diff --git a/www/app/[roomName]/components/DailyRoom.tsx b/www/app/[roomName]/components/DailyRoom.tsx
index 2faedb90..41105be3 100644
--- a/www/app/[roomName]/components/DailyRoom.tsx
+++ b/www/app/[roomName]/components/DailyRoom.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   recordingTypeRequiresConsent,
 } from "../../lib/consent";
 import { useRoomJoinMeeting } from "../../lib/apiHooks";
+import { assertExists } from "../../lib/utils";
 
 type Meeting = components["schemas"]["Meeting"];
 
@@ -22,16 +23,16 @@ export default function DailyRoom({ meeting }: DailyRoomProps) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const params = useParams();
   const auth = useAuth();
-  const status = auth.status;
+  const authStatus = auth.status;
+  const authLastUserId = auth.lastUserId;
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const joinMutation = useRoomJoinMeeting();
   const [joinedMeeting, setJoinedMeeting] = useState<Meeting | null>(null);
 
   const roomName = params?.roomName as string;
 
-  // Always call /join to get a fresh token with user_id
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (status === "loading" || !meeting?.id || !roomName) return;
+    if (authLastUserId === null || !meeting?.id || !roomName) return;
 
     const join = async () => {
       try {
@@ -50,18 +51,16 @@ export default function DailyRoom({ meeting }: DailyRoomProps) {
     };
 
     join();
-  }, [meeting?.id, roomName, status]);
+  }, [meeting?.id, roomName, authLastUserId]);
 
   const roomUrl = joinedMeeting?.host_room_url || joinedMeeting?.room_url;
-  const isLoading =
-    status === "loading" || joinMutation.isPending || !joinedMeeting;
 
   const handleLeave = useCallback(() => {
     router.push("/browse");
   }, [router]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (isLoading || !roomUrl || !containerRef.current) return;
+    if (!authLastUserId || !roomUrl || !containerRef.current) return;
 
     let frame: DailyCall | null = null;
     let destroyed = false;
@@ -90,9 +89,14 @@ export default function DailyRoom({ meeting }: DailyRoomProps) {
 
         frame.on("left-meeting", handleLeave);
 
+        // TODO this method must not ignore no-recording option
+        // TODO this method is here to make dev environments work in some cases (not examined which)
         frame.on("joined-meeting", async () => {
           try {
-            await frame.startRecording({ type: "raw-tracks" });
+            assertExists(
+              frame,
+              "frame object got lost somewhere after frame.on was called",
+            ).startRecording({ type: "raw-tracks" });
           } catch (error) {
             console.error("Failed to start recording:", error);
           }
@@ -104,7 +108,9 @@ export default function DailyRoom({ meeting }: DailyRoomProps) {
       }
     };
 
-    createAndJoin();
+    createAndJoin().catch((error) => {
+      console.error("Failed to create and join meeting:", error);
+    });
 
     return () => {
       destroyed = true;
@@ -114,9 +120,9 @@ export default function DailyRoom({ meeting }: DailyRoomProps) {
         });
       }
     };
-  }, [roomUrl, isLoading, handleLeave]);
+  }, [roomUrl, authLastUserId, handleLeave]);
 
-  if (isLoading) {
+  if (!authLastUserId) {
     return (
       <Center width="100vw" height="100vh">
         <Spinner size="xl" />
diff --git a/www/app/lib/AuthProvider.tsx b/www/app/lib/AuthProvider.tsx
index e1eabf99..6a0b9f82 100644
--- a/www/app/lib/AuthProvider.tsx
+++ b/www/app/lib/AuthProvider.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { createContext, useContext } from "react";
+import { createContext, useContext, useRef } from "react";
 import { useSession as useNextAuthSession } from "next-auth/react";
 import { signOut, signIn } from "next-auth/react";
 import { configureApiAuth } from "./apiClient";
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ type AuthContextType = (
   update: () => Promise<Session | null>;
   signIn: typeof signIn;
   signOut: typeof signOut;
+  // TODO probably rename isLoading to isReloading and make THIS field "isLoading"
+  lastUserId: CustomSession["user"]["id"] | null;
 };
 
 const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | undefined>(undefined);
@@ -41,10 +43,13 @@ const noopAuthContext: AuthContextType = {
   signOut: async () => {
     throw new Error("signOut not supposed to be called");
   },
+  lastUserId: null,
 };
 
 export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const { data: session, status, update } = useNextAuthSession();
+  // referential comparison done in component, must be primitive /or cached
+  const lastUserId = useRef<CustomSession["user"]["id"] | null>(null);
 
   const contextValue: AuthContextType = isAuthEnabled
     ? {
@@ -78,6 +83,9 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
                   status: "unauthenticated" as const,
                 };
               } else if (customSession?.accessToken) {
+                // updates anyways with updated properties below
+                // warning! execution order conscience, must be ran before reading lastUserId.current below
+                lastUserId.current = customSession.user.id;
                 return {
                   status,
                   accessToken: customSession.accessToken,
@@ -103,6 +111,8 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
         update,
         signIn,
         signOut,
+        // for optimistic cases when we assume "loading" doesn't immediately invalidate the user
+        lastUserId: lastUserId.current,
       }
     : noopAuthContext;
 
diff --git a/www/app/lib/authBackend.ts b/www/app/lib/authBackend.ts
index c28ee224..e439e1b0 100644
--- a/www/app/lib/authBackend.ts
+++ b/www/app/lib/authBackend.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ export const authOptions = (): AuthOptions =>
           },
           async session({ session, token }) {
             const extendedToken = token as JWTWithAccessToken;
-
+            console.log("extendedToken", extendedToken);
             const userId = await getUserId(extendedToken.accessToken);
 
             return {