diff --git a/hh/scripts/connect.sh b/hh/scripts/connect.sh
index f68d8e6..2a52797 100755
--- a/hh/scripts/connect.sh
+++ b/hh/scripts/connect.sh
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@
 # so it is briefly visible in the process list (ps) to other *local* users for
 # the lifetime of the session. Nothing is ever written to disk.
 #
-# Usage: ./connect.sh [NAME] [HOST] [-p PASSWORD] [-P PORT] [--tls] [--insecure]
-#   NAME   display handle; omit to be prompted for one on join
-#   HOST   server IP/host                       (default: 127.0.0.1)
-#   -P     port                                 (default: 4173, or $HH_PORT)
-#   --tls  use wss/https instead of the default plaintext-over-Tailscale
+# Usage: ./connect.sh [NAME] [HOST] [-p PASSWORD] [-P PORT] [--tls] [--insecure] [--no-build]
+#   NAME       display handle; omit to be prompted for one on join
+#   HOST       server IP/host                   (default: 127.0.0.1)
+#   -P         port                             (default: 4173, or $HH_PORT)
+#   --tls      use wss/https instead of the default plaintext-over-Tailscale
+#   --no-build run the prebuilt binary as-is (skip the fresh debug rebuild)
 set -euo pipefail
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ PORT="${HH_PORT:-$DEFAULT_PORT}"
 PASSWORD="${HH_PASSWORD:-}"
 NO_TLS=1        # rooms run --no-tls over Tailscale/LAN by default
 INSECURE=0
+NO_BUILD=0      # rebuild a fresh debug binary first so the UI is never stale
 
 while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
   case "$1" in
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
     -P|--port)     PORT="$2";     shift 2 ;;
     --tls)         NO_TLS=0;      shift ;;
     --insecure)    INSECURE=1;    shift ;;
+    --no-build)    NO_BUILD=1;    shift ;;
     -h|--help)     sed -n '2,/^set /{/^set /d;s/^# \{0,1\}//;p}' "$0"; exit 0 ;;
     -*)            echo "✖ unknown option: $1" >&2; exit 2 ;;
     *)
@@ -56,9 +59,19 @@ if [[ -z "$PASSWORD" ]]; then
 fi
 [[ -n "$PASSWORD" ]] || { echo "✖ a password is required" >&2; exit 1; }
 
-BIN=./target/release/hack-house
-[[ -x "$BIN" ]] || BIN=./target/debug/hack-house
-[[ -x "$BIN" ]] || { echo "✖ no hack-house binary — run: cargo build --release" >&2; exit 1; }
+# Build a fresh debug binary so the UI always matches the current source — an
+# incremental build is ~instant when nothing changed. --no-build skips this and
+# runs a prebuilt binary as-is (handy for remote joiners without a toolchain),
+# preferring release, then debug.
+if [[ "$NO_BUILD" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "⛧ building client (use --no-build to skip)…" >&2
+  cargo build --quiet || { echo "✖ build failed" >&2; exit 1; }
+  BIN=./target/debug/hack-house
+else
+  BIN=./target/release/hack-house
+  [[ -x "$BIN" ]] || BIN=./target/debug/hack-house
+fi
+[[ -x "$BIN" ]] || { echo "✖ no hack-house binary — run: cargo build" >&2; exit 1; }
 
 args=(connect "$HOST" "$PORT")
 [[ -n "$NAME" ]] && args+=("$NAME")          # omit → client prompts for a handle
diff --git a/hh/scripts/host-house.sh b/hh/scripts/host-house.sh
index 3302779..60f9202 100755
--- a/hh/scripts/host-house.sh
+++ b/hh/scripts/host-house.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ usage() {
 host-house.sh — host a room + open your GUI seat, all in one tmux session
 
 usage:
-  ./host-house.sh [NAME] [PORT] [--host ADDR] [--theme NAME]
+  ./host-house.sh [NAME] [PORT] [--user NAME] [--host ADDR] [--theme NAME]
   ./host-house.sh --tls --cert CERT --key KEY [NAME] [PORT]
   ./host-house.sh --kill
   ./host-house.sh -h | --help
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ arguments:
   PORT            listen port (positional)       (default: 4173)
 
 flags:
+  --user NAME     your seat in the room (alias: --name; overrides positional NAME)
   --host ADDR     server bind address            (default: 0.0.0.0 — all NICs)
   --port PORT     listen port                    (default: 4173)
   --password PW   room password                  (default: random; or PW=…)
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
     case "$1" in
         -h|--help|-help) usage; exit 0 ;;
         --kill)       DO_KILL=1; shift ;;
+        --user|--name)     NAME="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        --user=*|--name=*) NAME="${1#*=}"; shift ;;
         --host)       HOST="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         --host=*)     HOST="${1#--host=}"; shift ;;
         --port)       PORT="$2"; shift 2 ;;
diff --git a/hh/src/app.rs b/hh/src/app.rs
index 40ff60e..a706341 100644
--- a/hh/src/app.rs
+++ b/hh/src/app.rs
@@ -1014,8 +1014,9 @@ pub async fn run(params: net::ConnParams, mut session: Session, mut theme: Theme
                                 KeyCode::PageDown => app.help_scroll = (app.help_scroll + 10).min(max),
                                 KeyCode::Home => app.help_scroll = 0,
                                 KeyCode::End => app.help_scroll = max,
-                                KeyCode::Esc => {
-                                    app.show_help = false; // Esc dismisses the overlay
+                                KeyCode::Esc | KeyCode::F(1) => {
+                                    // Esc dismisses; F1 toggles the overlay back shut
+                                    app.show_help = false;
                                     app.help_scroll = 0;
                                 }
                                 _ => {} // ignore other keys so the menu stays put