diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index 491168116..b002669dc 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -233,6 +233,9 @@
     window.lokiPublicChatAPI = new window.LokiPublicChatAPI(ourKey);
     // singleton to interface the File server
     window.lokiFileServerAPI = new window.LokiFileServerAPI(ourKey);
+    await window.lokiFileServerAPI.establishConnection(
+      window.getDefaultFileServer()
+    );
     // are there limits on tracking, is this unneeded?
     // window.mixpanel.track("Desktop boot");
     window.lokiP2pAPI = new window.LokiP2pAPI(ourKey);
diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index a1fb02977..35ecae10c 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -1421,7 +1421,7 @@
         options.messageType = message.get('type');
         options.isPublic = this.isPublic();
         if (options.isPublic) {
-          options.publicSendData = this.getPublicSendData();
+          options.publicSendData = await this.getPublicSendData();
         }
 
         const groupNumbers = this.getRecipients();
@@ -2147,10 +2147,18 @@
         conversationId: this.get('id'),
       };
     },
-    getPublicSendData() {
-      const serverAPI = lokiPublicChatAPI.findOrCreateServer(
+    async getPublicSendData() {
+      const serverAPI = await lokiPublicChatAPI.findOrCreateServer(
         this.get('server')
       );
+      if (!serverAPI) {
+        window.log.warn(
+          `Failed to get serverAPI (${this.get('server')}) for conversation (${
+            this.id
+          })`
+        );
+        return null;
+      }
       const channelAPI = serverAPI.findOrCreateChannel(
         this.get('channelId'),
         this.id
@@ -2412,6 +2420,9 @@
 
     async deletePublicMessage(message) {
       const channelAPI = this.getPublicSendData();
+      if (!channelAPI) {
+        return false;
+      }
       const success = await channelAPI.deleteMessage(message.getServerId());
       if (success) {
         this.removeMessage(message.id);
diff --git a/js/modules/loki_app_dot_net_api.js b/js/modules/loki_app_dot_net_api.js
index 8e3cf0dcc..da8f86de8 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_app_dot_net_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_app_dot_net_api.js
@@ -28,21 +28,32 @@ class LokiAppDotNetAPI extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   // server getter/factory
-  findOrCreateServer(serverUrl) {
+  async findOrCreateServer(serverUrl) {
     let thisServer = this.servers.find(
       server => server.baseServerUrl === serverUrl
     );
     if (!thisServer) {
       log.info(`LokiAppDotNetAPI creating ${serverUrl}`);
       thisServer = new LokiAppDotNetServerAPI(this, serverUrl);
+      const gotToken = await thisServer.getOrRefreshServerToken();
+      if (!gotToken) {
+        log.error(`Invalid server ${serverUrl}`);
+        return null;
+      }
+      log.info(`set token ${thisServer.token}`);
+
       this.servers.push(thisServer);
     }
     return thisServer;
   }
 
   // channel getter/factory
-  findOrCreateChannel(serverUrl, channelId, conversationId) {
-    const server = this.findOrCreateServer(serverUrl);
+  async findOrCreateChannel(serverUrl, channelId, conversationId) {
+    const server = await this.findOrCreateServer(serverUrl);
+    if (!server) {
+      log.error(`Failed to create server for: ${serverUrl}`);
+      return null;
+    }
     return server.findOrCreateChannel(channelId, conversationId);
   }
 
@@ -82,11 +93,6 @@ class LokiAppDotNetServerAPI {
     this.channels = [];
     this.tokenPromise = null;
     this.baseServerUrl = url;
-    const ref = this;
-    (async function justToEnableAsyncToGetToken() {
-      ref.token = await ref.getOrRefreshServerToken();
-      log.info(`set token ${ref.token}`);
-    })();
   }
 
   // channel getter/factory
diff --git a/js/modules/loki_file_server_api.js b/js/modules/loki_file_server_api.js
index 5b110e199..c26533e93 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_file_server_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_file_server_api.js
@@ -2,16 +2,19 @@ const LokiAppDotNetAPI = require('./loki_app_dot_net_api');
 
 const DEVICE_MAPPING_ANNOTATION_KEY = 'network.loki.messenger.devicemapping';
 
-// returns the LokiFileServerAPI constructor with the serverUrl already consumed
-function LokiFileServerAPIWrapper(serverUrl) {
-  return LokiFileServerAPI.bind(null, serverUrl);
-}
 
 class LokiFileServerAPI {
-  constructor(serverUrl, ourKey) {
+  constructor(ourKey) {
     this.ourKey = ourKey;
     this._adnApi = new LokiAppDotNetAPI(ourKey);
-    this._server = this._adnApi.findOrCreateServer(serverUrl);
+  }
+
+  async establishConnection(serverUrl) {
+    this._server = await this._adnApi.findOrCreateServer(serverUrl);
+    // TODO: Handle this failure gracefully
+    if (!this._server) {
+      // console.error('Failed to establish connection to file server');
+    }
   }
 
   async getUserDeviceMapping(pubKey) {
@@ -33,4 +36,4 @@ class LokiFileServerAPI {
   }
 }
 
-module.exports = LokiFileServerAPIWrapper;
+module.exports = LokiFileServerAPI;
diff --git a/js/modules/loki_message_api.js b/js/modules/loki_message_api.js
index ba794adca..2c52ea4a3 100644
--- a/js/modules/loki_message_api.js
+++ b/js/modules/loki_message_api.js
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ class LokiMessageAPI {
     };
 
     if (isPublic) {
+      if (!publicSendData) {
+        throw new window.textsecure.PublicChatError(
+          'Missing public send data for public chat message'
+        );
+      }
       const res = await publicSendData.sendMessage(
         data.body,
         data.quote,
diff --git a/preload.js b/preload.js
index 20bab6d74..9df58dadd 100644
--- a/preload.js
+++ b/preload.js
@@ -329,10 +329,7 @@ window.LokiMessageAPI = require('./js/modules/loki_message_api');
 
 window.LokiPublicChatAPI = require('./js/modules/loki_public_chat_api');
 
-const LokiFileServerAPIWrapper = require('./js/modules/loki_file_server_api');
-
-// bind first argument as we have it here already
-window.LokiFileServerAPI = LokiFileServerAPIWrapper(config.defaultFileServer);
+window.LokiFileServerAPI = require('./js/modules/loki_file_server_api');
 
 window.LokiRssAPI = require('./js/modules/loki_rss_api');