diff --git a/src/js/app.js b/src/js/app.js
index c2090f82..be285622 100644
--- a/src/js/app.js
+++ b/src/js/app.js
@@ -945,12 +945,18 @@ function showChat(pub) {
   if (!iris.util.isMobile) {
     $("#new-msg").focus();
   }
-  var setTypingThrottled = _.throttle(() => {
-    chats[pub].setTyping($('#new-msg').val().length > 0);
-  }, 1000);
+  var isTyping = false;
+  var getIsTyping = () => $('#new-msg').val().length > 0;
+  var setTyping = () => chats[pub].setTyping(getIsTyping());
+  var setTypingThrottled = _.throttle(setTyping, 1000);
   $('#new-msg').val(chats[pub].msgDraft);
   $('#new-msg').off().on('input', () => {
-    setTypingThrottled();
+    if (isTyping === getIsTyping()) {
+      setTypingThrottled();
+    } else {
+      setTyping();
+    }
+    isTyping = getIsTyping();
     chats[pub].msgDraft = $('#new-msg').val();
   });
   $(".message-form form").off().on('submit', event => {
diff --git a/src/js/iris.js b/src/js/iris.js
index 3739e971..0f1330e9 100644
--- a/src/js/iris.js
+++ b/src/js/iris.js
@@ -7537,10 +7537,9 @@
 	          }
 	          _Object$keys(participants).forEach(function (k) {
 	            if (k !== _this.key.pub) {
-	              _this.addParticipant(k, false, _Object$assign({}, _this.DEFAULT_PERMISSIONS, participants[k]));
+	              _this.addParticipant(k, true, _Object$assign({}, _this.DEFAULT_PERMISSIONS, participants[k]));
 	            }
 	          });
-	          _this.save(); // forever loop?
 	          saved = true;
 	        }
 	      }
@@ -7892,7 +7891,7 @@
 	    }
 	    this.getSecret(pub);
 	    var ourSecretChannelId = await this.getOurSecretChannelId(pub);
-	    if (!this.uuid && save) {
+	    if (save) {
 	      // Save their public key in encrypted format, so in channel listing we know who we are channeling with
 	      var mySecret = await Gun.SEA.secret(this.key.epub, this.key);
 	      this.gun.user().get('chats').get(ourSecretChannelId).get('pub').put((await Gun.SEA.encrypt({ pub: pub }, mySecret)));
@@ -8141,7 +8140,7 @@
 	    this.put('typing', isTyping ? new Date().toISOString() : false);
 	    clearTimeout(this.setTypingTimeout);
 	    this.setTypingTimeout = setTimeout(function () {
-	      return _this13.put('isTyping', false);
+	      return _this13.put('typing', false);
 	    }, timeout);
 	  };
 
@@ -8154,7 +8153,7 @@
 	    var _this14 = this;
 
 	    var timeout = arguments.length > 1 && arguments[1] !== undefined ? arguments[1] : 5;
-
+	    // TODO callback not called on setTyping(false), at least for self chat
 	    timeout = timeout * 1000;
 	    this.onTheir('typing', function (typing, key, pub) {
 	      if (callback) {
@@ -10132,7 +10131,7 @@
 	  return SocialNetwork;
 	}();
 
-	var version$1 = "0.0.144";
+	var version$1 = "0.0.145";
 
 	/*eslint no-useless-escape: "off", camelcase: "off" */