diff --git a/include/dpp/cluster_coro_calls.h b/include/dpp/cluster_coro_calls.h
index 9077e9efa6..ffeefbc1c0 100644
--- a/include/dpp/cluster_coro_calls.h
+++ b/include/dpp/cluster_coro_calls.h
@@ -450,8 +450,8 @@
  * @note This method supports audit log reasons set by the cluster::set_audit_reason() method.
  * @param c Channel to set permissions for
  * @param overwrite_id Overwrite to change (a user or role ID)
- * @param allow allow permissions bitmask
- * @param deny deny permissions bitmask
+ * @param allow Bitmask of allowed permissions (refer to enum dpp::permissions)
+ * @param deny Bitmask of denied permissions (refer to enum dpp::permissions)
  * @param member true if the overwrite_id is a user id, false if it is a channel id
  * @return confirmation returned object on completion
  * \memberof dpp::cluster
@@ -466,8 +466,8 @@
  * @note This method supports audit log reasons set by the cluster::set_audit_reason() method.
  * @param channel_id ID of the channel to set permissions for
  * @param overwrite_id Overwrite to change (a user or role ID)
- * @param allow allow permissions bitmask
- * @param deny deny permissions bitmask
+ * @param allow Bitmask of allowed permissions (refer to enum dpp::permissions)
+ * @param deny Bitmask of denied permissions (refer to enum dpp::permissions)
  * @param member true if the overwrite_id is a user id, false if it is a channel id
  * @return confirmation returned object on completion
  * \memberof dpp::cluster
diff --git a/include/dpp/discordclient.h b/include/dpp/discordclient.h
index bb7c4a0974..74a609fa0f 100644
--- a/include/dpp/discordclient.h
+++ b/include/dpp/discordclient.h
@@ -165,11 +165,6 @@ class DPP_EXPORT discord_client : public websocket_client
 	 */
 	friend class dpp::cluster;
 
-	/**
-	 * @brief True if the shard is terminating
-	 */
-	bool terminating;
-
 	/**
 	 * @brief Disconnect from the connected voice channel on a guild
 	 * 
diff --git a/include/dpp/exception.h b/include/dpp/exception.h
index 3d5f41ff08..9d6dd2d69d 100644
--- a/include/dpp/exception.h
+++ b/include/dpp/exception.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ enum exception_error_code {
 	err_no_voice_support = 29,
 	err_invalid_voice_packet_length = 30,
 	err_opus = 31,
+	err_cant_start_shard = 32,
 	err_etf = 33,
 	err_cache = 34,
 	err_icon_size = 35,
diff --git a/mlspp/include/namespace.h b/mlspp/include/namespace.h
index 43a5121ccb..d07ba5ee94 100755
--- a/mlspp/include/namespace.h
+++ b/mlspp/include/namespace.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #pragma once
 
 // Configurable top-level MLS namespace
-#define MLS_NAMESPACE mls
+#define MLS_NAMESPACE ../include/dpp/mlspp/mls
diff --git a/src/dpp/cluster.cpp b/src/dpp/cluster.cpp
index 21947d0679..7d4be31810 100644
--- a/src/dpp/cluster.cpp
+++ b/src/dpp/cluster.cpp
@@ -223,25 +223,39 @@ void cluster::start(start_type return_after) {
 	}
 
 	/* Start up all shards */
-	get_gateway_bot([this](const auto& response) {
+	get_gateway_bot([this, return_after](const auto& response) {
+
+		auto throw_if_not_threaded = [this, return_after](exception_error_code error_id, const std::string& msg) {
+			log(ll_critical, msg);
+			if (return_after == st_wait) {
+				throw dpp::connection_exception(error_id, msg);
+			}
+		};
+
 		if (response.is_error()) {
-			// TODO: Check for 401 unauthorized
-			// throw dpp::invalid_token_exception(err_unauthorized, "Invalid bot token (401: Unauthorized when getting gateway shard count)");
+			if (response.http_info.status == 401) {
+				throw_if_not_threaded(err_unauthorized, "Invalid bot token (401: Unauthorized when getting gateway shard count)");
+			} else {
+				throw_if_not_threaded(err_auto_shard, "get_gateway_bot: " + response.http_info.body);
+			}
 			return;
 		}
 		auto g = std::get<gateway>(response.value);
 		log(ll_debug, "Cluster: " + std::to_string(g.session_start_remaining) + " of " + std::to_string(g.session_start_total) + " session starts remaining");
 		if (g.session_start_remaining < g.shards || g.shards == 0) {
-			throw dpp::connection_exception(err_no_sessions_left, "Discord indicates you cannot start enough sessions to boot this cluster! Cluster startup aborted. Try again later.");
+			throw_if_not_threaded(err_no_sessions_left, "Discord indicates you cannot start enough sessions to boot this cluster! Cluster startup aborted. Try again later.");
+			return;
 		} else if (g. session_start_max_concurrency == 0) {
-			throw dpp::connection_exception(err_auto_shard, "Cluster: Could not determine concurrency, startup aborted!");
+			throw_if_not_threaded(err_auto_shard, "Cluster: Could not determine concurrency, startup aborted!");
+			return;
 		} else if (g.session_start_max_concurrency > 1) {
 			log(ll_debug, "Cluster: Large bot sharding; Using session concurrency: " + std::to_string(g.session_start_max_concurrency));
 		} else if (numshards == 0) {
 			if (g.shards) {
 				log(ll_info, "Auto Shard: Bot requires " + std::to_string(g.shards) + std::string(" shard") + ((g.shards > 1) ? "s" : ""));
 			} else {
-				throw dpp::connection_exception(err_auto_shard, "Auto Shard: Cannot determine number of shards. Cluster startup aborted. Check your connection.");
+				throw_if_not_threaded(err_auto_shard, "Auto Shard: Cannot determine number of shards. Cluster startup aborted. Check your connection.");
+				return;
 			}
 			numshards = g.shards;
 		}
@@ -257,7 +271,8 @@ void cluster::start(start_type return_after) {
 					this->shards[s]->run();
 				}
 				catch (const std::exception &e) {
-					log(dpp::ll_critical, "Could not start shard " + std::to_string(s) + ": " + std::string(e.what()));
+					throw_if_not_threaded(err_cant_start_shard, "Could not start shard " + std::to_string(s) + ": " + std::string(e.what()));
+					return;
 				}
 				/* Stagger the shard startups, pausing every 'session_start_max_concurrency' shards for 5 seconds.
 				 * This means that for bots that don't have large bot sharding, any number % 1 is always 0,
@@ -287,6 +302,10 @@ void cluster::start(start_type return_after) {
 
 		/* Get all active DM channels and map them to user id -> dm id */
 		current_user_get_dms([this](const dpp::confirmation_callback_t& completion) {
+			if (completion.is_error()) {
+				log(dpp::ll_debug, "Failed to get bot DM list");
+				return;
+			}
 			dpp::channel_map dmchannels = std::get<channel_map>(completion.value);
 			for (auto & c : dmchannels) {
 				for (auto & u : c.second.recipients) {
@@ -298,7 +317,7 @@ void cluster::start(start_type return_after) {
 		log(ll_debug, "Shards started.");
 	});
 
-	if (return_after) {
+	if (return_after == st_return) {
 		engine_thread = std::thread([event_loop]() {
 			dpp::utility::set_thread_name("event_loop");
 			event_loop();
diff --git a/src/dpp/discordclient.cpp b/src/dpp/discordclient.cpp
index c698c8cb7f..37d703d59e 100644
--- a/src/dpp/discordclient.cpp
+++ b/src/dpp/discordclient.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ thread_local static std::string last_ping_message;
 
 discord_client::discord_client(dpp::cluster* _cluster, uint32_t _shard_id, uint32_t _max_shards, const std::string &_token, uint32_t _intents, bool comp, websocket_protocol_t ws_proto)
        : websocket_client(_cluster, _cluster->default_gateway, "443", comp ? (ws_proto == ws_json ? PATH_COMPRESSED_JSON : PATH_COMPRESSED_ETF) : (ws_proto == ws_json ? PATH_UNCOMPRESSED_JSON : PATH_UNCOMPRESSED_ETF)),
-	terminating(false),
 	compressed(comp),
 	decomp_buffer(nullptr),
 	zlib(nullptr),
@@ -98,8 +97,7 @@ void discord_client::start_connecting() {
 		etf = new etf_parser();
 	}
 	catch (std::bad_alloc&) {
-		delete zlib;
-		delete etf;
+		cleanup();
 		/* Clean up and rethrow to caller */
 		throw std::bad_alloc();
 	}
@@ -114,7 +112,6 @@ void discord_client::start_connecting() {
 
 void discord_client::cleanup()
 {
-	terminating = true;
 	delete etf;
 	delete zlib;
 }
@@ -134,7 +131,6 @@ void discord_client::on_disconnect()
 		log(dpp::ll_debug, "Reconnecting shard " + std::to_string(shard_id) + " to wss://" + hostname + "...");
 		owner->stop_timer(handle);
 		cleanup();
-		terminating = false;
 		if (timer_handle) {
 			owner->stop_timer(timer_handle);
 			timer_handle = 0;