diff --git a/zone/client.cpp b/zone/client.cpp
index 16157c807..717b1afdb 100644
--- a/zone/client.cpp
+++ b/zone/client.cpp
@@ -7578,7 +7578,27 @@ void Client::JoinGroupXTargets(Group *g)
 	if (!g)
 		return;
 
+	// test code for merge crashes - hopefully gcc won't optimize these out...
+	auto c1 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().empty();
+	auto c2 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().size();
+	auto c3 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().begin();
+	auto c4 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().end();
+	auto c5 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().rbegin();
+	auto c6 = GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().rend();
+
+	auto g1 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().empty();
+	auto g2 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().size();
+	auto g3 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().begin();
+	auto g4 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().end();
+	auto g5 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().rbegin();
+	auto g6 = g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->get_list().rend();
+
 	if (!GetXTargetAutoMgr()->empty()) {
+		Log(Logs::Detail, Logs::Error, "XTarget Merge[clt] empty=%s, size=%u, begin=0x%X, end=0x%X, rbegin=0x%X, rend=0x%X",
+			(c1?"true":"false"), c2, c3, c4, c5, c6);
+		Log(Logs::Detail, Logs::Error, "XTarget Merge[grp] empty=%s, size=%u, begin=0x%X, end=0x%X, rbegin=0x%X, rend=0x%X",
+			(g1?"true":"false"), g2, g3, g4, g5, g6);
+
 		g->GetXTargetAutoMgr()->merge(*GetXTargetAutoMgr());
 		GetXTargetAutoMgr()->clear();
 		RemoveAutoXTargets();
diff --git a/zone/client_packet.cpp b/zone/client_packet.cpp
index e686784ce..fe8af2a98 100644
--- a/zone/client_packet.cpp
+++ b/zone/client_packet.cpp
@@ -6728,12 +6728,7 @@ void Client::Handle_OP_GroupFollow2(const EQApplicationPacket *app)
 	// Inviter and Invitee are in the same zone
 	if (inviter != nullptr && inviter->IsClient())
 	{
-		if (!inviter->CastToClient()->Connected())
-		{
-			Log(Logs::General, Logs::Error, "%s attempted to join group while leader %s was zoning.", GetName(), inviter->GetName());
-			Message(13, "Bubba said you can't follow him.");
-		}
-		else if (GroupFollow(inviter->CastToClient()))
+		if (GroupFollow(inviter->CastToClient()))
 		{
 			strn0cpy(gf->name1, inviter->GetName(), sizeof(gf->name1));
 			strn0cpy(gf->name2, GetName(), sizeof(gf->name2));