diff --git a/app/durableObjects/ChatRoom.server.ts b/app/durableObjects/ChatRoom.server.ts
index 8c468b33..7c84560e 100644
--- a/app/durableObjects/ChatRoom.server.ts
+++ b/app/durableObjects/ChatRoom.server.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export class ChatRoom extends Server<Env> {
 		connection: Connection<User>,
 		ctx: ConnectionContext
 	): Promise<void> {
+		await this.cleanupOldConnections()
 		// let's start the periodic alarm if it's not already started
 		if (!(await this.ctx.storage.getAlarm())) {
 			// start the alarm to broadcast state every 30 seconds
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ export class ChatRoom extends Server<Env> {
 		}
 
 		// store the user's data in storage
-		await this.ctx.storage.put(`session-${connection.id}`, JSON.stringify(user))
+		await this.ctx.storage.put(`session-${connection.id}`, user)
 
 		await this.broadcastRoomState()
 	}
@@ -134,10 +135,7 @@ export class ChatRoom extends Server<Env> {
 					break
 				}
 				case 'userUpdate': {
-					this.ctx.storage.put(
-						`session-${connection.id}`,
-						JSON.stringify(data.user)
-					)
+					this.ctx.storage.put(`session-${connection.id}`, data.user)
 					await this.broadcastRoomState()
 					break
 				}
@@ -172,14 +170,13 @@ export class ChatRoom extends Server<Env> {
 							const otherUser = await this.ctx.storage.get<User>(
 								`session-${data.id}`
 							)
-							this.ctx.storage.put(`session-${data.id}`, {
+							await this.ctx.storage.put(`session-${data.id}`, {
 								...otherUser!,
 								tracks: {
 									...otherUser!.tracks,
 									audioEnabled: false,
 								},
 							})
-							//
 							this.sendMessage(otherConnection, {
 								type: 'muteMic',
 							})
@@ -237,9 +234,19 @@ export class ChatRoom extends Server<Env> {
 		// this.broadcastState()
 	}
 
+	async cleanupOldConnections() {
+		const connections = [...this.getConnections()]
+		const sessionsToCleanUp = await this.ctx.storage.list<User>()
+		connections.forEach((connection) =>
+			sessionsToCleanUp.delete(`session-${connection.id}`)
+		)
+		return Promise.all(
+			[...sessionsToCleanUp.keys()].map((key) => this.ctx.storage.delete(key))
+		)
+	}
+
 	async alarm(): Promise<void> {
-		// technically we don't need to broadcast state on an alarm,
-		// but let's keep it for a while and see if it's useful
+		await this.cleanupOldConnections()
 		await this.broadcastRoomState()
 		if ([...this.getConnections()].length !== 0) {
 			this.ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 30000)