diff --git a/server/main.go b/server/main.go
index bcb9c32..d0facaa 100644
--- a/server/main.go
+++ b/server/main.go
@@ -11,6 +11,19 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
 )
 
+// RecoveryMiddleware catches panics and returns 500
+func RecoveryMiddleware(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		defer func() {
+			if err := recover(); err != nil {
+				log.Printf("[PANIC] %v", err)
+				http.Error(w, "Internal Server Error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			}
+		}()
+		next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+	})
+}
+
 // getStepManager creates a new StepManager for the given user, loading state from DB
 func getStepManager(userID string) *StepManager {
 	return NewStepManager(userID)
@@ -125,5 +138,5 @@ func main() {
 	// 6. Start Server
 	binding := "0.0.0.0:8080"
 	fmt.Printf("Server starting on http://%s\n", binding)
-	log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(binding, nil))
+	log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(binding, RecoveryMiddleware(http.DefaultServeMux)))
 }
diff --git a/server/step_manager.go b/server/step_manager.go
index b019367..7d42d8b 100644
--- a/server/step_manager.go
+++ b/server/step_manager.go
@@ -28,15 +28,24 @@ type StepManager struct {
 }
 
 func NewStepManager(userID string) *StepManager {
+	now := time.Now()
 	sm := &StepManager{
 		userID:       userID,
 		syncInterval: 15 * time.Minute,
+		lastSyncTime: now.Add(-15 * time.Minute),
+		nextSyncTime: now.Add(24 * time.Hour), // Don't sync unless a trip is started or loaded
 	}
 	sm.LoadTripState()
 	return sm
 }
 
 func (sm *StepManager) LoadTripState() error {
+	sm.mu.Lock()
+	defer sm.mu.Unlock()
+	return sm.loadTripStateLocked()
+}
+
+func (sm *StepManager) loadTripStateLocked() error {
 	var startTime time.Time
 	err := db.QueryRow(`
 		SELECT start_date, start_time, start_day_initial_steps, previous_total_steps, target_total_steps, last_sync_time, next_sync_time
@@ -47,7 +56,11 @@ func (sm *StepManager) LoadTripState() error {
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-			return nil // Normal for first run
+			// Initialize with defaults if no trip exists
+			now := time.Now()
+			sm.tripState.StartDate = "" // No active trip
+			sm.nextSyncTime = now.Add(24 * time.Hour)
+			return nil
 		}
 		return err
 	}
@@ -74,6 +87,12 @@ func (sm *StepManager) LoadTripState() error {
 }
 
 func (sm *StepManager) SaveTripState() {
+	sm.mu.Lock()
+	defer sm.mu.Unlock()
+	sm.saveTripStateLocked()
+}
+
+func (sm *StepManager) saveTripStateLocked() {
 	_, err := db.Exec(`
 		INSERT INTO trips (user_id, start_date, start_time, start_day_initial_steps, previous_total_steps, target_total_steps, last_sync_time, next_sync_time)
 		VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
@@ -122,7 +141,7 @@ func (sm *StepManager) StartNewTrip() {
 	// On new trip, previous total is 0
 	sm.previousTotalSteps = 0
 	sm.targetTotalSteps = 0
-	sm.SaveTripState()
+	sm.saveTripStateLocked()
 
 	// Trigger immediate sync to set baseline
 	go sm.Sync()
@@ -153,7 +172,19 @@ func (sm *StepManager) performSync(interval time.Duration) {
 	today := time.Now().Format("2006-01-02")
 
 	// Parse start date in local time
-	start, _ := time.ParseInLocation("2006-01-02", tripStateCopy.StartDate, time.Local)
+	if tripStateCopy.StartDate == "" {
+		fmt.Println("[StepManager] Skipping sync: No active trip start date")
+		sm.mu.Lock()
+		sm.nextSyncTime = time.Now().Add(1 * time.Hour) // Check again in an hour
+		sm.mu.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
+
+	start, err := time.ParseInLocation("2006-01-02", tripStateCopy.StartDate, time.Local)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("[StepManager] ERROR: Invalid start date '%s': %v\n", tripStateCopy.StartDate, err)
+		return
+	}
 	end, _ := time.ParseInLocation("2006-01-02", today, time.Local)
 
 	// Iterate from Start Date to Today
@@ -204,7 +235,7 @@ func (sm *StepManager) performSync(interval time.Duration) {
 
 	// Update State
 	sm.tripState.DailyCache = newDailyCache
-	sm.SaveTripState()
+	sm.saveTripStateLocked()
 
 	// Update Smoothing Targets
 	sm.previousTotalSteps = sm.calculateSmoothedTokenAt(time.Now()) // Snapshot current interpolated value as new start
@@ -239,22 +270,23 @@ func (sm *StepManager) calculateSmoothedTokenAt(t time.Time) int {
 }
 
 func (sm *StepManager) GetStatus() map[string]interface{} {
-	sm.mu.Lock()
-	defer sm.mu.Unlock()
-
 	// Reload from DB to get latest sync results from other instances
 	sm.LoadTripState()
 
-	// Auto-trigger sync if needed
-	if time.Now().After(sm.nextSyncTime) {
-		sm.Sync() // Sync and save to DB
-	}
-
+	sm.mu.Lock()
+	shouldSync := time.Now().After(sm.nextSyncTime)
+	nextSyncMilli := sm.nextSyncTime.UnixMilli()
 	currentSmoothed := sm.calculateSmoothedTokenAt(time.Now())
+	sm.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Auto-trigger sync if needed (out of initial lock to avoid deadlock)
+	if shouldSync {
+		go sm.Sync() // Async sync
+	}
 
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"tripSteps":    currentSmoothed,
-		"nextSyncTime": sm.nextSyncTime.UnixMilli(),
+		"nextSyncTime": nextSyncMilli,
 	}
 }