diff --git a/go-server/.gitignore b/go-server/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..40968e31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go-server/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+identity.key
diff --git a/go-server/chatroom.go b/go-server/chatroom.go
index 04e7463b..fd2dbe94 100644
--- a/go-server/chatroom.go
+++ b/go-server/chatroom.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@ const ChatRoomBufSize = 128
 type ChatRoom struct {
 	// Messages is a channel of messages received from other peers in the chat room
 	Messages chan *ChatMessage
+	SysMessages chan *ChatMessage
 
 	ctx   context.Context
 	ps    *pubsub.PubSub
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func JoinChatRoom(ctx context.Context, ps *pubsub.PubSub, selfID peer.ID, nickna
 		nick:     nickname,
 		roomName: roomName,
 		Messages: make(chan *ChatMessage, ChatRoomBufSize),
+		SysMessages: make(chan *ChatMessage, ChatRoomBufSize),
 	}
 
 	// start reading messages from the subscription in a loop
@@ -69,16 +70,7 @@ func JoinChatRoom(ctx context.Context, ps *pubsub.PubSub, selfID peer.ID, nickna
 
 // Publish sends a message to the pubsub topic.
 func (cr *ChatRoom) Publish(message string) error {
-	m := ChatMessage{
-		Message:    message,
-		SenderID:   cr.self.Pretty(),
-		SenderNick: cr.nick,
-	}
-	msgBytes, err := json.Marshal(m)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return cr.topic.Publish(cr.ctx, msgBytes)
+	return cr.topic.Publish(cr.ctx, []byte(message))
 }
 
 func (cr *ChatRoom) ListPeers() []peer.ID {
@@ -99,12 +91,9 @@ func (cr *ChatRoom) readLoop() {
 		}
 		cm := new(ChatMessage)
 		cm.Message = string(msg.Data)
-		cm.SenderID = string(msg.ID)
-		cm.SenderNick = "unknown"
+		cm.SenderID = msg.ID
+		cm.SenderNick = string(msg.ID[len(msg.ID)-8])
 
-		if err != nil {
-			continue
-		}
 		// send valid messages onto the Messages channel
 		cr.Messages <- cm
 	}
diff --git a/go-server/identity.go b/go-server/identity.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f59f241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go-server/identity.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package main
+// Borrowed from https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-relay-daemon/blob/master/identity.go
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/crypto"
+)
+
+// LoadIdentity reads a private key from the given path and, if it does not
+// exist, generates a new one.
+func LoadIdentity(idPath string) (crypto.PrivKey, error) {
+	if _, err := os.Stat(idPath); err == nil {
+		return ReadIdentity(idPath)
+	} else if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		fmt.Printf("Generating peer identity in %s\n", idPath)
+		return GenerateIdentity(idPath)
+	} else {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+}
+
+// ReadIdentity reads a private key from the given path.
+func ReadIdentity(path string) (crypto.PrivKey, error) {
+	bytes, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return crypto.UnmarshalPrivateKey(bytes)
+}
+
+// GenerateIdentity writes a new random private key to the given path.
+func GenerateIdentity(path string) (crypto.PrivKey, error) {
+	privk, _, err := crypto.GenerateKeyPair(crypto.Ed25519, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	bytes, err := crypto.MarshalPrivateKey(privk)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	err = os.WriteFile(path, bytes, 0400)
+
+	return privk, err
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/go-server/main.go b/go-server/main.go
index 65bf2d6d..c5bbd07c 100644
--- a/go-server/main.go
+++ b/go-server/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ const DiscoveryInterval = time.Hour
 // DiscoveryServiceTag is used in our mDNS advertisements to discover other chat peers.
 const DiscoveryServiceTag = "universal-connectivity"
 
-var ChatMsgChan chan *ChatMessage
+var SysMsgChan chan *ChatMessage
 
 // Borrowed from https://medium.com/rahasak/libp2p-pubsub-peer-discovery-with-kademlia-dht-c8b131550ac7
 // NewDHT attempts to connect to a bunch of bootstrap peers and returns a new DHT.
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ func Discover(ctx context.Context, h host.Host, dht *dht.IpfsDHT, rendezvous str
 
 	discovery.Advertise(ctx, routingDiscovery, rendezvous)
 
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 1)
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 10)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
 	for {
@@ -108,19 +110,45 @@ func Discover(ctx context.Context, h host.Host, dht *dht.IpfsDHT, rendezvous str
 }
 
 func LogMsgf(f string, msg ...any) {
-	ChatMsgChan <- &ChatMessage{Message: fmt.Sprintf(f, msg...), SenderID: "system", SenderNick: "system"}
+	SysMsgChan <- &ChatMessage{Message: fmt.Sprintf(f, msg...), SenderID: "system", SenderNick: "system"}
 }
 
 func main() {
 	// parse some flags to set our nickname and the room to join
 	nickFlag := flag.String("nick", "", "nickname to use in chat. will be generated if empty")
 	roomFlag := flag.String("room", "universal-connectivity", "name of chat room to join")
+	idPath := flag.String("identity", "identity.key", "path to the private key (PeerID) file")
+	useLogger := flag.Bool("logger", false, "write logs to file")
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	if *useLogger {
+		f, err := os.OpenFile("log.txt", os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0666)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("failed to open log file", err)
+			log.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
+		} else {
+			defer f.Close()
+			log.SetOutput(f)
+		}
+	} else {
+		log.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
+	}
+
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
+	// load our private key to generate the same peerID each time
+	privk, err := LoadIdentity(*idPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
 	// create a new libp2p Host that listens on a random TCP port
-	h, err := libp2p.New(libp2p.Transport(quicTransport.NewTransport), libp2p.Transport(webtransport.New), libp2p.ListenAddrStrings("/ip4/0.0.0.0/udp/0/quic-v1", "/ip4/0.0.0.0/udp/0/quic-v1/webtransport", "/ip6/::/udp/0/quic-v1", "/ip6/::/udp/0/quic-v1/webtransport"))
+	h, err := libp2p.New(
+		libp2p.Identity(privk),
+		libp2p.Transport(quicTransport.NewTransport),
+		libp2p.Transport(webtransport.New),
+		libp2p.ListenAddrStrings("/ip4/0.0.0.0/udp/0/quic-v1", "/ip4/0.0.0.0/udp/0/quic-v1/webtransport", "/ip6/::/udp/0/quic-v1", "/ip6/::/udp/0/quic-v1/webtransport"),
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -145,7 +173,7 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	ChatMsgChan = cr.Messages
+	SysMsgChan = cr.SysMessages
 
 	// setup DHT with empty discovery peers
 	// so this will be a discovery peer for others
diff --git a/go-server/ui.go b/go-server/ui.go
index 51725bd1..16569e67 100644
--- a/go-server/ui.go
+++ b/go-server/ui.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ type ChatUI struct {
 	peersList *tview.TextView
 
 	msgW    io.Writer
+	sysW	io.Writer
 	inputCh chan string
 	doneCh  chan struct{}
 }
@@ -41,6 +43,19 @@ func NewChatUI(cr *ChatRoom) *ChatUI {
 		app.Draw()
 	})
 
+	// make a text view to contain our error messages
+	sysBox := tview.NewTextView()
+	sysBox.SetDynamicColors(true)
+	sysBox.SetBorder(true)
+	sysBox.SetTitle("System")
+
+	// text views are io.Writers, but they don't automatically refresh.
+	// this sets a change handler to force the app to redraw when we get
+	// new messages to display.
+	sysBox.SetChangedFunc(func() {
+		app.Draw()
+	})
+
 	// an input field for typing messages into
 	inputCh := make(chan string, 32)
 	input := tview.NewInputField().
@@ -87,8 +102,9 @@ func NewChatUI(cr *ChatRoom) *ChatUI {
 
 	flex := tview.NewFlex().
 		SetDirection(tview.FlexRow).
-		AddItem(chatPanel, 0, 1, false).
-		AddItem(input, 1, 1, true)
+		AddItem(chatPanel, 0, 3, false).
+		AddItem(sysBox, 0, 2, false).
+		AddItem(input, 2, 1, true)
 
 	app.SetRoot(flex, true)
 
@@ -97,6 +113,7 @@ func NewChatUI(cr *ChatRoom) *ChatUI {
 		app:       app,
 		peersList: peersList,
 		msgW:      msgBox,
+		sysW:      sysBox,
 		inputCh:   inputCh,
 		doneCh:    make(chan struct{}, 1),
 	}
@@ -138,6 +155,13 @@ func (ui *ChatUI) displayChatMessage(cm *ChatMessage) {
 	fmt.Fprintf(ui.msgW, "%s %s\n", prompt, cm.Message)
 }
 
+// displayChatMessage writes a ChatMessage from the room to the message window,
+// with the sender's nick highlighted in green.
+func (ui *ChatUI) displaySysMessage(cm *ChatMessage) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(ui.sysW, "%s\n", cm.Message)
+	log.Println(cm.Message)
+}
+
 // displaySelfMessage writes a message from ourself to the message window,
 // with our nick highlighted in yellow.
 func (ui *ChatUI) displaySelfMessage(msg string) {
@@ -166,6 +190,10 @@ func (ui *ChatUI) handleEvents() {
 			// when we receive a message from the chat room, print it to the message window
 			ui.displayChatMessage(m)
 
+		case s := <-ui.cr.SysMessages:
+			// when we receive a message from the chat room, print it to the message window
+			ui.displaySysMessage(s)
+
 		case <-peerRefreshTicker.C:
 			// refresh the list of peers in the chat room periodically
 			ui.refreshPeers()