diff --git a/app/rts/src/server.ts b/app/rts/src/server.ts
index 2f8fdf48f7..f5ba172f68 100644
--- a/app/rts/src/server.ts
+++ b/app/rts/src/server.ts
@@ -167,50 +167,54 @@ async function tryAuth(socket: Socket) {
     /* ********************************************************* */
 
     // const host = socket.handshake.headers.host;
-    const connectionCookie = socket.handshake.headers.cookie;
-    if (connectionCookie !== null && connectionCookie !== "") {
-        const matchedCookie = connectionCookie.match(/\bSESSION=\S+/);
-        if (matchedCookie) {
-            const sessionCookie = matchedCookie[0];
-            let response;
-            try {
-                response = await axios.request({
-                    method: "GET",
-                    url: API_BASE_URL + "/users/me",
-                    headers: {
-                        Cookie: sessionCookie,
-                    },
-                });
-            } catch (error) {
-                if (error.response?.status === 401) {
-                    console.info("401 received when authenticating user with cookie: " + sessionCookie);
-                } else if (error.response) {
-                    log.error("Error response received while authentication: ", error.response);
-                } else {
-                    log.error("Error authenticating", error);
-                }
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            const email = response.data.data.email;
-            const name = response.data.data.name ? response.data.data.name : email;
-
-            // If the session check API succeeds & the email/name is anonymousUser, then the user is not authenticated
-            // and we should not allow them to join any rooms
-            if (email === "anonymousUser" || name === "anonymousUser") {
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            socket.data.email = email;
-            socket.data.name = name;
-
-            if (socket.data.pendingRoomId) {  // an appId or pageId is pending for this socket, join now
-                joinEditRoom(socket, socket.data.pendingRoomId, socket.data.pendingRoomPrefix);
-            }
-            return true;
-        }
+    const connectionCookie = socket?.handshake?.headers?.cookie;
+    if (connectionCookie === undefined || connectionCookie === null || connectionCookie === "") {
+        return false;
     }
-    return false;
+
+    const matchedCookie = connectionCookie.match(/\bSESSION=\S+/);
+    if (!matchedCookie) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const sessionCookie = matchedCookie[0];
+    let response;
+    try {
+        response = await axios.request({
+            method: "GET",
+            url: API_BASE_URL + "/users/me",
+            headers: {
+                Cookie: sessionCookie,
+            },
+        });
+    } catch (error) {
+        if (error.response?.status === 401) {
+            console.info("401 received when authenticating user with cookie: " + sessionCookie);
+        } else if (error.response) {
+            log.error("Error response received while authentication: ", error.response);
+        } else {
+            log.error("Error authenticating", error);
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const email = response?.data?.data?.email;
+    const name = response?.data?.data?.name ?? email;
+
+    // If the session check API succeeds & the email/name is anonymousUser, then the user is not authenticated
+    // and we should not allow them to join any rooms
+    if (email == null || email === "anonymousUser" || name === "anonymousUser") {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    socket.data.email = email;
+    socket.data.name = name;
+
+    if (socket.data.pendingRoomId) {  // an appId or pageId is pending for this socket, join now
+        joinEditRoom(socket, socket.data.pendingRoomId, socket.data.pendingRoomPrefix);
+    }
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 async function watchMongoDB(io) {