diff --git a/src/agent/agent.js b/src/agent/agent.js
index cb1d9c7..1ca99a6 100644
--- a/src/agent/agent.js
+++ b/src/agent/agent.js
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ export class Agent {
 
         const user_command_name = containsCommand(message);
         if (user_command_name) {
+            if (!commandExists(user_command_name)) {
+                this.bot.chat(`Command '${user_command_name}' does not exist.`);
+                return;
+            }
             this.bot.chat(`*${source} used ${user_command_name.substring(1)}*`);
             let execute_res = await executeCommand(this, message);
             if (user_command_name === '!newAction') {
@@ -165,10 +169,18 @@ export class Agent {
             }
         });
 
-        // set interval every 300ms to update the bot's state
-        this.update_interval = setInterval(async () => {
-            this.bot.modes.update();
-        }, 300);
+        // This update loop ensures that each update() is called one at a time, even if it takes longer than the interval
+        const INTERVAL = 300;
+        setTimeout(async () => {
+            while (true) {
+                let start = Date.now();
+                await this.bot.modes.update();
+                let remaining = INTERVAL - (Date.now() - start);
+                if (remaining > 0) {
+                    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, remaining));
+                }
+            }
+        }, INTERVAL);
     }
 
     isIdle() {
diff --git a/src/agent/commands/actions.js b/src/agent/commands/actions.js
index 119de1f..4596b04 100644
--- a/src/agent/commands/actions.js
+++ b/src/agent/commands/actions.js
@@ -29,6 +29,21 @@ export const actionsList = [
             return 'Agent stopped.';
         }
     },
+    {
+        name: '!restart',
+        description: 'Restart the agent process.',
+        perform: async function (agent) {
+            process.exit(1);
+        }
+    },
+    {
+        name: '!clear',
+        description: 'Clear the chat history.',
+        perform: async function (agent) {
+            agent.history.clear();
+            return agent.name + "'s chat history was cleared, starting new conversation from scratch.";
+        }
+    },
     {
         name: '!setMode',
         description: 'Set a mode to on or off. A mode is an automatic behavior that constantly checks and responds to the environment. Ex: !setMode("hunting", true)',
diff --git a/src/agent/history.js b/src/agent/history.js
index 03245ce..1e020d6 100644
--- a/src/agent/history.js
+++ b/src/agent/history.js
@@ -112,4 +112,9 @@ export class History {
             console.error(`No file for profile '${load_path}' for agent ${this.name}.`);
         }
     }
+
+    clear() {
+        this.turns = [];
+        this.memory = '';
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/agent/library/skills.js b/src/agent/library/skills.js
index 9cc8583..d2a76e9 100644
--- a/src/agent/library/skills.js
+++ b/src/agent/library/skills.js
@@ -331,8 +331,12 @@ export async function collectBlock(bot, blockType, num=1) {
         log(bot, `Invalid number of blocks to collect: ${num}.`);
         return false;
     }
+    let blocktypes = [blockType];
+    if (blockType.endsWith('ore'))
+        blocktypes.push('deepslate_'+blockType);
+
     let collected = 0;
-    const blocks = world.getNearestBlocks(bot, blockType, 64, num);
+    const blocks = world.getNearestBlocks(bot, blocktypes, 64, num);
     if (blocks.length === 0) {
         log(bot, `Could not find any ${blockType} to collect.`);
         return false;
diff --git a/src/agent/library/world.js b/src/agent/library/world.js
index 3ab4e27..52c4b74 100644
--- a/src/agent/library/world.js
+++ b/src/agent/library/world.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import pf from 'mineflayer-pathfinder';
 import { getAllBlockIds } from '../../utils/mcdata.js';
 
 
@@ -48,9 +49,12 @@ export function getNearestBlocks(bot, block_types, distance=16, count=1) {
      * @example
      * let woodBlocks = world.getNearestBlocks(bot, ['oak_log', 'birch_log'], 16, 1);
      **/
+    // if blocktypes is not a list, make it a list
+    if (!Array.isArray(block_types))
+        block_types = [block_types];
     let block_locs = bot.findBlocks({
         matching: (block) => {
-            return block && block_types.includes(block.name);
+            return block && block_types.some(name => name === block.name);
         },
         maxDistance: distance,
         count: count
@@ -243,6 +247,20 @@ export function getNearbyBlockTypes(bot, distance=16) {
     return found;
 }
 
+export async function isClearPath(bot, target) {
+    /**
+     * Check if there is a path to the target that requires no digging or placing blocks.
+     * @param {Bot} bot - The bot to get the path for.
+     * @param {Entity} target - The target to path to.
+     * @returns {boolean} - True if there is a clear path, false otherwise.
+     */
+    let movements = new pf.Movements(bot)
+    movements.canDig = false;
+    movements.canPlaceOn = false;
+    let goal = new pf.goals.GoalNear(target.position.x, target.position.y, target.position.z, 1);
+    let path = await bot.pathfinder.getPathTo(movements, goal, 100);
+    return path.status === 'success';
+}
 
 export function getBiomeName(bot) {
     /**
diff --git a/src/agent/modes.js b/src/agent/modes.js
index adf87ee..20ae23c 100644
--- a/src/agent/modes.js
+++ b/src/agent/modes.js
@@ -10,17 +10,20 @@ import * as mc from '../utils/mcdata.js';
 // paused: whether the mode is paused by another action that overrides the behavior (eg followplayer implements its own self defense)
 // update: the function that is called every tick (if on is true)
 // when a mode is active, it will trigger an action to be performed but won't wait for it to return output
+
 // the order of this list matters! first modes will be prioritized
+// while update functions are async, they should *not* be awaited longer than ~100ms as it will block the update loop
+// to perform longer actions, use the execute function which won't block the update loop
 const modes = [
     {
         name: 'self_defense',
         description: 'Automatically attack nearby enemies. Interrupts other actions.',
         on: true,
         active: false,
-        update: function (agent) {
+        update: async function (agent) {
             if (this.active) return;
             const enemy = world.getNearestEntityWhere(agent.bot, entity => mc.isHostile(entity), 8);
-            if (enemy) {
+            if (enemy && await world.isClearPath(agent.bot, enemy)) {
                 agent.bot.chat(`Fighting ${enemy.name}!`);
                 execute(this, agent, async () => {
                     await skills.defendSelf(agent.bot, 8);
@@ -33,10 +36,10 @@ const modes = [
         description: 'Automatically hunt nearby animals when idle.',
         on: true,
         active: false,
-        update: function (agent) {
+        update: async function (agent) {
             if (agent.isIdle()) {
                 const huntable = world.getNearestEntityWhere(agent.bot, entity => mc.isHuntable(entity), 8);
-                if (huntable) {
+                if (huntable && await world.isClearPath(agent.bot, huntable)) {
                     execute(this, agent, async () => {
                         agent.bot.chat(`Hunting ${huntable.name}!`);
                         await skills.attackEntity(agent.bot, huntable);
@@ -50,10 +53,10 @@ const modes = [
         description: 'Automatically collect nearby items when idle.',
         on: true,
         active: false,
-        update: function (agent) {
+        update: async function (agent) {
             if (agent.isIdle()) {
                 let item = world.getNearestEntityWhere(agent.bot, entity => entity.name === 'item', 8);
-                if (item) {
+                if (item && await world.isClearPath(agent.bot, item)) {
                     execute(this, agent, async () => {
                         // wait 2 seconds for the item to settle
                         await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
@@ -173,7 +176,7 @@ class ModeController {
         return res;
     }
 
-    update() {
+    async update() {
         if (this.agent.isIdle()) {
             // other actions might pause a mode to override it
             // when idle, unpause all modes
@@ -184,7 +187,7 @@ class ModeController {
         }
         for (let mode of this.modes_list) {
             if (mode.on && !mode.paused) {
-                mode.update(this.agent);
+                await mode.update(this.agent);
                 if (mode.active) {
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/src/examples.json b/src/examples.json
index 570ef6c..863a731 100644
--- a/src/examples.json
+++ b/src/examples.json
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@
     ],
 
     [
-        {"role": "user", "content": "reter: place a crafting table"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Okay! !placeHere('crafting_table')"}
+        {"role": "user", "content": "umpire_man: follow me without hunting"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Okay, first I'll turn off hunting mode !setMode('hunting', false)"},
+        {"role": "system", "content": "'hunting' mode disabled."},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Now I'll follow you !followPlayer('umpire_man')"}
     ]
 ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/examples_coder.json b/src/examples_coder.json
index fd73422..9e20073 100644
--- a/src/examples_coder.json
+++ b/src/examples_coder.json
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
         {"role": "assistant", "content": "I collected 9 oak logs, what next?"}
     ],
     [
-        {"role": "user", "content": "bobby: Craft a plank"},
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "```\nawait skills.craftRecipe(bot, 'spruce_planks');\n```"},
-        {"role": "system", "content": "Successfully crafted 4 spruce_planks."},        
-        {"role": "assistant", "content": "I crafted 4 spruce planks!"}
+        {"role": "user", "content": "bobby: cook some chicken"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "```\nawait skills.smeltItem(bot, 'chicken', 8);\n```"},
+        {"role": "system", "content": "Successfully smelted 8 chicken into 8 cooked_chicken."},        
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "I have cooked 8 chicken."}
     ],
     [
         {"role": "user", "content": "zZZn98: come here"},
@@ -30,5 +30,9 @@
         {"role": "assistant", "content": "```let pos = bot.entity.position;\nfor (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {\n    await skills.placeBlock(bot, 'dirt', pos.x, pos.y + i, pos.z);\n}\n```"},
         {"role": "system", "content": "Successfully placed 5 dirt."},
         {"role": "assistant", "content": "I built a little tower!"}
+    ],
+    [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "brug: build a dirt house"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "```const position = world.getPosition(bot);\nconst startX = position.x;\nconst startY = position.y;\nconst startZ = position.z;\nconst width = 7;\nconst depth = 7;\nconst height = 4;\n\n// Build the walls\nfor (let x = startX; x < startX + width; x++) {\n    for (let y = startY; y < startY + height; y++) {\n        for (let z = startZ; z < startZ + depth; z++) {\n            if (x === startX || x === startX + width - 1 || y === startY || y === startY + height - 1 || z === startZ || z === startZ + depth - 1) {\n                await skills.placeBlock(bot, 'oak_planks', x, y, z);  \n            }\n       }\n    }\n}\n// place a torch in the middle of the room\nawait skills.placeBlock(bot, 'torch', startX + width / 2, startY + height / 2, startZ + 1);```"}
     ]
 ]
\ No newline at end of file