diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b1e6766..06b8ff6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/variables.ts
+/.env
 /node_modules
 /src/test.ts
 /dist
diff --git a/src/ai.ts b/src/ai.ts
index 108d202..400d6ba 100644
--- a/src/ai.ts
+++ b/src/ai.ts
@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@ export async function ai(
 
 		await edit(getTgResponse(bingRes, prompt));
 	} catch (e) {
+		console.log("[local] caught error:");
 		console.log(e);
-		await edit("Something went wrong!");
+		try {
+			await edit(
+				"Unable to obtain a response from Bing due to a technical error.",
+			);
+		} catch {}
 	}
 
 	// signal completion, let the next client proceed
@@ -97,15 +102,18 @@ function getTgResponse(bingRes: ChatMessage | Error, prompt: string) {
 	}
 
 	if (!bingRes.text) {
-		return "Received an empty response. Make sure the bot is set up properly and that you haven't crossed the daily message limit.";
+		return "Received an empty response. Make sure the bot is set up properly and that you haven't crossed the daily message limit. You can also try starting a /newchat.";
 	}
 
 	return transformBingResponse(bingRes);
 }
 
 export function newChat(chatId: number) {
-	delete chats[chatId].res;
-	chats[chatId].index = 1;
+	const chat = chats[chatId];
+	if (chat) {
+		delete chat.res;
+		chat.index = 1;
+	}
 }
 
 export function getVariant(chatId: number) {
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index a48534e..c415903 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,18 @@ import { Update } from "typegram";
 
 dotenv.config();
 
-export const bingChat = new BingChat({ cookie: process.env.BING_COOKIE! });
+const bingCookieConfig = process.env.BING_COOKIE!.trim().replace(/['"]/g, "");
+export const bingChat = new BingChat({
+	cookie: bingCookieConfig.includes(";")
+		? // this is the entire `document.cookie`
+		  (bingCookieConfig
+				.split(";")
+				.map(text => text.split("="))
+				.find(entry => entry[0] === " _U" || entry[0] === "_U") ?? [])[1] ??
+		  bingCookieConfig
+		: // this is the _U cookie
+		  bingCookieConfig,
+});
 
 export const bot: Telegraf<Context<Update>> = new Telegraf(
 	process.env.TG_TOKEN!,
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 4659e11..b0c9f71 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ async function main() {
 		console.log("Usage allowed in all chats");
 	}
 
-	bot.command("ai", async ctx => {
-		await ai(ctx, args(ctx.message.text));
-	});
+	bot.command("ai", async ctx => ai(ctx, args(ctx.message.text)));
 
 	bot.on(message("reply_to_message"), async ctx => {
 		if (ctx.message.reply_to_message.from?.id != ctx.botInfo.id) return;
@@ -26,7 +24,7 @@ async function main() {
 		const reply = ctx.message.reply_to_message;
 		const message = ctx.message;
 		if ("text" in reply && "text" in message) {
-			await ai(ctx, message.text);
+			ai(ctx, message.text);
 		}
 	});
 
@@ -80,6 +78,7 @@ The variant command accepts the name of any of these 3 variants in a case-insens
 	});
 
 	bot.catch(err => {
+		console.log("[global] caught error:");
 		console.log(err);
 	});
 
diff --git a/src/transformers.ts b/src/transformers.ts
index aaac151..4664c90 100644
--- a/src/transformers.ts
+++ b/src/transformers.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@ export const transformers: Transformers = [
 		return replace(reply, /\*(.*?)\*/g, (_, txt) => italic(txt));
 	},
 
+	function stylePre(reply) {
+		return replace(
+			reply,
+			/```(\w+)\n([\s\S]*?)```/g,
+			(_, language, codeString) => {
+				return pre(language)(codeString);
+			},
+		);
+	},
+
 	function styleCode(reply) {
 		return replace(reply, /`(.*?)`/g, (_, codeString) => code(codeString));
 	},
@@ -52,18 +62,4 @@ export const transformers: Transformers = [
 			return fmt` ${bold(link(`[${oneBasedIndex}]`, referenceLink))}`;
 		});
 	},
-
-	function stylePre(reply) {
-		return replace(
-			reply,
-			/```(\w+)\n([\s\S]*?)```/g,
-			(_, language, codeString) => {
-				return pre(language)(codeString);
-			},
-		);
-	},
-
-	function styleAlternateBold(reply) {
-		return replace(reply, /^`\n(.*?)`/gms, (_, txt) => bold(txt));
-	},
 ];