diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index 9aba3741..a828266 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -290,10 +290,16 @@ func (app *application) ShutdownPeer(onion string) {
 func (app *application) Shutdown() {
 	for id, peer := range app.peers {
 		peer.Shutdown()
+		log.Debugf("Shutting Down Peer %v", id)
 		app.appletPlugins.ShutdownPeer(id)
+		log.Debugf("Shutting Down Engines for  %v", id)
 		app.engines[id].Shutdown()
+		log.Debugf("Shutting Down Storage for  %v", id)
 		app.storage[id].Shutdown()
+		log.Debugf("Shutting Down Bus for  %v", id)
 		app.eventBuses[id].Shutdown()
 	}
+	log.Debugf("Shutting Down App")
 	app.appBus.Shutdown()
+	log.Debugf("Shut Down Complete")
 }
diff --git a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
index 327dbea..b019c13 100644
--- a/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
+++ b/app/plugins/contactRetry.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const tickTime = 10 * time.Second
-const maxBakoff int = 32 // 320 seconds or ~5 min
+const maxBackoff int = 32 // 320 seconds or ~5 min
 
 type connectionType int
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (cr *contactRetry) handleEvent(id string, state connections.ConnectionState
 		p.state = connections.DISCONNECTED
 		if p.backoff == 0 {
 			p.backoff = 1
-		} else if p.backoff < maxBakoff {
+		} else if p.backoff < maxBackoff {
 			p.backoff *= 2
 		}
 		p.ticks = 0
diff --git a/event/common.go b/event/common.go
index eca9d67..f5a7332 100644
--- a/event/common.go
+++ b/event/common.go
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ const (
 
 // Defining Common errors
 const (
-	AppErrLoaded0 = "Loaded 0 profiles"
+	AppErrLoaded0      = "Loaded 0 profiles"
 	PasswordMatchError = "Password did not match"
 )
 
diff --git a/model/message.go b/model/message.go
index dd5e5fb..0370643 100644
--- a/model/message.go
+++ b/model/message.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package model
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ type Timeline struct {
 	Messages      []Message
 	SignedGroupID []byte
 	lock          sync.Mutex
+
+	// a cache to allow quick checks for existing messages...
+	signatureCache map[string]bool
 }
 
 // Message is a local representation of a given message sent over a group chat channel.
@@ -33,6 +36,9 @@ type Message struct {
 // MessageBaseSize 2021.06 byte size of an *empty* message json serialized
 const MessageBaseSize float64 = 463
 
+// compareSignatures checks if a and b are equal. Note: this function does
+// not need to be constant time - in fact it is better that it is not as it's only main use
+// is in sorting timeline state consistently.
 func compareSignatures(a []byte, b []byte) bool {
 	if len(a) != len(b) {
 		return false
@@ -58,9 +64,9 @@ func (t *Timeline) GetMessages() []Message {
 func (t *Timeline) GetCopy() *Timeline {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	defer t.lock.Unlock()
-	bytes, _ := json.Marshal(t)
 	newt := &Timeline{}
-	json.Unmarshal(bytes, newt)
+	// initialize the timeline and copy the message over...
+	newt.SetMessages(t.Messages)
 	return newt
 }
 
@@ -68,7 +74,11 @@ func (t *Timeline) GetCopy() *Timeline {
 func (t *Timeline) SetMessages(messages []Message) {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	defer t.lock.Unlock()
+	t.init()
 	t.Messages = messages
+	for _, message := range t.Messages {
+		t.signatureCache[base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(message.Signature)] = true
+	}
 }
 
 // Len gets the length of the timeline
@@ -108,22 +118,31 @@ func (t *Timeline) Less(i, j int) bool {
 func (t *Timeline) Sort() {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	defer t.lock.Unlock()
+
 	sort.Sort(t)
 }
 
-// Insert inserts a message into the timeline in a thread safe way.
+// Insert a message into the timeline in a thread safe way.
 func (t *Timeline) Insert(mi *Message) bool {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	defer t.lock.Unlock()
 
-	for _, m := range t.Messages {
-		// If the message already exists, then we don't add it
-		if compareSignatures(m.Signature, mi.Signature) {
-			return true
-		}
+	// assert timeline is initialized
+	t.init()
+
+	_, exists := t.signatureCache[base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(mi.Signature)]
+	if exists {
+		return true
 	}
 
 	t.Messages = append(t.Messages, *mi)
-	sort.Sort(t)
+	t.signatureCache[base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(mi.Signature)] = true
 	return false
 }
+
+func (t *Timeline) init() {
+	// only allow this setting once...
+	if t.signatureCache == nil {
+		t.signatureCache = make(map[string]bool)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/peer/cwtch_peer.go b/peer/cwtch_peer.go
index 8e924ac..4814cf9 100644
--- a/peer/cwtch_peer.go
+++ b/peer/cwtch_peer.go
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ func (cp *cwtchPeer) eventHandler() {
 			// This is mitigated somewhat by resync events which do wipe things entire.
 			// The security of cwtch groups are also not dependent on the servers inability to uniquely tag connections (as long as
 			// it learns nothing else about each connection).
+			// store the base64 encoded signature for later use
 			cp.SetContactAttribute(ev.Data[event.GroupServer], lastKnownSignature, ev.Data[event.Signature])
 
 			cp.mutex.Lock()
diff --git a/storage/v1/profile_store.go b/storage/v1/profile_store.go
index 436a4a8..65cdb44 100644
--- a/storage/v1/profile_store.go
+++ b/storage/v1/profile_store.go
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ func (ps *ProfileStoreV1) load() error {
 			ss := NewStreamStore(ps.directory, group.LocalID, ps.key)
 
 			cp.Groups[gid].Timeline.SetMessages(ss.Read())
+			cp.Groups[gid].Timeline.Sort()
 			ps.streamStores[group.GroupID] = ss
 		}
 
@@ -504,6 +505,7 @@ func (ps *ProfileStoreV1) eventHandler() {
 				}
 			}
 		default:
+			log.Debugf("shutting down profile store: %v", ev)
 			return
 		}