diff --git a/crates/ott-balancer-protocol/src/monolith.rs b/crates/ott-balancer-protocol/src/monolith.rs
index 4b579592a..1bea847fc 100644
--- a/crates/ott-balancer-protocol/src/monolith.rs
+++ b/crates/ott-balancer-protocol/src/monolith.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use crate::{ClientId, RoomName};
 #[typeshare]
 pub enum MsgB2M {
     Load(B2MLoad),
+    Unload(B2MUnload),
     Join(B2MJoin),
     Leave(B2MLeave),
     ClientMsg(B2MClientMsg),
@@ -22,6 +23,12 @@ pub struct B2MLoad {
     pub room: RoomName,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[typeshare]
+pub struct B2MUnload {
+    pub room: RoomName,
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[typeshare]
 pub struct B2MJoin {
diff --git a/server/clientmanager.ts b/server/clientmanager.ts
index 18ca08e0e..b6bbae98f 100644
--- a/server/clientmanager.ts
+++ b/server/clientmanager.ts
@@ -229,39 +229,69 @@ function onBalancerDisconnect(conn: BalancerConnection) {
 	}
 }
 
-function onBalancerMessage(conn: BalancerConnection, message: MsgB2M) {
+async function onBalancerMessage(conn: BalancerConnection, message: MsgB2M) {
 	log.silly("balancer message: " + JSON.stringify(message));
-	if (message.type === "join") {
-		const msg = message.payload;
-		const client = new BalancerClient(msg.room, msg.client, conn);
-		connections.push(client);
-		client.on("auth", onClientAuth);
-		client.on("message", onClientMessage);
-		client.on("disconnect", onClientDisconnect);
-		client.auth(msg.token);
-	} else if (message.type === "leave") {
-		const msg = message.payload;
-		const client = connections.find(c => c.id === msg.client);
-		if (client instanceof BalancerClient) {
-			client.leave();
-		} else {
-			log.error(
-				`Balancer tried to make client leave that does not exist or is not a balancer client`
-			);
-		}
-	} else if (message.type === "client_msg") {
-		const msg = message.payload;
-		const client = connections.find(c => c.id === msg.client_id);
-		if (client instanceof BalancerClient) {
-			client.receiveMessage(msg.payload as ClientMessage);
-		} else {
-			log.error(
-				`Balancer sent message for client that does not exist or is not a balancer client`
-			);
-		}
-	} else {
+
+	/**
+	 * This is a type that maps the message type to the handler for that message type.
+	 *
+	 * Useful for handling enums that are discriminated by a string, like the ones generated by typeshare.
+	 */
+	type EnumHandler<T extends { type: string; payload: T["payload"] }> = {
+		[P in T["type"]]: (
+			instruction: Extract<T, { type: P; payload: T["payload"] }>
+		) => Promise<void>;
+	};
+
+	// the intersection type makes it so that it throws a compile error if all the enum variants aren't handled
+	const handlers: Record<MsgB2M["type"], unknown> & EnumHandler<MsgB2M> = {
+		load: async message => {
+			const msg = message.payload;
+			await roommanager.getRoom(msg.room);
+		},
+		unload: async message => {
+			const msg = message.payload;
+			await roommanager.unloadRoom(msg.room);
+		},
+		join: async message => {
+			const msg = message.payload;
+			const client = new BalancerClient(msg.room, msg.client, conn);
+			connections.push(client);
+			client.on("auth", onClientAuth);
+			client.on("message", onClientMessage);
+			client.on("disconnect", onClientDisconnect);
+			client.auth(msg.token);
+		},
+		leave: async message => {
+			const msg = message.payload;
+			const client = connections.find(c => c.id === msg.client);
+			if (client instanceof BalancerClient) {
+				client.leave();
+			} else {
+				log.error(
+					`Balancer tried to make client leave that does not exist or is not a balancer client`
+				);
+			}
+		},
+		client_msg: async message => {
+			const msg = message.payload;
+			const client = connections.find(c => c.id === msg.client_id);
+			if (client instanceof BalancerClient) {
+				client.receiveMessage(msg.payload as ClientMessage);
+			} else {
+				log.error(
+					`Balancer sent message for client that does not exist or is not a balancer client`
+				);
+			}
+		},
+	};
+
+	const handler = handlers[message.type];
+	if (!handler) {
 		log.error(`Unknown balancer message type: ${(message as { type: string }).type}`);
+		return;
 	}
+	await handler(message as any); // this cast is safe because the type is checked and narrowed above
 }
 
 function onBalancerError(conn: BalancerConnection, error: WebSocket.ErrorEvent) {
diff --git a/server/generated.ts b/server/generated.ts
index be32ea215..714c06fa5 100644
--- a/server/generated.ts
+++ b/server/generated.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ export interface B2MLoad {
 	room: RoomName;
 }
 
+export interface B2MUnload {
+	room: RoomName;
+}
+
 export interface B2MJoin {
 	room: RoomName;
 	client: ClientId;
@@ -88,6 +92,7 @@ export interface M2BKick {
 
 export type MsgB2M =
 	| { type: "load"; payload: B2MLoad }
+	| { type: "unload"; payload: B2MUnload }
 	| { type: "join"; payload: B2MJoin }
 	| { type: "leave"; payload: B2MLeave }
 	| { type: "client_msg"; payload: B2MClientMsg };
diff --git a/tools/balancer-tester/src/monolith.rs b/tools/balancer-tester/src/monolith.rs
index bccaead99..c5d27cf14 100644
--- a/tools/balancer-tester/src/monolith.rs
+++ b/tools/balancer-tester/src/monolith.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ impl SimMonolith {
                 };
                 outbound_tx.send(self.build_message(msg)).await.unwrap();
             }
+            MsgB2M::Unload(_) => todo!(),
             MsgB2M::Join(msg) => {
                 let room = match self.rooms.get_mut(&msg.room) {
                     Some(room) => room,