diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bdf6350b..8dee1a57 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -406,8 +406,9 @@ If the user's GPU is not supported, the LLM will fall back to the CPU
 
 - `Remote` whether the LLM used is remote or local
 - `LLM` the LLM GameObject (if `Remote` is not set)
-- `Hort` ip of the LLM (if `Remote` is set)
-- `Port` port of the LLM (if `Remote` is set)
+- `Hort` ip of the LLM server (if `Remote` is set)
+- `Port` port of the LLM server (if `Remote` is set)
+- `Num Retries` number of HTTP request retries from the LLM server (if `Remote` is set)
 - <details><summary><code>Save</code> save filename or relative path</summary> If set, the chat history and LLM state (if save cache is enabled) is automatically saved to file specified. <br> The chat history is saved with a json suffix and the LLM state with a cache suffix. <br> Both files are saved in the [persistentDataPath folder of Unity](https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Application-persistentDataPath.html).</details>
 - `Save Cache` select to save the LLM state along with the chat history. The LLM state is typically around 100MB+.
 - `Debug Prompt` select to log the constructed prompts in the Unity Editor
diff --git a/Runtime/LLM.cs b/Runtime/LLM.cs
index 9e50c513..77b71398 100644
--- a/Runtime/LLM.cs
+++ b/Runtime/LLM.cs
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ private void StartLLMServer(string arguments)
                 failed = true;
                 return;
             }
-            CallIfNotDestroyed(() => StartService());
+            CallWithLock(StartService);
             LLMUnitySetup.Log("LLM service created");
         }
 
@@ -364,22 +364,22 @@ private void InitLib(string arch)
             CheckLLMStatus(false);
         }
 
-        void CallIfNotDestroyed(EmptyCallback fn)
+        void CallWithLock(EmptyCallback fn, bool checkNull = true)
         {
             lock (startLock)
             {
-                if (llmlib == null) throw new DestroyException();
+                if (checkNull && llmlib == null) throw new DestroyException();
                 fn();
             }
         }
 
         private void InitService(string arguments)
         {
-            if (debug) CallIfNotDestroyed(() => SetupLogging());
-            CallIfNotDestroyed(() => { LLMObject = llmlib.LLM_Construct(arguments); });
-            if (remote) CallIfNotDestroyed(() => llmlib.LLM_StartServer(LLMObject));
-            CallIfNotDestroyed(() => llmlib.LLM_SetTemplate(LLMObject, chatTemplate));
-            CallIfNotDestroyed(() => CheckLLMStatus(false));
+            if (debug) CallWithLock(SetupLogging);
+            CallWithLock(() => { LLMObject = llmlib.LLM_Construct(arguments); });
+            CallWithLock(() => llmlib.LLM_SetTemplate(LLMObject, chatTemplate));
+            if (remote) CallWithLock(() => llmlib.LLM_StartServer(LLMObject));
+            CallWithLock(() => CheckLLMStatus(false));
         }
 
         private void StartService()
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ public void CancelRequest(int id_slot)
         /// </summary>
         public void Destroy()
         {
-            lock (startLock)
+            CallWithLock(() =>
             {
                 try
                 {
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ public void Destroy()
                 {
                     LLMUnitySetup.LogError(e.Message);
                 }
-            }
+            }, false);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/Runtime/LLMCharacter.cs b/Runtime/LLMCharacter.cs
index 3b002564..c5ce99fd 100644
--- a/Runtime/LLMCharacter.cs
+++ b/Runtime/LLMCharacter.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ public class LLMCharacter : MonoBehaviour
         [Remote] public string host = "localhost";
         /// <summary> port to use for the LLM server </summary>
         [Remote] public int port = 13333;
+        /// <summary> number of retries to use for the LLM server requests (-1 = infinite) </summary>
+        [Remote] public int numRetries = -1;
         /// <summary> file to save the chat history.
         /// The file is saved only for Chat calls with addToHistory set to true.
         /// The file will be saved within the persistentDataPath directory (see https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Application-persistentDataPath.html). </summary>
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ public class LLMCharacter : MonoBehaviour
         public List<ChatMessage> chat;
         private SemaphoreSlim chatLock = new SemaphoreSlim(1, 1);
         private string chatTemplate;
-        private ChatTemplate template;
+        private ChatTemplate template = null;
         public string grammarString;
         protected int id_slot = -1;
         private List<(string, string)> requestHeaders = new List<(string, string)> { ("Content-Type", "application/json") };
@@ -270,10 +272,21 @@ public void SetPrompt(string newPrompt, bool clearChat = true)
             InitPrompt(clearChat);
         }
 
+        private bool CheckTemplate()
+        {
+            if (template == null)
+            {
+                LLMUnitySetup.LogError("Template not set!");
+                return false;
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
+
         private async Task InitNKeep()
         {
             if (setNKeepToPrompt && nKeep == -1)
             {
+                if (!CheckTemplate()) return;
                 string systemPrompt = template.ComputePrompt(new List<ChatMessage>(){chat[0]}, playerName, "", false);
                 await Tokenize(systemPrompt, SetNKeep);
             }
@@ -311,7 +324,8 @@ public async Task LoadTemplate()
             if (llmTemplate != chatTemplate)
             {
                 chatTemplate = llmTemplate;
-                template = ChatTemplate.GetTemplate(chatTemplate);
+                template = chatTemplate == null ? null : ChatTemplate.GetTemplate(chatTemplate);
+                nKeep = -1;
             }
         }
 
@@ -331,6 +345,7 @@ public async void SetGrammar(string path)
 
         List<string> GetStopwords()
         {
+            if (!CheckTemplate()) return null;
             List<string> stopAll = new List<string>(template.GetStop(playerName, AIName));
             if (stop != null) stopAll.AddRange(stop);
             return stopAll;
@@ -465,6 +480,7 @@ public async Task<string> Chat(string query, Callback<string> callback = null, E
             // call the callback function while the answer is received
             // call the completionCallback function when the answer is fully received
             await LoadTemplate();
+            if (!CheckTemplate()) return null;
             await InitNKeep();
 
             string json;
@@ -750,38 +766,57 @@ protected async Task<Ret> PostRequestRemote<Res, Ret>(string json, string endpoi
 
             Ret result = default;
             byte[] jsonToSend = new System.Text.UTF8Encoding().GetBytes(json);
-            using (var request = UnityWebRequest.Put($"{host}:{port}/{endpoint}", jsonToSend))
-            {
-                WIPRequests.Add(request);
+            UnityWebRequest request = null;
+            string error = null;
+            int tryNr = numRetries;
 
-                request.method = "POST";
-                if (requestHeaders != null)
+            while (tryNr != 0)
+            {
+                using (request = UnityWebRequest.Put($"{host}:{port}/{endpoint}", jsonToSend))
                 {
-                    for (int i = 0; i < requestHeaders.Count; i++)
-                        request.SetRequestHeader(requestHeaders[i].Item1, requestHeaders[i].Item2);
-                }
+                    WIPRequests.Add(request);
 
-                // Start the request asynchronously
-                var asyncOperation = request.SendWebRequest();
-                float lastProgress = 0f;
-                // Continue updating progress until the request is completed
-                while (!asyncOperation.isDone)
-                {
-                    float currentProgress = request.downloadProgress;
-                    // Check if progress has changed
-                    if (currentProgress != lastProgress && callback != null)
+                    request.method = "POST";
+                    if (requestHeaders != null)
                     {
-                        callback?.Invoke(ConvertContent(request.downloadHandler.text, getContent));
-                        lastProgress = currentProgress;
+                        for (int i = 0; i < requestHeaders.Count; i++)
+                            request.SetRequestHeader(requestHeaders[i].Item1, requestHeaders[i].Item2);
+                    }
+
+                    // Start the request asynchronously
+                    var asyncOperation = request.SendWebRequest();
+                    float lastProgress = 0f;
+                    // Continue updating progress until the request is completed
+                    while (!asyncOperation.isDone)
+                    {
+                        float currentProgress = request.downloadProgress;
+                        // Check if progress has changed
+                        if (currentProgress != lastProgress && callback != null)
+                        {
+                            callback?.Invoke(ConvertContent(request.downloadHandler.text, getContent));
+                            lastProgress = currentProgress;
+                        }
+                        // Wait for the next frame
+                        await Task.Yield();
+                    }
+                    WIPRequests.Remove(request);
+                    if (request.result == UnityWebRequest.Result.Success)
+                    {
+                        result = ConvertContent(request.downloadHandler.text, getContent);
+                        error = null;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        result = default;
+                        error = request.error;
                     }
-                    // Wait for the next frame
-                    await Task.Yield();
                 }
-                WIPRequests.Remove(request);
-                if (request.result != UnityWebRequest.Result.Success) LLMUnitySetup.LogError(request.error);
-                else result = ConvertContent(request.downloadHandler.text, getContent);
-                callback?.Invoke(result);
+                tryNr--;
             }
+
+            if (error != null) LLMUnitySetup.LogError(error);
+            callback?.Invoke(result);
             return result;
         }