mmrelay 1.2.1__py3-none-any.whl → 1.2.3__py3-none-any.whl

mmrelay/matrix_utils.py

@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 import asyncio
 import getpass
 import html
+import importlib
 import io
 import json
 import logging
 import os
 import re
+import ssl
 import sys
 import time
-from typing import Any, Dict, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
-import bleach
-import markdown
 import meshtastic.protobuf.portnums_pb2
 from nio import (
     AsyncClient,
@@ -104,6 +104,100 @@ from mmrelay.message_queue import get_message_queue, queue_message
 logger = get_logger(name="Matrix")
 
 
+def _is_room_alias(value: Any) -> bool:
+    """Return True when value looks like a Matrix room alias (string starting with '#')."""
+
+    return isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith("#")
+
+
+def _iter_room_alias_entries(mapping):
+    """
+    Yield (alias_or_id, setter) pairs for entries in a Matrix room mapping.
+
+    Each yielded tuple contains:
+    - alias_or_id (str): the room alias or room ID found in the entry (may be an alias starting with '#' or a canonical room ID). If a dict entry has no `"id"` key, an empty string is yielded.
+    - setter (callable): a function accepting a single argument `new_id` which updates the underlying mapping in-place to replace the alias with the resolved room ID.
+
+    Supports two mapping shapes:
+    - list: items may be strings (alias/ID) or dicts with an `"id"` key.
+    - dict: values may be strings (alias/ID) or dicts with an `"id"` key.
+
+    The setter updates the original collection (list element or dict value) so callers can resolve aliases and persist resolved IDs back into the provided mapping.
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(mapping, list):
+        for index, entry in enumerate(mapping):
+            if isinstance(entry, dict):
+                yield entry.get(
+                    "id", ""
+                ), lambda new_id, target=entry: target.__setitem__("id", new_id)
+            else:
+                yield entry, lambda new_id, idx=index, collection=mapping: collection.__setitem__(
+                    idx, new_id
+                )
+    elif isinstance(mapping, dict):
+        for key, entry in list(mapping.items()):
+            if isinstance(entry, dict):
+                yield entry.get(
+                    "id", ""
+                ), lambda new_id, target=entry: target.__setitem__("id", new_id)
+            else:
+                yield entry, lambda new_id, target_key=key, collection=mapping: collection.__setitem__(
+                    target_key, new_id
+                )
+
+
+async def _resolve_aliases_in_mapping(mapping, resolver):
+    """
+    Resolve Matrix room alias entries found in a mapping (list or dict) by calling an async resolver and replacing aliases with resolved room IDs in-place.
+
+    This function iterates entries produced by _iter_room_alias_entries(mapping). For each entry whose key/value looks like a Matrix room alias (a string starting with '#'), it awaits the provided resolver coroutine with the alias; if the resolver returns a truthy room ID, the corresponding entry in the original mapping is updated via the entry's setter. If mapping is not a list or dict, the function logs a warning and returns without modifying anything.
+
+    Parameters:
+        mapping (list|dict): A mapping of Matrix rooms where some entries may be aliases (e.g., "#room:example.org").
+        resolver (Callable[[str], Awaitable[Optional[str]]]): Async callable that accepts an alias and returns a resolved room ID (or falsy on failure).
+
+    Returns:
+        None
+    """
+
+    if not isinstance(mapping, (list, dict)):
+        logger.warning(
+            "matrix_rooms is expected to be a list or dict, got %s",
+            type(mapping).__name__,
+        )
+        return
+
+    for alias, setter in _iter_room_alias_entries(mapping):
+        if _is_room_alias(alias):
+            resolved_id = await resolver(alias)
+            if resolved_id:
+                setter(resolved_id)
+
+
+def _update_room_id_in_mapping(mapping, alias, resolved_id) -> bool:
+    """
+    Replace a room alias with its resolved room ID in a mapping.
+
+    Parameters:
+        mapping (list|dict): A matrix_rooms mapping represented as a list of aliases or a dict of entries; only list and dict types are supported.
+        alias (str): The room alias to replace (e.g., "#room:server").
+        resolved_id (str): The canonical room ID to substitute for the alias (e.g., "!abcdef:server").
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if the alias was found and replaced with resolved_id; False if the mapping type is unsupported or the alias was not present.
+    """
+
+    if not isinstance(mapping, (list, dict)):
+        return False
+
+    for existing_alias, setter in _iter_room_alias_entries(mapping):
+        if existing_alias == alias:
+            setter(resolved_id)
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _display_room_channel_mappings(
     rooms: Dict[str, Any], config: Dict[str, Any], e2ee_status: Dict[str, Any]
 ) -> None:
@@ -212,6 +306,72 @@ def _can_auto_create_credentials(matrix_config: dict) -> bool:
     return all(isinstance(v, str) and v.strip() for v in (homeserver, user, password))
 
 
+def _normalize_bot_user_id(homeserver: str, bot_user_id: str) -> str:
+    """
+    Normalize a bot user identifier into a full Matrix MXID.
+
+    Accepts several common input forms and returns a normalized Matrix ID of the form
+    "@localpart:server". Behavior:
+    - If bot_user_id is falsy, it is returned unchanged.
+    - If bot_user_id already contains a server part (e.g. "@user:server.com" or "user:server.com"),
+      the existing server is preserved (any trailing numeric port is removed).
+    - If bot_user_id lacks a server part (e.g. "@user" or "user"), the server domain is derived
+      from the provided homeserver and appended.
+    - The homeserver argument is tolerant of missing URL scheme and will extract the hostname
+      portion (handles inputs like "example.com", "https://example.com:8448", or
+      "[::1]:8448/path").
+
+    Parameters:
+        homeserver (str): The Matrix homeserver URL or host used to derive a server domain.
+        bot_user_id (str): A bot identifier in one of several forms (with or without leading "@"
+            and with or without a server part).
+
+    Returns:
+        str: A normalized Matrix user ID in the form "@localpart:server".
+    """
+    if not bot_user_id:
+        return bot_user_id
+
+    def _canonical_server(value: str | None) -> str | None:
+        if not value:
+            return value
+        value = value.strip()
+        if value.startswith("[") and "]" in value:
+            closing_index = value.find("]")
+            value = value[1:closing_index]
+        if value.count(":") == 1 and re.search(r":\d+$", value):
+            value = value.rsplit(":", 1)[0]
+        if ":" in value and not value.startswith("["):
+            value = f"[{value}]"
+        return value
+
+    # Derive domain from homeserver (tolerate missing scheme; drop brackets/port/paths)
+    parsed = urlparse(homeserver)
+    domain = parsed.hostname or urlparse(f"//{homeserver}").hostname
+    if not domain:
+        # Last-ditch fallback for malformed inputs; drop any trailing :port
+        host = homeserver.split("://")[-1].split("/", 1)[0]
+        domain = re.sub(r":\d+$", "", host)
+
+    domain = _canonical_server(domain)
+
+    # Normalize user ID
+    localpart, *serverpart = bot_user_id.lstrip("@").split(":", 1)
+    if serverpart and serverpart[0]:
+        # Already has a server part; drop any brackets/port consistently
+        raw_server = serverpart[0]
+        server = urlparse(f"//{raw_server}").hostname or re.sub(
+            r":\d+$",
+            "",
+            raw_server,
+        )
+        server = _canonical_server(server)
+        return f"@{localpart}:{server}"
+
+    # No server part, add the derived domain
+    return f"@{localpart.rstrip(':')}:{domain}"
+
+
 def _get_msgs_to_keep_config():
     """
     Return the configured number of Meshtastic–Matrix message mappings to retain.
@@ -242,16 +402,112 @@ def _get_msgs_to_keep_config():
     return msg_map_config.get("msgs_to_keep", DEFAULT_MSGS_TO_KEEP)
 
 
+def _get_detailed_sync_error_message(sync_response) -> str:
+    """
+    Return a concise, user-facing explanation for why an initial Matrix sync failed.
+
+    Given a sync response or error object (commonly a nio ErrorResponse, an HTTP/transport error, raw bytes, or any object exposing `message`, `status_code`, or `transport_response`), extract the most specific human-readable reason available and map common HTTP/transport conditions to short, actionable messages (e.g., authentication failure, forbidden, not found, rate limited, server error). Falls back to a generic network/connectivity message when no specific detail can be reliably extracted.
+
+    Parameters:
+        sync_response: The sync response or error object to summarize. May be bytes/bytearray, a nio ErrorResponse-like object, or any object with `message`, `status_code`, or `transport_response` attributes.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: A short, user-focused error description suitable for logs and brief troubleshooting hints.
+    """
+    try:
+        # Handle bytes/bytearray types by converting to string
+        if isinstance(sync_response, (bytes, bytearray)):
+            try:
+                sync_response = sync_response.decode("utf-8")
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable (binary data)"
+
+        # Try to extract specific error information
+        if hasattr(sync_response, "message") and sync_response.message:
+            message = sync_response.message
+            # Handle if message is bytes/bytearray
+            if isinstance(message, (bytes, bytearray)):
+                try:
+                    message = message.decode("utf-8")
+                except UnicodeDecodeError:
+                    return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+            return message
+        elif hasattr(sync_response, "status_code") and sync_response.status_code:
+            status_code = sync_response.status_code
+            # Handle if status_code is not an int
+            try:
+                status_code = int(status_code)
+            except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+
+            if status_code == 401:
+                return "Authentication failed - invalid or expired credentials"
+            elif status_code == 403:
+                return "Access forbidden - check user permissions"
+            elif status_code == 404:
+                return "Server not found - check homeserver URL"
+            elif status_code == 429:
+                return "Rate limited - too many requests"
+            elif status_code >= 500:
+                return f"Server error (HTTP {status_code}) - the Matrix server is experiencing issues"
+            else:
+                return f"HTTP error {status_code}"
+        elif hasattr(sync_response, "transport_response"):
+            # Check for transport-level errors
+            transport = sync_response.transport_response
+            if hasattr(transport, "status_code"):
+                try:
+                    status_code = int(transport.status_code)
+                    return f"Transport error: HTTP {status_code}"
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+
+        # Fallback to string representation with safety checks
+        try:
+            error_str = str(sync_response)
+        except Exception:
+            return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+
+        # Clean up object repr strings that contain angle brackets
+        if error_str and error_str != "None":
+            # Remove object repr patterns like <object at 0x...>
+            if "<" in error_str and ">" in error_str and " at 0x" in error_str:
+                return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+            # Remove HTML/XML-like content
+            elif "<" in error_str and ">" in error_str:
+                return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+            elif "unknown error" in error_str.lower():
+                return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+            else:
+                return error_str
+        else:
+            return "Network connectivity issue or server unreachable"
+
+    except (AttributeError, ValueError, TypeError) as e:
+        logger.debug(
+            "Failed to extract sync error details from %r: %s", sync_response, e
+        )
+        # If we can't extract error details, provide a generic but helpful message
+        return (
+            "Unable to determine specific error - likely a network connectivity issue"
+        )
+
+
 def _create_mapping_info(
     matrix_event_id, room_id, text, meshnet=None, msgs_to_keep=None
 ):
     """
-    Create a metadata dictionary linking a Matrix event to a Meshtastic message for message mapping.
+    Create metadata linking a Matrix event to a Meshtastic message for cross-network mapping.
 
-    Removes quoted lines from the message text and includes identifiers and message retention settings. Returns `None` if any required parameter is missing.
+    Strips quoted lines from `text` and populates a mapping dict containing identifiers and retention settings. If `msgs_to_keep` is None the value is obtained from _get_msgs_to_keep_config(). Returns None when any of `matrix_event_id`, `room_id`, or `text` is missing or falsy.
 
     Returns:
-        dict: Mapping information for the message queue, or `None` if required fields are missing.
+        dict or None: Mapping with keys:
+            - matrix_event_id: original Matrix event id
+            - room_id: Matrix room id
+            - text: cleaned text with quoted lines removed
+            - meshnet: optional meshnet name (may be None)
+            - msgs_to_keep: number of message mappings to retain
     """
     if not matrix_event_id or not room_id or not text:
         return None
@@ -533,26 +789,19 @@ def bot_command(command, event):
 
 async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
     """
-    Establish and initialize a Matrix AsyncClient connected to the configured homeserver, with optional End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) support.
-
-    This function will:
-    - Prefer credentials.json (E2EE-enabled session) when present; otherwise use the "matrix" section in the provided global configuration.
-    - Validate required configuration (including a required top-level "matrix_rooms" mapping).
-    - Create an AsyncClient with a certifi-backed SSL context.
-    - When E2EE is enabled and supported, prepare the encryption store, load keys, and upload device keys if needed.
-    - Perform an initial sync (full_state) to populate room state and then fetch the bot's display name.
-    - Return the initialized AsyncClient instance (and set several module-level globals used elsewhere).
-
+    Create and initialize a matrix-nio AsyncClient connected to the configured Matrix homeserver.
+    
+    Attempts credential selection in this order: credentials.json (preferred), automatic login using username/password from config (saved to credentials.json), then direct token values from config. Optionally enables End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) when configured and dependencies are available. Performs an initial full-state sync, resolves configured room aliases to room IDs, sets module-level connection state (matrix_client, bot_user_name, matrix_homeserver, matrix_rooms, matrix_access_token, bot_user_id) and returns the ready AsyncClient.
+    
     Parameters:
-        passed_config (dict | None): Optional configuration to use instead of the module-level config. If provided, it replaces the global config for this connection attempt.
-
+        passed_config (dict | None): Optional configuration to use for this connection attempt; if provided, it overrides the module-level config for this call.
+    
     Returns:
-        AsyncClient: An initialized matrix-nio AsyncClient instance ready for use, or None when connection cannot be established due to missing credentials/configuration.
-
+        AsyncClient | None: An initialized matrix-nio AsyncClient on success, or None if connection/credentials are unavailable.
+    
     Raises:
-        ValueError: If the top-level "matrix_rooms" configuration is missing.
-        ConnectionError: If the initial sync reports a sync error.
-        asyncio.TimeoutError: If the initial sync times out.
+        ValueError: If the required top-level "matrix_rooms" configuration is missing.
+        ConnectionError: If the initial Matrix sync fails or times out.
     """
     global matrix_client, bot_user_name, matrix_homeserver, matrix_rooms, matrix_access_token, bot_user_id, config
 
@@ -581,7 +830,7 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
         credentials_path = os.path.join(config_dir, "credentials.json")
 
         if os.path.exists(credentials_path):
-            with open(credentials_path, "r") as f:
+            with open(credentials_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
                 credentials = json.load(f)
     except Exception as e:
         logger.warning(f"Error loading credentials: {e}")
@@ -619,6 +868,9 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
         matrix_section = config["matrix"]
         homeserver = matrix_section["homeserver"]
         username = matrix_section.get("bot_user_id") or matrix_section.get("user_id")
+        # Normalize the username to ensure it's a full MXID
+        if username:
+            username = _normalize_bot_user_id(homeserver, username)
         password = matrix_section["password"]
 
         # Attempt automatic login
@@ -651,7 +903,7 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
                 )
                 return None
         except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Error during automatic login: {type(e).__name__}")
+            logger.exception(f"Error during automatic login: {type(e).__name__}")
             logger.error("Please use 'mmrelay auth login' for interactive setup")
             return None
     else:
@@ -684,7 +936,9 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
         # Extract Matrix configuration from config
         matrix_homeserver = matrix_section["homeserver"]
         matrix_access_token = matrix_section["access_token"]
-        bot_user_id = matrix_section["bot_user_id"]
+        bot_user_id = _normalize_bot_user_id(
+            matrix_homeserver, matrix_section["bot_user_id"]
+        )
 
         # Manual method does not support device_id - use auth system for E2EE
         e2ee_device_id = None
@@ -713,11 +967,18 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
         e2ee_device_id = None
 
     try:
-        # Check both 'encryption' and 'e2ee' keys for backward compatibility
-        matrix_cfg = config.get("matrix", {}) or {}
-        encryption_enabled = matrix_cfg.get("encryption", {}).get("enabled", False)
-        e2ee_enabled = matrix_cfg.get("e2ee", {}).get("enabled", False)
-        if encryption_enabled or e2ee_enabled:
+        from mmrelay.config import is_e2ee_enabled
+
+        # Check if E2EE is enabled using the helper function
+        e2ee_enabled = is_e2ee_enabled(config)
+
+        # Debug logging for E2EE detection
+        logger.debug(
+            f"E2EE detection: matrix config section present: {'matrix' in config}"
+        )
+        logger.debug(f"E2EE detection: e2ee enabled = {e2ee_enabled}")
+
+        if e2ee_enabled:
             # Check if running on Windows
             if sys.platform == WINDOWS_PLATFORM:
                 logger.error(
@@ -733,72 +994,90 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
             else:
                 # Check if python-olm is installed
                 try:
-                    import olm  # noqa: F401
-
-                    # Also check for other required E2EE dependencies
-                    try:
-                        from nio.crypto import OlmDevice  # noqa: F401
-                        from nio.store import SqliteStore  # noqa: F401
-
-                        logger.debug("All E2EE dependencies are available")
-                    except ImportError as e:
-                        logger.error(f"Missing E2EE dependency: {e}")
-                        logger.error(
-                            "Please reinstall with: pipx install 'mmrelay[e2e]'"
-                        )
-                        raise RuntimeError(
-                            "Missing E2EE dependency (Olm/SqliteStore)"
-                        ) from e
-
-                    e2ee_enabled = True
-                    logger.info("End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) is enabled")
-
-                    # Get store path from config or use default
-                    if (
-                        "encryption" in config["matrix"]
-                        and "store_path" in config["matrix"]["encryption"]
-                    ):
-                        e2ee_store_path = os.path.expanduser(
-                            config["matrix"]["encryption"]["store_path"]
-                        )
-                    elif (
-                        "e2ee" in config["matrix"]
-                        and "store_path" in config["matrix"]["e2ee"]
-                    ):
-                        e2ee_store_path = os.path.expanduser(
-                            config["matrix"]["e2ee"]["store_path"]
-                        )
+                    importlib.import_module("olm")
+
+                    # Also check for other required E2EE dependencies unless tests skip them
+                    if os.getenv("MMRELAY_TESTING") != "1":
+                        try:
+                            nio_crypto = importlib.import_module("nio.crypto")
+                            if not hasattr(nio_crypto, "OlmDevice"):
+                                raise ImportError("nio.crypto.OlmDevice is unavailable")
+
+                            nio_store = importlib.import_module("nio.store")
+                            if not hasattr(nio_store, "SqliteStore"):
+                                raise ImportError(
+                                    "nio.store.SqliteStore is unavailable"
+                                )
+
+                            logger.debug("All E2EE dependencies are available")
+                        except ImportError:
+                            logger.exception("Missing E2EE dependency")
+                            logger.error(
+                                "Please reinstall with: pipx install 'mmrelay[e2e]'"
+                            )
+                            logger.warning("E2EE will be disabled for this session.")
+                            e2ee_enabled = False
+                        else:
+                            # Dependencies are available, keep the config-determined value
+                            if e2ee_enabled:
+                                logger.info("End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) is enabled")
+                            else:
+                                logger.debug(
+                                    "E2EE dependencies available but E2EE is disabled in configuration"
+                                )
                     else:
-                        from mmrelay.config import get_e2ee_store_dir
+                        logger.debug(
+                            "Skipping additional E2EE dependency imports in test mode"
+                        )
 
-                        e2ee_store_path = get_e2ee_store_dir()
+                    if e2ee_enabled:
+                        # Ensure nio still receives a store path even when dependency
+                        # checks are skipped (e.g. production runs without MMRELAY_TESTING);
+                        # without this the client will not load encryption state.
+                        # Get store path from config or use default
+                        if (
+                            "encryption" in config["matrix"]
+                            and "store_path" in config["matrix"]["encryption"]
+                        ):
+                            e2ee_store_path = os.path.expanduser(
+                                config["matrix"]["encryption"]["store_path"]
+                            )
+                        elif (
+                            "e2ee" in config["matrix"]
+                            and "store_path" in config["matrix"]["e2ee"]
+                        ):
+                            e2ee_store_path = os.path.expanduser(
+                                config["matrix"]["e2ee"]["store_path"]
+                            )
+                        else:
+                            e2ee_store_path = get_e2ee_store_dir()
 
-                    # Create store directory if it doesn't exist
-                    os.makedirs(e2ee_store_path, exist_ok=True)
+                        # Create store directory if it doesn't exist
+                        os.makedirs(e2ee_store_path, exist_ok=True)
 
-                    # Check if store directory contains database files
-                    store_files = (
-                        os.listdir(e2ee_store_path)
-                        if os.path.exists(e2ee_store_path)
-                        else []
-                    )
-                    db_files = [f for f in store_files if f.endswith(".db")]
-                    if db_files:
-                        logger.debug(
-                            f"Found existing E2EE store files: {', '.join(db_files)}"
-                        )
-                    else:
-                        logger.warning(
-                            "No existing E2EE store files found. Encryption may not work correctly."
+                        # Check if store directory contains database files
+                        store_files = (
+                            os.listdir(e2ee_store_path)
+                            if os.path.exists(e2ee_store_path)
+                            else []
                         )
+                        db_files = [f for f in store_files if f.endswith(".db")]
+                        if db_files:
+                            logger.debug(
+                                f"Found existing E2EE store files: {', '.join(db_files)}"
+                            )
+                        else:
+                            logger.warning(
+                                "No existing E2EE store files found. Encryption may not work correctly."
+                            )
 
-                    logger.debug(f"Using E2EE store path: {e2ee_store_path}")
+                        logger.debug(f"Using E2EE store path: {e2ee_store_path}")
 
-                    # If device_id is not present in credentials, we can attempt to learn it later.
-                    if not e2ee_device_id:
-                        logger.debug(
-                            "No device_id in credentials; will retrieve from store/whoami later if available"
-                        )
+                        # If device_id is not present in credentials, we can attempt to learn it later.
+                        if not e2ee_device_id:
+                            logger.debug(
+                                "No device_id in credentials; will retrieve from store/whoami later if available"
+                            )
                 except ImportError:
                     logger.warning(
                         "E2EE is enabled in config but python-olm is not installed."
@@ -871,8 +1150,8 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
                 logger.info("Encryption keys uploaded successfully")
             else:
                 logger.debug("No key upload needed - keys already present")
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Failed to upload E2EE keys: {e}")
+        except Exception:
+            logger.exception("Failed to upload E2EE keys")
             # E2EE might still work, so we don't disable it here
             logger.error("Consider regenerating credentials with: mmrelay auth login")
 
@@ -889,8 +1168,32 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
             hasattr(sync_response, "__class__")
             and "Error" in sync_response.__class__.__name__
         ):
-            logger.error(f"Initial sync failed: {sync_response}")
-            raise ConnectionError(f"Matrix sync failed: {sync_response}")
+            # Provide more detailed error information
+            error_type = sync_response.__class__.__name__
+            error_details = _get_detailed_sync_error_message(sync_response)
+            logger.error(f"Initial sync failed: {error_type}")
+            logger.error(f"Error details: {error_details}")
+
+            # Provide user-friendly troubleshooting guidance
+            if "SyncError" in error_type:
+                logger.error(
+                    "This usually indicates a network connectivity issue or server problem."
+                )
+                logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+                logger.error("1. Check your internet connection")
+                logger.error(
+                    f"2. Verify the homeserver URL is correct: {matrix_homeserver}"
+                )
+                logger.error("3. Ensure the Matrix server is online and accessible")
+                logger.error("4. Check if your credentials are still valid")
+
+            try:
+                await matrix_client.close()
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug("Ignoring error while closing client after sync failure")
+            finally:
+                matrix_client = None
+            raise ConnectionError(f"Matrix sync failed: {error_type} - {error_details}")
         else:
             logger.info(
                 f"Initial sync completed. Found {len(matrix_client.rooms)} rooms."
@@ -906,6 +1209,35 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
             # Get comprehensive E2EE status
             e2ee_status = get_e2ee_status(config, config_path)
 
+            # Resolve room aliases in config (supports list[str|dict] and dict[str->str|dict])
+            async def _resolve_alias(alias: str) -> Optional[str]:
+                """
+                Resolve a Matrix room alias to its canonical room ID.
+
+                Attempts to resolve the provided room alias using the module's Matrix client. Returns the resolved room ID string on success; returns None if the alias cannot be resolved or if an error/timeout occurs (errors from the underlying nio client are caught and handled internally).
+                """
+                logger.debug(f"Resolving alias from config: {alias}")
+                try:
+                    response = await matrix_client.room_resolve_alias(alias)
+                    if hasattr(response, "room_id") and response.room_id:
+                        logger.debug(f"Resolved alias {alias} to {response.room_id}")
+                        return response.room_id
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"Could not resolve alias {alias}: {getattr(response, 'message', response)}"
+                    )
+                except (
+                    NioErrorResponse,
+                    NioLocalProtocolError,
+                    NioRemoteProtocolError,
+                    NioLocalTransportError,
+                    NioRemoteTransportError,
+                    asyncio.TimeoutError,
+                ):
+                    logger.exception(f"Error resolving alias {alias}")
+                return None
+
+            await _resolve_aliases_in_mapping(matrix_rooms, _resolve_alias)
+
             # Display rooms with channel mappings
             _display_room_channel_mappings(matrix_client.rooms, config, e2ee_status)
 
@@ -929,10 +1261,30 @@ async def connect_matrix(passed_config=None):
             if e2ee_enabled and encrypted_count == 0 and len(matrix_client.rooms) > 0:
                 logger.debug("No encrypted rooms detected - all rooms are plaintext")
     except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-        logger.error(
+        logger.exception(
             f"Initial sync timed out after {MATRIX_SYNC_OPERATION_TIMEOUT} seconds"
         )
-        raise
+        logger.error(
+            "This indicates a network connectivity issue or slow Matrix server."
+        )
+        logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+        logger.error("1. Check your internet connection")
+        logger.error(f"2. Verify the homeserver is accessible: {matrix_homeserver}")
+        logger.error(
+            "3. Try again in a few minutes - the server may be temporarily overloaded"
+        )
+        logger.error(
+            "4. Consider using a different Matrix homeserver if the problem persists"
+        )
+        try:
+            await matrix_client.close()
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug("Ignoring error while closing client after sync timeout")
+        finally:
+            matrix_client = None
+        raise ConnectionError(
+            f"Matrix sync timed out after {MATRIX_SYNC_OPERATION_TIMEOUT} seconds - check network connectivity and server status"
+        ) from None
 
     # Add a delay to allow for key sharing to complete
     # This addresses a race condition where the client attempts to send encrypted messages
@@ -965,9 +1317,9 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
     homeserver=None, username=None, password=None, logout_others=False
 ):
     """
-    Perform an interactive Matrix login for the bot, enable end-to-end encryption, and persist credentials for later use.
+    Perform an interactive Matrix login for the bot and persist credentials for later use.
 
-    This coroutine attempts server discovery for the provided homeserver, logs in as the given username, initializes an encrypted client store, and saves resulting credentials (homeserver, user_id, access_token, device_id) to credentials.json so the relay can restore the session non-interactively. If an existing credentials.json contains a matching user_id, the device_id will be reused when available.
+    This coroutine attempts server discovery for the provided homeserver, logs in as the given username, optionally initializes an encrypted client store (if E2EE is enabled in configuration), and saves resulting credentials (homeserver, user_id, access_token, device_id) to credentials.json so the relay can restore the session non-interactively. If an existing credentials.json contains a matching user_id, the device_id will be reused when available.
 
     Parameters:
         homeserver (str | None): Homeserver URL to use. If None, the user is prompted.
@@ -979,11 +1331,13 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
         bool: True on successful login and credentials persisted; False on failure. The function handles errors internally and returns False rather than raising.
     """
     try:
-        # Enable nio debug logging for detailed connection analysis
-        logging.getLogger("nio").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-        logging.getLogger("nio.client").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-        logging.getLogger("nio.http_client").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-        logging.getLogger("aiohttp").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+        # Optionally enable verbose nio/aiohttp debug logging
+        if os.getenv("MMRELAY_DEBUG_NIO") == "1":
+            logging.getLogger("nio").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            logging.getLogger("nio.client").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            logging.getLogger("nio.http_client").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            logging.getLogger("nio.responses").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            logging.getLogger("aiohttp").setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
         # Get homeserver URL
         if not homeserver:
@@ -1004,6 +1358,10 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
             logger.warning(
                 "Failed to create SSL context for server discovery; falling back to default system SSL"
             )
+        else:
+            logger.debug(f"SSL context created successfully: {ssl_context}")
+            logger.debug(f"SSL context protocol: {ssl_context.protocol}")
+            logger.debug(f"SSL context verify_mode: {ssl_context.verify_mode}")
 
         # Create a temporary client for discovery
         temp_client = AsyncClient(homeserver, "", ssl=ssl_context)
@@ -1012,15 +1370,30 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
                 temp_client.discovery_info(), timeout=MATRIX_LOGIN_TIMEOUT
             )
 
-            if isinstance(discovery_response, DiscoveryInfoResponse):
-                actual_homeserver = discovery_response.homeserver_url
-                logger.info(f"Server discovery successful: {actual_homeserver}")
-                homeserver = actual_homeserver
-            elif isinstance(discovery_response, DiscoveryInfoError):
-                logger.info(
-                    f"Server discovery failed, using original URL: {homeserver}"
+            try:
+                if isinstance(discovery_response, DiscoveryInfoResponse):
+                    actual_homeserver = discovery_response.homeserver_url
+                    logger.info(f"Server discovery successful: {actual_homeserver}")
+                    homeserver = actual_homeserver
+                elif isinstance(discovery_response, DiscoveryInfoError):
+                    logger.info(
+                        f"Server discovery failed, using original URL: {homeserver}"
+                    )
+                    # Continue with original homeserver URL
+                else:
+                    # Fallback for test environments or unexpected response types
+                    if hasattr(discovery_response, "homeserver_url"):
+                        actual_homeserver = discovery_response.homeserver_url
+                        logger.info(f"Server discovery successful: {actual_homeserver}")
+                        homeserver = actual_homeserver
+                    else:
+                        logger.warning(
+                            f"Server discovery returned unexpected response type, using original URL: {homeserver}"
+                        )
+            except TypeError as e:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"Server discovery error: {e}, using original URL: {homeserver}"
                 )
-                # Continue with original homeserver URL
 
         except asyncio.TimeoutError:
             logger.warning(
@@ -1040,19 +1413,37 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
             username = input("Enter Matrix username (without @): ")
 
         # Format username correctly
-        if not username.startswith("@"):
-            username = f"@{username}"
-
-        server_name = urlparse(homeserver).netloc
-        if ":" not in username:
-            username = f"{username}:{server_name}"
+        username = _normalize_bot_user_id(homeserver, username)
 
         logger.info(f"Using username: {username}")
 
+        # Validate username format
+        if not username.startswith("@"):
+            logger.warning(f"Username doesn't start with @: {username}")
+        if username.count(":") != 1:
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Username has unexpected colon count: {username.count(':')}"
+            )
+
+        # Check for special characters in username that might cause issues
+        username_special_chars = set(username) - set(
+            "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789@:.-_"
+        )
+        if username_special_chars:
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Username contains unusual characters: {username_special_chars}"
+            )
+
         # Get password
         if not password:
             password = getpass.getpass("Enter Matrix password: ")
 
+        # Simple password validation without logging sensitive information
+        if password:
+            logger.debug("Password provided for login")
+        else:
+            logger.warning("No password provided")
+
         # Ask about logging out other sessions
         if logout_others is None:
             logout_others_input = input(
@@ -1065,11 +1456,13 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
         # Check for existing credentials to reuse device_id
         existing_device_id = None
         try:
+            import json
+
             config_dir = get_base_dir()
             credentials_path = os.path.join(config_dir, "credentials.json")
 
             if os.path.exists(credentials_path):
-                with open(credentials_path, "r") as f:
+                with open(credentials_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
                     existing_creds = json.load(f)
                     if (
                         "device_id" in existing_creds
@@ -1080,14 +1473,30 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
         except Exception as e:
             logger.debug(f"Could not load existing credentials: {e}")
 
-        # Get the E2EE store path
-        store_path = get_e2ee_store_dir()
-        os.makedirs(store_path, exist_ok=True)
-        logger.debug(f"Using E2EE store path: {store_path}")
+        # Check if E2EE is enabled in configuration
+        from mmrelay.config import is_e2ee_enabled, load_config
+
+        try:
+            config = load_config()
+            e2ee_enabled = is_e2ee_enabled(config)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.debug(f"Could not load config for E2EE check: {e}")
+            e2ee_enabled = False
+
+        logger.debug(f"E2EE enabled in config: {e2ee_enabled}")
 
-        # Create client config for E2EE
+        # Get the E2EE store path only if E2EE is enabled
+        store_path = None
+        if e2ee_enabled:
+            store_path = get_e2ee_store_dir()
+            os.makedirs(store_path, exist_ok=True)
+            logger.debug(f"Using E2EE store path: {store_path}")
+        else:
+            logger.debug("E2EE disabled in configuration, not using store path")
+
+        # Create client config with E2EE based on configuration
         client_config = AsyncClientConfig(
-            store_sync_tokens=True, encryption_enabled=True
+            store_sync_tokens=True, encryption_enabled=e2ee_enabled
         )
 
         # Use the same SSL context as discovery client
@@ -1095,6 +1504,13 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
 
         # Initialize client with E2EE support
         # Use most common pattern from matrix-nio examples: positional homeserver and user
+        logger.debug("Creating AsyncClient with:")
+        logger.debug(f"  homeserver: {homeserver}")
+        logger.debug(f"  username: {username}")
+        logger.debug(f"  device_id: {existing_device_id}")
+        logger.debug(f"  store_path: {store_path}")
+        logger.debug(f"  e2ee_enabled: {e2ee_enabled}")
+
         client = AsyncClient(
             homeserver,
             username,
@@ -1104,45 +1520,183 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
             ssl=ssl_context,
         )
 
+        logger.debug("AsyncClient created successfully")
+
         logger.info(f"Logging in as {username} to {homeserver}...")
 
         # Login with consistent device name and timeout
-        # Use the original working device name
-        device_name = "mmrelay-e2ee"
+        # Use appropriate device name based on E2EE configuration
+        device_name = "mmrelay-e2ee" if e2ee_enabled else "mmrelay"
         try:
             # Set device_id on client if we have an existing one
             if existing_device_id:
                 client.device_id = existing_device_id
 
+            logger.debug(f"Attempting login to {homeserver} as {username}")
+            logger.debug("Login parameters:")
+            logger.debug(f"  device_name: {device_name}")
+            logger.debug(f"  password length: {len(password) if password else 0}")
+            logger.debug(f"  client.user: {client.user}")
+            logger.debug(f"  client.homeserver: {client.homeserver}")
+
+            # Test the API call that matrix-nio will make
+            try:
+                from nio.api import Api
+
+                method, path, data = Api.login(
+                    user=username,
+                    password=password,
+                    device_name=device_name,
+                    device_id=existing_device_id,
+                )
+                logger.debug("Matrix API call details:")
+                logger.debug(f"  method: {method}")
+                logger.debug(f"  path: {path}")
+                logger.debug(f"  data length: {len(data) if data else 0}")
+
+                # Parse the JSON to see the structure (without logging the password)
+                import json
+
+                parsed_data = json.loads(data)
+                safe_data = {
+                    k: (v if k != "password" else f"[{len(v)} chars]")
+                    for k, v in parsed_data.items()
+                }
+                logger.debug(f"  parsed data: {safe_data}")
+
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error(f"Failed to test API call: {e}")
+
             response = await asyncio.wait_for(
                 client.login(password, device_name=device_name),
                 timeout=MATRIX_LOGIN_TIMEOUT,
             )
+
+            # Debug: Log the response type and safe attributes only
+            logger.debug(f"Login response type: {type(response).__name__}")
+
+            # Check specific attributes that should be present, masking sensitive data
+            for attr in [
+                "user_id",
+                "device_id",
+                "access_token",
+                "status_code",
+                "message",
+            ]:
+                if hasattr(response, attr):
+                    value = getattr(response, attr)
+                    if attr == "access_token" and value:
+                        # Mask access token for security
+                        masked_value = (
+                            f"{value[:8]}...{value[-4:]}"
+                            if len(value) > 12
+                            else "***masked***"
+                        )
+                        logger.debug(
+                            f"Response.{attr}: {masked_value} (type: {type(value).__name__})"
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        logger.debug(
+                            f"Response.{attr}: {value} (type: {type(value).__name__})"
+                        )
+                else:
+                    logger.debug(f"Response.{attr}: NOT PRESENT")
         except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-            logger.error(f"Login timed out after {MATRIX_LOGIN_TIMEOUT} seconds")
+            logger.exception(f"Login timed out after {MATRIX_LOGIN_TIMEOUT} seconds")
             logger.error(
                 "This may indicate network connectivity issues or a slow Matrix server"
             )
             await client.close()
             return False
+        except TypeError as e:
+            # Handle the specific ">=" comparison error that can occur in matrix-nio
+            if "'>=' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'" in str(e):
+                logger.error("Matrix-nio library error during login (known issue)")
+                logger.error(
+                    "This typically indicates invalid credentials or server response format issues"
+                )
+                logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+                logger.error("1. Verify your username and password are correct")
+                logger.error("2. Check if your account is locked or suspended")
+                logger.error("3. Try logging in through a web browser first")
+                logger.error("4. Ensure your Matrix server supports the login API")
+                logger.error(
+                    "5. Try using a different homeserver URL format (e.g., with https://)"
+                )
+            else:
+                logger.exception("Type error during login")
+            await client.close()
+            return False
         except Exception as e:
             # Handle other exceptions during login (e.g., network errors)
-            logger.error(f"Login exception: {e}")
-            logger.error(f"Exception type: {type(e)}")
-            if hasattr(e, "message"):
-                logger.error(f"Exception message: {e.message}")
+            error_type = type(e).__name__
+            logger.exception(f"Login failed with {error_type}")
+
+            # Provide specific guidance based on error type
+            if isinstance(e, (ConnectionError, asyncio.TimeoutError)):
+                logger.error("Network connectivity issue detected.")
+                logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+                logger.error("1. Check your internet connection")
+                logger.error(f"2. Verify the homeserver URL is correct: {homeserver}")
+                logger.error("3. Check if the Matrix server is online")
+            elif isinstance(e, (ssl.SSLError, ssl.CertificateError)):
+                logger.error("SSL/TLS certificate issue detected.")
+                logger.error(
+                    "This may indicate a problem with the server's SSL certificate."
+                )
+            elif "DNSError" in error_type or "NameResolutionError" in error_type:
+                logger.error("DNS resolution failed.")
+                logger.error(f"Cannot resolve hostname: {homeserver}")
+                logger.error("Check your DNS settings and internet connection.")
+            elif "'user_id' is a required property" in str(e):
+                logger.error("Matrix server response validation failed.")
+                logger.error("This typically indicates:")
+                logger.error("1. Invalid username or password")
+                logger.error("2. Server response format not as expected")
+                logger.error("3. Matrix server compatibility issues")
+                logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+                logger.error("1. Verify credentials by logging in via web browser")
+                logger.error(
+                    "2. Try using the full homeserver URL (e.g., https://matrix.org)"
+                )
+                logger.error(
+                    "3. Check if your Matrix server is compatible with matrix-nio"
+                )
+                logger.error("4. Try a different Matrix server if available")
+
+            else:
+                logger.error("Unexpected error during login.")
+
+            # Additional details already included in the message above.
             await client.close()
             return False
 
-        if hasattr(response, "access_token"):
+        # Handle login response - check for access_token first (most reliable indicator)
+        if hasattr(response, "access_token") and response.access_token:
             logger.info("Login successful!")
 
+            # Get the actual user_id from whoami() - this is the proper way
+            try:
+                whoami_response = await client.whoami()
+                if hasattr(whoami_response, "user_id"):
+                    actual_user_id = whoami_response.user_id
+                    logger.debug(f"Got user_id from whoami: {actual_user_id}")
+                else:
+                    # Fallback to response user_id or username
+                    actual_user_id = getattr(response, "user_id", username)
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"whoami failed, using fallback user_id: {actual_user_id}"
+                    )
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"whoami call failed: {e}, using fallback")
+                actual_user_id = getattr(response, "user_id", username)
+
             # Save credentials to credentials.json
             credentials = {
                 "homeserver": homeserver,
-                "user_id": username,
+                "user_id": actual_user_id,
                 "access_token": response.access_token,
-                "device_id": response.device_id,
+                "device_id": getattr(response, "device_id", existing_device_id),
             }
 
             config_dir = get_base_dir()
@@ -1159,66 +1713,171 @@ async def login_matrix_bot(
             await client.close()
             return True
         else:
-            # Better error logging
-            logger.error(f"Login failed: {response}")
-            if hasattr(response, "message"):
-                logger.error(f"Error message: {response.message}")
-            if hasattr(response, "status_code"):
-                logger.error(f"Status code: {response.status_code}")
+            # Handle login failure
+            if hasattr(response, "status_code") and hasattr(response, "message"):
+                status_code = response.status_code
+                error_message = response.message
+
+                logger.error(f"Login failed: {type(response).__name__}")
+                logger.error(f"Error message: {error_message}")
+                logger.error(f"HTTP status code: {status_code}")
+
+                # Provide specific troubleshooting guidance
+                if status_code == 401 or "M_FORBIDDEN" in str(error_message):
+                    logger.error(
+                        "Authentication failed - invalid username or password."
+                    )
+                    logger.error("Troubleshooting steps:")
+                    logger.error("1. Verify your username and password are correct")
+                    logger.error("2. Check if your account is locked or suspended")
+                    logger.error("3. Try logging in through a web browser first")
+                    logger.error(
+                        "4. Use 'mmrelay auth login' to set up new credentials"
+                    )
+                elif status_code == 404:
+                    logger.error("User not found or homeserver not found.")
+                    logger.error(
+                        f"Check that the homeserver URL is correct: {homeserver}"
+                    )
+                elif status_code == 429:
+                    logger.error("Rate limited - too many login attempts.")
+                    logger.error("Wait a few minutes before trying again.")
+                elif status_code and int(status_code) >= 500:
+                    logger.error(
+                        "Matrix server error - the server is experiencing issues."
+                    )
+                    logger.error(
+                        "Try again later or contact your server administrator."
+                    )
+                else:
+                    logger.error("Login failed for unknown reason.")
+                    logger.error(
+                        "Try using 'mmrelay auth login' for interactive setup."
+                    )
+            else:
+                logger.error(f"Unexpected login response: {type(response).__name__}")
+                logger.error(
+                    "This may indicate a matrix-nio library issue or server problem."
+                )
+
             await client.close()
             return False
 
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Error during login: {e}")
+    except Exception:
+        logger.exception("Error during login")
+        try:
+            await client.close()
+        except Exception as e:
+            # Ignore errors during client cleanup - connection may already be closed
+            logger.debug(f"Ignoring error during client cleanup: {e}")
         return False
 
 
 async def join_matrix_room(matrix_client, room_id_or_alias: str) -> None:
     """
-    Join a Matrix room by ID or alias, resolving aliases and updating the local matrix_rooms mapping.
+    Join the bot to a Matrix room by ID or alias.
 
-    If given a room alias (starts with '#'), the alias is resolved to a room ID and any entry in the global matrix_rooms list that referenced that alias will be replaced with the resolved room ID. If the bot is not already in the resolved room (or provided room ID), the function attempts to join it. Successes and failures are logged; exceptions are caught and handled internally (the function does not raise).
+    Resolves a room alias (e.g. "#room:server") to its canonical room ID, updates the in-memory
+    matrix_rooms mapping with the resolved ID (if available), and attempts to join the resolved
+    room ID. No-op if the client is already joined to the room. Errors during alias resolution
+    or join are caught and logged; the function does not raise exceptions.
 
-    Parameters:
-        room_id_or_alias (str): Room ID (e.g. "!abcdef:server") or alias (e.g. "#room:server") to join.
+    Parameters documented only where meaning is not obvious:
+        room_id_or_alias (str): A Matrix room identifier, either a canonical room ID (e.g. "!abc:server")
+            or a room alias (starts with '#'). When an alias is provided, it will be resolved and
+            the resolved room ID will be used for joining and recorded in the module's matrix_rooms mapping.
+
+    Returns:
+        None
     """
-    try:
-        if room_id_or_alias.startswith("#"):
-            # If it's a room alias, resolve it to a room ID
+
+    if not isinstance(room_id_or_alias, str):
+        logger.error(
+            "join_matrix_room expected a string room ID, received %r",
+            room_id_or_alias,
+        )
+        return
+
+    room_id = room_id_or_alias
+
+    if room_id_or_alias.startswith("#"):
+        try:
             response = await matrix_client.room_resolve_alias(room_id_or_alias)
-            if not hasattr(response, "room_id") or not response.room_id:
-                logger.error(
-                    f"Failed to resolve room alias '{room_id_or_alias}': {getattr(response, 'message', str(response))}"
+        except (
+            NioLocalProtocolError,
+            NioRemoteProtocolError,
+            NioErrorResponse,
+            NioLocalTransportError,
+            NioRemoteTransportError,
+            asyncio.TimeoutError,
+        ):
+            logger.exception("Error resolving alias '%s'", room_id_or_alias)
+            return
+
+        room_id = getattr(response, "room_id", None) if response else None
+        if not room_id:
+            logger.error(
+                "Failed to resolve alias '%s': %s",
+                room_id_or_alias,
+                getattr(response, "message", str(response)),
+            )
+            return
+
+        try:
+            mapping = matrix_rooms
+        except NameError:
+            mapping = None
+
+        if mapping:
+            try:
+                _update_room_id_in_mapping(mapping, room_id_or_alias, room_id)
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug(
+                    "Non-fatal error updating matrix_rooms for alias '%s'",
+                    room_id_or_alias,
+                    exc_info=True,
                 )
-                return
-            room_id = response.room_id
-            # Update the room ID in the matrix_rooms list
-            for room_config in matrix_rooms:
-                if room_config["id"] == room_id_or_alias:
-                    room_config["id"] = room_id
-                    break
-        else:
-            room_id = room_id_or_alias
 
-        # Attempt to join the room if not already joined
+        logger.info("Resolved alias '%s' -> '%s'", room_id_or_alias, room_id)
+
+    try:
         if room_id not in matrix_client.rooms:
             response = await matrix_client.join(room_id)
-            if response and hasattr(response, "room_id"):
-                logger.info(f"Joined room '{room_id_or_alias}' successfully")
+            joined_room_id = getattr(response, "room_id", None) if response else None
+            if joined_room_id:
+                logger.info(f"Joined room '{joined_room_id}' successfully")
             else:
                 logger.error(
-                    f"Failed to join room '{room_id_or_alias}': {getattr(response, 'message', str(response))}"
+                    "Failed to join room '%s': %s",
+                    room_id,
+                    getattr(response, "message", str(response)),
                 )
         else:
-            logger.debug(f"Bot is already in room '{room_id_or_alias}'")
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Error joining room '{room_id_or_alias}': {e}")
+            logger.debug(
+                "Bot is already in room '%s', no action needed.",
+                room_id,
+            )
+    except (
+        NioLocalProtocolError,
+        NioRemoteProtocolError,
+        NioErrorResponse,
+        NioLocalTransportError,
+        NioRemoteTransportError,
+        asyncio.TimeoutError,
+    ):
+        logger.exception(f"Error joining room '{room_id}'")
 
 
 def _get_e2ee_error_message():
     """
-    Return a specific error message for why E2EE is not properly enabled.
-    Uses the unified E2EE status system for consistent messaging.
+    Return a user-facing string explaining why End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) is not enabled.
+
+    This queries the unified E2EE status (using the module-level config and config path)
+    and converts that status into a concise error message suitable for logging or UI display.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: A short, human-readable explanation of the current E2EE problem (empty or generic
+        message if no specific issue is detected).
     """
     from mmrelay.config import config_path
     from mmrelay.e2ee_utils import get_e2ee_error_message, get_e2ee_status
@@ -1245,31 +1904,25 @@ async def matrix_relay(
     reply_to_event_id=None,
 ):
     """
-    Relay a Meshtastic message into a Matrix room, optionally as an emote, emoji-marked message, or as a reply, and record a Meshtastic↔Matrix mapping when configured.
+    Relay a Meshtastic message into a Matrix room and optionally record a Meshtastic↔Matrix mapping.
 
-    Builds a Matrix message payload (plain and HTML/markdown-safe formatted bodies), applies Matrix reply framing when reply_to_event_id is provided, enforces E2EE restrictions (will block sending to encrypted rooms when client E2EE is not enabled), sends the event via the global Matrix client, and — if message-interactions are enabled and a Meshtastic message ID is provided — stores a mapping for future cross-network replies/reactions. Handles timeouts and errors by logging and returning without raising.
+    Formats the provided Meshtastic text into plain and HTML-safe formatted Matrix content (supports basic Markdown/HTML when libraries are available), applies Matrix reply framing when reply_to_event_id is provided, enforces E2EE restrictions (will not send into an encrypted room if the Matrix client's E2EE support is not enabled), sends the event via the global Matrix client, and—when message-interactions are enabled and a meshtastic_id is given—persists a mapping for later cross-network replies/reactions. Errors and timeouts are logged; the function does not raise on send/storage failures.
 
-    Parameters:
-        room_id (str): Matrix room ID or alias to send to.
-        message (str): Message text to relay; may contain Markdown or HTML which will be converted/stripped as needed.
-        longname (str): Sender long display name from Meshtastic used for attribution in formatted output.
-        shortname (str): Sender short display name from Meshtastic.
-        meshnet_name (str): Originating meshnet name (used for metadata/attribution).
-        portnum (int): Meshtastic port number the message originated from.
-        meshtastic_id (str, optional): Meshtastic message ID; when provided and interactions/storage are enabled, a mapping from this Meshtastic ID to the resulting Matrix event will be persisted.
-        meshtastic_replyId (str, optional): Meshtastic message ID being replied to; included as metadata on the Matrix event.
-        meshtastic_text (str, optional): Original Meshtastic message text used when creating stored mappings.
-        emote (bool, optional): If True, send as an m.emote (emote) message instead of regular text.
-        emoji (bool, optional): If True, add emoji metadata to the Matrix event (used to mark emoji-like messages).
-        reply_to_event_id (str, optional): Matrix event ID to which this message should be formatted as an m.in_reply_to reply.
+    Parameters that require extra context:
+    - meshtastic_id: when provided and storage is enabled, used to persist a mapping from the Meshtastic message to the created Matrix event for future reply/reaction handling.
+    - meshtastic_replyId: original Meshtastic message ID being replied to; included as metadata on the Matrix event.
+    - meshtastic_text: original Meshtastic text used when creating stored mappings (falls back to the relayed message if omitted).
+    - emote: if True, the Matrix message is sent as an `m.emote` (emote) instead of `m.text`.
+    - emoji: if True, a flag is added to the event to indicate emoji-like content.
+    - reply_to_event_id: when provided, the outgoing Matrix event will include an `m.in_reply_to` relation and quoted/HTML reply content if the original mapping can be found.
 
     Side effects:
-        - Sends a message to Matrix using the global matrix client.
-        - May persist a Meshtastic↔Matrix mapping for replies/reactions when storage is enabled.
-        - Logs errors and warnings; does not raise on send failures or storage errors (errors are caught and logged).
+    - Sends a message to Matrix using the global Matrix client.
+    - May persist a message mapping (Meshtastic ID → Matrix event) when configured.
+    - Logs operational and error information; does not propagate send/storage exceptions to callers.
 
     Returns:
-        None
+    - None
     """
     global config
 
@@ -1314,33 +1967,37 @@ async def matrix_relay(
         has_html = bool(re.search(r"</?[a-zA-Z][^>]*>", message))
         has_markdown = bool(re.search(r"[*_`~]", message))  # Basic markdown indicators
 
-        # Process markdown to HTML if needed (like base plugin does)
+        # Process markdown/HTML if available; otherwise, safe fallback
         if has_markdown or has_html:
-            raw_html = markdown.markdown(message)
-
-            # Sanitize HTML to prevent injection attacks
-            formatted_body = bleach.clean(
-                raw_html,
-                tags=[
-                    "b",
-                    "strong",
-                    "i",
-                    "em",
-                    "code",
-                    "pre",
-                    "br",
-                    "blockquote",
-                    "a",
-                    "ul",
-                    "ol",
-                    "li",
-                    "p",
-                ],
-                attributes={"a": ["href"]},
-                strip=True,
-            )
-
-            plain_body = re.sub(r"</?[^>]*>", "", formatted_body)
+            try:
+                import bleach  # lazy import
+                import markdown  # lazy import
+
+                raw_html = markdown.markdown(message)
+                formatted_body = bleach.clean(
+                    raw_html,
+                    tags=[
+                        "b",
+                        "strong",
+                        "i",
+                        "em",
+                        "code",
+                        "pre",
+                        "br",
+                        "blockquote",
+                        "a",
+                        "ul",
+                        "ol",
+                        "li",
+                        "p",
+                    ],
+                    attributes={"a": ["href"]},
+                    strip=True,
+                )
+                plain_body = re.sub(r"</?[^>]*>", "", formatted_body)
+            except ImportError:
+                formatted_body = html.escape(message).replace("\n", "<br/>")
+                plain_body = message
         else:
             formatted_body = html.escape(message).replace("\n", "<br/>")
             plain_body = message
@@ -1388,17 +2045,17 @@ async def matrix_relay(
                         r"([\\`*_{}[\]()#+.!-])", r"\\\1", original_sender_display
                     )
                     quoted_text = (
-                        f"> <@{bot_user_id}> [{safe_sender_display}]: {safe_original}"
+                        f"> <{bot_user_id}> [{safe_sender_display}]: {safe_original}"
                     )
                     content["body"] = f"{quoted_text}\n\n{plain_body}"
 
                     # Always use HTML formatting for replies since we need the mx-reply structure
                     content["format"] = "org.matrix.custom.html"
                     reply_link = f"https://matrix.to/#/{room_id}/{reply_to_event_id}"
-                    bot_link = f"https://matrix.to/#/@{bot_user_id}"
+                    bot_link = f"https://matrix.to/#/{bot_user_id}"
                     blockquote_content = (
                         f'<a href="{reply_link}">In reply to</a> '
-                        f'<a href="{bot_link}">@{bot_user_id}</a><br>'
+                        f'<a href="{bot_link}">{bot_user_id}</a><br>'
                         f"[{html.escape(original_sender_display)}]: {safe_original}"
                     )
                     content["formatted_body"] = (
@@ -1489,8 +2146,8 @@ async def matrix_relay(
         except asyncio.TimeoutError:
             logger.error(f"Timeout sending message to Matrix room {room_id}")
             return
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Error sending message to Matrix room {room_id}: {e}")
+        except Exception:
+            logger.exception(f"Error sending message to Matrix room {room_id}")
             return
 
         # Only store message map if any interactions are enabled and conditions are met
@@ -1502,35 +2159,47 @@ async def matrix_relay(
             and hasattr(response, "event_id")
         ):
             try:
-                # Store the message map
-                store_message_map(
-                    meshtastic_id,
-                    response.event_id,
-                    room_id,
-                    meshtastic_text if meshtastic_text else message,
-                    meshtastic_meshnet=local_meshnet_name,
+                loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+                # Store the message map in executor
+                await loop.run_in_executor(
+                    None,
+                    lambda: store_message_map(
+                        meshtastic_id,
+                        response.event_id,
+                        room_id,
+                        meshtastic_text if meshtastic_text else message,
+                        meshtastic_meshnet=local_meshnet_name,
+                    ),
                 )
                 logger.debug(f"Stored message map for meshtastic_id: {meshtastic_id}")
 
                 # If msgs_to_keep > 0, prune old messages after inserting a new one
                 if msgs_to_keep > 0:
-                    prune_message_map(msgs_to_keep)
+                    await loop.run_in_executor(None, prune_message_map, msgs_to_keep)
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"Error storing message map: {e}")
 
     except asyncio.TimeoutError:
         logger.error("Timed out while waiting for Matrix response")
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Error sending radio message to matrix room {room_id}: {e}")
+    except Exception:
+        logger.exception(f"Error sending radio message to matrix room {room_id}")
 
 
 def truncate_message(text, max_bytes=DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TRUNCATE_BYTES):
     """
-    Truncate the given text to fit within the specified byte size.
+    Truncate a string so its UTF-8 encoding fits within max_bytes.
+
+    Returns a substring whose UTF-8 byte length is at most `max_bytes`. If
+    `max_bytes` falls in the middle of a multi-byte UTF-8 character, the
+    incomplete character is dropped (decoding uses 'ignore').
 
-    :param text: The text to truncate.
-    :param max_bytes: The maximum allowed byte size for the truncated text.
-    :return: The truncated text.
+    Parameters:
+        text (str): Input text to truncate.
+        max_bytes (int): Maximum allowed size in bytes for the UTF-8 encoded result
+            (defaults to DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TRUNCATE_BYTES).
+
+    Returns:
+        str: Truncated string.
     """
     truncated_text = text.encode("utf-8")[:max_bytes].decode("utf-8", "ignore")
     return truncated_text
@@ -1543,16 +2212,21 @@ def strip_quoted_lines(text: str) -> str:
     This is typically used to exclude quoted content from Matrix replies, such as when processing reaction text.
     """
     lines = text.splitlines()
-    filtered = [line for line in lines if not line.strip().startswith(">")]
-    return " ".join(filtered).strip()
+    filtered = [line.strip() for line in lines if not line.strip().startswith(">")]
+    return " ".join(line for line in filtered if line).strip()
 
 
 async def get_user_display_name(room, event):
     """
-    Retrieve the display name of a Matrix user, preferring the room-specific name if available.
+    Return the display name for the event sender, preferring a room-specific name.
+
+    If the room provides a per-room display name for the sender, that name is returned.
+    Otherwise the function performs an asynchronous lookup against the homeserver for the
+    user's global display name and returns it if present. If no display name is available,
+    the sender's Matrix ID (MXID) is returned.
 
     Returns:
-        str: The user's display name, or their Matrix ID if no display name is set.
+        str: A human-readable display name or the sender's MXID.
     """
     room_display_name = room.user_name(event.sender)
     if room_display_name:
@@ -1562,7 +2236,17 @@ async def get_user_display_name(room, event):
     return display_name_response.displayname or event.sender
 
 
-def format_reply_message(config, full_display_name, text):
+def format_reply_message(
+    config,
+    full_display_name,
+    text,
+    *,
+    longname=None,
+    shortname=None,
+    meshnet_name=None,
+    local_meshnet_name=None,
+    mesh_text_override=None,
+):
     """
     Format a reply message by prefixing a truncated display name and removing quoted lines.
 
@@ -1575,11 +2259,50 @@ def format_reply_message(config, full_display_name, text):
     Returns:
         str: The formatted and truncated reply message.
     """
-    prefix = get_meshtastic_prefix(config, full_display_name)
+    # Determine the base text to use (prefer the raw Meshtastic payload when present)
+    base_text = mesh_text_override if mesh_text_override else text
+
+    clean_text = strip_quoted_lines(base_text).strip()
+
+    # Handle remote meshnet replies by using the remote sender's prefix format
+    if meshnet_name and local_meshnet_name and meshnet_name != local_meshnet_name:
+        sender_long = longname or full_display_name or shortname or "???"
+        sender_short = shortname or sender_long[:SHORTNAME_FALLBACK_LENGTH] or "???"
+        short_meshnet_name = meshnet_name[:MESHNET_NAME_ABBREVIATION_LENGTH]
+
+        prefix_candidates = [
+            f"[{sender_long}/{meshnet_name}]: ",
+            f"[{sender_long}/{short_meshnet_name}]: ",
+            f"{sender_long}/{meshnet_name}: ",
+            f"{sender_long}/{short_meshnet_name}: ",
+            f"{sender_short}/{meshnet_name}: ",
+            f"{sender_short}/{short_meshnet_name}: ",
+        ]
 
-    # Strip quoted content from the reply text
-    clean_text = strip_quoted_lines(text)
-    reply_message = f"{prefix}{clean_text}"
+        matrix_prefix_full = get_matrix_prefix(
+            config, sender_long, sender_short, meshnet_name
+        )
+        matrix_prefix_short = get_matrix_prefix(
+            config, sender_long, sender_short, short_meshnet_name
+        )
+        prefix_candidates.extend([matrix_prefix_full, matrix_prefix_short])
+
+        for candidate in prefix_candidates:
+            if candidate and clean_text.startswith(candidate):
+                clean_text = clean_text[len(candidate) :].lstrip()
+                break
+
+        if not clean_text and mesh_text_override:
+            clean_text = strip_quoted_lines(mesh_text_override).strip()
+
+        mesh_prefix = f"{sender_short}/{short_meshnet_name}:"
+        reply_body = f" {clean_text}" if clean_text else ""
+        reply_message = f"{mesh_prefix}{reply_body}"
+        return truncate_message(reply_message.strip())
+
+    # Default behavior for local Matrix users (retain existing prefix logic)
+    prefix = get_meshtastic_prefix(config, full_display_name)
+    reply_message = f"{prefix}{clean_text}" if clean_text else prefix.rstrip()
     return truncate_message(reply_message)
 
 
@@ -1595,29 +2318,20 @@ async def send_reply_to_meshtastic(
     reply_id=None,
 ):
     """
-    Queue a Matrix-origin reply for transmission over Meshtastic, optionally as a structured reply targeting a specific Meshtastic message.
-
-    If Meshtastic broadcasting is disabled in configuration, the function does nothing. When broadcasting is enabled, it enqueues either a structured reply (if reply_id is provided and supported) or a regular text broadcast. If storage_enabled is True, a message-mapping metadata record is created so the Meshtastic message can be correlated back to the originating Matrix event for future replies/reactions; the mapping retention uses the configured msgs_to_keep value.
-
+    Enqueue a Matrix reply to be sent over Meshtastic, either as a structured reply targeting an existing Meshtastic message or as a regular broadcast.
+    
+    If Meshtastic broadcasting is disabled this is a no-op. When storage_enabled is True the function will create a mapping entry (using event.event_id and room.room_id) and attach it to the queued message for later reply/reaction correlation. Failures are logged; the function does not raise exceptions.
+    
     Parameters:
-        reply_message (str): Message text already formatted for Meshtastic.
-        full_display_name (str): Human-readable sender name to include in message descriptions.
-        room_config (dict): Room-specific configuration; must contain "meshtastic_channel".
-        room: Matrix room object where the original event occurred (used for event and room IDs).
-        event: Matrix event object being replied to (its event_id is used for mapping metadata).
-        text (str): Original Matrix event text (used when creating mapping metadata).
-        storage_enabled (bool): If True, attach mapping metadata to the queued Meshtastic message.
-        local_meshnet_name (str | None): Optional meshnet identifier to include in mapping metadata.
-        reply_id (int | None): Meshtastic message ID to target for a structured reply; if None, a regular broadcast is sent.
-
-    Returns:
-        None
-
-    Notes:
-        - The function logs errors and does not raise; actual transmission is handled asynchronously by the Meshtastic queue system.
-        - Mapping creation uses configured limits (msgs_to_keep) and _create_mapping_info; if mapping creation fails, the message is still attempted without mapping.
+        room_config (dict): Room-specific configuration — must include "meshtastic_channel" (integer channel index).
+        room: Matrix room object; room.room_id is used to build mapping metadata.
+        event: Matrix event object; event.event_id is used to build mapping metadata.
+        storage_enabled (bool): If True, create and attach a message-mapping record to the queued Meshtastic message.
+        reply_id (int | None): If provided, send as a structured Meshtastic reply targeting this message ID; otherwise send a regular text broadcast.
+        local_meshnet_name (str | None): Name of the local meshnet used in mapping metadata.
     """
-    meshtastic_interface = connect_meshtastic()
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    meshtastic_interface = await loop.run_in_executor(None, connect_meshtastic)
     from mmrelay.meshtastic_utils import logger as meshtastic_logger
 
     meshtastic_channel = room_config["meshtastic_channel"]
@@ -1699,8 +2413,8 @@ async def send_reply_to_meshtastic(
 
             # Message mapping is now handled automatically by the queue system
 
-        except Exception as e:
-            meshtastic_logger.error(f"Error sending Matrix reply to Meshtastic: {e}")
+        except Exception:
+            meshtastic_logger.exception("Error sending Matrix reply to Meshtastic")
 
 
 async def handle_matrix_reply(
@@ -1712,17 +2426,35 @@ async def handle_matrix_reply(
     storage_enabled,
     local_meshnet_name,
     config,
+    *,
+    mesh_text_override=None,
+    longname=None,
+    shortname=None,
+    meshnet_name=None,
 ):
     """
-    Relays a Matrix reply to the corresponding Meshtastic message if a mapping exists.
-
-    Looks up the original Meshtastic message using the Matrix event ID being replied to. If found, formats and sends the reply to Meshtastic, preserving conversational context. Returns True if the reply was successfully handled; otherwise, returns False to allow normal message processing.
-
+    Handle a Matrix reply by forwarding it to Meshtastic when the replied-to Matrix event maps to a Meshtastic message.
+    
+    If the Matrix event identified by reply_to_event_id has an associated Meshtastic mapping, this function formats a Meshtastic reply that preserves sender attribution and enqueues it referencing the original Meshtastic message ID. If no mapping exists, it returns False so normal Matrix processing can continue.
+    
+    Parameters:
+        reply_to_event_id (str): Matrix event ID being replied to; used to locate the Meshtastic mapping.
+        storage_enabled (bool): Whether message mappings/storage are enabled (affects created mapping behavior when sending).
+        local_meshnet_name (str): Local meshnet name used to determine formatting when replying across meshnets.
+        config (dict): Relay configuration passed to formatting routines.
+        mesh_text_override (str | None): Optional text to send instead of derived text.
+        longname (str | None): Sender long display name used for prefixing.
+        shortname (str | None): Sender short display name used for prefixing.
+        meshnet_name (str | None): Remote meshnet name associated with the original mapping, if any.
+    
     Returns:
-        bool: True if the reply was relayed to Meshtastic, False otherwise.
+        bool: True if a mapping was found and the reply was queued to Meshtastic; False if no mapping existed and nothing was sent.
     """
     # Look up the original message in the message map
-    orig = get_message_map_by_matrix_event_id(reply_to_event_id)
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    orig = await loop.run_in_executor(
+        None, get_message_map_by_matrix_event_id, reply_to_event_id
+    )
     if not orig:
         logger.debug(
             f"Original message for Matrix reply not found in DB: {reply_to_event_id}"
@@ -1737,7 +2469,16 @@ async def handle_matrix_reply(
     full_display_name = await get_user_display_name(room, event)
 
     # Format the reply message
-    reply_message = format_reply_message(config, full_display_name, text)
+    reply_message = format_reply_message(
+        config,
+        full_display_name,
+        text,
+        longname=longname,
+        shortname=shortname,
+        meshnet_name=meshnet_name,
+        local_meshnet_name=local_meshnet_name,
+        mesh_text_override=mesh_text_override,
+    )
 
     logger.info(
         f"Relaying Matrix reply from {full_display_name} to Meshtastic as reply to message {original_meshtastic_id}"
@@ -1789,8 +2530,8 @@ async def on_decryption_failure(room: MatrixRoom, event: MegolmEvent) -> None:
         request = event.as_key_request(matrix_client.user_id, matrix_client.device_id)
         await matrix_client.to_device(request)
         logger.info(f"Requested keys for failed decryption of event {event.event_id}")
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Failed to request keys for event {event.event_id}: {e}")
+    except Exception:
+        logger.exception(f"Failed to request keys for event {event.event_id}")
 
 
 # Callback for new messages in Matrix room
@@ -1804,22 +2545,20 @@ async def on_room_message(
     ],
 ) -> None:
     """
-    Handle an incoming Matrix room event and relay appropriate content to Meshtastic.
+    Handle an incoming Matrix room event and, when applicable, relay it to Meshtastic.
 
-    Processes inbound Matrix events (text, notice, emote, reaction, encrypted events, and reply structures) for supported rooms and, depending on configuration, forwards messages, reactions, and replies to the Meshtastic network. Behavior summary:
+    Processes text, notice, emote, and reaction events (including replies and messages relayed from other meshnets) for configured rooms. Behavior highlights:
     - Ignores events from before the bot started and events sent by the bot itself.
-    - Logs and notes room encryption changes; encrypted message decryption is handled elsewhere.
-    - Uses per-room configuration to decide whether to process the event; unsupported rooms are ignored.
-    - Honors interaction settings (reactions and replies) and a broadcast_enabled gate for whether Matrix->Meshtastic forwarding occurs.
-    - For reactions: looks up mapped Meshtastic messages and forwards reactions back to the originating mesh when configured; supports special handling for remote-meshnet reactions and emote-derived reactions.
-    - For replies: attempts to find the corresponding Meshtastic message mapping and queue a reply to Meshtastic when enabled.
-    - For regular messages: applies configured prefix formatting, truncation, and special handling for messages originating from remote meshnets; supports detection-sensor forwarding when the port indicates detection data.
-    - Integrates with the plugin system: plugins can handle or consume messages/commands; messages identified as commands directed at the bot are not relayed to Meshtastic.
+    - Uses per-room configuration and global interaction settings to decide whether to process or ignore the event.
+    - Routes reactions back to the originating Meshtastic message when a mapping exists (supports local and remote-meshnet reaction handling).
+    - Bridges Matrix replies to Meshtastic replies when a corresponding Meshtastic mapping is found and replies are enabled.
+    - Relays regular Matrix messages to Meshtastic using configured prefix/truncation rules; handles special detection-sensor port forwarding.
+    - Integrates with the plugin system; plugins may consume or modify messages. Messages identified as bot commands are not relayed to Meshtastic.
 
     Side effects:
-    - May enqueue messages or data to be sent via Meshtastic (via the internal queue system).
-    - May read and consult persistent message mapping storage to support reaction and reply bridging.
-    - May call Matrix APIs to fetch display names.
+    - May enqueue Meshtastic send operations (text or data) via the internal queue.
+    - May read/write persistent message mappings to support reaction/reply bridging.
+    - May call Matrix APIs (e.g., to fetch display names).
 
     Returns:
     - None
@@ -1854,8 +2593,9 @@ async def on_room_message(
 
     # Find the room_config that matches this room, if any
     room_config = None
-    for room_conf in matrix_rooms:
-        if room_conf["id"] == room.room_id:
+    iterable = matrix_rooms.values() if isinstance(matrix_rooms, dict) else matrix_rooms
+    for room_conf in iterable:
+        if isinstance(room_conf, dict) and room_conf.get("id") == room.room_id:
             room_config = room_conf
             break
 
@@ -1908,6 +2648,17 @@ async def on_room_message(
 
     text = event.body.strip() if (not is_reaction and hasattr(event, "body")) else ""
 
+    # Some Matrix relays (especially Meshtastic bridges) provide the raw mesh
+    # payload alongside the formatted body. Prefer that when available so we do
+    # not lose content if the formatted text is empty or stripped unexpectedly.
+    mesh_text_override = event.source["content"].get("meshtastic_text")
+    if isinstance(mesh_text_override, str):
+        mesh_text_override = mesh_text_override.strip()
+        if not mesh_text_override:
+            mesh_text_override = None
+    else:
+        mesh_text_override = None
+
     longname = event.source["content"].get("meshtastic_longname")
     shortname = event.source["content"].get("meshtastic_shortname", None)
     meshnet_name = event.source["content"].get("meshtastic_meshnet")
@@ -1972,7 +2723,13 @@ async def on_room_message(
             reaction_message = f'{shortname}/{short_meshnet_name} reacted {reaction_emoji} to "{abbreviated_text}"'
 
             # Relay the remote reaction to the local meshnet.
-            meshtastic_interface = connect_meshtastic()
+            loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            meshtastic_interface = await loop.run_in_executor(None, connect_meshtastic)
+            if not meshtastic_interface:
+                logger.error(
+                    "Failed to connect to Meshtastic for remote reaction relay"
+                )
+                return
             from mmrelay.meshtastic_utils import logger as meshtastic_logger
 
             meshtastic_channel = room_config["meshtastic_channel"]
@@ -2047,7 +2804,11 @@ async def on_room_message(
             reaction_message = (
                 f'{prefix}reacted {reaction_emoji} to "{abbreviated_text}"'
             )
-            meshtastic_interface = connect_meshtastic()
+            loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            meshtastic_interface = await loop.run_in_executor(None, connect_meshtastic)
+            if not meshtastic_interface:
+                logger.error("Failed to connect to Meshtastic for local reaction relay")
+                return
             from mmrelay.meshtastic_utils import logger as meshtastic_logger
 
             meshtastic_channel = room_config["meshtastic_channel"]
@@ -2088,6 +2849,10 @@ async def on_room_message(
             storage_enabled,
             local_meshnet_name,
             config,
+            mesh_text_override=mesh_text_override,
+            longname=longname,
+            shortname=shortname,
+            meshnet_name=meshnet_name,
         )
         if reply_handled:
             return
@@ -2104,6 +2869,8 @@ async def on_room_message(
             # If shortname is not available, derive it from the longname
             if shortname is None:
                 shortname = longname[:SHORTNAME_FALLBACK_LENGTH] if longname else "???"
+            if mesh_text_override:
+                text = mesh_text_override
             # Remove the original prefix to avoid double-tagging
             # Get the prefix that would have been used for this message
             original_prefix = get_matrix_prefix(
@@ -2114,10 +2881,18 @@ async def on_room_message(
                 logger.debug(
                     f"Removed original prefix '{original_prefix}' from remote meshnet message"
                 )
+            if not text and mesh_text_override:
+                text = mesh_text_override
             text = truncate_message(text)
             # Use the configured prefix format for remote meshnet messages
             prefix = get_matrix_prefix(config, longname, shortname, short_meshnet_name)
             full_message = f"{prefix}{text}"
+            if not text:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Remote meshnet message from %s had empty text after formatting; skipping relay",
+                    meshnet_name,
+                )
+                return
         else:
             # If this message is from our local meshnet (loopback), we ignore it
             return
@@ -2173,7 +2948,8 @@ async def on_room_message(
         return
 
     # Connect to Meshtastic
-    meshtastic_interface = connect_meshtastic()
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    meshtastic_interface = await loop.run_in_executor(None, connect_meshtastic)
     from mmrelay.meshtastic_utils import logger as meshtastic_logger
 
     if not meshtastic_interface: