } finally {
+        creatingRef.current = false;
       }
     };