diff --git a/react/features/base/connection/reducer.ts b/react/features/base/connection/reducer.ts
index 2ebe4e229f..bae27ce9e1 100644
--- a/react/features/base/connection/reducer.ts
+++ b/react/features/base/connection/reducer.ts
@@ -147,6 +147,13 @@ function _connectionFailed(
         return state;
     }
 
+    let preferVisitor;
+
+    if (error.name === JitsiConnectionErrors.NOT_LIVE_ERROR) {
+        // we want to keep the state for the moment when the meeting is live
+        preferVisitor = state.preferVisitor;
+    }
+
     return assign(state, {
         connecting: undefined,
         connection: undefined,
@@ -154,7 +161,7 @@ function _connectionFailed(
         passwordRequired:
             error.name === JitsiConnectionErrors.PASSWORD_REQUIRED
                 ? connection : undefined,
-        preferVisitor: undefined
+        preferVisitor
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/react/features/base/jwt/functions.ts b/react/features/base/jwt/functions.ts
index 648bf53be7..f49215891b 100644
--- a/react/features/base/jwt/functions.ts
+++ b/react/features/base/jwt/functions.ts
@@ -176,10 +176,12 @@ export function validateJwt(jwt: string) {
             }
         }
 
-        if (!isValidUnixTimestamp(nbf)) {
-            errors.push({ key: JWT_VALIDATION_ERRORS.NBF_INVALID });
-        } else if (currentTimestamp < nbf * 1000) {
-            errors.push({ key: JWT_VALIDATION_ERRORS.NBF_FUTURE });
+        if (nbf) { // nbf value is optional
+            if (!isValidUnixTimestamp(nbf)) {
+                errors.push({ key: JWT_VALIDATION_ERRORS.NBF_INVALID });
+            } else if (currentTimestamp < nbf * 1000) {
+                errors.push({ key: JWT_VALIDATION_ERRORS.NBF_FUTURE });
+            }
         }
 
         if (!isValidUnixTimestamp(exp)) {
diff --git a/react/features/visitors/middleware.ts b/react/features/visitors/middleware.ts
index bfb89c6894..e91c387e38 100644
--- a/react/features/visitors/middleware.ts
+++ b/react/features/visitors/middleware.ts
@@ -178,19 +178,25 @@ MiddlewareRegistry.register(({ dispatch, getState }) => next => action => {
                     if ('status' in msg && msg.status === 'live') {
                         logger.info('The conference is now live!');
 
-                        WebsocketClient.getInstance().disconnect();
+                        WebsocketClient.getInstance().disconnect()
+                            .then(() => {
+                                let delay = 0;
 
-                        let delay = 0;
+                                // now let's connect to meeting
+                                if ('randomDelayMs' in msg) {
+                                    delay = msg.randomDelayMs;
+                                }
 
-                        // now let's connect to meeting
-                        if ('randomDelayMs' in msg) {
-                            delay = msg.randomDelayMs;
-                        }
+                                if (WebsocketClient.getInstance().connectCount > 1) {
+                                    // if we keep connecting/disconnecting, let's slow it down
+                                    delay = 30 * 1000;
+                                }
 
-                        setTimeout(() => {
-                            dispatch(joinConference());
-                            dispatch(setInVisitorsQueue(false));
-                        }, delay);
+                                setTimeout(() => {
+                                    dispatch(joinConference());
+                                    dispatch(setInVisitorsQueue(false));
+                                }, Math.random() * delay);
+                            });
                     }
                 },
 
diff --git a/react/features/visitors/websocket-client.ts b/react/features/visitors/websocket-client.ts
index d1836c9844..6f08c8defc 100644
--- a/react/features/visitors/websocket-client.ts
+++ b/react/features/visitors/websocket-client.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ export class WebsocketClient {
 
     private retriesCount = 0;
 
+    private _connectCount = 0;
+
     /**
      *  WebsocketClient getInstance.
      *
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ export class WebsocketClient {
             this.retriesCount = 0;
 
             logger.info(`Connected to:${endpoint}`);
+            this._connectCount++;
             connectCallback?.();
 
             this.stompClient.subscribe(endpoint, message => {
@@ -112,16 +115,16 @@ export class WebsocketClient {
     /**
      * Disconnects the current stomp  client instance and clears it.
      *
-     * @returns {void}
+     * @returns {Promise}
      */
-    disconnect(): void {
+    disconnect(): Promise<any> {
         if (!this.stompClient) {
-            return;
+            return Promise.resolve();
         }
 
         const url = this.stompClient.brokerURL;
 
-        this.stompClient.deactivate().then(() => {
+        return this.stompClient.deactivate().then(() => {
             logger.info(`disconnected from: ${url}`);
             this.stompClient = undefined;
         });
@@ -135,4 +138,13 @@ export class WebsocketClient {
     isActive() {
         return this.stompClient !== undefined;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of connections.
+     *
+     * @returns {number} The number of connections for the life of the app.
+     */
+    get connectCount(): number {
+        return this._connectCount;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/resources/prosody-plugins/mod_visitors_component.lua b/resources/prosody-plugins/mod_visitors_component.lua
index 4dd72221b0..0b33644da7 100644
--- a/resources/prosody-plugins/mod_visitors_component.lua
+++ b/resources/prosody-plugins/mod_visitors_component.lua
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ local um_is_admin = require 'core.usermanager'.is_admin;
 local json = require 'cjson.safe';
 local inspect = require 'inspect';
 
-local token_util = module:require 'token/util'.new(module);
+-- will be initialized once the main virtual host module is initialized
+local token_util;
 
 local MUC_NS = 'http://jabber.org/protocol/muc';
 
@@ -304,14 +305,34 @@ local function process_promotion_response(room, id, approved)
             allow = approved }):up());
 end
 
+-- if room metadata does not have visitors.live set to `true` and there are no occupants in the meeting
+-- it will skip calling goLive endpoint
 local function go_live(room)
+    if room._jitsi_go_live_sent then
+        return;
+    end
+
+    if not (room.jitsiMetadata and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors.live) then
+        return;
+    end
+
+    local has_occupant = false;
+    for _, occupant in room:each_occupant() do
+        if not is_admin(occupant.bare_jid) then
+            has_occupant = true;
+            break;
+        end
+    end
+
+    -- when there is an occupant then go live
+    if not has_occupant then
+        return;
+    end
+
     -- let's inform the queue service
     local function cb(content_, code_, response_, request_)
         local room = room;
-        if code_ == 200 then
-            -- meeting went live ???
-            module:log('info', 'live')
-        else
+        if code_ ~= 200 then
             module:log('warn', 'External call to visitors_queue_service/golive failed. Code %s, Content %s',
                 code_, content_)
         end
@@ -324,6 +345,8 @@ local function go_live(room)
         conference = internal_room_jid_match_rewrite(room.jid)
     };
 
+    room._jitsi_go_live_sent = true;
+
     http.request(visitors_queue_service..'/golive', {
         headers = headers,
         method = 'POST',
@@ -333,6 +356,10 @@ end
 
 module:hook('iq/host', stanza_handler, 10);
 
+process_host_module(muc_domain_base, function(host_module, host)
+    token_util = module:require "token/util".new(host_module);
+end);
+
 process_host_module(muc_domain_prefix..'.'..muc_domain_base, function(host_module, host)
     -- if visitor mode is started, then you are not allowed to join without request/response exchange of iqs -> deny access
     -- check list of allowed jids for the room
@@ -496,18 +523,20 @@ process_host_module(muc_domain_prefix..'.'..muc_domain_base, function(host_modul
                 return;
             end
 
-            if room.jitsiMetadata and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors.live then
-                go_live(room);
-            end
+            go_live(room);
         end, -2); -- metadata hook on -1
         host_module:hook('jitsi-metadata-updated', function (event)
             if event.key == 'visitors' then
-                local room = event.room;
-                if room.jitsiMetadata and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors and room.jitsiMetadata.visitors.live then
-                    go_live(room);
-                end
+                go_live(event.room);
             end
         end);
+        -- when metadata changed internally from another module
+        host_module:hook('room-metadata-changed', function (event)
+            go_live(event.room);
+        end);
+        host_module:hook('muc-occupant-joined', function (event)
+            go_live(event.room);
+        end);
     end
 
     if always_visitors_enabled then
diff --git a/resources/prosody-plugins/token/util.lib.lua b/resources/prosody-plugins/token/util.lib.lua
index c87d3f6050..2668815f24 100644
--- a/resources/prosody-plugins/token/util.lib.lua
+++ b/resources/prosody-plugins/token/util.lib.lua
@@ -247,13 +247,8 @@ end
 -- session.jitsi_meet_context_group - the group value from the token
 -- session.jitsi_meet_context_features - the features value from the token
 -- @param session the current session
--- @param acceptedIssuers optional list of accepted issuers to check
 -- @return false and error
-function Util:process_and_verify_token(session, acceptedIssuers)
-    if not acceptedIssuers then
-        acceptedIssuers = self.acceptedIssuers;
-    end
-
+function Util:process_and_verify_token(session)
     if session.auth_token == nil then
         if self.allowEmptyToken then
             return true;
@@ -310,7 +305,7 @@ function Util:process_and_verify_token(session, acceptedIssuers)
         session.auth_token,
         self.signatureAlgorithm,
         key,
-        acceptedIssuers,
+        self.acceptedIssuers,
         self.acceptedAudiences
     )
     if claims ~= nil then