diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/App.tsx b/gadget-code/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 113e9ab..cd32c76 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ interface AppContextType {
   onSignOut: () => void;
 }
 
-const AppContext = createContext<AppContextType | null>(null);
+export const AppContext = createContext<AppContextType | null>(null);
 
 export function useAppContext(): AppContextType {
   const ctx = useContext(AppContext);
diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/StatusBar.tsx b/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/StatusBar.tsx
index 86442ed..183fe88 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/StatusBar.tsx
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/components/StatusBar.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { socketClient } from '../lib/socket';
 
 export type ConnectionStatus = 'connected' | 'connecting' | 'error' | 'disconnected';
@@ -33,6 +33,25 @@ function ConnectionIndicator({ status }: { status: ConnectionStatus }) {
 
 export default function StatusBar({ statusMessage = 'Ready.', projectSlug, sessionMode }: StatusBarProps) {
   const [connectionStatus, setConnectionStatus] = useState<ConnectionStatus>('disconnected');
+  const [displayMessage, setDisplayMessage] = useState<string>(statusMessage);
+  const clearTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (clearTimerRef.current) {
+      clearTimeout(clearTimerRef.current);
+    }
+
+    setDisplayMessage(statusMessage);
+    clearTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+      setDisplayMessage('');
+    }, 10000);
+
+    return () => {
+      if (clearTimerRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(clearTimerRef.current);
+      }
+    };
+  }, [statusMessage]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const updateStatus = () => {
@@ -59,7 +78,7 @@ export default function StatusBar({ statusMessage = 'Ready.', projectSlug, sessi
   return (
     <footer className="h-status flex items-center justify-between px-4 bg-bg-secondary border-t border-border-subtle text-sm text-text-muted shrink-0">
       <div className="flex-1 truncate">
-        {statusMessage}
+        {displayMessage}
       </div>
 
       <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/lib/api.ts b/gadget-code/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
index 7a3b120..be7b8b8 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 const API_BASE = "";
 
 const TOKEN_KEY = "dtp_auth_token";
+const USER_KEY = "dtp_user";
+
+let isRefreshing = false;
+let refreshPromise: Promise<string> | null = null;
 
 export interface ApiResponse<T = unknown> {
   success: boolean;
@@ -18,10 +22,63 @@ function getToken(): string | null {
   }
 }
 
+function setToken(token: string): void {
+  localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_KEY, token);
+}
+
+function getUser(): User | null {
+  try {
+    const userData = localStorage.getItem(USER_KEY);
+    return userData ? JSON.parse(userData) : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function setUser(user: User | null): void {
+  if (user) {
+    localStorage.setItem(USER_KEY, JSON.stringify(user));
+  } else {
+    localStorage.removeItem(USER_KEY);
+  }
+}
+
+function signOut(): void {
+  localStorage.removeItem(TOKEN_KEY);
+  localStorage.removeItem(USER_KEY);
+  window.location.href = "/";
+}
+
+async function refreshAuthToken(): Promise<string> {
+  const response = await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/v1/auth/renew-token`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json",
+    },
+    credentials: "include",
+  });
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Token refresh failed: ${response.status}`);
+  }
+
+  const text = await response.text();
+  try {
+    const json = JSON.parse(text) as ApiResponse<{ token: string }>;
+    if (!json.success || !json.data?.token) {
+      throw new Error(json.message || "Token refresh failed");
+    }
+    return json.data.token;
+  } catch {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid refresh response: ${text.slice(0, 200)}`);
+  }
+}
+
 async function request<T>(
   method: string,
   path: string,
   body?: Record<string, unknown>,
+  retryCount = 0,
 ): Promise<T> {
   const token = getToken();
   const headers: Record<string, string> = {
@@ -43,6 +100,28 @@ async function request<T>(
   }
 
   const response = await fetch(`${API_BASE}${path}`, options);
+
+  if (response.status === 401 && retryCount === 0) {
+    try {
+      if (!isRefreshing) {
+        isRefreshing = true;
+        refreshPromise = refreshAuthToken();
+      }
+      
+      const newToken = await refreshPromise;
+      setToken(newToken);
+      isRefreshing = false;
+      refreshPromise = null;
+      
+      return request<T>(method, path, body, retryCount + 1);
+    } catch {
+      isRefreshing = false;
+      refreshPromise = null;
+      signOut();
+      throw new Error("Session expired. Please sign in again.");
+    }
+  }
+
   const text = await response.text();
 
   if (!text) {
diff --git a/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx b/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
index 9fb8629..8fa4b9c 100644
--- a/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
+++ b/gadget-code/frontend/src/pages/ChatSessionView.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useContext } from 'react';
 import { useParams, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { socketClient } from '../lib/socket';
 import { chatSessionApi, projectApi, type ChatSession, type ChatTurn, type Project } from '../lib/api';
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { WorkspaceMode } from '../lib/types';
 import WorkspaceModeIndicator from '../components/WorkspaceModeIndicator';
 import FilesPanel from '../components/FilesPanel';
 import LogPanel from '../components/LogPanel';
+import { AppContext } from '../App';
 
 interface ChatMessage {
   id: string;
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ export default function ChatSessionView() {
   const { projectId, sessionId } = useParams<{ projectId: string; sessionId: string }>();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const socket = socketClient.socket;
+  const appContext = useContext(AppContext);
 
   const [project, setProject] = useState<Project | null>(null);
   const [session, setSession] = useState<ChatSession | null>(null);
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@ export default function ChatSessionView() {
     socket.on('workOrderComplete', handleWorkOrderComplete);
     socket.on('workspaceModeChanged', handleWorkspaceModeChanged);
     socket.on('log:entry', handleLogEntry);
+    socket.on('status', handleStatus);
   };
 
   const cleanupSocketListeners = () => {
@@ -135,6 +138,7 @@ export default function ChatSessionView() {
     socket.off('workOrderComplete', handleWorkOrderComplete);
     socket.off('workspaceModeChanged', handleWorkspaceModeChanged);
     socket.off('log:entry', handleLogEntry);
+    socket.off('status', handleStatus);
   };
 
   const handleThinking = (content: string) => {
@@ -210,6 +214,10 @@ export default function ChatSessionView() {
     ]);
   };
 
+  const handleStatus = (content: string) => {
+    appContext?.setStatusMessage(content);
+  };
+
   const showToast = (message: string) => {
     setToast(message);
     if (toastTimerRef.current) {
diff --git a/gadget-code/src/controllers/api/v1/auth.ts b/gadget-code/src/controllers/api/v1/auth.ts
index 57b7d56..596972f 100644
--- a/gadget-code/src/controllers/api/v1/auth.ts
+++ b/gadget-code/src/controllers/api/v1/auth.ts
@@ -84,14 +84,20 @@ export class AuthApiControllerV1 extends DtpController {
 
   async postRenewToken(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
     try {
-      const user = await SessionService.verifyJsonWebToken(req.body.token);
-      const token = await SessionService.createJsonWebToken(user);
+      if (!req.user) {
+        res.status(401).json({
+          success: false,
+          message: "No valid session found",
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+      const token = await SessionService.createJsonWebToken(req.user);
       req.session.token = token;
       this.log.info("user session token renewed", {
         user: {
-          _id: user._id,
-          displayName: user.displayName,
-          flags: user.flags,
+          _id: req.user._id,
+          displayName: req.user.displayName,
+          flags: req.user.flags,
         },
       });
       res.status(200).json({ success: true, token });
diff --git a/gadget-drone/src/services/workspace.ts b/gadget-drone/src/services/workspace.ts
index a37f74d..2760487 100644
--- a/gadget-drone/src/services/workspace.ts
+++ b/gadget-drone/src/services/workspace.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class WorkspaceService extends GadgetService {
   private workspaceFile: string = "";
   private _workspaceData: WorkspaceData | null = null;
 
+  private workspaceGit?: SimpleGit;
   private repos = new Map<string, SimpleGit>();
 
   get name(): string {
@@ -116,6 +117,9 @@ class WorkspaceService extends GadgetService {
     // Load or create workspace data
     await this.loadOrCreateWorkspaceData(workspaceDir);
 
+    const options: Partial<SimpleGitOptions> = { baseDir: workspaceDir };
+    this.workspaceGit = simpleGit(options);
+
     this.log.info("workspace initialized", {
       workspaceId: this._workspaceData?.workspaceId,
       workspaceDir,
@@ -237,13 +241,33 @@ class WorkspaceService extends GadgetService {
   }
 
   async deployProject(project: IProject): Promise<void> {
-    assert(this.workspaceData, "workspace uninitialized");
+    assert(this.workspaceData, "workspace is uninitialized");
+    assert(this.workspaceGit, "workspace git interface is uninitialized");
 
+    const projectDir = this.getProjectDirectory(project.slug);
     if (project.gitUrl) {
+      const oldDir = process.cwd();
+
+      process.chdir(this.workspaceData.workspaceDir);
+      this.log.info("cloning into git repo", {
+        url: project.gitUrl,
+        projectDir,
+      });
+      this.workspaceGit.clone(project.gitUrl, projectDir);
+
+      process.chdir(projectDir);
       const git: SimpleGit = this.getGitRepo(project.slug);
-      git.clone(project.gitUrl);
+      const status = await git.status();
+      this.log.info("project deployed", {
+        projectDir,
+        isClean: status.isClean(),
+        branch: status.current,
+      });
       return;
     }
+
+    this.log.info("creating project directory", { projectDir });
+    await fs.promises.mkdir(projectDir, { recursive: true });
   }
 
   /**