diff --git a/packages/doorman-api/functions/api/door/notify.js b/packages/doorman-api/functions/api/door/notify.js
index b974660..b3c6def 100644
--- a/packages/doorman-api/functions/api/door/notify.js
+++ b/packages/doorman-api/functions/api/door/notify.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ exports.handler = async function(context, event, callback) {
   setTimeout(() => {
     console.log("Ungraceful finish: running out of time");
     callback(null, response);
-  }, 5000);
+  }, 9500);
 
   await Promise.all(promises);
   return callback(null, response);
diff --git a/packages/doorman-api/functions/common/discord.private.js b/packages/doorman-api/functions/common/discord.private.js
index 1bc0fe1..d785b83 100644
--- a/packages/doorman-api/functions/common/discord.private.js
+++ b/packages/doorman-api/functions/common/discord.private.js
@@ -4,10 +4,13 @@
 
 const { Client, GatewayIntentBits } = require("discord.js");
 
+// TODO: cache these at top level in handler code
 let conn;
+let userCache = {};
 
 exports.getDiscordClient = async (context) => {
   if (!conn) {
+    console.log("[DiscordClientCache] cache miss for discord");
     const client = new Client({
       intents: [GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages],
       rest: {
@@ -17,6 +20,8 @@ exports.getDiscordClient = async (context) => {
 
     await client.login(context.DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN);
     conn = client;
+  } else {
+    console.log("[DiscordClientCache] cache hit for discord");
   }
 
   return conn;
@@ -30,7 +35,13 @@ exports.sendMessageToUser = async (
 ) => {
   try {
     const client = await exports.getDiscordClient(context);
-    const user = await client.users.fetch(userId);
+    if (userCache[userId] === undefined) {
+      console.log("[UserCache] cache miss for", userId);
+      userCache[userId] = await client.users.fetch(userId);
+    } else {
+      console.log("[UserCache] cache hit for", userId);
+    }
+    const user = userCache[userId];
     return user.send(msg);
   } catch (e) {
     console.log(e);
diff --git a/packages/doorman-client/functions/buzzer-activated.js b/packages/doorman-client/functions/buzzer-activated.js
index fce9afb..7029c7c 100644
--- a/packages/doorman-client/functions/buzzer-activated.js
+++ b/packages/doorman-client/functions/buzzer-activated.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ exports.handler = async function(context, event, callback) {
     msg + u + ')'
   );
 
-  notifyDiscord(context, msgs, config.discordUsers, []);
+  await notifyDiscord(context, msgs, config.discordUsers, []);
 
   let discordLock = false;
   let intervals = [];