diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/media/MediaProgressSyncer.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/media/MediaProgressSyncer.kt
index 98be44df..efe71e06 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/media/MediaProgressSyncer.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/media/MediaProgressSyncer.kt
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class MediaProgressSyncer(val playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificationServic
 
   private val currentDisplayTitle get() = currentPlaybackSession?.displayTitle ?: "Unset"
   private val currentIsLocal get() = currentPlaybackSession?.isLocal == true
-  val currentSessionId get() = currentPlaybackSession?.id ?: ""
+  private val currentSessionId get() = currentPlaybackSession?.id ?: ""
   private val currentPlaybackDuration get() = currentPlaybackSession?.duration ?: 0.0
 
   fun start(playbackSession:PlaybackSession) {
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ class MediaProgressSyncer(val playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificationServic
 
     listeningTimerRunning = true
     lastSyncTime = System.currentTimeMillis()
-    Log.d(tag, "start: init last sync time $lastSyncTime")
     currentPlaybackSession = playbackSession.clone()
+    Log.d(tag, "start: init last sync time $lastSyncTime with playback session id=${currentPlaybackSession?.id}")
 
     listeningTimerTask = Timer("ListeningTimer", false).schedule(15000L, 15000L) {
       Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post() {
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class MediaProgressSyncer(val playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificationServic
                 playerNotificationService.alertSyncFailing() // Show alert in client
                 failedSyncs = 0
               }
-              Log.e(tag, "Local Progress sync failed ($failedSyncs) to send to server $currentDisplayTitle for time $currentTime")
+              Log.e(tag, "Local Progress sync failed ($failedSyncs) to send to server $currentDisplayTitle for time $currentTime with session id=${it.id}")
             }
 
             cb(SyncResult(true, syncSuccess, errorMsg))
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ class MediaProgressSyncer(val playerNotificationService:PlayerNotificationServic
             playerNotificationService.alertSyncFailing() // Show alert in client
             failedSyncs = 0
           }
-          Log.e(tag, "Progress sync failed ($failedSyncs) to send to server $currentDisplayTitle for time $currentTime")
+          Log.e(tag, "Progress sync failed ($failedSyncs) to send to server $currentDisplayTitle for time $currentTime with session id=${currentSessionId}")
         }
         cb(SyncResult(true, syncSuccess, errorMsg))
       }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/PlayerNotificationService.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/PlayerNotificationService.kt
index e35d476c..54e0076c 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/PlayerNotificationService.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/player/PlayerNotificationService.kt
@@ -481,16 +481,19 @@ class PlayerNotificationService : MediaBrowserServiceCompat()  {
 
         val libraryItemId = playbackSession.libraryItemId ?: "" // Must be true since direct play
         val episodeId = playbackSession.episodeId
-        apiHandler.playLibraryItem(libraryItemId, episodeId, playItemRequestPayload) {
-          if (it == null) { // Play request failed
-            clientEventEmitter?.onPlaybackFailed(errorMessage)
-            closePlayback(true)
-          } else {
-            Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
-              preparePlayer(it, true, null)
+        mediaProgressSyncer.stop(false) {
+          apiHandler.playLibraryItem(libraryItemId, episodeId, playItemRequestPayload) {
+            if (it == null) { // Play request failed
+              clientEventEmitter?.onPlaybackFailed(errorMessage)
+              closePlayback(true)
+            } else {
+              Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
+                preparePlayer(it, true, null)
+              }
             }
           }
         }
+
       } else {
         clientEventEmitter?.onPlaybackFailed(errorMessage)
         closePlayback(true)
@@ -528,19 +531,22 @@ class PlayerNotificationService : MediaBrowserServiceCompat()  {
     }
   }
 
-  fun startNewPlaybackSession() {
+  private fun startNewPlaybackSession() {
     currentPlaybackSession?.let { playbackSession ->
       val forceTranscode = playbackSession.isHLS // If already HLS then force
       val playItemRequestPayload = getPlayItemRequestPayload(forceTranscode)
 
       val libraryItemId = playbackSession.libraryItemId ?: "" // Must be true since direct play
       val episodeId = playbackSession.episodeId
-      apiHandler.playLibraryItem(libraryItemId, episodeId, playItemRequestPayload) {
-        if (it == null) {
-          Log.e(tag, "Failed to start new playback session")
-        } else {
-          Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
-            preparePlayer(it, true, null)
+      mediaProgressSyncer.stop(false) {
+        apiHandler.playLibraryItem(libraryItemId, episodeId, playItemRequestPayload) {
+          if (it == null) {
+            Log.e(tag, "Failed to start new playback session")
+          } else {
+            Log.d(tag, "New playback session response from server with session id ${it.id} for \"${it.displayTitle}\"")
+            Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
+              preparePlayer(it, true, null)
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -781,6 +787,7 @@ class PlayerNotificationService : MediaBrowserServiceCompat()  {
       currentPlaybackSession?.currentTime = timeToSeek / 1000.0
       val newWindowIndex = currentPlaybackSession?.getCurrentTrackIndex() ?: 0
       val newTimeOffset = currentPlaybackSession?.getCurrentTrackTimeMs() ?: 0
+      Log.d(tag, "seekPlayer seekTo $newWindowIndex | $newTimeOffset")
       currentPlayer.seekTo(newWindowIndex, newTimeOffset)
     } else {
       currentPlayer.seekTo(timeToSeek)
@@ -849,7 +856,7 @@ class PlayerNotificationService : MediaBrowserServiceCompat()  {
     return if(currentPlayer == castPlayer) PLAYER_CAST else PLAYER_EXO
   }
 
-  fun getDeviceInfo(): DeviceInfo {
+  private fun getDeviceInfo(): DeviceInfo {
     /* EXAMPLE
       manufacturer: Google
       model: Pixel 6
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/server/ApiHandler.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/server/ApiHandler.kt
index 1aa9772a..5f176824 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/server/ApiHandler.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/audiobookshelf/app/server/ApiHandler.kt
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@ class ApiHandler(var ctx:Context) {
     makeRequest(request, httpClient, cb)
   }
 
-  fun postRequest(endpoint:String, payload: JSObject, config:ServerConnectionConfig?, cb: (JSObject) -> Unit) {
+  private fun postRequest(endpoint:String, payload: JSObject, config:ServerConnectionConfig?, cb: (JSObject) -> Unit) {
     val address = config?.address ?: DeviceManager.serverAddress
     val token = config?.token ?: DeviceManager.token
     val mediaType = "application/json; charset=utf-8".toMediaType()
     val requestBody = payload.toString().toRequestBody(mediaType)
+    val requestUrl = "${address}$endpoint"
+    Log.d(tag, "postRequest to $requestUrl")
     val request = Request.Builder().post(requestBody)
-      .url("${address}$endpoint").addHeader("Authorization", "Bearer ${token}")
+      .url(requestUrl).addHeader("Authorization", "Bearer ${token}")
       .build()
     makeRequest(request, null, cb)
   }