diff --git a/daemon/src/main/kotlin/org/matrix/vector/daemon/VectorDaemon.kt b/daemon/src/main/kotlin/org/matrix/vector/daemon/VectorDaemon.kt
index d1d398c3a..a53862c91 100644
--- a/daemon/src/main/kotlin/org/matrix/vector/daemon/VectorDaemon.kt
+++ b/daemon/src/main/kotlin/org/matrix/vector/daemon/VectorDaemon.kt
@@ -102,10 +102,17 @@ object VectorDaemon {
 
     applyNotificationWorkaround()
 
+    // Read this before `sendToBridge`, which leaves the main thread at euid 1000: the config
+    // database lives under a directory only root can enter, so the first process to open it has
+    // to do so while we still have root. On a successful injection a binder thread opens it for
+    // us during specialization, but when the injection fails nothing else has, and the daemon
+    // used to die here on an unreadable preference.
+    val isVerboseLog = ManagerService.isVerboseLog()
+
     // Setup IPC channel for applications by injecting DaemonService binder
     sendToBridge(VectorService.asBinder(), false, systemServerMaxRetry)
 
-    if (!ManagerService.isVerboseLog()) {
+    if (!isVerboseLog) {
       LogcatMonitor.stopVerbose()
     }
 
diff --git a/zygisk/src/main/cpp/ipc_bridge.cpp b/zygisk/src/main/cpp/ipc_bridge.cpp
index 71217c6d4..bc19adfd8 100644
--- a/zygisk/src/main/cpp/ipc_bridge.cpp
+++ b/zygisk/src/main/cpp/ipc_bridge.cpp
@@ -290,9 +290,9 @@ lsplant::ScopedLocalRef<jobject> IPCBridge::RequestAppBinder(JNIEnv *env, jstrin
                 env->NewGlobalRef(heartbeat_binder.get());
             }
         }
-    } else {
-        LOGD("Transact call to request app binder failed.");
     }
+    // No else: a false transaction is the daemon declining, which is the ordinary answer for a
+    // process no module has in scope. The caller logs that outcome, with the process name.
 
     return result_binder;
 }
diff --git a/zygisk/src/main/cpp/module.cpp b/zygisk/src/main/cpp/module.cpp
index 7753b3d1b..0dbb21472 100644
--- a/zygisk/src/main/cpp/module.cpp
+++ b/zygisk/src/main/cpp/module.cpp
@@ -324,12 +324,14 @@ void VectorModule::postAppSpecialize(const zygisk::AppSpecializeArgs *args) {
 
     // --- Framework Injection ---
     lsplant::JUTFString nice_name_str(env_, args->nice_name);
-    LOGD("Attempting injection into '{}'.", nice_name_str.get());
+    LOGD("Asking the daemon about '{}'.", nice_name_str.get());
 
     auto &ipc_bridge = IPCBridge::GetInstance();
     auto binder = ipc_bridge.RequestAppBinder(env_, args->nice_name);
     if (!binder) {
-        LOGD("No IPC binder obtained for '{}'. Skipping injection.", nice_name_str.get());
+        // Usually because nothing has it in scope, but the daemon may also not be up yet or have
+        // registered this process already. Only it knows which, and it logs the reason itself.
+        LOGD("Not injecting '{}': the daemon has no binder for it.", nice_name_str.get());
         SetAllowUnload(true);
         return;
     }