diff --git a/api/cache/banViolation.js b/api/cache/banViolation.js
index f683f82afb4..e0ae26319e3 100644
--- a/api/cache/banViolation.js
+++ b/api/cache/banViolation.js
@@ -54,11 +54,17 @@ const banViolation = async (req, res, errorMessage) => {
   }
 
   req.ip = removePorts(req);
-  console.log(`[BAN] Banning user ${user_id} @ ${req.ip} for ${duration / 1000 / 60} minutes`);
+  console.log(
+    `[BAN] Banning user ${user_id} ${req.ip ? `@ ${req.ip} ` : ''}for ${
+      duration / 1000 / 60
+    } minutes`,
+  );
 
   const expiresAt = Date.now() + duration;
   await banLogs.set(user_id, { type, violation_count, duration, expiresAt });
-  await banLogs.set(req.ip, { type, user_id, violation_count, duration, expiresAt });
+  if (req.ip) {
+    await banLogs.set(req.ip, { type, user_id, violation_count, duration, expiresAt });
+  }
 
   errorMessage.ban = true;
   errorMessage.ban_duration = duration;
diff --git a/api/server/middleware/checkBan.js b/api/server/middleware/checkBan.js
index c744dda07d5..a7eab87bdfc 100644
--- a/api/server/middleware/checkBan.js
+++ b/api/server/middleware/checkBan.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 const Keyv = require('keyv');
 const uap = require('ua-parser-js');
-const { getLogStores } = require('../../cache');
 const denyRequest = require('./denyRequest');
+const { getLogStores } = require('../../cache');
 const { isEnabled, removePorts } = require('../utils');
 const keyvRedis = require('../../cache/keyvRedis');
+const User = require('../../models/User');
 
 const banCache = isEnabled(process.env.USE_REDIS)
   ? new Keyv({ store: keyvRedis })
@@ -52,12 +53,33 @@ const checkBan = async (req, res, next = () => {}) => {
   }
 
   req.ip = removePorts(req);
-  const userId = req.user?.id ?? req.user?._id ?? null;
-  const ipKey = isEnabled(process.env.USE_REDIS) ? `ban_cache:ip:${req.ip}` : req.ip;
-  const userKey = isEnabled(process.env.USE_REDIS) ? `ban_cache:user:${userId}` : userId;
+  let userId = req.user?.id ?? req.user?._id ?? null;
+
+  if (!userId && req?.body?.email) {
+    const user = await User.findOne({ email: req.body.email }, '_id').lean();
+    userId = user?._id ? user._id.toString() : userId;
+  }
+
+  if (!userId && !req.ip) {
+    return next();
+  }
+
+  let cachedIPBan;
+  let cachedUserBan;
+
+  let ipKey = '';
+  let userKey = '';
+
+  if (req.ip) {
+    ipKey = isEnabled(process.env.USE_REDIS) ? `ban_cache:ip:${req.ip}` : req.ip;
+    cachedIPBan = await banCache.get(ipKey);
+  }
+
+  if (userId) {
+    userKey = isEnabled(process.env.USE_REDIS) ? `ban_cache:user:${userId}` : userId;
+    cachedUserBan = await banCache.get(userKey);
+  }
 
-  const cachedIPBan = await banCache.get(ipKey);
-  const cachedUserBan = await banCache.get(userKey);
   const cachedBan = cachedIPBan || cachedUserBan;
 
   if (cachedBan) {
@@ -72,9 +94,18 @@ const checkBan = async (req, res, next = () => {}) => {
     return next();
   }
 
-  const ipBan = await banLogs.get(req.ip);
-  const userBan = await banLogs.get(userId);
-  const isBanned = ipBan || userBan;
+  let ipBan;
+  let userBan;
+
+  if (req.ip) {
+    ipBan = await banLogs.get(req.ip);
+  }
+
+  if (userId) {
+    userBan = await banLogs.get(userId);
+  }
+
+  const isBanned = !!(ipBan || userBan);
 
   if (!isBanned) {
     return next();
@@ -82,14 +113,23 @@ const checkBan = async (req, res, next = () => {}) => {
 
   const timeLeft = Number(isBanned.expiresAt) - Date.now();
 
-  if (timeLeft <= 0) {
+  if (timeLeft <= 0 && ipKey) {
     await banLogs.delete(ipKey);
+  }
+
+  if (timeLeft <= 0 && userKey) {
     await banLogs.delete(userKey);
     return next();
   }
 
-  banCache.set(ipKey, isBanned, timeLeft);
-  banCache.set(userKey, isBanned, timeLeft);
+  if (ipKey) {
+    banCache.set(ipKey, isBanned, timeLeft);
+  }
+
+  if (userKey) {
+    banCache.set(userKey, isBanned, timeLeft);
+  }
+
   req.banned = true;
   return await banResponse(req, res);
 };
diff --git a/api/server/services/AuthService.js b/api/server/services/AuthService.js
index fc792eceaa8..5be5529c964 100644
--- a/api/server/services/AuthService.js
+++ b/api/server/services/AuthService.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ const registerUser = async (user) => {
     const salt = bcrypt.genSaltSync(10);
     const hash = bcrypt.hashSync(newUser.password, salt);
     newUser.password = hash;
-    newUser.save();
+    await newUser.save();
 
     return { status: 200, user: newUser };
   } catch (err) {
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ const requestPasswordReset = async (email) => {
   }
 
   let resetToken = crypto.randomBytes(32).toString('hex');
-  const hash = await bcrypt.hashSync(resetToken, 10);
+  const hash = bcrypt.hashSync(resetToken, 10);
 
   await new Token({
     userId: user._id,
diff --git a/api/server/services/PluginService.js b/api/server/services/PluginService.js
index e96de6be938..8e8643cbfeb 100644
--- a/api/server/services/PluginService.js
+++ b/api/server/services/PluginService.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ const updateUserPluginAuth = async (userId, authField, pluginKey, value) => {
         value: encryptedValue,
         pluginKey,
       });
-      newPluginAuth.save();
+      await newPluginAuth.save();
       return newPluginAuth;
     }
   } catch (err) {
diff --git a/config/add-balance.js b/config/add-balance.js
index cec03dd9f55..a6069733c67 100644
--- a/config/add-balance.js
+++ b/config/add-balance.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-const connectDb = require('@librechat/backend/lib/db/connectDb');
+const connectDb = require('../api/lib/db/connectDb');
 const { askQuestion, silentExit } = require('./helpers');
-const User = require('@librechat/backend/models/User');
-const Transaction = require('@librechat/backend/models/Transaction');
+const User = require('../api/models/User');
+const Transaction = require('../api/models/Transaction');
 
 (async () => {
   /**
diff --git a/config/ban-user.js b/config/ban-user.js
index c73d662cf46..45e628aeca4 100644
--- a/config/ban-user.js
+++ b/config/ban-user.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-const connectDb = require('@librechat/backend/lib/db/connectDb');
+const connectDb = require('../api/lib/db/connectDb');
 const { askQuestion, silentExit } = require('./helpers');
 const banViolation = require('../api/cache/banViolation');
-const User = require('@librechat/backend/models/User');
+const User = require('../api/models/User');
 
 (async () => {
   /**
@@ -97,3 +97,16 @@ const User = require('@librechat/backend/models/User');
 
   silentExit(0);
 })();
+
+process.on('uncaughtException', (err) => {
+  if (!err.message.includes('fetch failed')) {
+    console.error('There was an uncaught error:');
+    console.error(err);
+  }
+
+  if (err.message.includes('fetch failed')) {
+    return;
+  } else {
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/config/create-user.js b/config/create-user.js
index a900bd54c04..c854b137a96 100644
--- a/config/create-user.js
+++ b/config/create-user.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-const connectDb = require('@librechat/backend/lib/db/connectDb');
-const { registerUser } = require('@librechat/backend/server/services/AuthService');
+const connectDb = require('../api/lib/db/connectDb');
+const { registerUser } = require('../api/server/services/AuthService');
 const { askQuestion, silentExit } = require('./helpers');
-const User = require('@librechat/backend/models/User');
+const User = require('../api/models/User');
 
 (async () => {
   /**
@@ -127,6 +127,22 @@ const User = require('@librechat/backend/models/User');
   }
 
   // Done!
-  console.green('User created successfully!');
-  silentExit(0);
+  const userCreated = await User.findOne({ $or: [{ email }, { username }] });
+  if (userCreated) {
+    console.green('User created successfully!');
+    silentExit(0);
+  }
 })();
+
+process.on('uncaughtException', (err) => {
+  if (!err.message.includes('fetch failed')) {
+    console.error('There was an uncaught error:');
+    console.error(err);
+  }
+
+  if (err.message.includes('fetch failed')) {
+    return;
+  } else {
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+});