diff --git a/api/player_info.go b/api/player_info.go
index 1a711ef..be2b054 100644
--- a/api/player_info.go
+++ b/api/player_info.go
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ import "github.com/google/uuid"
 type PlayerInfo struct {
 	PlayerID uuid.UUID `json:"playerID"`
 	LobbyID  uuid.UUID `json:"lobbyID"`
+    Passphrase *string `json:"passphrase,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/chess/player.go b/chess/player.go
index 61fa2cf..028fad4 100644
--- a/chess/player.go
+++ b/chess/player.go
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"log"
 	"mchess_server/api"
 	"mchess_server/types"
-	"log"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
diff --git a/lobby_registry/lobby.go b/lobby_registry/lobby.go
index d090c45..beab692 100644
--- a/lobby_registry/lobby.go
+++ b/lobby_registry/lobby.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type Lobby struct {
 	Uuid uuid.UUID
 	Game *chess.Game
 	PlayerJoined chan bool
-    Passphrase string
+    Passphrase utils.Passphrase 
 }
 
 func NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
 
 func NewEmptyLobbyWithPassphrase()*Lobby {
     lobby := NewEmptyLobbyWithUUID(uuid.New())
-    lobby.Passphrase = string(utils.NewPassphrase()) 
+    lobby.Passphrase = utils.NewPassphrase() 
 
     return lobby
 }
diff --git a/lobby_registry/registry.go b/lobby_registry/registry.go
index 954c0ee..4e001d6 100644
--- a/lobby_registry/registry.go
+++ b/lobby_registry/registry.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package lobby_registry
 
 import (
+	"mchess_server/utils"
+
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 )
 
@@ -38,6 +40,15 @@ func (r *LobbyRegistry) GetLobbyByUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) *Lobby {
 	return r.lobbies[uuid]
 }
 
+func (r *LobbyRegistry) GetLobbyByPassphrase(p utils.Passphrase) *Lobby {
+        for _,lobby := range r.lobbies {
+            if lobby.Passphrase == p {
+                return lobby
+            }
+        }
+        return nil
+}
+
 func (r *LobbyRegistry) addNewLobby(lobby *Lobby) uuid.UUID {
 	r.lobbies[lobby.Uuid] = lobby
 	return lobby.Uuid
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index d809267..86d7730 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"mchess_server/api"
 	"mchess_server/chess"
 	lobbies "mchess_server/lobby_registry"
 	"mchess_server/usher"
-	"log"
+	"mchess_server/utils"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
@@ -68,18 +69,51 @@ func registerForRandomGame(c *gin.Context) {
 }
 
 func hostPrivateGame(c *gin.Context) {
-    player := chess.NewPlayer(uuid.New())
-    usher.GetUsher()
+	player := chess.NewPlayer(uuid.New())
+	u := usher.GetUsher()
 
-    mut.Lock()
-    lobby := usher.NewUsher().FindNewPrivateLobby(player)
-    mut.Unlock()
+	mut.Lock()
+	lobby := u.FindNewPrivateLobby(player)
+    u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
+	mut.Unlock()
 
-    c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, lobby.Passphrase)
+	passphrase := lobby.Passphrase.String()
+	info := api.PlayerInfo{
+		PlayerID:   player.Uuid,
+		LobbyID:    lobby.Uuid,
+		Passphrase: &passphrase,
+	}
+
+	c.Header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*")
+	c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, info)
 }
 
 func joinPrivateGame(c *gin.Context) {
+    req := api.PlayerInfo{}
+    err := c.ShouldBindJSON(req)
+    if err!= nil || req.Passphrase == nil || *req.Passphrase == "" {
+        c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
+    }
     
+    player := chess.NewPlayer(uuid.New())
+    u := usher.GetUsher()
+
+	mut.Lock()
+    defer mut.Unlock()
+	lobby := u.FindExistingPrivateLobby(utils.Passphrase(*req.Passphrase))
+    if lobby != nil {
+        u.AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player, lobby)
+    } else {
+        c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusNotFound, req)
+        return
+    }
+
+    info := api.PlayerInfo{
+        PlayerID: player.Uuid,
+        LobbyID: lobby.Uuid,
+        Passphrase: req.Passphrase,
+    }
+    c.IndentedJSON(http.StatusOK, info)
 }
 
 func registerWebSocketConnection(c *gin.Context) {
diff --git a/usher/usher.go b/usher/usher.go
index 2110b93..4705bc6 100644
--- a/usher/usher.go
+++ b/usher/usher.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package usher
 import (
 	"mchess_server/chess"
 	lobbies "mchess_server/lobby_registry"
+	"mchess_server/utils"
 )
 
 type Usher struct {
@@ -10,13 +11,13 @@ type Usher struct {
 
 var instance *Usher
 
-func NewUsher() *Usher {
+func newUsher() *Usher {
 	return &Usher{}
 }
 
 func GetUsher() *Usher {
 	if instance == nil {
-		instance = NewUsher()
+		instance = newUsher()
 	}
 	return instance
 }
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ func (u*Usher) FindNewPrivateLobby(player *chess.Player) *lobbies.Lobby {
     return lobby
 }
 
+func (u *Usher) FindExistingPrivateLobby(p utils.Passphrase) *lobbies.Lobby {
+   return lobbies.GetLobbyRegistry().GetLobbyByPassphrase(p) 
+}
+
 func (u *Usher) AddPlayerToLobbyAndStartGameIfFull(player *chess.Player, lobby *lobbies.Lobby) {
 	lobby.AddPlayerAndStartGameIfFull(player)
 }
diff --git a/utils/passphrase.go b/utils/passphrase.go
index 9a175ee..272a084 100644
--- a/utils/passphrase.go
+++ b/utils/passphrase.go
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ func NewPassphrase() Passphrase {
 	var phrase string
 	var retries int
 	var word string
-	var words int = 3
-
+	var words int = 2
+//TODO make sure passphrases are unique
 	for words > 0 {
 		retries = 20
 		for {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func isAccecpable(s string) bool {
 func isProfanity(s string) bool {
 	contains := []string{
 		"nigg",
-		"fagg",
+		"fag",
 	}
 	startsWith := []string{
 		"spic",