diff --git a/examples/buddybook/src/App.tsx b/examples/buddybook/src/App.tsx
index 6392a5a..34d283a 100644
--- a/examples/buddybook/src/App.tsx
+++ b/examples/buddybook/src/App.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import ConnectionStatus from '@/components/ConnectionStatus';
 
 type Status = 'success' | 'in-progress' | 'error';
 
+
+
 interface WakuStatus {
   filter: Status;
   store: Status;
@@ -30,6 +32,9 @@ function App() {
     filter: 'in-progress',
     store: 'in-progress',
   });
+
+  (global.window as any).waku = node;
+
   const [telemetryOptIn, setTelemetryOptIn] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
   const [isLoadingChains, setIsLoadingChains] = useState(true);
 
@@ -41,10 +46,22 @@ function App() {
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (isWakuLoading || !node || node.libp2p.getConnections().length <= 1 || chainsData.length > 0 || isListening)  return;
+    if (isWakuLoading || !node || node.libp2p.getConnections().length === 0 || chainsData.length > 0 || isListening)  {
+      console.log("not starting message listening");
+      console.log({
+        isWakuLoading,
+        node,
+        connections: node?.libp2p.getConnections().length,
+        chainsData,
+        isListening
+      })
+      return;
+    }
       setIsListening(true);
       console.log("connections", node.libp2p.getConnections().length)
-      startMessageListening();
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          startMessageListening();
+        }, 2000);
   }, [node, isWakuLoading, wakuStatus])
 
   const handleTelemetryOptIn = (optIn: boolean) => {
@@ -69,25 +86,36 @@ function App() {
   const startMessageListening = async () => {
     console.log("Starting message listening")
     console.log("connections", node.libp2p.getConnections().length)
+
+    // Add timeout for store query
+    const STORE_TIMEOUT = 30000; // 30 seconds
+    const storeTimeout = new Promise((_, reject) => {
+      setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('Store query timeout')), STORE_TIMEOUT);
+    });
+
     try {
       setWakuStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, store: 'in-progress' }));
       setIsLoadingChains(true);
       const messageGenerator = getMessagesFromStore(node as LightNode);
       
       try {
-        for await (const message of messageGenerator) {
-          setChainsData(prevChains => {
-            const blockExists = prevChains.some(block => block.blockUUID === message.blockUUID);
-            if (blockExists) return prevChains;
-            return [...prevChains, message];
-          });
-        }
+        // Race between store query and timeout
+        await Promise.race([
+          (async () => {
+            for await (const message of messageGenerator) {
+              setChainsData(prevChains => {
+                const blockExists = prevChains.some(block => block.blockUUID === message.blockUUID);
+                if (blockExists) return prevChains;
+                return [...prevChains, message];
+              });
+            }
+          })(),
+          storeTimeout
+        ]);
         setWakuStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, store: 'success' }));
       } catch (error) {
         console.error("Error processing message:", error);
-        // Update store status to error when query fails
         setWakuStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, store: 'error' }));
-        // Continue processing other messages
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Error fetching messages from store:", error);
@@ -96,11 +124,21 @@ function App() {
       setIsLoadingChains(false);
     }
 
+    // Add timeout for filter subscription
+    const FILTER_TIMEOUT = 15000; // 15 seconds
     try {
       setWakuStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, filter: 'in-progress' }));
-      await subscribeToFilter(node as LightNode, (message) => {
-        handleChainUpdate(message); // Use the same function for both updates
-      })
+      const filterPromise = subscribeToFilter(node as LightNode, (message) => {
+        handleChainUpdate(message);
+      });
+
+      await Promise.race([
+        filterPromise,
+        new Promise((_, reject) => 
+          setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('Filter subscription timeout')), FILTER_TIMEOUT)
+        )
+      ]);
+      
       setWakuStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, filter: 'success' }));
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Error subscribing to filter:", error);
diff --git a/examples/buddybook/src/components/Chain/SignChain.tsx b/examples/buddybook/src/components/Chain/SignChain.tsx
index 359e8fb..315485b 100644
--- a/examples/buddybook/src/components/Chain/SignChain.tsx
+++ b/examples/buddybook/src/components/Chain/SignChain.tsx
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ const SignChain: React.FC<SignChainProps> = ({ block, chainsData, onSuccess }) =
         {alreadySigned ? 'Already Signed' : !address ? 'Connect Wallet' : 'Sign Chain'}
       </Button>
       <Dialog open={isOpen} onOpenChange={setIsOpen}>
-        <DialogContent className="sm:max-w-md flex flex-col max-h-[90vh] md:max-h-[85vh]">
-          <DialogHeader className="flex-shrink-0">
+        <DialogContent className="sm:max-w-md">
+          <DialogHeader>
             <DialogTitle>Sign Chain</DialogTitle>
             <DialogDescription>
               {alreadySigned 
@@ -180,32 +180,28 @@ const SignChain: React.FC<SignChainProps> = ({ block, chainsData, onSuccess }) =
                 : 'Review the block details and sign to add your signature to the chain.'}
             </DialogDescription>
           </DialogHeader>
-          <div className="flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-y-auto py-4">
-            <div className="space-y-4">
-              <div className="space-y-2">
-                <h4 className="font-medium">Block Details</h4>
-                <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{block.title}</p>
-                <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{block.description}</p>
-              </div>
-              <div className="flex justify-center">
-                <QRCode text={`${window.location.origin}/sign/${block.chainUUID}/${block.blockUUID}`} />
-              </div>
+          <div className="flex flex-col space-y-4">
+            <div className="space-y-2">
+              <h4 className="font-medium">Block Details</h4>
+              <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{block.title}</p>
+              <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{block.description}</p>
             </div>
-            {(error || isWalletPrompt) && (
-              <div className="space-y-2 mt-4">
-                {error && <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{error}</p>}
-                {isWalletPrompt && (
-                  <div className="rounded-md bg-blue-50 p-4">
-                    <p className="text-sm text-blue-700">Attempting to connect to your wallet...</p>
-                    <p className="text-xs text-blue-600 mt-1">
-                      If your wallet doesn't open automatically, please open it manually to approve the connection.
-                    </p>
-                  </div>
-                )}
-              </div>
-            )}
+            <QRCode text={`${window.location.origin}/sign/${block.chainUUID}/${block.blockUUID}`} />
           </div>
-          <DialogFooter className="flex-shrink-0 mt-4">
+          {(error || isWalletPrompt) && (
+            <div className="space-y-2">
+              {error && <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{error}</p>}
+              {isWalletPrompt && (
+                <div className="rounded-md bg-blue-50 p-4">
+                  <p className="text-sm text-blue-700">Attempting to connect to your wallet...</p>
+                  <p className="text-xs text-blue-600 mt-1">
+                    If your wallet doesn't open automatically, please open it manually to approve the connection.
+                  </p>
+                </div>
+              )}
+            </div>
+          )}
+          <DialogFooter>
             <Button variant="secondary" onClick={() => setIsOpen(false)}>Cancel</Button>
             <Button 
               onClick={handleSign} 
diff --git a/examples/buddybook/src/lib/waku.ts b/examples/buddybook/src/lib/waku.ts
index 66a8f6e..d66f458 100644
--- a/examples/buddybook/src/lib/waku.ts
+++ b/examples/buddybook/src/lib/waku.ts
@@ -65,28 +65,33 @@ export function createMessage({
 
 export async function* getMessagesFromStore(node: LightNode) {
     console.time("getMessagesFromStore")
-    for await (const messagePromises of node.store.queryGenerator([decoder])) {
-        const messages = await Promise.all(messagePromises);
-        for (const message of messages) {
-            console.log(message)
-            if (!message?.payload) continue;
-            const blockPayload = block.decode(message.payload) as unknown as BlockPayload;
-            blockPayload.signatures = blockPayload.signatures.map(s => JSON.parse(s as unknown as string) as Signature);
-            yield blockPayload;
+    try {
+        for await (const messagePromises of node.store.queryGenerator([decoder])) {
+            const messages = await Promise.all(messagePromises);
+            for (const message of messages) {
+                if (!message?.payload) continue;
+                const blockPayload = block.decode(message.payload) as unknown as BlockPayload;
+                blockPayload.signatures = blockPayload.signatures.map(s => JSON.parse(s as unknown as string) as Signature);
+                yield blockPayload;
+            }
         }
+    } finally {
+        console.timeEnd("getMessagesFromStore")
     }
-    console.timeEnd("getMessagesFromStore")
 }
 
 export async function subscribeToFilter(node: LightNode, callback: (message: BlockPayload) => void) {
-    const {error, subscription, results} = await node.filter.subscribe([decoder], (message) => {
-        console.log('message received from filter', message)
-        if (message.payload) {
-            const blockPayload = block.decode(message.payload) as unknown as BlockPayload;
-            blockPayload.signatures = blockPayload.signatures.map(s => JSON.parse(s as unknown as string) as Signature);
-            callback(blockPayload);
+    const {error, subscription, results} = await node.filter.subscribe(
+        [decoder], 
+        (message) => {
+            console.log('message received from filter', message)
+            if (message.payload) {
+                const blockPayload = block.decode(message.payload) as unknown as BlockPayload;
+                blockPayload.signatures = blockPayload.signatures.map(s => JSON.parse(s as unknown as string) as Signature);
+                callback(blockPayload);
+            }
         }
-    }, {forceUseAllPeers: false});
+    );
 
     console.log("results", results)
     
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ export async function subscribeToFilter(node: LightNode, callback: (message: Blo
         console.log("Error subscribing to filter", error)
     }
 
-    if (!subscription || error || results.successes.length === 0 ||results.failures.length >0) {
+    if (!subscription || error || results.successes.length === 0 || results.failures.length > 0) {
         throw new Error("Failed to subscribe to filter")
     }
 }