diff --git a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
index 5674d7f..d6aa0d3 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/0.Base.ts
@@ -356,7 +356,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends EventEmitter {
             //throw new Error("You're not even connected, you can't log out")
             await new Promise(resolve => this.conn.send('goodbye,["admin","Conn","disconnect"]', null, resolve))
         }
-        this.user = null
+        this.user = undefined
+        this.chats.clear()
+        this.contacts = {}
         this.close()
     }
     /** Close the connection to WhatsApp Web */
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts b/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
index ab218fb..819f7d5 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/1.Validation.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
         if (!this.authInfo?.clientID) {
             this.authInfo = { clientID: Utils.generateClientID() } as any
         }
-
         const canLogin = this.authInfo?.encKey && this.authInfo?.macKey        
         this.referenceDate = new Date () // refresh reference date
+        let isNewUser = false
 
         this.startDebouncedTimeout ()
         
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
         }
 
         const validationJSON = (await Promise.all (initQueries)).slice(-1)[0] // get the last result
-        this.user = await this.validateNewConnection(validationJSON[1]) // validate the connection
+        const newUser = await this.validateNewConnection(validationJSON[1]) // validate the connection
+        if (newUser.jid !== this.user?.jid) {
+            isNewUser = true
+            // clear out old data
+            this.chats.clear()
+            this.contacts = {}
+        }
+        
+        this.user = newUser
         
         this.logger.info('validated connection successfully')
         this.emit ('connection-validated', this.user)
@@ -89,6 +97,8 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
         this.sendPostConnectQueries ()
 
         this.logger.debug('sent init queries')
+
+        return { isNewUser }
     }
     /**
      * Send the same queries WA Web sends after connect
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
index 8e51806..60da0af 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/3.Connect.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                 
                 this.conn.on ('open', async () => {
                     this.logger.info(`connected to WhatsApp Web server, authenticating via ${reconnectID ? 'reconnect' : 'takeover'}`)
-                    let waitForChats: Promise<any>
+                    let waitForChats: Promise<{ hasNewChats: boolean }>
                     // add wait for chats promise if required
                     if (typeof options?.waitForChats === 'undefined' ? true : options?.waitForChats) {
                         const {wait, cancellations} = this.receiveChatsAndContacts(this.connectOptions.waitOnlyForLastMessage)
@@ -95,25 +95,25 @@ export class WAConnection extends Base {
                         rejections.push (...cancellations)
                     }
                     try {
-                        const [, result] = await Promise.all (
+                        const [authResult, chatsResult] = await Promise.all (
                             [ 
-                                this.authenticate(reconnectID)
-                                .then(() => this.startKeepAliveRequest()),
+                                this.authenticate(reconnectID),
                                 waitForChats || undefined
                             ]
                         )
+                        this.startKeepAliveRequest()
                         this.conn
                             .removeAllListeners ('error')
                             .removeAllListeners ('close')
                         this.stopDebouncedTimeout ()
-                        resolve (result)
+                        resolve ({ ...authResult, ...chatsResult })
                     } catch (error) {
                         reject (error)
                     }
                 })
                 this.conn.on('error', rejectAll)
                 this.conn.on('close', () => rejectAll(new Error(DisconnectReason.close)))
-            }) as Promise<void | any>
+            }) as Promise<{ hasNewChats?: boolean, isNewUser: boolean }>
         )
 
         this.on ('ws-close', rejectAll)
diff --git a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
index add30c4..154638f 100644
--- a/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
+++ b/src/WAConnection/Constants.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ export interface WAOpenResult {
     /** Was this connection opened via a QR scan */
     newConnection: boolean
     user: WAUser
+    isNewUser: boolean
     hasNewChats?: boolean
 }