diff --git a/components/rsptx/templates/staticAssets/js/peer.js b/components/rsptx/templates/staticAssets/js/peer.js
index 8fec3bd10..f7b6a998a 100644
--- a/components/rsptx/templates/staticAssets/js/peer.js
+++ b/components/rsptx/templates/staticAssets/js/peer.js
@@ -338,16 +338,42 @@ function connect(event) {
                         groupList = mess.group;
                     }
                     messarea = document.getElementById("imessage");
-                    messarea.innerHTML = `<h3>Time to talk to your group</h3>
-                    <ul>`;
-                    for (const peer of groupList) {
-                        messarea.innerHTML += `<li>${peer}</li>`;
+                    // Prefer previously-selected partners saved in localStorage.peerList
+                    let peerListCsv = localStorage.getItem("peerList");
+                    let displayPeers = [];
+                    if (peerListCsv) {
+                        let sids = peerListCsv.split(",").map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+                        let sel = document.getElementById("assignment_group");
+                        for (let sid of sids) {
+                            let name = sid;
+                            if (sel) {
+                                let opt = sel.querySelector(`option[value="${sid}"]`);
+                                if (opt) name = opt.textContent || opt.innerText || sid;
+                            }
+                            displayPeers.push(name);
+                        }
                     }
-                    messarea.innerHTML += `</ul>`;
+
+                    if (displayPeers.length > 0) {
+                        messarea.innerHTML = `<h3>Current Verbal Discussion Group</h3><p>Please have a verbal discussion with your selected partners:</p><ul>`;
+                        for (const p of displayPeers) {
+                            messarea.innerHTML += `<li>${p}</li>`;
+                        }
+                        messarea.innerHTML += `</ul>`;
+                    } else {
+                        // fallback to server-provided group list
+                        messarea.innerHTML = `<h3>Current Verbal Discussion Group</h3><p>Please have a verbal discussion with the following group:</p><ul>`;
+                        for (const peer of groupList) {
+                            messarea.innerHTML += `<li>${peer}</li>`;
+                        }
+                        messarea.innerHTML += `</ul>`;
+                    }
+
                     let facechat = document.getElementById("group_select_panel");
                     if (facechat) {
                         facechat.style.display = "block";
                     }
+                    break; // incase default
                 default:
                     console.log("unknown control message");
             }
@@ -470,7 +496,7 @@ async function sendMessage(event) {
     await publishMessage(mess);
 
     let message = renderMessage({
-        from: user,
+        from: user,  
         text: messageText,
         direction: "outgoing"
     });