diff --git a/app.json b/app.json
index 4ce40639..3e9e7351 100644
--- a/app.json
+++ b/app.json
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
     {
       "command": "./manage.py totem_tasks",
       "schedule": "*/10 * * * *"
+    },
+    {
+      "command": "./manage.py clearsessions",
+      "schedule": "@daily"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/compose/local/django/Dockerfile b/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
index d1594414..1740f491 100644
--- a/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
+++ b/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ RUN sed -i 's/\r$//g' /start
 RUN chmod +x /start
 
 
-
 # copy application code to WORKDIR
 COPY . ${APP_HOME}
 
diff --git a/compose/production/django/Dockerfile b/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
index c9b0ba62..4311a285 100644
--- a/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
+++ b/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # define an alias for the specfic python version used in this file.
-FROM python:3.11.4-slim-bullseye as python
+FROM python:3.11.6-slim-bullseye as python
 
 # Python build stage
 FROM python as python-build-stage
@@ -55,12 +55,10 @@ COPY --from=python-build-stage /usr/src/app/wheels  /wheels/
 RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --no-index --find-links=/wheels/ /wheels/* \
   && rm -rf /wheels/
 
-
 COPY --chown=django:django ./compose/production/django/entrypoint /entrypoint
 RUN sed -i 's/\r$//g' /entrypoint
 RUN chmod +x /entrypoint
 
-
 COPY --chown=django:django ./compose/production/django/start /start
 RUN sed -i 's/\r$//g' /start
 RUN chmod +x /start
diff --git a/totem/circles/models.py b/totem/circles/models.py
index a4522ecb..70855434 100644
--- a/totem/circles/models.py
+++ b/totem/circles/models.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from totem.utils.hash import basic_hash, hmac
 from totem.utils.md import MarkdownField, MarkdownMixin
 from totem.utils.models import AdminURLMixin, SluggedModel
+from totem.utils.slack import notify_slack
 from totem.utils.utils import full_url
 
 from .calendar import calendar
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ def add_attendee(self, user):
         if self.can_attend(user=user):
             self.attendees.add(user)
             self.save()
+            notify_slack(f"New Circle attendee: {user.email} for {self.circle.title} by {self.circle.author.name}")
 
     def started(self):
         return self.start < timezone.now()
diff --git a/totem/utils/slack.py b/totem/utils/slack.py
index b3bf34c8..5f37c612 100644
--- a/totem/utils/slack.py
+++ b/totem/utils/slack.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 import requests
 from django.conf import settings
 
+requests_session = requests.Session()
+
 
 def notify_slack(message):
     if settings.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL is None:
@@ -16,4 +18,4 @@ def notify_slack(message):
         "text": message,
     }
 
-    requests.post(settings.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(json_data), timeout=10)
+    requests_session.post(settings.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(json_data), timeout=10)