diff --git a/lib/console_ui.dart b/lib/console_ui.dart
index 474d5ea..0bcb5fd 100644
--- a/lib/console_ui.dart
+++ b/lib/console_ui.dart
@@ -280,6 +280,9 @@ int showMenu(List<String> menuOptions, String menuName) {
 Future<void> otherMenuUi(Store node) async {
   bool continueOtherMenu = true;
   while(continueOtherMenu) {
+
+    await processNotifications(node); // this takes 300 ms
+
     int option = showMenu([ 'Show user profile',             // 1
                             'Search by client name',         // 2
                             'Search word(s) or event id',    // 3
@@ -659,20 +662,25 @@ Future<void> PrivateMenuUI(Store node) async {
   return;
 }
 
+void showInitialNotifications(Store node) {
+
+  bool hasNotifications (Tree t) => t.treeSelectorNotifications();
+  node.printTree(0, DateTime.now().subtract(Duration(days:gNumLastDays)), hasNotifications);
+  print("\n");
+
+  bool showNotifications (ScrollableMessages room) => room.selectorNotifications();
+  int numDirectRoomsPrinted = node.printDirectRoomInfo(showNotifications);
+  
+  if( numDirectRoomsPrinted > 0)
+      print("\n");
+}
+
 Future<void> mainMenuUi(Store node) async {
     // at the very beginning, show the tree with re reply and likes, and then show the options menu
     
     //Show only notifications
 
-    bool hasNotifications (Tree t) => t.treeSelectorNotifications();
-    node.printTree(0, DateTime.now().subtract(Duration(days:gNumLastDays)), hasNotifications);
-    print("\n");
-
-    bool showNotifications (ScrollableMessages room) => room.selectorNotifications();
-    int numDirectRoomsPrinted = node.printDirectRoomInfo(showNotifications);
-    
-    if( numDirectRoomsPrinted > 0)
-       print("\n");
+    showInitialNotifications(node);
 
     //int numChannelsPrinted = node.printChannelsOverview(20, showNotifications);
     
diff --git a/lib/tree_ds.dart b/lib/tree_ds.dart
index 78dac2e..ebaa666 100644
--- a/lib/tree_ds.dart
+++ b/lib/tree_ds.dart
@@ -548,13 +548,13 @@ class Store {
           dynamic json = jsonDecode(ce.eventData.content);
           Channel? channel = getChannel(rooms, chatRoomId);
           if( channel != null) {
-            if( channel.chatRoomName == "") {
+            if( channel.chatRoomName == "" && json.containsKey('name')) {
               channel.chatRoomName = json['name'];
             }
           } else {
             String roomName = "", roomAbout = "";
             if(  json.containsKey('name') ) {
-              roomName = json['name'];
+              roomName = json['name']??"";
             }
             
             if( json.containsKey('about')) {