diff --git a/src/components/ChatWidget.vue b/src/components/ChatWidget.vue
index 9537872..32a4349 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatWidget.vue
+++ b/src/components/ChatWidget.vue
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@
         }
  
         // Establish the WebSocket connection
-        console.log('Establishing WebSocket connection');
         this.connectionStore.connect(token)
       
       },
diff --git a/src/socket.ts b/src/socket.ts
index 16d3507..86628b7 100644
--- a/src/socket.ts
+++ b/src/socket.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ import { io } from "socket.io-client";
 // "undefined" means the URL will be computed from the `window.location` object
 const URL = import.meta.env.VITE_CHATBOT_URL
 
+console.log(`setting up socket with ${URL}`)
+
 export const socket = io(
   URL,
   {
diff --git a/src/stores/connection.ts b/src/stores/connection.ts
index 91eb102..99b9fa6 100644
--- a/src/stores/connection.ts
+++ b/src/stores/connection.ts
@@ -59,8 +59,13 @@ export const useConnectionStore = defineStore("connection", {
      * @param token - The authentication token. I.e. a JWT
      */
     connect(token: string) {
+      console.log("attempting websocket connection")
       socket.auth = { token };
-      socket.connect();
+      try {
+        socket.connect()
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.log(`Error connecting to websocket ${error}`)
+      }
     }
   },
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vite.config.mts b/vite.config.mts
index 5e5a48f..d60070f 100644
--- a/vite.config.mts
+++ b/vite.config.mts
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ export default defineConfig({
         changeOrigin: true,
         rewrite: (path) => path.replace(/^\/api/, ''),
       },
+      '^/opey': {
+        target: 'http://localhost:5000/',
+        changeOrigin: true,
+      },
     },
   },
 })