diff --git a/demo-app/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/ui/call/CallScreen.kt b/demo-app/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/ui/call/CallScreen.kt
index de97cbf15c1..9aad60cb25c 100644
--- a/demo-app/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/ui/call/CallScreen.kt
+++ b/demo-app/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/ui/call/CallScreen.kt
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.RadioButtonChecked
 import androidx.compose.material.rememberModalBottomSheetState
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
 import androidx.compose.runtime.LaunchedEffect
-import androidx.compose.runtime.collectAsState
 import androidx.compose.runtime.getValue
 import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableIntStateOf
 import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateListOf
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@ import io.getstream.video.android.ui.menu.availableVideoFilters
 import io.getstream.video.android.util.config.AppConfig
 import kotlinx.coroutines.GlobalScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
-import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.firstOrNull
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import org.openapitools.client.models.OwnCapability
 
@@ -153,7 +151,7 @@ fun CallScreen(
     var preferredScaleType by remember { mutableStateOf(VideoScalingType.SCALE_ASPECT_FILL) }
 
     val connection by call.state.connection.collectAsStateWithLifecycle()
-    val me by call.state.me.collectAsState()
+    val me by call.state.me.collectAsStateWithLifecycle()
 
     LaunchedEffect(key1 = connection) {
         if (connection == RealtimeConnection.Disconnected) {
@@ -335,8 +333,7 @@ fun CallScreen(
                             )
                         },
                         floatingVideoRenderer = { _, _ ->
-                            val myself = me ?: participantsSize.firstOrNull { it.sessionId == call.sessionId }
-                            myself?.let {
+                            me?.let {
                                 FloatingParticipantVideo(
                                     call = call,
                                     participant = it,
diff --git a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/CallState.kt b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/CallState.kt
index b3a62edf7c7..43ae1ac3f04 100644
--- a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/CallState.kt
+++ b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/CallState.kt
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ public class CallState(
     val totalParticipants = _participantCounts.mapState { it?.total ?: 0 }
 
     /** Your own participant state */
-    public val me: StateFlow<ParticipantState?> = _participants.mapState {
-        it[call.sessionId]
+    public val me: StateFlow<ParticipantState?> = _participants.mapState { map ->
+        map[call.sessionId] ?: participants.value.find { it.isLocal }
     }
 
     /** Your own participant state */
diff --git a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/call/RtcSession.kt b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/call/RtcSession.kt
index 0287768d4f5..96c3859199f 100644
--- a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/call/RtcSession.kt
+++ b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/call/RtcSession.kt
@@ -693,8 +693,7 @@ public class RtcSession internal constructor(
                 throw IllegalStateException(
                     "Cant send audio and video since publisher hasn't been setup to connect",
                 )
-            }
-            publisher?.let { publisher ->
+            } else {
                 // step 2 ensure all tracks are setup correctly
                 // start capturing the video
 
diff --git a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/socket/sfu/SfuSocketConnection.kt b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/socket/sfu/SfuSocketConnection.kt
index 404a95d8160..07693ed8019 100644
--- a/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/socket/sfu/SfuSocketConnection.kt
+++ b/stream-video-android-core/src/main/kotlin/io/getstream/video/android/core/socket/sfu/SfuSocketConnection.kt
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import io.getstream.video.android.model.ApiKey
 import io.getstream.video.android.model.SfuToken
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.BufferOverflow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.MutableSharedFlow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.MutableStateFlow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.StateFlow
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ class SfuSocketConnection(
         scope.launch {
             internalSocket.awaitConnection(connectionTimeout)
             internalSocket.connectionIdOrError().also {
+                delay(500) // Wait for the connection to settle then call `connected`
                 connected(it)
             }
         }