diff --git a/AGENTS-BOT.md b/AGENTS-BOT.md
index 04e9412..e6c2145 100644
--- a/AGENTS-BOT.md
+++ b/AGENTS-BOT.md
@@ -144,3 +144,6 @@ if (process.env.AUTO_DEPLOY !== 'false') {
 2. **Foreign Keys:** Always enable `foreign_keys = ON` to maintain data integrity.
 3. **Type Safety:** Use `ExtendedClient` instead of `any` for the client instance.
 4. **Webhook Reuse:** Map `WebhookClient` instances to their monitor keys to prevent leaks.
+5. **Partial Message Handling:** In `messageDelete` and `messageUpdate` events, always check for null `author` property to avoid runtime crashes on uncached partial messages.
+6. **Centralized Settings Cache:** Always use `client.DB.getSettings(guildId)` instead of raw SQLite select queries for `guild_settings` to leverage central caching and automatic default generation.
+7. **Category Role Selection Limits:** Do not count general guild roles when checking role selection limits; filter the user's role list using only the specific role IDs registered under that category.
diff --git a/src/commands/utility/admin.ts b/src/commands/utility/admin.ts
index 215fc47..39b1f5b 100644
--- a/src/commands/utility/admin.ts
+++ b/src/commands/utility/admin.ts
@@ -4,16 +4,16 @@ import { ExtendedClient } from '../../structures/ExtendedClient.js';
 
 async function sendModerationLog(client: ExtendedClient, guildId: string, event: string, embed: EmbedBuilder) {
     const DB = client.DB;
-    const settings: any = DB.get('SELECT log_events FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
+    const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
+    if (!settings) return;
 
-    if (!settings?.log_events) return;
+    if (!settings.log_events) return;
     const activeEvents = settings.log_events.split(',').filter(Boolean);
     if (!activeEvents.includes(event)) return;
 
-    const logSettings: any = DB.get('SELECT log_channel FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
-    if (!logSettings?.log_channel) return;
+    if (!settings.log_channel) return;
 
-    const channel = client.guilds.cache.get(guildId)?.channels.cache.get(logSettings.log_channel);
+    const channel = client.guilds.cache.get(guildId)?.channels.cache.get(settings.log_channel);
     if (!channel || !channel.isTextBased()) return;
 
     try {
@@ -227,11 +227,7 @@ const command: Command = {
         }
 
         // Get or create guild settings
-        let settings: any = DB.get('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
-        if (!settings) {
-            DB.run('INSERT INTO guild_settings (guild_id) VALUES (?)', guildId);
-            settings = DB.get('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
-        }
+        const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
 
         if (subcommand === 'kick') {
             const target = interaction.options.getMember('target') as GuildMember;
diff --git a/src/commands/utility/log.ts b/src/commands/utility/log.ts
index 0a9af7c..29f59b1 100644
--- a/src/commands/utility/log.ts
+++ b/src/commands/utility/log.ts
@@ -58,8 +58,6 @@ const command: Command = {
         const isAdmin = interaction.memberPermissions?.has(PermissionFlagsBits.ModerateMembers);
         const DB = interaction.client.DB;
 
-        // Ensure guild settings exist
-        DB.run('INSERT OR IGNORE INTO guild_settings (guild_id) VALUES (?)', guildId);
 
         if (subcommand === 'help') {
             const embed = new EmbedBuilder()
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ const command: Command = {
         }
 
         if (subcommand === 'list') {
-            const settings: any = DB.get('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
+            const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
 
             const channel = settings?.log_channel
                 ? `<#${settings.log_channel}>`
@@ -128,7 +126,7 @@ const command: Command = {
 
         if (subcommand === 'enable') {
             const event = interaction.options.getString('event')!;
-            const settings: any = DB.get('SELECT log_events FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
+            const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
 
             const currentEvents = (settings?.log_events || '').split(',').filter(Boolean);
 
@@ -151,7 +149,7 @@ const command: Command = {
 
         if (subcommand === 'disable') {
             const event = interaction.options.getString('event')!;
-            const settings: any = DB.get('SELECT log_events FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
+            const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
 
             const currentEvents = (settings?.log_events || '').split(',').filter(Boolean);
 
diff --git a/src/commands/utility/rolesetup.ts b/src/commands/utility/rolesetup.ts
index 7336629..2f3276c 100644
--- a/src/commands/utility/rolesetup.ts
+++ b/src/commands/utility/rolesetup.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { SlashCommandBuilder, PermissionFlagsBits, EmbedBuilder, ChannelType, ComponentType, StringSelectMenuBuilder, StringSelectMenuOptionBuilder } from 'discord.js';
 import { Command } from '../../structures/Command.js';
 
-async function updateRoleMessage(client: any, category: any) {
+export async function updateRoleMessage(client: any, category: any) {
     try {
         const channel = client.guilds.cache.get(category.guild_id)?.channels.cache.get(category.channel_id);
         if (!channel) return;
diff --git a/src/commands/utility/welcome.ts b/src/commands/utility/welcome.ts
index de19e46..3ce14c7 100644
--- a/src/commands/utility/welcome.ts
+++ b/src/commands/utility/welcome.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ const command: Command = {
         const isAdmin = interaction.memberPermissions?.has(PermissionFlagsBits.ModerateMembers);
         const DB = interaction.client.DB;
 
-        // Ensure guild settings exist
-        DB.run('INSERT OR IGNORE INTO guild_settings (guild_id) VALUES (?)', guildId);
 
         if (subcommand === 'help') {
             const embed = new EmbedBuilder()
@@ -80,7 +78,7 @@ const command: Command = {
         }
 
         if (subcommand === 'list') {
-            const settings: any = DB.get('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?', guildId);
+            const settings = DB.getSettings(guildId);
 
             const channel = settings?.welcome_channel
                 ? `<#${settings.welcome_channel}>`
diff --git a/src/events/interactionCreate.ts b/src/events/interactionCreate.ts
index f3bf613..dc7e07d 100644
--- a/src/events/interactionCreate.ts
+++ b/src/events/interactionCreate.ts
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ export default {
                             ephemeral: true
                         });
                     } else {
-                        const userRoles = member.roles.cache.filter((r: any) => !r.managed && r.id !== guild.id).size;
-                        if (category.max_roles > 0 && userRoles >= category.max_roles) {
+                        const options: any[] = client.DB.all('SELECT * FROM role_options WHERE category_id = ?', category.id);
+                        const userCategoryRoles = options.filter((opt: any) => member.roles.cache.has(opt.role_id)).length;
+                        if (category.max_roles > 0 && userCategoryRoles >= category.max_roles) {
                             await interaction.reply({
                                 content: `Du kannst maximal ${category.max_roles} Rollen aus dieser Kategorie haben.`,
                                 ephemeral: true
diff --git a/src/events/messageDelete.ts b/src/events/messageDelete.ts
index c301ef4..27b98bd 100644
--- a/src/events/messageDelete.ts
+++ b/src/events/messageDelete.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ async function sendLog(client: any, guildId: string, event: string, embed: Embed
 export default {
     name: Events.MessageDelete,
     async execute(message: Message) {
-        if (!message.guild || message.author.bot) return;
+        if (!message.guild || !message.author || message.author.bot) return;
 
         const embed = new EmbedBuilder()
             .setTitle('🗑️ Nachricht gelöscht')
diff --git a/src/events/messageUpdate.ts b/src/events/messageUpdate.ts
index db1bd0e..4731370 100644
--- a/src/events/messageUpdate.ts
+++ b/src/events/messageUpdate.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ async function sendLog(client: any, guildId: string, event: string, embed: Embed
 export default {
     name: Events.MessageUpdate,
     async execute(oldMessage: Message, newMessage: Message) {
-        if (!newMessage.guild || newMessage.author?.bot) return;
+        if (!newMessage.guild || !newMessage.author || newMessage.author.bot) return;
         if (!oldMessage.content || !newMessage.content) return;
         if (oldMessage.content === newMessage.content) return;
 
diff --git a/src/events/ready.ts b/src/events/ready.ts
index 8fbf465..373df10 100644
--- a/src/events/ready.ts
+++ b/src/events/ready.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Events } from 'discord.js';
 import { TwitchMonitor } from '../structures/TwitchMonitor.js';
 import { ExtendedClient } from '../structures/ExtendedClient.js';
+import { updateRoleMessage } from '../commands/utility/rolesetup.js';
 
 async function validateRoles(client: ExtendedClient) {
     const categories: any[] = client.DB.all('SELECT * FROM role_categories');
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ async function validateRoles(client: ExtendedClient) {
 
         const options: any[] = client.DB.all('SELECT * FROM role_options WHERE category_id = ?', category.id);
         const validOptions: any[] = [];
+        let categoryUpdated = false;
 
         for (const option of options) {
             const roleExists = guild.roles.cache.has(option.role_id);
@@ -24,10 +26,16 @@ async function validateRoles(client: ExtendedClient) {
                         await member.roles.remove(option.role_id).catch(() => null);
                     }
                 }
+                client.DB.run('DELETE FROM role_options WHERE id = ?', option.id);
+                categoryUpdated = true;
                 removedCount++;
             }
         }
 
+        if (categoryUpdated) {
+            await updateRoleMessage(client, category);
+        }
+
         if (validOptions.length === 0 && options.length > 0) {
             console.log(`[ROLESETUP] Category "${category.category_name}" has no valid roles left. Consider deleting it.`);
         }
diff --git a/src/structures/Database.ts b/src/structures/Database.ts
index 7b15978..9ab3e87 100644
--- a/src/structures/Database.ts
+++ b/src/structures/Database.ts
@@ -172,14 +172,18 @@ export class DB {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Optimized getter for guild settings with caching
+     * Optimized getter for guild settings with caching (automatically creates settings if missing)
      */
     static getSettings(guildId: string): any {
         if (this.settingsCache.has(guildId)) {
             return this.settingsCache.get(guildId);
         }
 
-        const settings = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?').get(guildId);
+        let settings = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?').get(guildId);
+        if (!settings) {
+            db.prepare('INSERT OR IGNORE INTO guild_settings (guild_id) VALUES (?)').run(guildId);
+            settings = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM guild_settings WHERE guild_id = ?').get(guildId);
+        }
         if (settings) {
             this.settingsCache.set(guildId, settings);
         }