diff --git a/src/topo_group.c b/src/topo_group.c
index 96e9406f..56af1799 100644
--- a/src/topo_group.c
+++ b/src/topo_group.c
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ struct TOPO_GROUPS* topo_groups_init(struct UTUN_INSTANCE* instance) {
             sqlite3_exec(instance->topo_sqlite_db, "PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL", NULL, NULL, NULL);
             sqlite3_exec(instance->topo_sqlite_db, "PRAGMA foreign_keys=ON", NULL, NULL, NULL);
             topo_node_sqlite_init(instance->topo_sqlite_db);
-            DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "SQLite opened: %s", db_file);
+            DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "SQLite opened: %s rc=%d db=%p", db_file, rc, (void*)instance->topo_sqlite_db);
         } else {
             DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "sqlite3_open(%s) failed: %s",
                         db_file, instance->topo_sqlite_db ? sqlite3_errmsg(instance->topo_sqlite_db) : "null db");
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
index a3012ad0..c091c33a 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
@@ -762,6 +762,31 @@ void chat_core_connect_auto(uint64_t node_id,
         return;
     }
 
+    /* ── DB state diagnostics ── */
+    DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "%s: auto_connect DIAG: looking for node=0x%016llx", CC_ID, (unsigned long long)node_id);
+    {
+        sqlite3_stmt* diag = NULL;
+        if (sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_cc.db, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM node_addresses", -1, &diag, NULL) == SQLITE_OK) {
+            if (sqlite3_step(diag) == SQLITE_ROW)
+                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "%s: auto_connect DIAG: node_addresses total=%d", CC_ID, sqlite3_column_int(diag, 0));
+            sqlite3_finalize(diag);
+        }
+        if (sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_cc.db, "SELECT node_id, COUNT(*) FROM node_addresses GROUP BY node_id", -1, &diag, NULL) == SQLITE_OK) {
+            while (sqlite3_step(diag) == SQLITE_ROW)
+                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "%s: auto_connect DIAG: node_addresses node=0x%016llx cnt=%d",
+                           CC_ID, (unsigned long long)sqlite3_column_int64(diag, 0), sqlite3_column_int(diag, 1));
+            sqlite3_finalize(diag);
+        }
+        if (sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_cc.db, "SELECT node_id, name FROM nodes WHERE node_id=?", -1, &diag, NULL) == SQLITE_OK) {
+            sqlite3_bind_int64(diag, 1, (sqlite3_int64)node_id);
+            if (sqlite3_step(diag) == SQLITE_ROW)
+                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "%s: auto_connect DIAG: node found in nodes table name=%s",
+                           CC_ID, sqlite3_column_text(diag, 1));
+            else
+                DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "%s: auto_connect DIAG: node NOT found in nodes table", CC_ID);
+            sqlite3_finalize(diag);
+        }
+    }
     /* collect IPv4 addresses */
     struct { uint8_t addr[4]; uint16_t port; } addrs[16];
     int addr_count = 0;