diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0dde8c7..2a0aab7 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -477,6 +477,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "twoway",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nanoid"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3ffa00dec017b5b1a8b7cf5e2c008bfda1aa7e0697ac1508b491fdf2622fb4d8"
+dependencies = [
+ "rand 0.8.4",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ntapi"
 version = "0.3.6"
@@ -1047,15 +1056,6 @@ version = "0.7.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "09cc8ee72d2a9becf2f2febe0205bbed8fc6615b7cb429ad062dc7b7ddd036a9"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "uuid"
-version = "0.8.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bc5cf98d8186244414c848017f0e2676b3fcb46807f6668a97dfe67359a3c4b7"
-dependencies = [
- "getrandom 0.2.3",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "version_check"
 version = "0.9.3"
@@ -1119,12 +1119,12 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "futures",
  "futures-util",
+ "nanoid",
  "once_cell",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-stream",
- "uuid",
  "warp",
 ]
 
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8a57317..611c036 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ serde = { version = "1.0.130", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0.68"
 tokio = { version = "1.12.0", features = ["full"] }
 tokio-stream = { version = "0.1.7", features = ["fs"] }
-uuid = { version = "0.8.2", features = ["v4"] }
 warp = "0.3.1"
+nanoid = "0.4.0"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 8ff978d..44eaf2d 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
         <input
           type="text"
           id="join-session-id"
-          placeholder="123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000"
+          placeholder="zO15dMQnxAUd"
           required
         />
         <button id="join-session-button">Join</button>
diff --git a/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs b/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
index a33fdba..4cc0f44 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
+++ b/frontend/lib/join-session.mjs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export const setupJoinSessionForm = () => {
   loadNickname(nickname);
   loadColour(colour);
 
-  if (window.location.hash.match(/#[0-9a-f\-]+/)) {
+  if (window.location.hash.match(/#[A-Za-z0-9_\-]+/)) {
     sessionId.value = window.location.hash.substring(1);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9d29e35..e458613 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 use serde_json::json;
 use std::net::IpAddr;
-use uuid::Uuid;
 
 use warb::{hyper::StatusCode, Filter, Reply};
 use warp as warb; // i think it's funny
 
+use nanoid::nanoid;
+
 mod events;
 mod utils;
 mod viewer_connection;
@@ -54,39 +55,32 @@ async fn main() {
         .and(warb::body::json())
         .map(|body: StartSessionBody| {
             let mut sessions = SESSIONS.lock().unwrap();
-            let session_uuid = Uuid::new_v4();
+            let session_id = nanoid!(12);
             let session = WatchSession::new(body.video_url, body.subtitle_tracks);
             let session_view = session.view();
-            sessions.insert(session_uuid, session);
+            sessions.insert(session_id.clone(), session);
 
-            warb::reply::json(&json!({ "id": session_uuid.to_string(), "session": session_view }))
+            warb::reply::json(&json!({ "id": session_id.to_string(), "session": session_view }))
         });
 
     let get_emoji_route = warb::path!("emojos").and_then(get_emoji_list);
 
     enum RequestedSession {
-        Session(Uuid, WatchSession),
+        Session(String, WatchSession),
         Error(warb::reply::WithStatus<warb::reply::Json>),
     }
 
     let get_running_session = warb::path::path("sess")
         .and(warb::path::param::<String>())
         .map(|session_id: String| {
-            if let Ok(uuid) = Uuid::parse_str(&session_id) {
-                get_session(uuid)
-                    .map(|sess| RequestedSession::Session(uuid, sess))
-                    .unwrap_or_else(|| {
-                        RequestedSession::Error(warb::reply::with_status(
-                            warb::reply::json(&json!({ "error": "session does not exist" })),
-                            StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
-                        ))
-                    })
-            } else {
-                RequestedSession::Error(warb::reply::with_status(
-                    warb::reply::json(&json!({ "error": "invalid session UUID" })),
-                    StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
-                ))
-            }
+            get_session(&session_id)
+                .map(|sess| RequestedSession::Session(session_id, sess))
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                    RequestedSession::Error(warb::reply::with_status(
+                        warb::reply::json(&json!({ "error": "session does not exist" })),
+                        StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
+                    ))
+                })
         });
 
     let get_status_route = get_running_session
@@ -104,8 +98,8 @@ async fn main() {
         .and(warb::ws())
         .map(
             |requested_session, query: SubscribeQuery, ws: warb::ws::Ws| match requested_session {
-                RequestedSession::Session(uuid, _) => ws
-                    .on_upgrade(move |ws| ws_subscribe(uuid, query.nickname, query.colour, ws))
+                RequestedSession::Session(session_id, _) => ws
+                    .on_upgrade(move |ws| ws_subscribe(session_id, query.nickname, query.colour, ws))
                     .into_response(),
                 RequestedSession::Error(error_response) => error_response.into_response(),
             },
diff --git a/src/viewer_connection.rs b/src/viewer_connection.rs
index ea38161..e16a636 100644
--- a/src/viewer_connection.rs
+++ b/src/viewer_connection.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ use tokio::sync::{
 };
 use tokio_stream::wrappers::UnboundedReceiverStream;
 
-use uuid::Uuid;
 use warp::ws::{Message, WebSocket};
 
 use crate::{
@@ -25,14 +24,14 @@ static CONNECTED_VIEWERS: Lazy<RwLock<HashMap<usize, ConnectedViewer>>> =
 static NEXT_VIEWER_ID: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(1);
 
 pub struct ConnectedViewer {
-    pub session: Uuid,
+    pub session: String,
     pub viewer_id: usize,
     pub tx: UnboundedSender<WatchEvent>,
     pub nickname: Option<String>,
     pub colour: Option<String>,
 }
 
-pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String, ws: WebSocket) {
+pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_id: String, nickname: String, colour: String, ws: WebSocket) {
     let viewer_id = NEXT_VIEWER_ID.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
     let (mut viewer_ws_tx, mut viewer_ws_rx) = ws.split();
 
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String,
         viewer_id,
         ConnectedViewer {
             viewer_id,
-            session: session_uuid,
+            session: session_id.to_string(),
             tx,
             nickname: Some(nickname.clone()),
             colour: Some(colour.clone()),
@@ -68,13 +67,13 @@ pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String,
     );
 
     ws_publish(
-        session_uuid,
+        &session_id,
         None,
         WatchEvent::new(nickname.clone(), colour.clone(), WatchEventData::UserJoin),
     )
     .await;
 
-    update_viewer_list(session_uuid).await;
+    update_viewer_list(&session_id).await;
 
     while let Some(Ok(message)) = viewer_ws_rx.next().await {
         let event: WatchEventData = match message
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String,
             None => continue,
         };
 
-        let session = &mut get_session(session_uuid).unwrap();
+        let session = &mut get_session(&session_id).unwrap();
 
         // server side event modification where neccessary
         let event: WatchEventData = match event {
@@ -97,10 +96,10 @@ pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String,
             _ => event,
         };
 
-        handle_watch_event_data(session_uuid, session, event.clone());
+        handle_watch_event_data(&session_id, session, event.clone());
 
         ws_publish(
-            session_uuid,
+            &session_id,
             Some(viewer_id),
             WatchEvent::new(nickname.clone(), colour.clone(), event),
         )
@@ -108,19 +107,19 @@ pub async fn ws_subscribe(session_uuid: Uuid, nickname: String, colour: String,
     }
 
     ws_publish(
-        session_uuid,
+        &session_id,
         None,
         WatchEvent::new(nickname.clone(), colour.clone(), WatchEventData::UserLeave),
     )
     .await;
 
     CONNECTED_VIEWERS.write().await.remove(&viewer_id);
-    update_viewer_list(session_uuid).await;
+    update_viewer_list(&session_id).await;
 }
 
-pub async fn ws_publish(session_uuid: Uuid, skip_viewer_id: Option<usize>, event: WatchEvent) {
+pub async fn ws_publish(session_id: &str, skip_viewer_id: Option<usize>, event: WatchEvent) {
     for viewer in CONNECTED_VIEWERS.read().await.values() {
-        if viewer.session != session_uuid {
+        if viewer.session != session_id {
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -131,11 +130,11 @@ pub async fn ws_publish(session_uuid: Uuid, skip_viewer_id: Option<usize>, event
     }
 }
 
-async fn update_viewer_list(session_uuid: Uuid) {
+async fn update_viewer_list(session_id: &str) {
     let mut viewers = Vec::new();
 
     for viewer in CONNECTED_VIEWERS.read().await.values() {
-        if viewer.session == session_uuid {
+        if viewer.session == session_id {
             viewers.push(Viewer {
                 nickname: viewer.nickname.clone(),
                 colour: viewer.colour.clone(),
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ async fn update_viewer_list(session_uuid: Uuid) {
     }
 
     ws_publish(
-        session_uuid,
+        &session_id,
         None,
         WatchEvent::new(
             String::from("server"),
diff --git a/src/watch_session.rs b/src/watch_session.rs
index cda42c5..15cf3a7 100644
--- a/src/watch_session.rs
+++ b/src/watch_session.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::{collections::HashMap, sync::Mutex, time::Instant};
-use uuid::Uuid;
 
 use crate::events::WatchEventData;
 
@@ -68,15 +67,15 @@ impl WatchSession {
     }
 }
 
-pub static SESSIONS: Lazy<Mutex<HashMap<Uuid, WatchSession>>> =
+pub static SESSIONS: Lazy<Mutex<HashMap<String, WatchSession>>> =
     Lazy::new(|| Mutex::new(HashMap::new()));
 
-pub fn get_session(uuid: Uuid) -> Option<WatchSession> {
-    SESSIONS.lock().unwrap().get(&uuid).cloned()
+pub fn get_session(id: &str) -> Option<WatchSession> {
+    SESSIONS.lock().unwrap().get(id).cloned()
 }
 
 pub fn handle_watch_event_data(
-    uuid: Uuid,
+    id: &str,
     watch_session: &mut WatchSession,
     event: WatchEventData,
 ) {
@@ -92,5 +91,5 @@ pub fn handle_watch_event_data(
         _ => {}
     };
 
-    let _ = SESSIONS.lock().unwrap().insert(uuid, watch_session.clone());
+    let _ = SESSIONS.lock().unwrap().insert(id.to_string(), watch_session.clone());
 }