@@ -154,29 +154,30 @@ function getEncryptionKey() {
  * SQLCipher databases start with different magic bytes than regular SQLite
  */
 function isDatabaseEncrypted(dbPath) {
-  if (!fs.existsSync(dbPath)) {
-    return null; // Database doesn't exist
+  let fd;
+  try {
+    fd = fs.openSync(dbPath, 'r');
+  } catch (openErr) {
+    if (openErr.code === 'ENOENT') return null;
+    return null;
   }
-  
+
   try {
-    // Read first 16 bytes of the file
-    const fd = fs.openSync(dbPath, 'r');
     const buffer = Buffer.alloc(16);
     fs.readSync(fd, buffer, 0, 16, 0);
     fs.closeSync(fd);
-    
+
     // SQLite3 magic header: "SQLite format 3\0"
     const sqliteMagic = Buffer.from('SQLite format 3\0');
-    
-    // If file starts with SQLite magic, it's unencrypted
+
     if (buffer.compare(sqliteMagic, 0, 16, 0, 16) === 0) {
-      return false; // Unencrypted
+      return false;
     }
-    
-    // Otherwise, assume encrypted (or corrupted)
+
     return true;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return null; // Unable to determine
+  } catch {
+    try { fs.closeSync(fd); } catch { /* already closed */ }
+    return null;
   }
 }
 
@@ -689,13 +690,13 @@ async function seedDefaultData(defaultOrgId) {
     console.log(' Account : admin@transtrack.local');
     console.log(' Source  : ' + passwordSource);
     if (setupTokenFilePath) {
-      console.log(' Token   : ' + defaultPassword);
+      console.log(' Token   : (see file below)');
       console.log(' File    : ' + setupTokenFilePath);
       console.log(' (mode 0o600 on POSIX; ACL inherited on Windows)');
     } else if (envPassword) {
       console.log(' Token   : (supplied by env; not echoed)');
     } else {
-      console.log(' Token   : ' + defaultPassword);
+      console.log(' Token   : (could not persist to file; set TRANSTRACK_INITIAL_ADMIN_PASSWORD env and restart)');
     }
     console.log(' Must change password on first sign-in: yes');
     console.log('================================================================');
 
@@ -288,12 +288,20 @@ function register() {
     const ext = path.extname(importPath).toLowerCase();
 
     const MAX_IMPORT_SIZE = 50 * 1024 * 1024; // 50 MB
-    const stat = fs.statSync(importPath);
-    if (stat.size > MAX_IMPORT_SIZE) {
-      throw new Error(`File too large (${(stat.size / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(1)} MB). Maximum import size is 50 MB.`);
+    const fd = fs.openSync(importPath, 'r');
+    let raw;
+    try {
+      const stat = fs.fstatSync(fd);
+      if (stat.size > MAX_IMPORT_SIZE) {
+        fs.closeSync(fd);
+        throw new Error(`File too large (${(stat.size / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(1)} MB). Maximum import size is 50 MB.`);
+      }
+      raw = fs.readFileSync(fd, 'utf8');
+      fs.closeSync(fd);
+    } catch (fdErr) {
+      try { fs.closeSync(fd); } catch { /* already closed */ }
+      throw fdErr;
     }
-
-    const raw = fs.readFileSync(importPath, 'utf8');
     let parsed;
 
     if (ext === '.json') {
 
@@ -89,26 +89,45 @@ const REMOTE_LOG_LEVELS = new Set(
     .split(',').map((s) => s.trim().toLowerCase()).filter(Boolean)
 );
 
+const SAFE_META_KEYS = new Set(['error', 'code', 'component', 'action', 'duration']);
+const MAX_REMOTE_MSG_LEN = 256;
+
+function _buildRemotePayload(level, message, meta) {
+  const safeMsg = typeof message === 'string'
+    ? message.slice(0, MAX_REMOTE_MSG_LEN)
+    : String(message || '').slice(0, MAX_REMOTE_MSG_LEN);
+
+  const safeMeta = {};
+  if (meta && typeof meta === 'object') {
+    for (const key of Object.keys(meta)) {
+      if (!SAFE_META_KEYS.has(key)) continue;
+      const val = meta[key];
+      if (typeof val === 'string') safeMeta[key] = val.slice(0, 128);
+      else if (typeof val === 'number' || typeof val === 'boolean') safeMeta[key] = val;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+    level: String(level),
+    message: safeMsg,
+    meta: Object.keys(safeMeta).length > 0 ? safeMeta : undefined,
+    product: 'TransTrack',
+    platform: process.platform,
+    pid: process.pid,
+  };
+}
+
 function _shipRemote(level, message, meta) {
   if (!REMOTE_LOG_URL || !REMOTE_LOG_LEVELS.has(level)) return;
   if (typeof fetch !== 'function') return;
   // Fire-and-forget; never throw out of the logger.
   try {
+    const payload = _buildRemotePayload(level, message, meta);
     fetch(REMOTE_LOG_URL, {
       method: 'POST',
       headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' },
-      body: JSON.stringify({
-        timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
-        level,
-        message,
-        meta: meta || null,
-        product: 'TransTrack',
-        version: (() => {
-          try { return app.getVersion(); } catch { return null; }
-        })(),
-        platform: process.platform,
-        pid: process.pid,
-      }),
+      body: JSON.stringify(payload),
     }).catch(() => { /* swallow */ });
   } catch { /* swallow */ }
 }