diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index ca3e027..05176fc 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -45,46 +45,37 @@ function loadQuotes() {
     console.log(`🏠 Server: ${server}`);
     
     try {
-        console.log('⏳ Connecting to Matrix...');
-        await client.startClient();
-        console.log('✅ MatrixClient connected and authenticated\n');
+        // The SDK needs to know the bot's own user ID to build request URLs
+        // (e.g. /user/$userId/filter). It would otherwise use the literal
+        // "$userId" placeholder, which the homeserver rejects. Fetch it via
+        // the whoami endpoint before connecting.
+        const whoami = await client.whoami();
+        const userId = whoami.user_id;
 
-        console.log('⏳ Waiting for initial sync to complete...');
-        await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-            const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
-                reject(new Error('Sync timeout: Initial sync took too long.'));
-            }, 45000);
-
-            client.on('sync', (sync) => {
-                if (sync.result === 'ok') {
-                    clearTimeout(timeout);
-                    resolve();
-                } else if (sync.result === 'error') {
-                    reject(new Error(`Sync failed with error: ${sync.error}`));
-                }
-            });
-        });
-
-        if (!client.user || !client.user.userId) {
-            throw new Error('User identity not resolved after sync.');
+        if (!userId || !userId.startsWith('@')) {
+            console.error(`❌ whoami returned invalid user ID: ${userId}`);
+            process.exit(1);
         }
 
-        console.log(`👤 Bot Identity: ${client.user.userId}`);
-        console.log(`🏠 Home Server: ${client.user.homeserver}`);
+        client.credentials.userId = userId;
+        console.log(`👤 Bot Identity: ${userId}`);
+
+        await client.startClient();
+        console.log('✅ MatrixClient connected and authenticated\n');
         
         let lastSentMessage = null;
-        
+
         client.on('RoomMember#joined', async (member) => {
             const room = member.room;
-            console.log(`✅ Joined room: ${room.getCanonicalRoomName() || room.roomId}`);
-            
+            console.log(`✅ Room: ${room.getCanonicalRoomName() || room.roomId}`);
+
             room.on('EventMessage', async (event, stateEvent) => {
                 const content = event.getContent();
                 if (!content || !content.body) return;
-                
+
                 const body = content.body.toLowerCase().trim();
                 const cmd = (process.env.BOT_COMMAND || '!quote').toLowerCase();
-                
+
                 if (body === cmd || body.startsWith(cmd)) {
                     if (!lastSentMessage || Date.now() - lastSentMessage > 300) {
                         const quote = quotes[Math.floor(Math.random() * quotes.length)];
@@ -98,40 +89,15 @@ function loadQuotes() {
                     }
                 }
             });
-            
+
             member.room.on('RoomMember#left', () => {
-                console.log(`ℹ️ Left room: ${member.room.getCanonicalRoomName() || member.room.roomId}`);
+                console.log(`ℹ️ Left: ${room.getCanonicalRoomName() || room.roomId}`);
             });
         });
-        
-        client.on('EventMessage', async (event, stateEvent) => {
-            const room = event.sender.room;
-            const content = event.getContent();
-            if (!content || !content.body) return;
-            
-            const body = content.body.toLowerCase().trim();
-            const cmd = (process.env.BOT_COMMAND || '!quote').toLowerCase();
-            
-            const roomMembers = await room.getJoinedMemberCount();
-            if (roomMembers > 0 && room.getMyMembership()) {
-                if (body === cmd || body.startsWith(cmd)) {
-                    if (!lastSentMessage || Date.now() - lastSentMessage > 300) {
-                        const quote = quotes[Math.floor(Math.random() * quotes.length)];
-                        try {
-                            await room.sendMessage(quote);
-                            console.log(`🎃 Quote: ${quote}`);
-                            lastSentMessage = Date.now();
-                        } catch (err) {
-                            console.error('Failed to send quote:', err.message);
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        });
-        
+
         console.log('🤖 Bot is running!');
         console.log('   Invite this bot to a Matrix room and type !quote to get an Ancestor quote.\n');
-        
+
     } catch (err) {
         console.error('❌ Fatal error starting bot:', err.message);
         console.error(err.stack);
@@ -144,4 +110,4 @@ function loadQuotes() {
     });
     
     setInterval(() => {}, 60000);
-})();
+})();
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