diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 40b0888..f771de0 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const drive = new Hyperdrive(store);
 await drive.ready();
 
 let swarm;
+let peerCount = 0;
 let activeRooms = [];
 const eventEmitter = new EventEmitter();
 
@@ -31,12 +32,6 @@ let config = {
 // Store messages for each room
 let messagesStore = {};
 
-// Store peer counts for each room
-let peerCounts = {};
-
-// Map to store discovery instances and their associated topics
-const discoveryTopicsMap = new Map();
-
 // Function to get a random port between 49152 and 65535
 function getRandomPort() {
   return Math.floor(Math.random() * (65535 - 49152 + 1)) + 49152;
@@ -130,7 +125,6 @@ async function initialize() {
 
       if (messageObj.type === 'icon') {
         const username = messageObj.username;
-        const topic = messageObj.topic;
         if (messageObj.avatar) {
           const avatarBuffer = b4a.from(messageObj.avatar, 'base64');
           await drive.put(`/icons/${username}.png`, avatarBuffer);
@@ -138,7 +132,6 @@ async function initialize() {
         } else {
           console.error('Received icon message with missing avatar data:', messageObj);
         }
-        // updatePeerCount(topic);
       } else if (messageObj.type === 'file') {
         if (messageObj.file && messageObj.fileName) {
           const fileBuffer = b4a.from(messageObj.file, 'base64');
@@ -162,61 +155,31 @@ async function initialize() {
     });
 
     swarm.on('connection', async (connection, info) => {
-      try {
-        connection.on('data', (data) => {
-          const messageObj = JSON.parse(data.toString());
-          if (messageObj.type === 'icon' && messageObj.topic) {
-            connection.topic = messageObj.topic;
-            if (!peerCounts[messageObj.topic]) {
-              peerCounts[messageObj.topic] = 0;
-            }
-            peerCounts[messageObj.topic]++;
-            updateHeaderPeerCount(messageObj.topic);
-          }
-          eventEmitter.emit('onMessage', messageObj);
+      peerCount++;
+      updatePeerCount();
+      console.log('Peer connected, current peer count:', peerCount);
+
+      // Send the current user's icon to the new peer
+      const iconBuffer = await drive.get(`/icons/${config.userName}.png`);
+      if (iconBuffer) {
+        const iconMessage = JSON.stringify({
+          type: 'icon',
+          username: config.userName,
+          avatar: b4a.toString(iconBuffer, 'base64'),
         });
-
-        connection.on('close', () => {
-          const topic = connection.topic;
-          if (topic && peerCounts[topic]) {
-            peerCounts[topic]--;
-            updateHeaderPeerCount(topic);
-            console.log('Peer disconnected, current peer count:', peerCounts[topic]);
-          }
-        });
-
-        // Sending current user's topic to the new peer
-        const currentTopic = document.querySelector('#chat-room-topic').innerText;
-        connection.topic = currentTopic;
-
-        if (!peerCounts[currentTopic]) {
-          peerCounts[currentTopic] = 0;
-        }
-        peerCounts[currentTopic]++;
-        updateHeaderPeerCount(currentTopic);
-        console.log('Peer connected, current peer count:', peerCounts[currentTopic]);
-
-        // Send the current user's icon to the new peer
-        const iconBuffer = await drive.get(`/icons/${config.userName}.png`);
-        if (iconBuffer) {
-          const iconMessage = JSON.stringify({
-            type: 'icon',
-            username: config.userName,
-            avatar: b4a.toString(iconBuffer, 'base64'),
-            topic: currentTopic
-          });
-          connection.write(iconMessage);
-        } else {
-          const iconMessage = JSON.stringify({
-            type: 'icon',
-            username: config.userName,
-            topic: currentTopic
-          });
-          connection.write(iconMessage);
-        }
-      } catch (error) {
-        console.error('Error handling connection:', error);
+        connection.write(iconMessage);
       }
+
+      connection.on('data', (data) => {
+        const messageObj = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+        eventEmitter.emit('onMessage', messageObj);
+      });
+
+      connection.on('close', () => {
+        peerCount--;
+        updatePeerCount();
+        console.log('Peer disconnected, current peer count:', peerCount);
+      });
     });
 
     swarm.on('error', (err) => {
@@ -367,10 +330,6 @@ async function joinSwarm(topicBuffer) {
       await discovery.flushed();
 
       activeRooms.push({ topic, discovery });
-      peerCounts[topic] = 0; // Initialize peer count for the new room
-
-      // Store the topic in the map
-      discoveryTopicsMap.set(discovery, topic);
 
       console.log('Joined room:', topic); // Debugging log
 
@@ -384,13 +343,9 @@ async function joinSwarm(topicBuffer) {
 function addRoomToList(topic) {
   const roomList = document.querySelector('#room-list');
   const roomItem = document.createElement('li');
+  roomItem.textContent = truncateHash(topic);
   roomItem.dataset.topic = topic;
 
-  const roomName = document.createElement('span');
-  roomName.textContent = truncateHash(topic);
-
-  roomItem.appendChild(roomName);
-
   roomItem.addEventListener('dblclick', () => enterEditMode(roomItem));
   roomItem.addEventListener('click', () => switchRoom(topic));
   roomList.appendChild(roomItem);
@@ -478,9 +433,6 @@ function switchRoom(topic) {
   // Show chat UI elements
   document.querySelector('#chat').classList.remove('hidden');
   document.querySelector('#setup').classList.add('hidden');
-
-  // Update the peer count in the header
-  updateHeaderPeerCount(topic);
 }
 
 function leaveRoom(topic) {
@@ -489,7 +441,6 @@ function leaveRoom(topic) {
     const room = activeRooms[roomIndex];
     room.discovery.destroy();
     activeRooms.splice(roomIndex, 1);
-    discoveryTopicsMap.delete(room.discovery);
   }
 
   const roomItem = document.querySelector(`li[data-topic="${topic}"]`);
@@ -617,11 +568,10 @@ function addFileMessage(from, fileName, fileUrl, fileType, avatar, topic) {
   }
 }
 
-function updateHeaderPeerCount(topic) {
+function updatePeerCount() {
   const peerCountElement = document.querySelector('#peers-count');
   if (peerCountElement) {
-    const peerCount = peerCounts[topic] || 0;
-    peerCountElement.textContent = peerCount;
+    peerCountElement.textContent = peerCount; // Display the actual peer count
   }
 }
 
@@ -632,13 +582,12 @@ function scrollToBottom() {
 
 function onMessageAdded(from, message, avatar, topic) {
   console.log('Adding message:', { from, message, avatar, topic }); // Debugging log
-
   const messageObj = {
     from,
     message,
     avatar
   };
-
+  
   // Add the message to the store
   addMessageToStore(topic, messageObj);
 
@@ -663,24 +612,19 @@ function onMessageAdded(from, message, avatar, topic) {
     const $text = document.createElement('div');
     $text.classList.add('message-text');
 
-    if (typeof message === 'string') {
-      const md = window.markdownit({
-        highlight: function (str, lang) {
-          if (lang && hljs.getLanguage(lang)) {
-            try {
-              return hljs.highlight(str, { language: lang }).value;
-            } catch (__) {}
-          }
-          return ''; // use external default escaping
+    const md = window.markdownit({
+      highlight: function (str, lang) {
+        if (lang && hljs.getLanguage(lang)) {
+          try {
+            return hljs.highlight(str, { language: lang }).value;
+          } catch (__) {}
         }
-      });
+        return ''; // use external default escaping
+      }
+    });
 
-      const markdownContent = md.render(message);
-      $text.innerHTML = markdownContent;
-    } else {
-      console.error('Message content is not a string:', message);
-      $text.textContent = 'Invalid message content.';
-    }
+    const markdownContent = md.render(message);
+    $text.innerHTML = markdownContent;
 
     $content.appendChild($header);
     $content.appendChild($text);
@@ -800,6 +744,7 @@ function renderMessagesForRoom(topic) {
     onMessageAdded(message.from, message.message, message.avatar, topic);
   });
 }
+
 function getMessagesForRoom(topic) {
   return messagesStore[topic] || [];
 }