diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts.js
index c04a6b329..ac5d3fa18 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts.js
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@
 
             if(gon.global.video_available && gon.global.video_available!="none" ) {
               var webcamName;
-              var webcam = context.jamClient.FTUECurrentSelectedVideoDevice()
+              var webcam = null;
+              if (context.jamClient.FTUECurrentSelectedVideoDevice) {
+                webcam = context.jamClient.FTUECurrentSelectedVideoDevice()
+              }
+
               if (webcam == null || typeof(webcam) == "undefined" || Object.keys(webcam).length == 0) {
                 webcamName = "None Configured"
               } else {
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 f20649cc7..9b0edd05f 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/SessionStore.js.coffee
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ JamTrackActions = @JamTrackActions
 SessionActions = @SessionActions
 RecordingActions = @RecordingActions
 NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
+VideoActions = @VideoActions
 
 @SessionStore = Reflux.createStore(
   {
@@ -52,11 +53,6 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
       RecordingActions.initModel(@recordingModel)
       @helper = new context.SessionHelper(@app, @currentSession, @participantsEverSeen, @isRecording, @downloadingJamTrack)
 
-      if gon.global.video_available && gon.global.video_available!="none" && context.JK.WebcamViewer?
-        @webcamViewer = new context.JK.WebcamViewer()
-        $sessionLayout = $("#create-session-layout")
-        @webcamViewer.init($sessionLayout, false)
-        @webcamViewer.setVideoOff()
 
     onVideoChanged: (@videoState) ->
 
@@ -188,7 +184,7 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
 
       if @videoState?.videoEnabled
         logger.debug("toggle session video")
-        @webcamViewer.toggleWebcam() if @webcamViewer?
+        VideoActions.toggleVideo()
       else
         context.JK.Banner.showAlert({
           title: "Video Is Disabled",
@@ -570,8 +566,7 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
       shareDialog.initialize(context.JK.FacebookHelperInstance);
 
       # initialize webcamViewer
-      if gon.global.video_available && gon.global.video_available != "none"
-        @webcamViewer.beforeShow()
+      VideoActions.stopVideo();
 
       # double-check that we are connected to the server via websocket
 
@@ -985,8 +980,7 @@ NotificationActions = @NotificationActions
         logger.warn("no location specified in leaveSession action", behavior)
         window.location = '/client#/home'
 
-      if gon.global.video_available && gon.global.video_available != "none"
-        @webcamViewer.beforeHide()
+      VideoActions.stopVideo()
 
       @leaveSession()
 
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/VideoStore.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/VideoStore.js.coffee
index 4bc9b18cf..3cca5720e 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/VideoStore.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/VideoStore.js.coffee
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ BackendToFrontendFPS = {
       @onRefresh()
 
     onStartVideo: ->
+      return unless context.jamClient.SessStartVideoSharing?
+
       if @howtoWindow?
         @howtoWindow.close()
         @howtoWindow = null
@@ -166,6 +168,9 @@ BackendToFrontendFPS = {
 
     onSelectDevice: (device, caps) ->
 
+      # don't do anything if no video capabilities
+      return unless context.jamClient.FTUESelectVideoCaptureDevice?
+
       result = context.jamClient.FTUESelectVideoCaptureDevice(device, caps)
       if(!result)
         @logger.error("onSelectDevice failed with device #{device}")
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/WebcamViewer.js.jsx.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/WebcamViewer.js.jsx.coffee
index ed02057cb..2ddf95e33 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/WebcamViewer.js.jsx.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/stores/WebcamViewer.js.jsx.coffee
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ mixins.push(Reflux.listenTo(VideoStore, 'onVideoStateChanged'))
     # protect against non-video clients pointed at video-enabled server from getting into a session
     resolutions = @state.encodeResolutions
     frames = @state.frameRates
-    @logger.debug("Webcam state on render", @state)
     context._.each resolutions, (resolution, resolutionKey, obj) =>
 
       #{1: "CIF    (352X288)", 2: "VGA    (640X480)", 3: "4CIF   (704X576)", 4: "1/2WHD (640X360)", 5: "WHD    (1280X720)", 6: "FHD    (1920x1080)"}
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
index 22cff4bb2..be395557f 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/webcam_viewer.js.coffee
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ context.JK.WebcamViewer = class WebcamViewer
     @videoSettingsHelp.click(false)
 
   beforeShow:() =>
+
     @videoShared = false # video can be assumed to be closed before htis is reached
     this.loadWebCams()
     this.selectWebcam()
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ context.JK.WebcamViewer = class WebcamViewer
       @videoShared = false
     else
       @toggleBtn.addClass("selected")
+      alert("HERE?")
       @client.SessStartVideoSharing 0
       @videoShared = true