diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index 5754ad218..003542bd8 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import ipAnonymize from "ip-anonymize";
 import { Logger } from "winston";
 import WebSocket from "ws";
-import { z } from "zod/v4";
 import {
   ClientID,
+  ClientMessage,
   ClientMessageSchema,
   ClientSendWinnerMessage,
   GameConfig,
@@ -178,16 +178,12 @@ export class GameServer {
       "message",
       gatekeeper.wsHandler(client.ip, async (message: string) => {
         try {
-          const parsed = ClientMessageSchema.safeParse(JSON.parse(message));
-          if (!parsed.success) {
-            const error = z.prettifyError(parsed.error);
-            this.log.error("Failed to parse client message", error, {
-              clientID: client.clientID,
-            });
-            client.ws.close();
-            return;
+          let clientMsg: ClientMessage | null = null;
+          try {
+            clientMsg = ClientMessageSchema.parse(JSON.parse(message));
+          } catch (error) {
+            throw Error(`error parsing schema for ${ipAnonymize(client.ip)}`);
           }
-          const clientMsg = parsed.data;
           if (clientMsg.type === "intent") {
             if (clientMsg.intent.clientID !== client.clientID) {
               this.log.warn(
diff --git a/src/server/Worker.ts b/src/server/Worker.ts
index 3f072ebdf..068799fed 100644
--- a/src/server/Worker.ts
+++ b/src/server/Worker.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ import { GameEnv } from "../core/configuration/Config";
 import { getServerConfigFromServer } from "../core/configuration/ConfigLoader";
 import { GameType } from "../core/game/Game";
 import {
-  ClientJoinMessageSchema,
-  GameConfig,
+  ClientMessageSchema,
   GameRecord,
   GameRecordSchema,
 } from "../core/Schemas";
@@ -294,17 +293,11 @@ export function startWorker() {
           : forwarded || req.socket.remoteAddress || "unknown";
 
         try {
+          // Process WebSocket messages as in your original code
           // Parse and handle client messages
-          const parsed = ClientJoinMessageSchema.safeParse(
+          const clientMsg = ClientMessageSchema.parse(
             JSON.parse(message.toString()),
           );
-          if (!parsed.success) {
-            const error = z.prettifyError(parsed.error);
-            log.warn("Error parsing join message client", error);
-            ws.close();
-            return;
-          }
-          const clientMsg = parsed.data;
 
           if (clientMsg.type === "join") {
             // Verify this worker should handle this game