diff --git a/bin/cli/commands/doctor.mjs b/bin/cli/commands/doctor.mjs
index 087101b50d..f61f9d60c0 100644
--- a/bin/cli/commands/doctor.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/commands/doctor.mjs
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ async function checkNativeBinary(rootDir) {
       "Release",
       "better_sqlite3.node"
     ),
+    path.join(rootDir, "dist", "node_modules", "better-sqlite3", "build", "Release", "better_sqlite3.node"),
     path.join(rootDir, "node_modules", "better-sqlite3", "build", "Release", "better_sqlite3.node"),
   ];
   const binaryPath = candidates.find((candidate) => fs.existsSync(candidate));
diff --git a/bin/cli/commands/runtime.mjs b/bin/cli/commands/runtime.mjs
index ffd8c0dac0..ed41bca352 100644
--- a/bin/cli/commands/runtime.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/commands/runtime.mjs
@@ -34,7 +34,14 @@ async function runRepairAction(opts, cmd) {
   if (ok) {
     process.stdout.write("✓ better-sqlite3 repaired OK\n");
   } else {
-    process.stderr.write("✗ Repair failed — check npm availability\n");
+    process.stderr.write("✗ Repair failed\n");
+    process.stderr.write(
+      "  Possible causes:\n" +
+        "  • npm not available — check that Node.js/npm are on your PATH\n" +
+        "  • npm install scripts are blocked — run: npm install-scripts approve better-sqlite3\n" +
+        "  • Network issue — check your internet connection\n" +
+        "  Try: npm install-scripts ls  (to see if better-sqlite3 is blocked)\n"
+    );
     process.exit(1);
   }
 }
diff --git a/bin/cli/commands/setup-claude.mjs b/bin/cli/commands/setup-claude.mjs
index fbb95d5ff8..6ccc668257 100644
--- a/bin/cli/commands/setup-claude.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/commands/setup-claude.mjs
@@ -156,7 +156,16 @@ export async function runSetupClaudeCommand(opts = {}) {
       headers,
       signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10000),
     });
-    if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      let detail = `HTTP ${res.status}`;
+      try {
+        const errorBody = await res.json();
+        const serverMsg =
+          errorBody?.error?.message || errorBody?.error || errorBody?.message || "";
+        if (serverMsg) detail += ` — ${serverMsg}`;
+      } catch {}
+      throw new Error(detail);
+    }
     const body = await res.json();
     models = body.data ?? body.models ?? [];
   } catch (err) {
diff --git a/bin/cli/runtime/nativeDeps.mjs b/bin/cli/runtime/nativeDeps.mjs
index 1dc442270e..bd053384f9 100644
--- a/bin/cli/runtime/nativeDeps.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/runtime/nativeDeps.mjs
@@ -152,9 +152,18 @@ export function ensureBetterSqliteRuntime({ silent = false, force = false } = {}
     if (!silent) process.stdout.write("[omniroute][runtime] better-sqlite3 OK\n");
     return { betterSqlite: true };
   }
+  if (!silent) {
+    process.stdout.write(
+      `[omniroute][runtime] Installing better-sqlite3@${BETTER_SQLITE3_VERSION} into runtime...\n`
+    );
+  }
   const ok = npmInstallRuntime([`better-sqlite3@${BETTER_SQLITE3_VERSION}`], { silent });
   if (!ok && !silent) {
-    process.stderr.write("[omniroute][runtime] better-sqlite3 install failed\n");
+    process.stderr.write(
+      "[omniroute][runtime] better-sqlite3 install failed.\n" +
+        "  This usually means npm install scripts are blocked.\n" +
+        "  Try: npm install-scripts approve better-sqlite3\n"
+    );
   }
   return { betterSqlite: ok && hasModule("better-sqlite3") && isBetterSqliteBinaryValid() };
 }
diff --git a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/providers/[id]/hooks/useApiKeySave.ts b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/providers/[id]/hooks/useApiKeySave.ts
index 620a80a63e..97b9974532 100644
--- a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/providers/[id]/hooks/useApiKeySave.ts
+++ b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/providers/[id]/hooks/useApiKeySave.ts
@@ -137,11 +137,17 @@ export function useApiKeySave({
           }
           return null;
         }
+        // Even if the server returned an error, the connection may have been
+        // persisted (e.g. post-commit housekeeping failed after the DB write).
+        // Refresh the list so the UI picks it up on next render.
+        void fetchConnections();
         const data = await res.json().catch(() => ({}));
         const errorMsg = data.error?.message || data.error || t("failedSaveConnection");
         return errorMsg;
       } catch (error) {
         console.log("Error saving connection:", error);
+        // The connection may still have been persisted despite the network error.
+        void fetchConnections();
         return t("failedSaveConnectionRetry");
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/app/api/providers/route.ts b/src/app/api/providers/route.ts
index b172e9ef07..3a4fa50583 100644
--- a/src/app/api/providers/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/providers/route.ts
@@ -243,22 +243,37 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
       );
     }
 
-    // Auto sync to Cloud if enabled
-    await syncToCloudIfEnabled();
+    // Post-commit housekeeping: sync + audit must never fail the 201 response.
+    // The connection is already persisted; these are non-critical side-effects.
+    try {
+      await syncToCloudIfEnabled();
+    } catch (housekeepingError) {
+      console.log(
+        `[providers] syncToCloudIfEnabled failed after connection creation for ${newConnection.id}:`,
+        housekeepingError
+      );
+    }
 
-    logAuditEvent({
-      action: "provider.credentials.created",
-      actor: "admin",
-      target: getProviderAuditTarget(newConnection),
-      resourceType: "provider_credentials",
-      status: "success",
-      ipAddress: auditContext.ipAddress || undefined,
-      requestId: auditContext.requestId,
-      metadata: {
-        provider: provider,
-        connection: summarizeProviderConnectionForAudit(newConnection),
-      },
-    });
+    try {
+      logAuditEvent({
+        action: "provider.credentials.created",
+        actor: "admin",
+        target: getProviderAuditTarget(newConnection),
+        resourceType: "provider_credentials",
+        status: "success",
+        ipAddress: auditContext.ipAddress || undefined,
+        requestId: auditContext.requestId,
+        metadata: {
+          provider: provider,
+          connection: summarizeProviderConnectionForAudit(newConnection),
+        },
+      });
+    } catch (auditError) {
+      console.log(
+        `[providers] logAuditEvent failed after connection creation for ${newConnection.id}:`,
+        auditError
+      );
+    }
 
     return NextResponse.json({ connection: result }, { status: 201 });
   } catch (error) {