diff --git a/RLBotCS/Main.cs b/RLBotCS/Main.cs
index e37f369..b209b32 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Main.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Main.cs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 if (args.Length > 0 && args[0] == "--version")
 {
-    Console.WriteLine("RLBotServer v5.beta.6.9");
+    Console.WriteLine("RLBotServer v5.beta.6.10");
     Environment.Exit(0);
 }
 
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeHandler.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeHandler.cs
index 6200e7d..3d71073 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeHandler.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeHandler.cs
@@ -18,11 +18,20 @@ class BridgeHandler(
     MatchStarter matchStarter
 )
 {
+    private ManualResetEvent startReadingInternalMsgs = new ManualResetEvent(false);
+
     private const int MAX_TICK_SKIP = 1;
     private readonly BridgeContext _context = new(writer, reader, messenger, matchStarter);
 
     private async Task HandleInternalMessages()
     {
+        // if Rocket League is already running,
+        // we wait for it to connect to us first
+        if (LaunchManager.IsRocketLeagueRunningWithArgs())
+            startReadingInternalMsgs.WaitOne();
+
+        _context.Logger.LogDebug("Started reading internal messages");
+
         await foreach (IBridgeMessage message in _context.Reader.ReadAllAsync())
         {
             lock (_context)
@@ -47,10 +56,21 @@ private async Task HandleServer()
 
         _context.Logger.LogInformation("Connected to Rocket League");
 
+        bool isFirstTick = true;
+
         await foreach (var messageClump in _context.Messenger.ReadAllAsync())
         {
             lock (_context)
             {
+                if (isFirstTick)
+                {
+                    isFirstTick = false;
+                    // Trigger HandleInternalMessages to start processing messages
+                    // it will still wait until we're done,
+                    // since we have a lock on _context
+                    startReadingInternalMsgs.Set();
+                }
+
                 // reset the counter that lets us know if we're sending too many bytes
                 // technically this resets every time Rocket League renders a frame,
                 // but we don't know when that is. Since every message from the game
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/ServerMessage/StartMatch.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/ServerMessage/StartMatch.cs
index e40ee80..0219a57 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Server/ServerMessage/StartMatch.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/ServerMessage/StartMatch.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public ServerAction Execute(ServerContext context)
         Debug.Assert(ConfigValidator.Validate(MatchConfig));
 
         context.Bridge.TryWrite(new ClearRenders());
+        context.Bridge.TryWrite(new EndMatch());
 
         foreach (var (writer, _) in context.Sessions.Values)
             writer.TryWrite(new SessionMessage.StopMatch(false));