diff --git a/inference/server/main.py b/inference/server/main.py
index 28e8df22..4b2474da 100644
--- a/inference/server/main.py
+++ b/inference/server/main.py
@@ -216,17 +216,24 @@ async def work(websocket: fastapi.WebSocket):
                 break
 
             try:
+                in_progress = False
                 while True:
                     # maybe unnecessary to parse and re-serialize
                     # could just pass the raw string and mark end via empty string
                     response_packet = inference.WorkResponsePacket.parse_raw(await websocket.receive_text())
+                    in_progress = True
                     await redisClient.rpush(chat.id, response_packet.json())
                     if response_packet.is_end:
                         break
             except fastapi.WebSocketException:
                 # TODO: handle this better
                 logger.exception(f"Websocket closed during handling of {chat.id}")
-                chat.message_request_state = MessageRequestState.aborted_by_worker
+                if in_progress:
+                    logger.warning(f"Aborting {chat.id=}")
+                    chat.message_request_state = MessageRequestState.aborted_by_worker
+                else:
+                    logger.warning(f"Marking {chat.id=} as pending since no work was done.")
+                    chat.message_request_state = MessageRequestState.pending
                 raise
 
             chat.message_request_state = MessageRequestState.complete
diff --git a/inference/text-client/__main__.py b/inference/text-client/__main__.py
index 4a7fa110..8484978e 100644
--- a/inference/text-client/__main__.py
+++ b/inference/text-client/__main__.py
@@ -12,28 +12,33 @@ app = typer.Typer()
 @app.command()
 def main(backend_url: str = "http://127.0.0.1:8000"):
     """Simple REPL client."""
-    chat_id = requests.post(f"{backend_url}/chat", json={}).json()["id"]
     while True:
-        message = typer.prompt("User").strip()
+        try:
+            chat_id = requests.post(f"{backend_url}/chat", json={}).json()["id"]
+            typer.echo(f"Chat ID: {chat_id}")
+            while True:
+                message = typer.prompt("User").strip()
 
-        # wait for stream to be ready
-        # could implement a queue position indicator
-        # could be implemented with long polling
-        # but server load needs to be considered
-        response = requests.post(
-            f"{backend_url}/chat/{chat_id}/message",
-            json={"message": message},
-            stream=True,
-            headers={"Accept": "text/event-stream"},
-        )
-        response.raise_for_status()
+                # wait for stream to be ready
+                # could implement a queue position indicator
+                # could be implemented with long polling
+                # but server load needs to be considered
+                response = requests.post(
+                    f"{backend_url}/chat/{chat_id}/message",
+                    json={"message": message},
+                    stream=True,
+                    headers={"Accept": "text/event-stream"},
+                )
+                response.raise_for_status()
 
-        client = sseclient.SSEClient(response)
-        print("Assistant: ", end="", flush=True)
-        for event in client.events():
-            data = json.loads(event.data)
-            print(data["token"]["text"], end="", flush=True)
-        print()
+                client = sseclient.SSEClient(response)
+                print("Assistant: ", end="", flush=True)
+                for event in client.events():
+                    data = json.loads(event.data)
+                    print(data["token"]["text"], end="", flush=True)
+                print()
+        except Exception:
+            typer.echo("Error, restarting chat...")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":