diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTracks.js.jsx.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTracks.js.jsx.coffee
index 2246bd53a..311f0402a 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTracks.js.jsx.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTracks.js.jsx.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 context = window
+MixerActions = context.MixerActions
 ReactCSSTransitionGroup = React.addons.CSSTransitionGroup
 
 @SessionOtherTracks = React.createClass({
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ ReactCSSTransitionGroup = React.addons.CSSTransitionGroup
           noAudio: noAudioUsers[participant.client_id]
         }
 
+        MixerActions.missingPeerMixer(participant.client_id) unless hasMixer
+
         participants.push(participantState)
 
     this.setState(participants: participants, session: session)
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/actions/MixerActions.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/actions/MixerActions.js.coffee
index 5d5678207..68c71dfba 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/actions/MixerActions.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/actions/MixerActions.js.coffee
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ context = window
   openMetronome: {}
   metronomeChanged: {}
   deadUserRemove: {}
+  missingPeerMixer: {}
 })
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/helpers/MixerHelper.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/helpers/MixerHelper.js.coffee
index 9fa8c5d74..90734e784 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/helpers/MixerHelper.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/helpers/MixerHelper.js.coffee
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ MIX_MODES = context.JK.MIX_MODES;
 
     for mixer in mixers
       unless mixer?
-        logger.debug("empty mixer: ", mixers)
+        #logger.debug("empty mixer: ", mixers)
         continue
 
       if mixer.client_id == clientId
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/MixerStore.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/MixerStore.js.coffee
index 22d920bd9..d98600ca5 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/MixerStore.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/MixerStore.js.coffee
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
 
     metro: {tempo: 120, cricket: false, sound: "Beep" }
     noAudioUsers : {}
+    checkingMissingPeers : {}
+    missingMixerPeers : {}
+    recheckTimeout : null
 
     init: ->
       # Register with the app store to get @app
@@ -34,6 +37,7 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
       this.listenTo(context.MixerActions.openMetronome, this.onOpenMetronome)
       this.listenTo(context.MixerActions.metronomeChanged, this.onMetronomeChanged)
       this.listenTo(context.MixerActions.deadUserRemove, this.onDeadUserRemove)
+      this.listenTo(context.MixerActions.missingPeerMixer, this.onMissingPeerMixer)
 
       context.JK.HandleVolumeChangeCallback2 = @handleVolumeChangeCallback
       context.JK.HandleMetronomeCallback2 = @handleMetronomeCallback
@@ -114,7 +118,10 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
 
 
     sessionEnded: () ->
+      @checkingMissingPeers = {}
       @noAudioUsers = {}
+      @missingMixerPeers = {}
+      clearTimeout(@recheckTimeout) if @recheckTimeout?
 
     onSessionChange: (session) ->
 
@@ -186,6 +193,35 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
 
       @issueChange()
 
+    onMissingPeerMixer: (clientId) ->
+
+      missingPeerAttempts = @missingMixerPeers[clientId]
+
+      # check for 5 tries (10 seconds if setTimeout is 2000ms)
+      if !missingPeerAttempts? || missingPeerAttempts < 5
+        @checkingMissingPeers[clientId] = true
+        @recheckTimeout = setTimeout(@recheckForMixers, 2000) unless @recheckTimeout?
+      else
+        logger.debug("ignoring missing peer recheck. missingPeerAttempts: #{missingPeerAttempts}")
+
+    recheckForMixers: () ->
+      # increment how many times we've checked for this particular peer
+      for clientId, meh of @checkingMissingPeers
+        missingPeerAttempts = @missingMixerPeers[clientId]
+        missingPeerAttempts = 0 unless missingPeerAttempts?
+        missingPeerAttempts++
+        @missingMixerPeers[clientId] = missingPeerAttempts
+
+      # reset the peers we are looking for
+      @checkingMissingPeers = {}
+
+      @recheckTimeout = null
+      @masterMixers = context.jamClient.SessionGetAllControlState(true);
+      @personalMixers = context.jamClient.SessionGetAllControlState(false);
+      logger.debug("MixerStore: recheckForMixers")
+      @mixers = new context.MixerHelper(@session, @masterMixers, @personalMixers, @metro, @noAudioUsers, @mixers?.mixMode || MIX_MODES.PERSONAL)
+      @issueChange()
+
     onInitGain: (mixer) ->
       @mixers.initGain(mixer)
 
@@ -212,9 +248,7 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
 
     onSyncTracks: () ->
       logger.debug("MixerStore: onSyncTracks")
-      # XXX using SessionStore directly, because SessionHelper.inSession() is based on if the session has been requested, not if the user has attempted to join the session
-      #unless @session.inSession()
-      unless context.SessionStore.inSession()
+      unless @session.inSession()
         logger.debug("dropping sync tracks because no longer in session")
         return
 
@@ -230,7 +264,7 @@ rest = context.JK.Rest()
       syncTrackRequest.tracks = inputTracks
       syncTrackRequest.backing_tracks = backingTracks
       syncTrackRequest.metronome_open = metronomeTracks.length > 0
-      syncTrackRequest.id = context.SessionStore.currentSessionId
+      syncTrackRequest.id = @session.id()
 
       rest.putTrackSyncChange(syncTrackRequest)
       .fail((jqXHR)=>
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee
index e949b73e6..396f66590 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
           logger.debug("backing tracks changed", previousBackingTracks, backingTracks)
           MixerActions.syncTracks()
         else if !(previousMetronomeTracks.length == 0 && metronomeTracks.length == 0) && previousMetronomeTracks != metronomeTracks
-          logger.debug("metronome state changed ", previousMetronomeTracks, metronomeTracks)
+          #logger.debug("metronome state changed ", previousMetronomeTracks, metronomeTracks)
           MixerActions.syncTracks()
         else
           @refreshCurrentSession(true)
@@ -692,11 +692,14 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
           @leaveSessionRest(@currentSessionId)
           return
 
+        @updateSessionInfo(response, true)
+        @issueChange()
+
         logger.debug("calling jamClient.JoinSession");
         # on temporary disconnect scenarios, a user may already be in a session when they enter this path
         # so we avoid double counting
         unless @alreadyInSession()
-          if response.music_session.participant_count == 1
+          if @participants().length == 1
             context.JK.GA.trackSessionMusicians(context.JK.GA.SessionCreationTypes.create);
           else
             context.JK.GA.trackSessionMusicians(context.JK.GA.SessionCreationTypes.join);
@@ -705,7 +708,7 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
 
         context.jamClient.JoinSession({sessionID: @currentSessionId});
 
-        @refreshCurrentSession(true);
+        #@refreshCurrentSession(true);
 
         context.JK.JamServer.registerMessageCallback(context.JK.MessageType.SESSION_JOIN, @trackChanges);
         context.JK.JamServer.registerMessageCallback(context.JK.MessageType.SESSION_DEPART, @trackChanges);
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
index 5f2466037..87e6a7f93 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ context.JK.WebcamViewer = class WebcamViewer
     @webcamSelect.on("change", this.selectWebcam)
     @toggleBtn.on('click', @toggleWebcam)
     @resolutionSelect.on("change", this.selectResolution)
-    logger.debug("Initialed with (unique) select",@webcamSelect)
+    #logger.debug("Initialed with (unique) select",@webcamSelect)
 
   beforeShow:() =>
     this.loadWebCams()
diff --git a/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb b/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
index 32b7726fc..f1beaa5f9 100644
--- a/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
+++ b/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
@@ -300,7 +300,9 @@ class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApiController
         response.status = :unprocessable_entity
         respond_with @connection
       else
-        respond_with @connection, responder: ApiResponder, :location => api_session_participant_detail_url(@connection.client_id)
+
+        @music_session = @connection.music_session
+        respond_with @music_session, responder: ApiResponder, :status => 201, :location => api_session_detail_url(@connection.music_session)
       end
 
     rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound
diff --git a/web/app/views/api_music_sessions/participant_create.rabl b/web/app/views/api_music_sessions/participant_create.rabl
index 5c8fa8ea7..e34b6943d 100644
--- a/web/app/views/api_music_sessions/participant_create.rabl
+++ b/web/app/views/api_music_sessions/participant_create.rabl
@@ -1,13 +1,3 @@
-object @connection
+object @music_session
 
-extends "api_music_sessions/participant_show"
-
-attributes :music_session_id
-
-child(:music_session => :music_session) {
-  attributes :id
-
-  node :participant_count do |music_session|
-    music_session.connections.length
-  end
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+extends "api_music_sessions/show"
\ No newline at end of file