diff --git a/src/conn_mgr.c b/src/conn_mgr.c
index bf9c19b7..36f03c1f 100644
--- a/src/conn_mgr.c
+++ b/src/conn_mgr.c
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ int conn_mgr_disconnect_node(struct CONN_MGR* mgr, uint64_t node_id) {
     pkt.cmd = ETCP_RT_ID_CONN_MGR;
     pkt.subcmd = CONN_MGR_SUBCMD_DISCONNECT;
     pkt.node_id = node_id;
-    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(sizeof(pkt));
-    if (qe) { memcpy(qe->data, &pkt, sizeof(pkt)); etcp_route_send(mgr->instance, node_id, qe, 1); }
+    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(0);
+    if (qe) { qe->dgram = u_malloc(sizeof(pkt)); memcpy(qe->dgram, &pkt, sizeof(pkt)); qe->len = sizeof(pkt); etcp_route_send(mgr->instance, node_id, qe, 1); }
     cm_clear_nodeinfo(mgr, node_id);
     cm_entry_destroy(entry);
     entry->state = CONN_MGR_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
@@ -587,11 +587,10 @@ static void cm_start_phase_reverse(struct CONN_MGR_ENTRY* entry) {
         memcpy(p, &out_addrs[i].port, 2); p += 2;
         *p++ = out_addrs[i].socket_id;
     }
-    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(pkt_size);
+    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(0);
     if (!qe) { u_free(pkt); cm_deliver_result(entry, CONN_MGR_ERR_INTERNAL); return; }
-    memcpy(qe->data, pkt, pkt_size);
+    qe->dgram = pkt;
     qe->len = (uint16_t)pkt_size;
-    u_free(pkt);
     etcp_route_send(entry->mgr->instance, entry->node_id, qe, 1);
 
     struct cm_reverse_pending* rp = u_calloc(1, sizeof(struct cm_reverse_pending));
@@ -630,7 +629,7 @@ static void cm_reverse_ready_cb(struct ETCP_CONN* conn, void* arg) {
 static int cm_start_phase_indirect(struct CONN_MGR_ENTRY* entry) {
     struct CONN_MGR* mgr = entry->mgr;
     if (mgr->best_candidate_count == 0) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "conn_mgr: phase 3 (indirect) no candidates for 0x%016llx",
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "conn_mgr: phase 3 (indirect) no candidates for 0x%016llx (direct+reverse failed)",
                     (unsigned long long)entry->node_id);
         return CONN_MGR_ERR_UNREACHABLE;
     }
@@ -645,9 +644,11 @@ static int cm_start_phase_indirect(struct CONN_MGR_ENTRY* entry) {
     req.candidate_count = mgr->best_candidate_count > 4 ? 4 : mgr->best_candidate_count;
     for (uint8_t i = 0; i < req.candidate_count; i++)
         req.candidates[i] = mgr->best_candidates[i];
-    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(sizeof(req));
+    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(0);
     if (!qe) return CONN_MGR_ERR_INTERNAL;
-    memcpy(qe->data, &req, sizeof(req));
+    qe->dgram = u_malloc(sizeof(req));
+    memcpy(qe->dgram, &req, sizeof(req));
+    qe->len = (uint16_t)sizeof(req);
     etcp_route_send(entry->mgr->instance, entry->node_id, qe, 1);
     entry->main.timer = uasync_set_timeout(mgr->instance->ua, CONN_MGR_INTERM_EXCHANGE_TIMEOUT_MS * 10,
                                             entry, cm_exchange_timeout_cb, "conn_mgr_interm_exch");
@@ -715,8 +716,8 @@ static void cm_compute_intermediaries(struct CONN_MGR_ENTRY* entry, struct CONN_
         struct TOPO_NODEQ* nq = topo_node_find_by_id(topo_groups_get_default(entry->mgr->instance->topo_groups), all[i].node_id);
         if (nq) pkt.selected[i].rtt = cm_get_node_min_rtt(nq);
     }
-    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(sizeof(pkt));
-    if (qe) { memcpy(qe->data, &pkt, sizeof(pkt)); etcp_route_send(entry->mgr->instance, entry->node_id, qe, 1); }
+    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(0);
+    if (qe) { qe->dgram = u_malloc(sizeof(pkt)); memcpy(qe->dgram, &pkt, sizeof(pkt)); qe->len = sizeof(pkt); etcp_route_send(entry->mgr->instance, entry->node_id, qe, 1); }
 
     entry->conn_type = CONN_TYPE_INDIRECT;
     entry->state = CONN_MGR_STATE_CONNECTED;
@@ -894,9 +895,11 @@ static void cm_handle_interm_exchange_req(struct ETCP_CONN* conn,
     }
     size_t resp_size = offsetof(struct CONN_MGR_INTERM_EXCHANGE_RESP, your_candidates) +
                        (size_t)resp.your_count * sizeof(struct CONN_MGR_CANDIDATE);
-    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(resp_size);
+    struct ll_entry* qe = queue_entry_new(0);
     if (qe) {
-        memcpy(qe->data, &resp, resp_size);
+        qe->dgram = u_malloc(resp_size);
+        memcpy(qe->dgram, &resp, resp_size);
+        qe->len = (uint16_t)resp_size;
         etcp_route_send(mgr->instance, conn->peer_node_id, qe, 1);
     }
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "conn_mgr: sent EXCHANGE_RESP to 0x%016llx my=%u your=%u",
diff --git a/src/etcp_connections.c b/src/etcp_connections.c
index b4109785..d339832b 100644
--- a/src/etcp_connections.c
+++ b/src/etcp_connections.c
@@ -1136,13 +1136,15 @@ int etcp_send_ping(struct UTUN_INSTANCE* instance, const uint8_t* peer_pubkey_bi
                    etcp_ping_callback_t cb, void* user_arg,
                    const uint8_t* user_data, size_t user_data_len) {
     if (!instance || !peer_pubkey_bin || !addr || timeout_ms <= 0 || !cb) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "bad args");
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "bad args: inst=%p pubkey=%p addr=%p timeout=%d cb=%p udata=%p udata_len=%zu",
+                   (void*)instance, (void*)peer_pubkey_bin, (void*)addr, timeout_ms,
+                   (void*)(uintptr_t)cb, (void*)user_data, user_data_len);
         return -1;
     }
     struct ETCP_SOCKET* e_sock = instance->etcp_sockets;
     while (e_sock && e_sock->local_addr.ss_family != addr->ss_family) e_sock = e_sock->next;
     if (!e_sock) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "no socket");
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "no socket for addr_family=%d", addr->ss_family);
         return -2;
     }
     DEBUG_DEBUG(DEBUG_CATEGORY_BGP, "ping N1 [%s]", sockaddr_storage_to_str(addr).str);
diff --git a/src/etcp_router.c b/src/etcp_router.c
index ed7abe0f..c25d7a76 100644
--- a/src/etcp_router.c
+++ b/src/etcp_router.c
@@ -1075,7 +1075,8 @@ int etcp_route_send(struct UTUN_INSTANCE* inst, uint64_t dst_node_id, struct ll_
         if (entry) { queue_dgram_free(entry); queue_entry_free(entry); } return -1;
     }
     if (!entry->dgram || entry->len < 1) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_ETCPROUTE, "empty entry"); queue_dgram_free(entry); queue_entry_free(entry); return -1;
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_ETCPROUTE, "empty entry: dgram=%p len=%u dst=0x%016llx force=%d",
+                   (void*)entry->dgram, entry->len, (unsigned long long)dst_node_id, force); queue_dgram_free(entry); queue_entry_free(entry); return -1;
     }
     uint8_t  svc_id      = entry->dgram[0];
     size_t   payload_len = entry->len - 1;