diff --git a/XIONControlPanel/Servers/HomeAssistantServer.swift b/XIONControlPanel/Servers/HomeAssistantServer.swift
index 753d798..8f6cd8d 100644
--- a/XIONControlPanel/Servers/HomeAssistantServer.swift
+++ b/XIONControlPanel/Servers/HomeAssistantServer.swift
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ class HomeAssistantServer: Server
                 
                 print("Websocket not running: \(String(describing: websocketTask.error))")
             } catch {
-                print("Websocket Error: \(error)")
-                self.connectionStatus = .error
+                encounteredWebsocketError(error)
             }
         }
         
@@ -153,19 +152,27 @@ class HomeAssistantServer: Server
                 }
             }
             
-            do {
-                let encodedMessage = try JSONEncoder().encode(message)
-                let jsonString = String(data: encodedMessage, encoding: .utf8)!
-                websocketTask?.send(.string(jsonString)) { error in
-                    guard let error else { return }
-                    print("Websocket send error: \(error)")
+            Task {
+                do {
+                    let encodedMessage = try JSONEncoder().encode(message)
+                    let jsonString = String(data: encodedMessage, encoding: .utf8)!
+                    try await websocketTask?.send(.string(jsonString))
+                } catch {
+                    print("Error sending message: \(error)")
+                    encounteredWebsocketError(error)
                 }
-            } catch {
-                print("Error sending message: \(error)")
             }
         }
     }
     
+    private func encounteredWebsocketError(_ error: any Error) {
+        print("Websocket Error: \(error)")
+        self.connectionStatus = .error
+        self.websocketTask?.cancel()
+        self.websocketTask = nil
+        // reconnects the next time we're refreshed. 
+    }
+    
     private func decodeEvent(_ data: Data) async {
         do {
             let decoder = JSONDecoder()
@@ -311,9 +318,9 @@ typealias MessageID = Int64?
 
 extension MessageID
 {
-    private static var counter: Int64 = 0
+    private static var counter: Int64 = 1
     static func next() -> Self {
-        Self.counter += 1
+        OSAtomicIncrement64(&Self.counter)
         return Self.counter
     }
 }