diff --git a/src/PepperDash.Core/Comm/GenericSshClient.cs b/src/PepperDash.Core/Comm/GenericSshClient.cs
index df44ab51..546a2a67 100644
--- a/src/PepperDash.Core/Comm/GenericSshClient.cs
+++ b/src/PepperDash.Core/Comm/GenericSshClient.cs
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
         // Thread-safety lock for state changes
         private readonly object _stateLock = new object();
 
+        private volatile bool _isProgramStopping;
+
         private bool disconnectLogged = false;
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -207,11 +209,9 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
         {
             if (programEventType == eProgramStatusEventType.Stopping)
             {
-                if (client != null)
-                {
-                    this.LogDebug("Program stopping. Closing connection");
-                    Disconnect();
-                }
+                _isProgramStopping = true;
+                this.LogDebug("Program stopping. Closing connection");
+                Disconnect();
             }
         }
 
@@ -228,6 +228,12 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                 return;
             }
 
+            if (_isProgramStopping)
+            {
+                this.LogDebug("Skipping connect because program is stopping");
+                return;
+            }
+
             ConnectEnabled = true;
 
             try
@@ -287,13 +293,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                     }
                     catch (SshConnectionException e)
                     {
-                        var ie = e.InnerException; // The details are inside!!
-
-                        if (ie is SocketException)
-                        {
-                            this.LogError("CONNECTION failure: Cannot reach host");
-                            this.LogVerbose(ie, "Exception details: ");
-                        }
+                        var ie = e.InnerException; // The details are inside, when present - remote can close the connection with no inner exception at all
 
                         if (ie is System.Net.Sockets.SocketException socketException)
                         {
@@ -301,20 +301,20 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                                 Hostname, Port);
                             this.LogVerbose(socketException, "SocketException details: ");
                         }
-                        if (ie is SshAuthenticationException)
+                        else if (ie is SshAuthenticationException)
                         {
                             this.LogError("Authentication failure for username {userName}", Username);
                             this.LogVerbose(ie, "AuthenticationException details: ");
                         }
                         else
                         {
-                            this.LogError("Error on connect: {error}", ie.Message);
-                            this.LogVerbose(ie, "Exception details: ");
+                            this.LogError("Error on connect: {error}", ie?.Message ?? e.Message);
+                            this.LogVerbose(ie ?? e, "Exception details: ");
                         }
 
                         disconnectLogged = true;
                         KillClient(SocketStatus.SOCKET_STATUS_CONNECT_FAILED);
-                        if (AutoReconnect)
+                        if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
                         {
                             this.LogDebug("Checking autoreconnect: {autoReconnect}, {autoReconnectInterval}ms", AutoReconnect, AutoReconnectIntervalMs);
                             StartReconnectTimer();
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
 
                         disconnectLogged = true;
                         KillClient(SocketStatus.SOCKET_STATUS_CONNECT_FAILED);
-                        if (AutoReconnect)
+                        if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
                         {
                             this.LogDebug("Checking autoreconnect: {0}, {1}ms", AutoReconnect, AutoReconnectIntervalMs);
                             StartReconnectTimer();
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                         this.LogVerbose(e, "Exception details: ");
                         disconnectLogged = true;
                         KillClient(SocketStatus.SOCKET_STATUS_CONNECT_FAILED);
-                        if (AutoReconnect)
+                        if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
                         {
                             this.LogDebug("Checking autoreconnect: {0}, {1}ms", AutoReconnect, AutoReconnectIntervalMs);
                             StartReconnectTimer();
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                 {
                     connectLock.Release();
                 }
-                if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled)
+                if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
                 {
                     this.LogDebug("Checking autoreconnect: {0}, {1}ms", AutoReconnect, AutoReconnectIntervalMs);
                     StartReconnectTimer();
@@ -516,7 +516,10 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                 this.LogError("ObjectDisposedException sending '{message}'. Restarting connection...", text.Trim());
 
                 KillClient(SocketStatus.SOCKET_STATUS_CONNECT_FAILED);
-                StartReconnectTimer();
+                if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
+                {
+                    StartReconnectTimer();
+                }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
@@ -549,7 +552,10 @@ namespace PepperDash.Core
                 this.LogException(ex, "ObjectDisposedException sending {message}", ComTextHelper.GetEscapedText(bytes));
 
                 KillClient(SocketStatus.SOCKET_STATUS_CONNECT_FAILED);
-                StartReconnectTimer();
+                if (AutoReconnect && ConnectEnabled && !_isProgramStopping)
+                {
+                    StartReconnectTimer();
+                }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
diff --git a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/ITechPasswordMessenger.cs b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/ITechPasswordMessenger.cs
index 45453bc1..283ef0c8 100644
--- a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/ITechPasswordMessenger.cs
+++ b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/ITechPasswordMessenger.cs
@@ -11,15 +11,6 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.AppServer.Messengers
     {
         private readonly ITechPassword _room;
 
-        // Captures the id of the client whose /validateTechPassword request is in flight, so the
-        // TechPasswordValidateResult handler below can reply to only that client instead of
-        // broadcasting to every connected panel. Relies on ValidateTechPassword firing the event
-        // synchronously (true for all known ITechPassword implementations); if a future
-        // implementation validates asynchronously, _pendingClientId will already be null when the
-        // handler runs and this degrades to the previous broadcast behavior.
-        private readonly object _pendingLock = new object();
-        private string _pendingClientId;
-
         public ITechPasswordMessenger(string key, string messagePath, ITechPassword room)
             : base(key, messagePath, room as IKeyName)
         {
@@ -37,12 +28,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.AppServer.Messengers
             {
                 var password = content.Value<string>("password");
 
-                lock (_pendingLock)
-                {
-                    _pendingClientId = id;
-                    _room.ValidateTechPassword(password);
-                    _pendingClientId = null;
-                }
+                _room.ValidateTechPassword(password);
             });
 
             AddAction("/setTechPassword", (id, content) =>
@@ -59,18 +45,12 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.AppServer.Messengers
 
             _room.TechPasswordValidateResult += (sender, args) =>
             {
-                string clientId;
-                lock (_pendingLock)
-                {
-                    clientId = _pendingClientId;
-                }
-
                 var evt = new ITechPasswordEventMessage
                 {
                     IsValid = args.IsValid
                 };
 
-                PostEventMessage(evt, "passwordValidationResult", clientId);
+                PostEventMessage(evt, "passwordValidationResult");
             };
         }
 
diff --git a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/MessengerBase.cs b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/MessengerBase.cs
index cd59db6e..eb3afec3 100644
--- a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/MessengerBase.cs
+++ b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl.Messengers/Messengers/MessengerBase.cs
@@ -405,28 +405,5 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.AppServer.Messengers
             });
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Helper for posting an event message to a single client. A null/empty clientId falls back
-        /// to the existing broadcast behavior of the other PostEventMessage overloads.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="message"></param>
-        /// <param name="eventType"></param>
-        /// <param name="clientId">Client id that will direct the message back to only that client</param>
-        protected void PostEventMessage(DeviceEventMessageBase message, string eventType, string clientId)
-        {
-            message.Key = _device.Key;
-
-            message.Name = _device.Name;
-
-            message.EventType = eventType;
-
-            AppServerController?.SendMessageObject(new MobileControlMessage
-            {
-                Type = $"/event{MessagePath}/{eventType}",
-                ClientId = clientId,
-                Content = JToken.FromObject(message),
-            });
-        }
-
     }
 }