diff --git a/lib/components/chat_component.dart b/lib/components/chat_component.dart
index 304953f..5fb623c 100644
--- a/lib/components/chat_component.dart
+++ b/lib/components/chat_component.dart
@@ -207,7 +207,8 @@ class ChatComponentState extends ConsumerState<ChatComponent> {
                       IconButton(
                           icon: const Icon(Icons.close),
                           onPressed: () async {
-                            activeChatState.add(null);
+                            ref.read(activeChatStateProvider.notifier).state =
+                                null;
                           }).paddingLTRB(16, 0, 16, 0)
                     ]),
                   ),
diff --git a/lib/components/chat_single_contact_item_widget.dart b/lib/components/chat_single_contact_item_widget.dart
index 6075194..f9cc102 100644
--- a/lib/components/chat_single_contact_item_widget.dart
+++ b/lib/components/chat_single_contact_item_widget.dart
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class ChatSingleContactItemWidget extends ConsumerWidget {
     //final textTheme = theme.textTheme;
     final scale = theme.extension<ScaleScheme>()!;
 
-    final activeChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider).value;
+    final activeChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider);
     final remoteConversationRecordKey =
         proto.TypedKeyProto.fromProto(contact.remoteConversationRecordKey);
     final selected = activeChat == remoteConversationRecordKey;
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ class ChatSingleContactItemWidget extends ConsumerWidget {
             // component is not dragged.
             child: ListTile(
                 onTap: () async {
-                  activeChatState.add(remoteConversationRecordKey);
+                  ref.read(activeChatStateProvider.notifier).state =
+                      remoteConversationRecordKey;
                   ref.invalidate(fetchChatListProvider);
                 },
                 title: Text(contact.editedProfile.name),
diff --git a/lib/components/signal_strength_meter.dart b/lib/components/signal_strength_meter.dart
index 29f4699..3e290d2 100644
--- a/lib/components/signal_strength_meter.dart
+++ b/lib/components/signal_strength_meter.dart
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ class SignalStrengthMeterWidget extends ConsumerWidget {
     final scale = theme.extension<ScaleScheme>()!;
 
     const iconSize = 16.0;
-    final connState = ref.watch(globalConnectionStateProvider).value;
-    if (connState == null) {
-      return const Icon(Icons.signal_cellular_off, size: iconSize);
-    }
+    final connState = ref.watch(globalConnectionStateProvider);
+
     late final double value;
     late final Color color;
     late final Color inactiveColor;
diff --git a/lib/pages/home.dart b/lib/pages/home.dart
index 4dd7832..408aa86 100644
--- a/lib/pages/home.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/home.dart
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class HomePage extends ConsumerStatefulWidget {
     final contactList = ref.watch(fetchContactListProvider).asData?.value ??
         const IListConst([]);
 
-    final activeChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider).asData?.value;
+    final activeChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider);
     if (activeChat == null) {
       return const EmptyChatWidget();
     }
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class HomePage extends ConsumerStatefulWidget {
           activeChat,
     );
     if (activeChatContactIdx == -1) {
-      activeChatState.add(null);
+      ref.read(activeChatStateProvider.notifier).state = null;
       return const EmptyChatWidget();
     }
     final activeChatContact = contactList[activeChatContactIdx];
diff --git a/lib/processor.dart b/lib/processor.dart
index 101cf05..0ea7d60 100644
--- a/lib/processor.dart
+++ b/lib/processor.dart
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Processor {
       }
     }
 
-    globalConnectionState.add(cs);
+    globalConnectionState.state = cs;
   }
 
   Future<void> processUpdateConfig(VeilidUpdateConfig updateConfig) async {
diff --git a/lib/providers/chat.dart b/lib/providers/chat.dart
index 17ac439..c4bfc76 100644
--- a/lib/providers/chat.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/chat.dart
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import 'package:fast_immutable_collections/fast_immutable_collections.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 import 'package:riverpod_annotation/riverpod_annotation.dart';
 
 import '../proto/proto.dart' as proto;
 import '../proto/proto.dart' show Chat, ChatType;
 
-import '../tools/tools.dart';
 import '../veilid_support/veilid_support.dart';
 import 'account.dart';
 
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ Future<void> deleteChat(
       if (c.remoteConversationKey == remoteConversationKey) {
         await chatList.tryRemoveItem(i);
 
-        if (activeChatState.currentState == remoteConversationRecordKey) {
-          activeChatState.add(null);
+        if (activeChatState.state == remoteConversationRecordKey) {
+          activeChatState.state = null;
         }
 
         return;
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Future<IList<Chat>?> fetchChatList(FetchChatListRef ref) async {
 }
 
 // The selected chat
-ExternalStreamState<TypedKey?> activeChatState =
-    ExternalStreamState<TypedKey?>(null);
-AutoDisposeStreamProvider<TypedKey?> activeChatStateProvider =
-    activeChatState.provider();
+final activeChatState = StateController<TypedKey?>(null);
+final activeChatStateProvider =
+    AutoDisposeStateNotifierProvider<StateController<TypedKey?>, TypedKey?>(
+        (ref) => activeChatState);
diff --git a/lib/providers/connection_state.dart b/lib/providers/connection_state.dart
index 80f08a5..7af589e 100644
--- a/lib/providers/connection_state.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/connection_state.dart
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 
-import '../tools/tools.dart';
-
 enum GlobalConnectionState {
   detached,
   detaching,
@@ -13,7 +11,8 @@ enum GlobalConnectionState {
   overAttached,
 }
 
-ExternalStreamState<GlobalConnectionState> globalConnectionState =
-    ExternalStreamState<GlobalConnectionState>(GlobalConnectionState.detached);
-AutoDisposeStreamProvider<GlobalConnectionState> globalConnectionStateProvider =
-    globalConnectionState.provider();
+final globalConnectionState =
+    StateController<GlobalConnectionState>(GlobalConnectionState.detached);
+final globalConnectionStateProvider = AutoDisposeStateNotifierProvider<
+    StateController<GlobalConnectionState>,
+    GlobalConnectionState>((ref) => globalConnectionState);
diff --git a/lib/providers/conversation.dart b/lib/providers/conversation.dart
index f369a21..3d29cd1 100644
--- a/lib/providers/conversation.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/conversation.dart
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ class ActiveConversationMessages extends _$ActiveConversationMessages {
   FutureOr<IList<Message>?> build() async {
     await eventualVeilid.future;
 
-    final activeChat = activeChatState.currentState;
+    final activeChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider);
     if (activeChat == null) {
       return null;
     }
diff --git a/lib/providers/local_accounts.g.dart b/lib/providers/local_accounts.g.dart
index 3ad8658..026ddcc 100644
--- a/lib/providers/local_accounts.g.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/local_accounts.g.dart
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class _FetchLocalAccountProviderElement
       (origin as FetchLocalAccountProvider).accountMasterRecordKey;
 }
 
-String _$localAccountsHash() => r'148d98fcd8a61147bb475708d50b9699887c5bec';
+String _$localAccountsHash() => r'f19ec560b585d353219be82bc383b2c091660c53';
 
 /// See also [LocalAccounts].
 @ProviderFor(LocalAccounts)
diff --git a/lib/providers/logins.g.dart b/lib/providers/logins.g.dart
index a003f64..e4eee2e 100644
--- a/lib/providers/logins.g.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/logins.g.dart
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class _FetchLoginProviderElement
       (origin as FetchLoginProvider).accountMasterRecordKey;
 }
 
-String _$loginsHash() => r'41c4630869b474c409b2fb3461dd2a56d9350c7f';
+String _$loginsHash() => r'2660f71bb7903464187a93fba5c07e22041e8c40';
 
 /// See also [Logins].
 @ProviderFor(Logins)
diff --git a/lib/router/router_notifier.dart b/lib/router/router_notifier.dart
index d9ee694..81a591d 100644
--- a/lib/router/router_notifier.dart
+++ b/lib/router/router_notifier.dart
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class RouterNotifier extends _$RouterNotifier implements Listenable {
     hasAnyAccount = await ref.watch(
       localAccountsProvider.selectAsync((data) => data.isNotEmpty),
     );
-    hasActiveChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider).value != null;
+    hasActiveChat = ref.watch(activeChatStateProvider) != null;
 
     // When this notifier's state changes, inform GoRouter
     ref.listenSelf((_, __) {
diff --git a/lib/router/router_notifier.g.dart b/lib/router/router_notifier.g.dart
index a08d13e..db5c445 100644
--- a/lib/router/router_notifier.g.dart
+++ b/lib/router/router_notifier.g.dart
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ part of 'router_notifier.dart';
 // RiverpodGenerator
 // **************************************************************************
 
-String _$routerNotifierHash() => r'8e636edc119d07296a95a5de8a6edadb119154cf';
+String _$routerNotifierHash() => r'f462d13cf63fa23a7a8e6a4edfa63984f32adaf1';
 
 /// See also [RouterNotifier].
 @ProviderFor(RouterNotifier)
diff --git a/lib/tick.dart b/lib/tick.dart
index ebfde43..679a963 100644
--- a/lib/tick.dart
+++ b/lib/tick.dart
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class BackgroundTickerState extends ConsumerState<BackgroundTicker> {
   }
 
   Future<void> _doNewMessageCheck() async {
-    final activeChat = activeChatState.currentState;
+    final activeChat = ref.read(activeChatStateProvider);
     if (activeChat == null) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/lib/tools/external_stream_state.dart b/lib/tools/external_stream_state.dart
deleted file mode 100644
index ba54b00..0000000
--- a/lib/tools/external_stream_state.dart
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-import 'dart:async';
-import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
-
-// Caches a state value which can be changed from anywhere
-// Creates a provider interface that notices when the value changes
-class ExternalStreamState<T> {
-  ExternalStreamState(T initialState)
-      : currentState = initialState,
-        streamController = StreamController<T>.broadcast();
-  T currentState;
-  StreamController<T> streamController;
-  void add(T newState) {
-    currentState = newState;
-    streamController.add(newState);
-  }
-
-  AutoDisposeStreamProvider<T> provider() =>
-      AutoDisposeStreamProvider<T>((ref) async* {
-        if (await streamController.stream.isEmpty) {
-          yield currentState;
-        }
-        await for (final value in streamController.stream) {
-          yield value;
-        }
-      });
-}
diff --git a/lib/tools/tools.dart b/lib/tools/tools.dart
index 89cb964..11cb944 100644
--- a/lib/tools/tools.dart
+++ b/lib/tools/tools.dart
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 export 'animations.dart';
-export 'external_stream_state.dart';
 export 'loggy.dart';
 export 'phono_byte.dart';
 export 'radix_generator.dart';