diff --git a/src/fastapi_poe/__init__.py b/src/fastapi_poe/__init__.py
index dcf7b67..cd0e5a3 100644
--- a/src/fastapi_poe/__init__.py
+++ b/src/fastapi_poe/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
     "stream_request",
     "get_bot_response",
     "get_final_response",
-    "sync_bot_settings",
     "BotError",
     "BotErrorNoRetry",
     "Attachment",
diff --git a/src/fastapi_poe/base.py b/src/fastapi_poe/base.py
index 3ca4bc8..79d77d8 100644
--- a/src/fastapi_poe/base.py
+++ b/src/fastapi_poe/base.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 from starlette.types import Message
 from typing_extensions import deprecated, overload
 
+from fastapi_poe.client import sync_bot_settings
 from fastapi_poe.templates import (
     IMAGE_VISION_ATTACHMENT_TEMPLATE,
     TEXT_ATTACHMENT_TEMPLATE,
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ async def dispatch(
         logger.info(f"Response status: {response.status_code}")
         try:
             if hasattr(response, "body"):
-                body = json.loads(response.body.decode())
+                body = json.loads(bytes(response.body).decode())
                 logger.debug(f"Response body: {json.dumps(body)}")
         except json.JSONDecodeError:
             logger.error("Response body: Unable to parse JSON")
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ class PoeBot:
     """
 
     path: str = "/"  # Path where this bot will be exposed
+    bot_name: Optional[str] = None  # Name of the bot using this PoeBot instance in Poe
     access_key: Optional[str] = None  # Access key for this bot
     should_insert_attachment_messages: bool = (
         True  # Whether to insert attachment messages into the conversation
@@ -933,6 +935,28 @@ def make_app(
         if bot_obj.access_key is None and not allow_without_key:
             raise ValueError(f"Missing access key on {bot_obj}")
         _add_routes_for_bot(app, bot_obj)
+        if not bot_obj.bot_name or not bot_obj.access_key:
+            logger.warning("\n************* Warning *************")
+            logger.warning(
+                "Bot name or access key is not set for PoeBot.\n"
+                "Bot settings will NOT be synced automatically on server start/update."
+                "Please remember to sync bot settings manually.\n\n"
+                "For more information, see: https://creator.poe.com/docs/server-bots-functional-guides#updating-bot-settings"
+            )
+            logger.warning("\n************* Warning *************")
+        else:
+            try:
+                sync_bot_settings(bot_obj.bot_name, bot_obj.access_key)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error("\n*********** Error ***********")
+                logger.error(
+                    f"Bot settings sync failed for {bot_obj.bot_name}: /n{e}/n/n"
+                )
+                logger.error("Please sync bot settings manually./n/n")
+                logger.error(
+                    "For more information, see: https://creator.poe.com/docs/server-bots-functional-guides#updating-bot-settings"
+                )
+                logger.error("\n*********** Error ***********")
 
     # Uncomment this line to print out request and response
     # app.add_middleware(LoggingMiddleware)
diff --git a/src/fastapi_poe/client.py b/src/fastapi_poe/client.py
index 1e3e5b5..5aeafeb 100644
--- a/src/fastapi_poe/client.py
+++ b/src/fastapi_poe/client.py
@@ -620,5 +620,14 @@ def sync_bot_settings(
     base_url: str = "https://api.poe.com/bot/fetch_settings/",
 ) -> None:
     """Sync bot settings with the Poe server using bot name and its Access Key."""
-    response = httpx.post(f"{base_url}{bot_name}/{access_key}/{PROTOCOL_VERSION}")
+    try:
+        response = httpx.post(f"{base_url}{bot_name}/{access_key}/{PROTOCOL_VERSION}")
+        if response.status_code != 200:
+            raise BotError(
+                f"Error fetching settings for bot {bot_name}: {response.text}"
+            )
+    except httpx.ReadTimeout as e:
+        raise BotError(
+            f"Timeout fetching settings for bot {bot_name}. Try sync manually later."
+        ) from e
     print(response.text)