diff --git a/js/feedEngine/sources.js b/js/feedEngine/sources.js
index b8994fe7..bf7bf2a3 100644
--- a/js/feedEngine/sources.js
+++ b/js/feedEngine/sources.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export function createSubscriptionAuthorsSource({ service } = {}) {
   const resolvedService = resolveService(service, nostrService);
 
   return async function subscriptionAuthorsSource(context = {}) {
+    context?.log?.("[subscriptions-source] START");
     const runtimeAuthors = toArray(
       context?.runtime?.subscriptionAuthors || context?.runtime?.authors
     ).map(normalizeAuthor);
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ export function createSubscriptionAuthorsSource({ service } = {}) {
       [...runtimeAuthors, ...configAuthors, ...hookAuthors].filter(Boolean)
     );
 
+    context?.log?.(`[subscriptions-source] Resolved ${authors.size} authors.`);
+
     if (!authors.size) {
       return [];
     }
@@ -115,12 +118,16 @@ export function createSubscriptionAuthorsSource({ service } = {}) {
     let videos = [];
     try {
       if (hasTargetedLookup) {
+        context?.log?.("[subscriptions-source] Calling getActiveVideosByAuthors...");
         videos = await Promise.resolve(
           resolvedService.getActiveVideosByAuthors(authorList, options)
         );
+        context?.log?.(`[subscriptions-source] getActiveVideosByAuthors returned ${videos.length} videos.`);
 
         if (!videos.length && typeof resolvedService.fetchVideosByAuthors === "function") {
+          context?.log?.("[subscriptions-source] Cache empty. Calling fetchVideosByAuthors...");
           const fetched = await resolvedService.fetchVideosByAuthors(authorList, options);
+          context?.log?.(`[subscriptions-source] fetchVideosByAuthors returned ${fetched ? fetched.length : 0} videos.`);
           if (Array.isArray(fetched) && fetched.length > 0) {
             videos = fetched;
           }
diff --git a/js/nostr/toolkit.js b/js/nostr/toolkit.js
index f3314803..829be9c8 100644
--- a/js/nostr/toolkit.js
+++ b/js/nostr/toolkit.js
@@ -581,6 +581,7 @@ export function shimLegacySimplePoolMethods(pool) {
             : 7000;
 
         timer = setTimeout(() => {
+          devLogger.warn(`[toolkit] pool.list timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms.`);
           timer = null;
           try {
             subscription.unsub?.();
diff --git a/js/services/nostrService.js b/js/services/nostrService.js
index 5c420515..7a5ea3f0 100644
--- a/js/services/nostrService.js
+++ b/js/services/nostrService.js
@@ -157,6 +157,17 @@ function extractSnapshotPreview(message) {
   return sanitizeSnapshotPreview(selected || "");
 }
 
+function getActiveKey(video) {
+  if (video.videoRootId) {
+    return `ROOT:${video.videoRootId}`;
+  }
+  const dTag = video.tags?.find((t) => Array.isArray(t) && t[0] === "d");
+  if (dTag && typeof dTag[1] === "string") {
+    return `${video.pubkey}:${dTag[1]}`;
+  }
+  return `LEGACY:${video.id}`;
+}
+
 function resolveDirectMessageRemotePubkey(message, actorPubkey = "") {
   const normalizedActor = normalizeHexPubkey(actorPubkey);
 
@@ -1165,10 +1176,11 @@ export class NostrService {
       return [];
     }
 
+    this.log(`[nostrService] fetchVideosByAuthors START. Authors: ${authorList.length}`);
+
     const requestedLimit = Number(options?.limit);
     const resolvedLimit = this.nostrClient.clampVideoRequestLimit(
-      requestedLimit,
-      DEFAULT_VIDEO_REQUEST_LIMIT
+      requestedLimit
     );
 
     const filter = {
@@ -1183,31 +1195,38 @@ export class NostrService {
     const invalidNotes = [];
 
     try {
+      this.log(`[nostrService] Querying ${this.nostrClient.relays.length} relays...`);
       await Promise.all(
         this.nostrClient.relays.map(async (url) => {
-          const events = await this.nostrClient.pool.list([url], [filter]);
-          for (const evt of events) {
-            if (evt && evt.id) {
-              this.nostrClient.rawEvents.set(evt.id, evt);
-            }
-            const vid = convertEventToVideo(evt);
-            if (vid.invalid) {
-              invalidNotes.push({ id: vid.id, reason: vid.reason });
-            } else {
-              if (
-                this.nostrClient &&
-                typeof this.nostrClient.applyRootCreatedAt === "function"
-              ) {
-                this.nostrClient.applyRootCreatedAt(vid);
+          try {
+            this.log(`[nostrService] Querying relay: ${url}`);
+            const events = await this.nostrClient.pool.list([url], [filter]);
+            this.log(`[nostrService] Relay ${url} returned ${events.length} events.`);
+            for (const evt of events) {
+              if (evt && evt.id) {
+                this.nostrClient.rawEvents.set(evt.id, evt);
               }
-              const activeKey = getActiveKey(vid);
-              if (vid.deleted) {
-                this.recordTombstone(activeKey, vid.created_at);
+              const vid = convertEventToVideo(evt);
+              if (vid.invalid) {
+                invalidNotes.push({ id: vid.id, reason: vid.reason });
               } else {
-                this.applyTombstoneGuard(vid);
+                if (
+                  this.nostrClient &&
+                  typeof this.nostrClient.applyRootCreatedAt === "function"
+                ) {
+                  this.nostrClient.applyRootCreatedAt(vid);
+                }
+                const activeKey = getActiveKey(vid);
+                if (vid.deleted) {
+                  this.nostrClient.recordTombstone(activeKey, vid.created_at);
+                } else {
+                  this.nostrClient.applyTombstoneGuard(vid);
+                }
+                localAll.set(evt.id, vid);
               }
-              localAll.set(evt.id, vid);
             }
+          } catch (relayErr) {
+            this.log(`[nostrService] Relay ${url} failed:`, relayErr);
           }
         })
       );
diff --git a/js/subscriptions.js b/js/subscriptions.js
index 570c5343..b239274d 100644
--- a/js/subscriptions.js
+++ b/js/subscriptions.js
@@ -398,17 +398,20 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
   }
 
   async ensureLoaded(actorHex) {
+    devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] ensureLoaded start", actorHex);
     const normalizedActor = normalizeHexPubkey(actorHex) || actorHex;
     if (!normalizedActor) {
       return;
     }
 
     if (this.loaded && this.currentUserPubkey === normalizedActor) {
+      devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] ensureLoaded already loaded");
       return;
     }
 
     if (this.loadingPromise) {
       try {
+        devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] ensureLoaded awaiting existing promise");
         await this.loadingPromise;
       } catch (error) {
         throw error;
@@ -431,6 +434,7 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
           )
         ),
       ]);
+      devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] ensureLoaded success");
     } catch (error) {
       userLogger.warn("[SubscriptionsManager] ensureLoaded timed out or failed:", error);
     } finally {
@@ -870,7 +874,9 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
 
     if (typeof nostrService?.awaitInitialLoad === "function") {
       try {
+        devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] awaiting nostrService initial load...");
         await nostrService.awaitInitialLoad();
+        devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] nostrService initial load done.");
       } catch (error) {
         devLogger.warn(
           "[SubscriptionsManager] Failed to await nostrService initial load:",
@@ -906,7 +912,9 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
 
     try {
       this.isRunningFeed = true;
+      devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] Calling engine.run('subscriptions')...");
       const result = await engine.run("subscriptions", runOptions);
+      devLogger.log("[SubscriptionsManager] engine.run complete. Items:", result?.items?.length);
 
       const videos = Array.isArray(result?.items)
         ? result.items.map((item) => item?.video).filter(Boolean)