diff --git a/frontend/lib/chat.mjs b/frontend/lib/chat.mjs
index 37f8bff..5fce4da 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/chat.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/chat.mjs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import {
 } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
 import { emojify, findEmojis } from "./emojis.mjs?v=048af96";
 import { linkify } from "./links.mjs?v=048af96";
-import { joinNewSession } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
+import { joinSession } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
+import { state } from "./state.mjs";
 
 function setCaretPosition(elem, caretPos) {
   if (elem.createTextRange) {
@@ -191,7 +192,8 @@ const setupChatboxEvents = (socket) => {
             handled = true;
             break;
           case "/join":
-            joinNewSession(args);
+            state().sessionId = args;
+            joinSession();
             handled = true;
             break;
           case "/help":
diff --git a/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs b/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
index 6995c63..87c5b22 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { joinSession } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
+import { state } from "./state.mjs";
 
 /**
  * @param {HTMLInputElement} field
@@ -80,11 +81,10 @@ export const setupJoinSessionForm = () => {
     saveNickname(nickname);
     saveColour(colour);
     try {
-      await joinSession(
-        nickname.value,
-        sessionId.value,
-        colour.value.replace(/^#/, "")
-      );
+      state().nickname = nickname.value;
+      state().sessionId = sessionId.value;
+      state().colour = colour.value.replace(/^#/, "");
+      await joinSession();
     } catch (e) {
       alert(e.message);
       button.disabled = false;
diff --git a/frontend/lib/links.mjs b/frontend/lib/links.mjs
index 998930e..4b64424 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/links.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/links.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { joinNewSession } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
+import { joinSession } from "./watch-session.mjs?v=048af96";
+import { state } from "./state.mjs";
 
 export async function linkify(
   text,
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ export async function linkify(
                 textContent: "Join Session",
                 className: "chip join-chip",
                 onclick: () => {
-                  joinNewSession(url.hash.substring(1));
+                  state().sessionId = url.hash.substring(1);
+                  joinSession();
                 },
               })
             );
diff --git a/frontend/lib/state.mjs b/frontend/lib/state.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a119fe9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/lib/state.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+let instance = null;
+export const state = () => {
+  if (!instance) {
+    instance = {};
+  }
+  return instance;
+};
diff --git a/frontend/lib/video.mjs b/frontend/lib/video.mjs
index 88bc434..9964f78 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/video.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/video.mjs
@@ -51,7 +51,12 @@ const saveCaptionsTrack = (track) => {
  * @param {{name: string, url: string}[]} subtitles
  */
 const createVideoElement = (videoUrl, subtitles) => {
+  const oldVideo = document.getElementById("video");
+  if (oldVideo) {
+    oldVideo.remove();
+  }
   const video = document.createElement("video");
+  video.id = "video";
   video.controls = true;
   video.autoplay = false;
   video.volume = loadVolume();
diff --git a/frontend/lib/watch-session.mjs b/frontend/lib/watch-session.mjs
index 814f8fa..2f45af8 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/watch-session.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/watch-session.mjs
@@ -6,17 +6,18 @@ import {
   printChatMessage,
 } from "./chat.mjs?v=048af96";
 import ReconnectingWebSocket from "./reconnecting-web-socket.mjs";
+import { state } from "./state.mjs";
 
 /**
  * @param {string} sessionId
  * @param {string} nickname
  * @returns {ReconnectingWebSocket}
  */
-const createWebSocket = (sessionId, nickname, colour) => {
+const createWebSocket = () => {
   const wsUrl = new URL(
-    `/sess/${sessionId}/subscribe` +
-      `?nickname=${encodeURIComponent(nickname)}` +
-      `&colour=${encodeURIComponent(colour)}`,
+    `/sess/${state().sessionId}/subscribe` +
+      `?nickname=${encodeURIComponent(state().nickname)}` +
+      `&colour=${encodeURIComponent(state().colour)}`,
     window.location.href
   );
   wsUrl.protocol = "ws" + window.location.protocol.slice(4);
@@ -167,49 +168,29 @@ const setupOutgoingEvents = (video, socket) => {
   });
 };
 
-let socket = null;
-let video = null;
+export const joinSession = async () => {
+  if (state().activeSession) {
+    if (state().activeSession === state().sessionId) {
+      // we are already in this session, dont rejoin
+      return;
+    }
+    // we are joining a new session from an existing session
+    const messageContent = document.createElement("span");
+    messageContent.appendChild(document.createTextNode("joining new session "));
+    messageContent.appendChild(document.createTextNode(state().sessionId));
 
-export const joinNewSession = async (sessionId) => {
-  const messageContent = document.createElement("span");
-  messageContent.appendChild(document.createTextNode("joining new session "));
-  messageContent.appendChild(document.createTextNode(sessionId));
-
-  printChatMessage("join-session", "watch-party", "#fffff", messageContent);
-
-  // clean up previous session
-  // TODO: this most likely isnt properly working yet when using the /join command to join a new session
-  if (socket != null) {
-    socket.close();
-    socket = null;
+    printChatMessage("join-session", "watch-party", "#fffff", messageContent);
   }
-  if (video != null) {
-    video.remove();
-    video = null;
-  }
-
-  joinSession(window.nickname, sessionId, sColour);
-};
-
-/**
- * @param {string} nickname
- * @param {string} sessionId
- * @param {string} colour
- */
-export const joinSession = async (nickname, sessionId, colour) => {
-  // TODO: we are getting to a point with our features where some kind of
-  // state store for the various info that is needed in a lot of places would probably make sense
-  window.nickname = nickname;
-  window.colour = colour;
+  state().activeSession = state().sessionId;
 
   // try { // we are handling errors in the join form.
   const genericConnectionError = new Error(
     "There was an issue getting the session information."
   );
-  window.location.hash = sessionId;
+  window.location.hash = state().sessionId;
   let response, video_url, subtitle_tracks, current_time_ms, is_playing;
   try {
-    response = await fetch(`/sess/${sessionId}`);
+    response = await fetch(`/sess/${state().sessionId}`);
   } catch (e) {
     console.error(e);
     throw genericConnectionError;
@@ -233,9 +214,14 @@ export const joinSession = async (nickname, sessionId, colour) => {
     throw genericConnectionError;
   }
 
-  socket = createWebSocket(sessionId, nickname, colour);
+  if (state().socket) {
+    state().socket.close();
+    state().socket = null;
+  }
+  const socket = createWebSocket();
+  state().socket = socket;
   socket.addEventListener("open", async () => {
-    video = await setupVideo(
+    const video = await setupVideo(
       video_url,
       subtitle_tracks,
       current_time_ms,