diff --git a/cmd/dendrite-demo-pinecone/conn/client.go b/cmd/dendrite-demo-pinecone/conn/client.go
index 0889e78184..5ba8e8ec88 100644
--- a/cmd/dendrite-demo-pinecone/conn/client.go
+++ b/cmd/dendrite-demo-pinecone/conn/client.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func ConnectToPeer(pRouter *pineconeRouter.Router, peer string) error {
 		ctx := context.Background()
 		c, _, err := websocket.Dial(ctx, peer, nil)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("websocket.Dial: %w", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial: %w", err)
 		}
 		parent = websocket.NetConn(ctx, c, websocket.MessageBinary)
 	} else {
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type RoundTripper struct {
 }
 
 func (y *RoundTripper) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
-	req.URL.Scheme = "https"
+	req.URL.Scheme = "http"
 	return y.inner.RoundTrip(req)
 }
 
@@ -57,7 +57,13 @@ func createTransport(s *pineconeSessions.Sessions) *http.Transport {
 	}
 	tr.RegisterProtocol(
 		"matrix", &RoundTripper{
-			inner: tr,
+			inner: &http.Transport{
+				DisableKeepAlives: false,
+				Dial:              s.Dial,
+				DialContext:       s.DialContext,
+				DialTLS:           s.DialTLS,
+				DialTLSContext:    s.DialTLSContext,
+			},
 		},
 	)
 	return tr
diff --git a/cmd/dendritejs-pinecone/main.go b/cmd/dendritejs-pinecone/main.go
index f4c8a9821e..433e9bf824 100644
--- a/cmd/dendritejs-pinecone/main.go
+++ b/cmd/dendritejs-pinecone/main.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"crypto/ed25519"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ func main() {
 	cfg.Global.TrustedIDServers = []string{}
 	cfg.Global.KeyID = gomatrixserverlib.KeyID(signing.KeyID)
 	cfg.Global.PrivateKey = sk
-	cfg.Global.ServerName = gomatrixserverlib.ServerName(pk)
+	cfg.Global.ServerName = gomatrixserverlib.ServerName(hex.EncodeToString(pk))
 
 	if err := cfg.Derive(); err != nil {
 		logrus.Fatalf("Failed to derive values from config: %s", err)