diff --git a/hh/scripts/film-save-load.sh b/hh/scripts/archive/film-save-load.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from hh/scripts/film-save-load.sh
rename to hh/scripts/archive/film-save-load.sh
diff --git a/hh/scripts/film-virtualbox.sh b/hh/scripts/archive/film-virtualbox.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from hh/scripts/film-virtualbox.sh
rename to hh/scripts/archive/film-virtualbox.sh
diff --git a/hh/scripts/connect.sh b/hh/scripts/connect.sh
index 2a52797..793e69d 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] [--no-build]
+# Usage: ./connect.sh [NAME] [HOST] [-p PASSWORD] [-P PORT] [--tls] [--insecure] [--sync] [--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 $HH_PORT)
 #   --tls      use wss/https instead of the default plaintext-over-Tailscale
+#   --sync     git-pull the latest code (gitea then origin, ff-only) before building
 #   --no-build run the prebuilt binary as-is (skip the fresh debug rebuild)
 set -euo pipefail
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ PORT="${HH_PORT:-$DEFAULT_PORT}"
 PASSWORD="${HH_PASSWORD:-}"
 NO_TLS=1        # rooms run --no-tls over Tailscale/LAN by default
 INSECURE=0
+SYNC=0          # opt-in: pull latest code before building (handy for demos/dev)
 NO_BUILD=0      # rebuild a fresh debug binary first so the UI is never stale
 
 while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
     -P|--port)     PORT="$2";     shift 2 ;;
     --tls)         NO_TLS=0;      shift ;;
     --insecure)    INSECURE=1;    shift ;;
+    --sync)        SYNC=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: $1" >&2; exit 2 ;;
@@ -59,6 +62,22 @@ if [[ -z "$PASSWORD" ]]; then
 fi
 [[ -n "$PASSWORD" ]] || { echo "✖ a password is required" >&2; exit 1; }
 
+# --sync: pull the latest code before building so a fresh join runs current
+# source. Pulls are best-effort and fast-forward only — an unreachable remote or
+# diverged history just warns and is skipped, never blocking the join. Each pull
+# is capped (timeout) and GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 stops it hanging on credentials.
+if [[ "$SYNC" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo HEAD)"
+  TO=""; command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1 && TO="timeout 10"
+  for remote in gitea origin; do
+    if git remote get-url "$remote" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      echo "⛧ syncing $BRANCH from $remote…" >&2
+      GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 $TO git pull --ff-only "$remote" "$BRANCH" 2>&1 \
+        || echo "  (skipped — couldn't fast-forward from $remote/$BRANCH)" >&2
+    fi
+  done
+fi
+
 # 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),
diff --git a/hh/scripts/join.sh b/hh/scripts/join.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 6805692..0000000
--- a/hh/scripts/join.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Join the live hack-house room.  Usage: ./join.sh <yourname> [host]
-#   local:  ./join.sh alice
-#   remote: ./join.sh alice 100.117.177.50
-# The room password (a shared secret) comes from $HH_PASSWORD, else a no-echo
-# prompt — never hardcoded, so it can't drift from the room's random password.
-NAME="${1:-guest}"
-HOST="${2:-127.0.0.1}"
-cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
-
-# Sync the latest code before joining, then rebuild so it takes effect. Pulls
-# are best-effort and fast-forward only: an unreachable remote or diverged
-# history just warns and is skipped — it never blocks you from joining.
-BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo HEAD)"
-# Cap each pull so an unreachable/slow remote fails fast instead of hanging on
-# the OS TCP timeout; GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 stops it blocking on a credential
-# prompt. (No `timeout` on this box? fall back to a plain pull.)
-TO=""; command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1 && TO="timeout 10"
-for remote in gitea origin; do
-  if git remote get-url "$remote" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "⛧ syncing $BRANCH from $remote…"
-    GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 $TO git pull --ff-only "$remote" "$BRANCH" 2>&1 \
-      || echo "  (skipped — couldn't fast-forward from $remote/$BRANCH)"
-  fi
-done
-echo "⛧ building client…"
-cargo build --quiet 2>&1 || echo "✖ build failed — joining with the existing binary"
-
-PASSWORD="${HH_PASSWORD:-}"
-if [[ -z "$PASSWORD" ]]; then
-  read -rsp "⛧ room password: " PASSWORD < /dev/tty
-  echo
-fi
-[[ -n "$PASSWORD" ]] || { echo "✖ a password is required" >&2; exit 1; }
-exec ./target/debug/hack-house connect "$HOST" 4173 "$NAME" --password "$PASSWORD" --no-tls