diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8182bc4..e14b68d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ jspm_packages/
 ehthumbs.db
 Thumbs.db
 
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+
 # Test files
 test/fixtures/
 test/sample-pdfs/
diff --git a/maubot.yaml b/maubot.yaml
index 3f17638..a45975e 100644
--- a/maubot.yaml
+++ b/maubot.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 maubot: 0.1.0
 id: nl.roomsoverview
-version: 2.1.2
+version: 2.1.6
 license: MIT
 modules:
   - roomsoverview
diff --git a/roomsoverview.mbp b/roomsoverview.mbp
index fd48316..4eacc28 100644
Binary files a/roomsoverview.mbp and b/roomsoverview.mbp differ
diff --git a/roomsoverview.py b/roomsoverview.py
index 9e69e09..5290a3d 100644
--- a/roomsoverview.py
+++ b/roomsoverview.py
@@ -244,8 +244,37 @@ class RoomsOverviewPlugin(Plugin):
         pl = int(users.get(user_id, default) or 0)
         return pl >= MOD_POWER_LEVEL
 
+    async def _room_exists(self, room_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Bestaat de room nog? Alleen een duidelijke 404 telt als "weg".
+
+        200 en 403 (geen lid) betekenen "bestaat". Netwerk- en andere fouten
+        worden als "bestaat" behandeld, zodat er nooit per ongeluk data
+        verdwijnt.
+        """
+        base = self._base_url()
+        h = self._headers()
+        rid = quote(room_id, safe="")
+        for path in (
+            f"{base}/_matrix/client/v3/rooms/{rid}/state/m.room.create",
+            f"{base}/_matrix/client/v3/rooms/{rid}/joined_members",
+        ):
+            try:
+                async with self.http.get(
+                    path, headers=h, timeout=_REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+                ) as r:
+                    if r.status == 404:
+                        continue
+                    return True  # 200, 403, … alles behalve 404 = bestaat
+            except Exception:
+                return True
+        return False
+
     async def _validate_all(self) -> Tuple[int, int]:
-        """Valideer alle rooms in de index; verwijder verdwenen. (removed, total)"""
+        """Valideer: verwijder alleen rooms die niet meer bestaan (404).
+
+        Werkt metadata NOOIT bij, alleen een duidelijke 404 op meerdere
+        endpoints verwijdert een rij. (removed, total)
+        """
         async with self._refresh_lock:
             rows = await self.database.fetch(
                 "SELECT room_id FROM roomsoverview_rooms"
@@ -253,24 +282,11 @@ class RoomsOverviewPlugin(Plugin):
             removed = 0
             for row in rows:
                 rid = row["room_id"]
-                info = await self._get_room_info(rid)
-                if info is None:
+                if not await self._room_exists(rid):
                     await self.database.execute(
                         "DELETE FROM roomsoverview_rooms WHERE room_id = $1", rid
                     )
                     removed += 1
-                else:
-                    await self.database.execute(
-                        "UPDATE roomsoverview_rooms SET display_name = $2, "
-                        "canonical_alias = $3, topic = $4, member_count = $5, "
-                        "last_checked = $6 WHERE room_id = $1",
-                        rid,
-                        info["name"] or None,
-                        info["alias"] or None,
-                        info["topic"] or None,
-                        info["members"],
-                        int(time.time()),
-                    )
             if removed:
                 self.log.info(f"validatie: {removed} room(s) verwijderd (bestaan niet meer)")
             return removed, len(rows)
@@ -301,35 +317,40 @@ class RoomsOverviewPlugin(Plugin):
 
         rooms.sort(key=sort_key)
 
-        lines = []
+        rooms_blocks = []
         for r in rooms:
             display = r.get("display_name") or ""
             alias = r.get("canonical_alias") or ""
             room_id = r["room_id"]
-            link_target = quote(alias if alias else room_id, safe="!")
             member_count = r.get("member_count")
             topic = (r.get("topic") or "").strip().replace("\n", " ")
-            suffix = f" ({member_count} leden)" if member_count is not None else ""
-            if display:
-                label = _escape_md(display)
-            else:
-                label = room_id
-            link = f"[{_escape_md(alias) if alias else room_id}](https://matrix.to/#/{link_target})"
-            if display:
-                line = f"* **{label}**{suffix} — {link}"
-            else:
-                line = f"* {link}{suffix}"
+            # Elke room wordt een blockquote-kaart: een afgebakend blok met
+            # gekleurde kantlijn, naam + ledental als kop, omschrijving eronder
+            # en onderaan de join-link.
+            link_target = alias if alias else room_id
+            address = _escape_md(alias if alias else room_id)
+            lines = []
+            title = _escape_md(display) if display else address
+            meta = f"**{title}**"
+            if member_count is not None:
+                meta += f"  ·  {member_count} leden"
+            lines.append(meta)
             if topic:
-                line += f" — {_escape_md(topic)}"
-            lines.append(line)
+                lines.append(_escape_md(topic))
+            # Linktekst = volledige matrix.to URL (fragment mag rauw # en : bevatten)
+            lines.append(f"[{address}](https://matrix.to/#/{link_target})")
+            rooms_blocks.append("\n".join(f"> {l}" for l in lines))
 
         chunk_size = max(1, int(self.config.get("rooms_per_message", 50) or 50))
-        chunks = [lines[i : i + chunk_size] for i in range(0, len(lines), chunk_size)]
-        total = len(lines)
+        chunks = [
+            rooms_blocks[i : i + chunk_size]
+            for i in range(0, len(rooms_blocks), chunk_size)
+        ]
+        total = len(rooms_blocks)
 
         for idx, chunk in enumerate(chunks, start=1):
             header = f"**Rooms overzicht ({total} rooms getoond, deel {idx}/{len(chunks)}):**\n\n"
-            await evt.respond(header + "\n".join(chunk), markdown=True)
+            await evt.respond(header + "\n\n".join(chunk), markdown=True)
 
     @command.new(
         name="rooms",
@@ -380,7 +401,7 @@ class RoomsOverviewPlugin(Plugin):
         target = info["alias"] or room_id
         await evt.reply(
             f"Room toegevoegd: **{info['name'] or room_id}** "
-            f"([{target}](https://matrix.to/#/{quote(target, safe='!')}))"
+            f"([{target}](https://matrix.to/#/{target}))"
         )
 
     @handle_rooms.subcommand(name="remove", help="Verwijder een room (moderator+)")