diff --git a/src/app/components/VoiceRoomItem.svelte b/src/app/components/VoiceRoomItem.svelte
index 912cd2c4..ca81dd61 100644
--- a/src/app/components/VoiceRoomItem.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/VoiceRoomItem.svelte
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   import {isMobileViewport} from "@lib/html"
   import ProfileCircle from "@app/components/ProfileCircle.svelte"
   import RoomName from "@app/components/RoomName.svelte"
+  import {errorMessage} from "@lib/util"
   import {pushToast} from "@app/util/toast"
   import {
     deriveVoiceParticipants,
@@ -46,10 +47,7 @@
     try {
       await joinVoiceRoom(url, h, joinAbortController.signal)
     } catch (e) {
-      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === "Join cancelled") return
-      if (e instanceof DOMException && e.name === "AbortError") return
-      const message = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)
-      pushToast({theme: "error", message: `Failed to join voice room: ${message}`})
+      pushToast({theme: "error", message: `Failed to join voice room: ${errorMessage(e)}`})
     } finally {
       isJoining = false
       joinAbortController = undefined
diff --git a/src/app/components/VoiceWidget.svelte b/src/app/components/VoiceWidget.svelte
index 3148f2ca..0be11aa1 100644
--- a/src/app/components/VoiceWidget.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/VoiceWidget.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import {get} from "svelte/store"
   import {displayRelayUrl} from "@welshman/util"
   import Microphone from "@assets/icons/microphone.svg?dataurl"
   import MicrophoneOff from "@assets/icons/microphone-off.svg?dataurl"
@@ -17,10 +16,8 @@
   )
   const spaceName = $derived($currentVoiceSession ? displayRelayUrl($currentVoiceSession.url) : "")
 
-  const handleDisconnect = () => leaveVoiceRoom()
-  const handleToggleMute = () => toggleMute()
   const showRoomDetail = () => {
-    const session = get(currentVoiceSession)
+    const session = $currentVoiceSession
     if (session) pushModal(RoomDetail, {url: session.url, h: session.h})
   }
 </script>
@@ -41,10 +38,10 @@
     <div class="flex items-center gap-1">
       <Button
         class="btn btn-sm btn-square {$currentVoiceSession.muted ? 'btn-error' : 'btn-ghost'}"
-        onclick={handleToggleMute}>
+        onclick={toggleMute}>
         <Icon icon={$currentVoiceSession.muted ? MicrophoneOff : Microphone} size={4} />
       </Button>
-      <Button class="btn btn-sm btn-square btn-error" onclick={handleDisconnect}>
+      <Button class="btn btn-sm btn-square btn-error" onclick={leaveVoiceRoom}>
         <Icon icon={PhoneRounded} size={4} />
       </Button>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/app/core/state.ts b/src/app/core/state.ts
index 8978797d..69a0d479 100644
--- a/src/app/core/state.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/state.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ import {
   getListTags,
   getPubkeyTagValues,
   getRelayTagValues,
+  getTag,
   getTagValues,
   isRelayUrl,
   normalizeRelayUrl,
@@ -668,7 +669,7 @@ export const deriveRoomsWithLivekit = (url: string) =>
   derived(roomsById, $roomsById => {
     const set = new Set<string>()
     for (const room of $roomsById.values()) {
-      if (room.url === url && room.event?.tags?.some(t => t[0] === "livekit")) {
+      if (room.url === url && getTag("livekit", room.event?.tags ?? [])) {
         set.add(room.h)
       }
     }
@@ -679,7 +680,7 @@ export const deriveRoomsNoText = (url: string) =>
   derived(roomsById, $roomsById => {
     const set = new Set<string>()
     for (const room of $roomsById.values()) {
-      if (room.url === url && room.event?.tags?.some(t => t[0] === "no-text")) {
+      if (room.url === url && getTag("no-text", room.event?.tags ?? [])) {
         set.add(room.h)
       }
     }
@@ -688,12 +689,12 @@ export const deriveRoomsNoText = (url: string) =>
 
 export const roomHasLivekit = (url: string, h: string) => {
   const room = getRoom(makeRoomId(url, h))
-  return room?.event?.tags?.some(t => t[0] === "livekit") ?? false
+  return !!getTag("livekit", room?.event?.tags ?? [])
 }
 
 export const roomIsNoText = (url: string, h: string) => {
   const room = getRoom(makeRoomId(url, h))
-  return room?.event?.tags?.some(t => t[0] === "no-text") ?? false
+  return !!getTag("no-text", room?.event?.tags ?? [])
 }
 
 // User space/room lists
diff --git a/src/app/voice.ts b/src/app/voice.ts
index 7dfefc9b..4ac68189 100644
--- a/src/app/voice.ts
+++ b/src/app/voice.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
  * (ICE candidate gathering fails). Use Chrome or test from deployed HTTPS.
  */
 import {DisconnectReason, Room, RoomEvent, Track} from "livekit-client"
-import {getToken} from "nostr-tools/nip98"
 import {derived, get, writable} from "svelte/store"
 import {now} from "@welshman/lib"
-import {makeEvent, getTagValue} from "@welshman/util"
+import {makeEvent, makeHttpAuth, makeHttpAuthHeader, getTagValue} from "@welshman/util"
 import {signer, publishThunk} from "@welshman/app"
 import {getLivekitEndpoint} from "$lib/livekit"
+import {AbortError, whenAborted, whenTimeout} from "$lib/util"
 import {deriveEventsForUrl} from "@app/core/state"
 import {pushToast} from "@app/util/toast"
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export type VoiceSession = {
 
 export const currentVoiceSession = writable<VoiceSession | undefined>(undefined)
 
-export const speakingPubkeys = writable<Set<string>>(new Set())
+export const speakingPubkeys = writable(new Set<string>())
 
 const fetchLivekitToken = async (
   url: string,
@@ -40,31 +40,16 @@ const fetchLivekitToken = async (
   const $signer = signer.get()
   if (!$signer) throw new Error("No signer available")
 
-  if (signal?.aborted) throw new Error("Join cancelled")
+  if (signal?.aborted) throw new DOMException("Aborted", "AbortError")
 
-  const authHeader = await getToken(
-    endpoint,
-    "GET",
-    template =>
-      $signer.sign(
-        makeEvent(template.kind, {
-          tags: template.tags,
-          content: template.content ?? "",
-        }),
-      ),
-    true,
-  )
+  const template = await makeHttpAuth(endpoint, "GET")
+  const signedEvent = await $signer.sign(template)
+  const authHeader = makeHttpAuthHeader(signedEvent)
 
-  let response: Response
-  try {
-    response = await fetch(endpoint, {
-      headers: {Authorization: authHeader},
-      signal,
-    })
-  } catch (e) {
-    if (e instanceof DOMException && e.name === "AbortError") throw new Error("Join cancelled")
-    throw e
-  }
+  const response = await fetch(endpoint, {
+    headers: {Authorization: authHeader},
+    signal,
+  })
 
   if (!response.ok) {
     const text = await response.text()
@@ -119,6 +104,36 @@ const stopPresenceHeartbeat = () => {
   }
 }
 
+const onRoomDisconnected = (reason?: DisconnectReason) => {
+  speakingPubkeys.set(new Set())
+  currentVoiceSession.set(undefined)
+  stopPresenceHeartbeat()
+  if (reason !== undefined && reason !== DisconnectReason.CLIENT_INITIATED) {
+    const message =
+      reason === DisconnectReason.JOIN_FAILURE
+        ? "Could not connect to voice room. Please try again."
+        : "Voice connection lost."
+    pushToast({theme: "error", message})
+  }
+}
+
+const onTrackSubscribed = (track: Track) => {
+  if (track.kind === Track.Kind.Audio) {
+    const element = track.attach()
+    element.style.display = "none"
+    document.body.appendChild(element)
+    element.play().catch(() => {})
+  }
+}
+
+const onTrackUnsubscribed = (track: Track) => {
+  track.detach().forEach(el => el.remove())
+}
+
+const onActiveSpeakersChanged = (participants: {identity: string}[]) => {
+  speakingPubkeys.set(new Set(participants.map(p => p.identity)))
+}
+
 export const joinVoiceRoom = async (
   url: string,
   h: string,
@@ -126,83 +141,33 @@ export const joinVoiceRoom = async (
 ): Promise<void> => {
   const session = get(currentVoiceSession)
 
-  if (session) {
-    if (session.url === url && session.h === h) return
-    await leaveVoiceRoom()
-  }
+  if (session) await leaveVoiceRoom()
 
   const {server_url, participant_token} = await fetchLivekitToken(url, h, signal)
 
-  if (signal?.aborted) throw new Error("Join cancelled")
+  if (signal?.aborted) return
 
-  const room = new Room({
-    adaptiveStream: true,
-    dynacast: true,
+  const room = new Room({adaptiveStream: true, dynacast: true})
+
+  room.on(RoomEvent.Disconnected, onRoomDisconnected)
+  room.on(RoomEvent.TrackSubscribed, onTrackSubscribed)
+  room.on(RoomEvent.TrackUnsubscribed, onTrackUnsubscribed)
+  room.on(RoomEvent.ActiveSpeakersChanged, onActiveSpeakersChanged)
+
+  const connect = room.connect(server_url, participant_token, {maxRetries: 0})
+  const timeout = whenTimeout(5_000, {
+    message: "Connection timed out. Please check your network and try again.",
   })
-
-  room.on(RoomEvent.Disconnected, (reason?: DisconnectReason) => {
-    speakingPubkeys.set(new Set())
-    currentVoiceSession.set(undefined)
-    stopPresenceHeartbeat()
-    if (reason !== undefined && reason !== DisconnectReason.CLIENT_INITIATED) {
-      const message =
-        reason === DisconnectReason.JOIN_FAILURE
-          ? "Could not connect to voice room. Please try again."
-          : "Voice connection lost."
-      pushToast({theme: "error", message})
-    }
-  })
-
-  room.on(RoomEvent.TrackSubscribed, (track, _publication, _participant) => {
-    if (track.kind === Track.Kind.Audio) {
-      const element = track.attach()
-      element.style.display = "none"
-      document.body.appendChild(element)
-      element.play().catch(() => {})
-    }
-  })
-
-  room.on(RoomEvent.TrackUnsubscribed, track => {
-    track.detach().forEach(el => el.remove())
-  })
-
-  room.on(RoomEvent.ActiveSpeakersChanged, participants => {
-    speakingPubkeys.set(new Set(participants.map(p => p.identity)))
-  })
-
-  const onAbort = () => {
-    room.disconnect()
-  }
-  if (signal) {
-    if (signal.aborted) {
-      room.disconnect()
-      throw new Error("Join cancelled")
-    }
-    signal.addEventListener("abort", onAbort, {once: true})
-  }
-
-  const CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000
+  const abort = whenAborted(signal)
 
   try {
-    await Promise.race([
-      room.connect(server_url, participant_token, {maxRetries: 0}),
-      new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
-        setTimeout(
-          () => reject(new Error("Connection timed out. Please check your network and try again.")),
-          CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS,
-        ),
-      ),
-    ])
+    await Promise.race([connect, timeout, abort])
   } catch (e) {
     room.disconnect()
-    if (signal?.aborted) {
-      throw new Error("Join cancelled")
-    }
+    if (e instanceof AbortError) return
     throw e
-  } finally {
-    signal?.removeEventListener("abort", onAbort)
   }
-  if (signal?.aborted) throw new Error("Join cancelled")
+
   await room.localParticipant.setMicrophoneEnabled(true)
 
   currentVoiceSession.set({url, h, room, muted: false})
diff --git a/src/lib/util.ts b/src/lib/util.ts
index e22c36db..59f9fb21 100644
--- a/src/lib/util.ts
+++ b/src/lib/util.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,36 @@ export const ucFirst = (s: string) => s.slice(0, 1).toUpperCase() + s.slice(1)
 
 export const errorMessage = (err: unknown) => String(err).replace(/^.*Error: /, "")
 
+export class AbortError extends Error {
+  constructor() {
+    super("Aborted")
+    this.name = "AbortError"
+  }
+}
+
+export class TimeoutError extends Error {
+  constructor(message = "Timed out") {
+    super(message)
+    this.name = "TimeoutError"
+  }
+}
+
+/** Returns a promise that rejects with AbortError when signal aborts. Use with Promise.race. */
+export const whenAborted = (signal?: AbortSignal) => {
+  if (!signal) return new Promise<never>(() => {})
+
+  return new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+    const onAborted = () => reject(new AbortError())
+    if (signal.aborted) onAborted()
+    else signal.addEventListener("abort", onAborted, {once: true})
+  })
+}
+
+/** Returns a promise that rejects with TimeoutError after ms. Use with Promise.race. */
+export const whenTimeout = (ms: number, opts: {message?: string} = {}) => {
+  return new Promise<never>((_, reject) => setTimeout(() => reject(new TimeoutError()), ms))
+}
+
 export const buildUrl = (base: string | URL, ...pathname: string[]) => {
   const url = new URL(base)