diff --git a/src/transport_layer/reality_io.c b/src/transport_layer/reality_io.c
index 2eaf15d2..584348c8 100644
--- a/src/transport_layer/reality_io.c
+++ b/src/transport_layer/reality_io.c
@@ -28,6 +28,17 @@ struct reality_io {
     void (*ready)(struct stcp_conn *);
 };
 
+const char* reality_io_state_name(const struct stcp_conn *c) {
+    if (!c->reality_io) return "none";
+    switch (c->reality_io->phase) {
+        case WAIT_HELLO: return c->is_server ? "waiting-ClientHello" : "waiting-ServerHello";
+        case WAIT_SERVER_FLIGHT: return "waiting-server-authentication";
+        case WAIT_CLIENT_FINISHED: return "waiting-client-Finished";
+        case RECORD_DATA: return "protected-data";
+    }
+    return "unknown";
+}
+
 static int replay_accept(struct reality_owner *owner, const uint8_t *ch, size_t len, uint32_t now,
                           uint32_t timestamp, int64_t window) {
     if (!owner->replay) owner->replay = u_calloc(1, sizeof(*owner->replay));
@@ -259,7 +270,8 @@ static int hello_process(struct stcp_conn *c) {
     }
     return 0;
 reject:
-    DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "Hello rejected: buffered=%zu handshake=%zu", io->wire_len, io->handshake_len);
+    DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "REALITY Hello rejected: buffered=%zu handshake=%zu %s",
+               io->wire_len, io->handshake_len, stcp_conn_describe(c).text);
     return fallback(c);
 }
 
@@ -286,7 +298,8 @@ static int handshake_process(struct stcp_conn *c, const uint8_t *data, size_t le
             if (io->phase == WAIT_SERVER_FLIGHT && send_finished(c)) return -1;
             io->phase = RECORD_DATA;
             reality_session_handshake_done(&io->session);
-            DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "Finished verified: role=%s; protected STCP enabled", io->session.is_server ? "server" : "client");
+            DEBUG_TRACE(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "REALITY Finished verified; starting protected STCP handshake: %s",
+                        stcp_conn_describe(c).text);
             io->ready(c);
             if (!c->reality_io || c->state == STCP_STATE_CLOSED || c->state == STCP_STATE_ERROR) return -1;
         } else {
@@ -300,8 +313,8 @@ static int handshake_process(struct stcp_conn *c, const uint8_t *data, size_t le
     }
     return 0;
 reject:
-    DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "protected handshake rejected: phase=%d step=%u type=%u size=%zu", io->phase,
-               io->flight_step, io->handshake[0], io->handshake_len);
+    DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_REALITY, "REALITY protected handshake rejected: step=%u message_type=%u buffered=%zu %s",
+               io->flight_step, io->handshake[0], io->handshake_len, stcp_conn_describe(c).text);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/transport_layer/reality_io.h b/src/transport_layer/reality_io.h
index 1567c8ba..f6c80cda 100644
--- a/src/transport_layer/reality_io.h
+++ b/src/transport_layer/reality_io.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ int reality_io_client_start(struct stcp_conn *c, const struct reality_client_con
                             const struct ETCP_PADDING *padding, void (*ready)(struct stcp_conn *));
 int reality_io_server_start(struct stcp_conn *c, void (*ready)(struct stcp_conn *));
 size_t reality_io_buffered(const struct stcp_conn *c);
+const char* reality_io_state_name(const struct stcp_conn *c);
 int reality_io_read(struct stcp_conn *c);
 void reality_io_resume(struct stcp_conn *c);
 int reality_io_send(struct stcp_conn *c, uint8_t *data, size_t len);
diff --git a/src/transport_layer/stcp.c b/src/transport_layer/stcp.c
index 0cef10b8..5550a4d3 100644
--- a/src/transport_layer/stcp.c
+++ b/src/transport_layer/stcp.c
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ struct stcp_log_context stcp_conn_describe(const struct stcp_conn *c) {
         ((c->is_server ? c->peer_flags : c->hs_flags) & STCP_HANDSHAKE_FLAG_PING ? "reachability-probe" : "data-link");
     snprintf(out.text, sizeof(out.text),
         "role=%s purpose=%s state=%s target=%s local=%s peer=%016llx peer_identity=%s socket=%d age_ms=%llu "
-        "outer=%s recv_buffered=%zu recv_needed=%zu wire_queued=%zu finishing=%u",
+        "reality_state=%s recv_buffered=%zu recv_needed=%zu wire_queued=%zu finishing=%u",
         c->is_server ? "server" : "client", purpose, state, c->log_target[0] ? c->log_target : "unknown",
         local_text.str[0] ? local_text.str : "unavailable",
         (unsigned long long)(c->peer_pubkey_set ? sc_derive_node_id_from_pubkey(c->peer_pubkey) : 0),
         c->peer_pubkey_set ? "known-key" : "unknown",
         (int)c->sock, (unsigned long long)(c->log_started_tb ? (get_time_tb() - c->log_started_tb) / 10 : 0),
-        c->reality_io ? "REALITY" : "plain-STCP", c->recv_buf_len, c->recv_need, c->wire_bytes, c->finish_requested);
+        reality_io_state_name(c), c->recv_buf_len, c->recv_need, c->wire_bytes, c->finish_requested);
     return out;
 }