diff --git a/.githooks/post-receive b/.githooks/post-receive
index a3f097f..638a096 100644
--- a/.githooks/post-receive
+++ b/.githooks/post-receive
@@ -2,13 +2,46 @@
 set -euo pipefail # -e: exit on error, -u: exit on unset var, -o pipefail: catch errors in pipes
 
 TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
-MAIN_APP_BARE_REPO="/srv/jasonpoage.com/expressjs-blog.git"
+
+get_deploy_env_file() {
+  branch="$1"
+  echo "/srv/jasonpoage.com/${branch}.env"
+}
+
+get_deploy_path() {
+  branch="$1"
+  echo "/srv/jasonpoage.com/expressjs-blog-${branch}"
+}
+
+get_log_file_path() {
+  echo "/srv/jasonpoage.com/logs/receive-${TIMESTAMP}.log"
+}
+
+copy_env_file() {
+  local branch="$1"
+  # Copy the .env file for the test environment
+  cp "$(get_deploy_env_file "$branch")" "$tmpdir/.env" || {
+    echo "Error: Failed to copy .env file for test environment."
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+
+clone_branch() {
+  local branch="$1"
+  local tmpdir="$2"
+  # This creates a proper working tree at $tmpdir, which is essential for submodules.
+  git clone --branch "$branch" "$GIT_DIR" "$tmpdir" || {
+    echo "Error: Failed to clone main application for tests to $tmpdir"
+    return 1
+  }
+}
 
 # Function to wait for a service to become available
-wait_for_service() {
+_wait_for_service() {
   local url="$1"
   local timeout=30 # seconds
-  local start_time=$(date +%s)
+  local start_time
+  start_time=$(date +%s)
   echo "Waiting for service at $url to become available (timeout: ${timeout}s)..."
   while :; do
     if curl --silent --fail "$url" >/dev/null; then
@@ -25,152 +58,47 @@
 }
 
 deploy_expressjs_blog() {
-  local oldrev="$1"
-  local newrev="$2"
-  local ref="$3"
-  local custom_path="${4:-}" # If custom_path is provided, this is a test deployment
-  local custom_env="${5:-}"
-  local branch="${ref#refs/heads/}"
+  local branch="$1"
+  local test_dir="$2"
 
   # Define deployment path and env file path
-  local path="${custom_path:-/srv/jasonpoage.com/expressjs-blog-$branch}"
-  local envfile="${custom_env:-/srv/jasonpoage.com/$branch.env}"
-
-  # set -x # Enable command tracing for debugging
+  local deploy_path envfile
+  deploy_path=$(get_deploy_path "$branch")
+  envfile=$(get_deploy_env_file "$branch")
 
   if [[ "$branch" == "production" || "$branch" == "main" || "$branch" == "testing" ]]; then
+    echo "Moving tested deployment from '$test_dir' to '$deploy_path'..."
+    [[ -d "$deploy_path" ]] && rm -rf "$deploy_path"
+    mv "$test_dir" "$deploy_path"
+    ln -f "$envfile" "$deploy_path/.env"
 
-    # Ensure the deployment directory exists and is clean for a fresh clone
-    if [[ -d "$path" ]]; then
-      echo "Deployment path '$path' exists, removing for fresh clone..."
-      rm -rf "$path"
-    fi
-    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$path")" # Ensure parent directory exists
-
-    echo "Cloning main application from bare repo '$MAIN_APP_BARE_REPO' to '$path'..."
-
-    git clone --branch "$branch" "$MAIN_APP_BARE_REPO" "$path" || {
-      echo "Error: Failed to clone main application to $path"
-      return 1
-    }
-
-    cd "$path" || {
-      echo "Error: Could not change directory to $path"
-      return 1
-    }
-
-    echo "Ensuring content submodule is initialized and updated."
-    git --work-tree="$path" submodule update --init --remote --depth=1 --checkout --recursive || {
-      echo "Error: Failed to update submodules."
-      return 1
-    }
-
-    # Handle .env file
-    ln -f "$envfile" "$path/.env"
-
-    update_node_pkgs || return 1
-    combine_css "$oldrev" "$newrev" || return 1
-
-    # Restart service (only for actual deployments)
-    [[ -z "$custom_path" ]] && systemctl --user restart express-blog@"$branch".service
-
-  fi # End of branch check
-  # set +x # Disable command tracing
-}
-
-deploy_tested_expressjs_blog() {
-  local oldrev="$1"
-  local newrev="$2"
-  local ref="$3"
-  local custom_path="${4:-}"
-  local custom_env="${5:-}"
-  local branch="${ref#refs/heads/}"
-
-  # Define deployment path and env file path
-  local path="${custom_path:-/srv/jasonpoage.com/expressjs-blog-$branch}"
-  local envfile="${custom_env:-/srv/jasonpoage.com/$branch.env}"
-
-  # set -x # Enable command tracing for debugging
-
-  if [[ "$branch" == "production" || "$branch" == "main" || "$branch" == "testing" ]]; then
-
-    echo "Moving tested deployment from '$test_dir' to '$path'..."
-    [[ -d "$path" ]] && rm -rf "$path"
-    mv "$test_dir" "$path"
-
-    cd "$path" || {
-      echo "Error: Could not change directory to $path"
-      return 1
-    }
-
-    # Handle .env file
-    ln -f "$envfile" "$path/.env"
-
-    # Restart service (only for actual deployments)
-    [[ -z "$custom_path" ]] && systemctl --user restart express-blog@"$branch".service
-
-  fi # End of branch check
-  # set +x # Disable command tracing
-}
-
-update_node_pkgs() {
-  # Yarn install logic
-  local install_required=true
-  if [[ -z "$custom_path" && -n "$oldrev" && "$oldrev" != "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000" ]]; then
-    # This block only runs for actual deployments (not test runs)
-    # Use --git-dir for this diff against the bare repo's commits
-    if ! git --git-dir="$MAIN_APP_BARE_REPO" diff-tree --name-only -r "$oldrev..$newrev" | grep -qE "(package\.json|yarn\.lock)$"; then
-      echo "No changes detected in package.json or yarn.lock. Skipping yarn install."
-      install_required=false
-    else
-      echo "Changes detected in package.json or yarn.lock. Running yarn install."
-    fi
-  else
-    echo "Running yarn install (initial deployment or test environment)."
-  fi
-
-  if [[ "$install_required" == "true" ]]; then
-    yarn || {
-      echo "Error: yarn install failed."
-      return 1
-    }
+    systemctl --user restart express-blog@"$branch".service
   fi
 }
 
+
 run_postreceive_tests() {
   local branch="$1"
   local tmpdir pidfile logfile
-  tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
+  tmpdir="$2"
   pidfile="$tmpdir/test.pid"
-  logfile="/srv/jasonpoage.com/logs/receive-$TIMESTAMP.log"
+  logfile=$(get_log_file_path)
   # Trap to ensure cleanup even if script exits unexpectedly
-  trap "kill $(cat "$pidfile" 2>/dev/null) 2>/dev/null || true; rm -rf \"$tmpdir\"" EXIT
+  trap "kill \"$(cat "$pidfile" 2>/dev/null)\" 2>/dev/null || true; rm -f \"$pidfile\"" EXIT
+
 
   echo "Running post-receive tests for branch '$branch' in temporary environment."
 
-  # This creates a proper working tree at $tmpdir, which is essential for submodules.
-  git clone --branch "$branch" "$GIT_DIR" "$tmpdir" || {
-    echo "Error: Failed to clone main application for tests to $tmpdir"
-    return 1
-  }
+  clone_branch "$branch" "$tmpdir" || return 1
 
   cd "$tmpdir" || {
     echo "Error: Could not change directory to $tmpdir"
     return 1
   }
 
-  echo "Initializing and updating submodules for test environment..."
-  git --work-tree="$tmpdir" submodule update --init --recursive || {
-    ls "$tmpdir" -a
-    echo "Error: Failed to initialize/update submodules for test environment."
-    return 1
-  }
+  copy_env_file "$branch" || return 1
 
-  # Copy the .env file for the test environment
-  cp "/srv/jasonpoage.com/${branch}.env" "$tmpdir/.env" || {
-    echo "Error: Failed to copy .env file for test environment."
-    return 1
-  }
+  initialize_submodules "$tmpdir" || return 1
 
   export TEST_PORT=4123
   export NODE_ENV=testing
@@ -183,22 +111,43 @@
   nohup yarn start >>"$logfile" 2>&1 &
   echo $! >"$pidfile"
 
-  # Wait for the application to become responsive
-  if ! wait_for_service "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_PORT"; then
-    echo "Application did not start or respond for tests. Check logs in $logfile:"
-    cat "$logfile" # Display logs on failure
-    return 1
-  fi
+  set +x
+  wait_for_service "$logfile"
+  set -x
 
   echo "Running tests..."
-  run_tests || return 1
+  run_tests "$branch" "$pidfile" "$logfile" || return 1
 
   kill "$(cat "$pidfile")" 2>/dev/null || true
+  unset TEST_PORT NODE_ENV
+
   echo "Tests passed for branch '$branch' in temporary environment."
   return 0
 }
 
+initialize_submodules() {
+  local tmpdir="$1"
+  echo "Initializing and updating submodules for test environment..."
+  git --work-tree="$tmpdir" submodule update --init --recursive || {
+    ls "$tmpdir" -a
+    echo "Error: Failed to initialize/update submodules for test environment."
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+wait_for_service() {
+  local logfile="$1"
+  # Wait for the application to become responsive
+  if ! _wait_for_service "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_PORT"; then
+    echo "Application did not start or respond for tests. Check logs in $logfile:"
+    cat "$logfile" # Display logs on failure
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 run_tests() {
+  branch="$1"
+  pidfile="$2"
+  logfile="$3"
   echo "Running npm tests..."
   if ! npm run test:postreceive; then
     kill "$(cat "$pidfile")" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -209,34 +158,25 @@
 }
 
 combine_css() {
-  set +u
-  oldrev="$1"
-  newrev="$2"
-  set -u
-
-  if [[ -z "$oldrev" && -z "$newrev" ]]; then
-    yarn --production=false combine:css || {
-      echo "Error: yarn combine:css failed."
-      return 1
-    }
-  else
-    yarn --production=false combine:css "$oldrev" "$newrev" "$MAIN_APP_BARE_REPO" || {
-      echo "Error: yarn combine:css with args failed."
-      return 1
-    }
-  fi
+  yarn --production=false combine:css || {
+    echo "Error: yarn combine:css failed."
+    return 1
+  }
 }
 
+set -x
 # Main script execution loop
 while read -r oldrev newrev ref; do
+  tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
   branch="${ref#refs/heads/}"
   echo "--- Processing push for branch: $branch (from $oldrev to $newrev) ---"
-  if run_postreceive_tests "$branch"; then
+  if run_postreceive_tests "$branch" "$tmpdir"; then
     echo "Tests passed for $branch. Proceeding with deployment."
-    deploy_tested_expressjs_blog "$oldrev" "$newrev" "$ref"
+    deploy_expressjs_blog "$branch" "$tmpdir"
     echo "Deployment of $branch complete."
   else
     echo "Post-receive tests failed for $branch. Deployment aborted."
     exit 1
   fi
 done
+set +x
diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 2ed0a2c..d9b02e7 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // src/app.js
 require("dotenv").config();
 
+const net = require("net");
 const setupMiddleware = require("./middleware");
 const { manualLogger } = require("./utils/logging");
 const { startTokenCleanup } = require("./utils/tokenCleanup");
@@ -27,10 +28,26 @@
 
 const app = setupMiddleware();
 
-app.listen(SERVER_PORT, () => {
-  console.log(SERVER_LISTEN_LOG(SERVER_PORT));
-  console.log(NODE_ENV_LOG);
+const server = net.createServer();
+server.once("error", (err) => {
+  if (err.code === "EADDRINUSE") {
+    console.error(`Port ${SERVER_PORT} is already in use.`);
+    process.exit(1);
+  } else {
+    throw err;
+  }
 });
 
+server.once("listening", () => {
+  server.close();
+
+  app.listen(SERVER_PORT, () => {
+    console.log(SERVER_LISTEN_LOG(SERVER_PORT));
+    console.log(NODE_ENV_LOG);
+  });
+});
+
+server.listen(SERVER_PORT);
+
 process.on("uncaughtException", handleUncaughtException);
 process.on("unhandledRejection", handleUnhandledRejection);