diff --git a/frontend/src/composables/useStreamingTts.ts b/frontend/src/composables/useStreamingTts.ts
index dda7084..80c9ed2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/composables/useStreamingTts.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/composables/useStreamingTts.ts
@@ -86,11 +86,21 @@ export function useStreamingTts(options: UseStreamingTtsOptions): UseStreamingTt
     try {
       blob = await synthesiseSpeech(stripped)
     } catch (e) {
-      console.warn('[StreamingTTS] Synthesis failed, retrying sentence', { sentence: stripped, error: e })
+      const errMsg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)
+      console.warn('[StreamingTTS] Synthesis failed, retrying', {
+        chars: stripped.length,
+        preview: stripped.slice(0, 80),
+        error: errMsg,
+      })
       try {
         blob = await synthesiseSpeech(stripped)
       } catch (e2) {
-        console.warn('[StreamingTTS] Retry also failed, skipping sentence', { sentence: stripped, error: e2 })
+        const errMsg2 = e2 instanceof Error ? e2.message : String(e2)
+        console.warn('[StreamingTTS] Retry failed, sentence dropped', {
+          chars: stripped.length,
+          preview: stripped.slice(0, 80),
+          error: errMsg2,
+        })
       }
     } finally {
       pendingCount.value--
diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/routes/voice.py b/src/fabledassistant/routes/voice.py
index e4bb98b..b0ed890 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/routes/voice.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/routes/voice.py
@@ -117,7 +117,12 @@ async def synthesise_speech():
     if not text:
         return jsonify({"error": "text is required"}), 400
 
-    if len(text) > 8000:
+    char_count = len(text)
+    if char_count > 8000:
+        logger.warning(
+            "TTS request rejected: text too long (%d chars, limit 8000). Preview: %r",
+            char_count, text[:120],
+        )
         return jsonify({"error": "text too long (max 8000 characters)"}), 400
 
     voice = str(data.get("voice", "af_heart"))
@@ -154,11 +159,29 @@ async def synthesise_speech():
         except Exception:
             pass
 
+    blend_desc = f"blend({len(voice_blend)} voices)" if voice_blend else voice
+    logger.info("TTS synthesis start: %d chars, voice=%s, speed=%.2f", char_count, blend_desc, speed)
+    t0 = time.monotonic()
     try:
         wav_bytes = await synthesise(text, voice=voice, speed=speed, voice_blend=voice_blend)
     except Exception:
-        logger.exception("TTS synthesis failed")
+        logger.exception(
+            "TTS synthesis failed: %d chars, voice=%s. Preview: %r",
+            char_count, blend_desc, text[:120],
+        )
         return jsonify({"error": "Synthesis failed"}), 500
 
+    duration_ms = round((time.monotonic() - t0) * 1000)
+    if not wav_bytes:
+        logger.warning(
+            "TTS synthesis returned empty audio: %d chars, voice=%s, %dms. Preview: %r",
+            char_count, blend_desc, duration_ms, text[:120],
+        )
+    else:
+        logger.info(
+            "TTS synthesis complete: %d chars → %d bytes in %dms (voice=%s)",
+            char_count, len(wav_bytes), duration_ms, blend_desc,
+        )
+
     from quart import Response
     return Response(wav_bytes, mimetype="audio/wav")
diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/services/tts.py b/src/fabledassistant/services/tts.py
index fa68d74..34f5263 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/services/tts.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/services/tts.py
@@ -239,17 +239,32 @@ async def synthesise(
         voice_param = _build_voice_param()
         t0 = time.monotonic()
         audio_chunks: list = []
-        for _, _, audio in _pipeline(text, voice=voice_param, speed=speed):  # type: ignore[misc]
-            if audio is not None:
-                audio_chunks.append(audio)
+        try:
+            for _, _, audio in _pipeline(text, voice=voice_param, speed=speed):  # type: ignore[misc]
+                if audio is not None:
+                    audio_chunks.append(audio)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.exception(
+                "Kokoro pipeline error during synthesis: %d chars, preview=%r",
+                len(text), text[:80],
+            )
+            raise
 
         if not audio_chunks:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Kokoro produced no audio chunks: %d chars, preview=%r",
+                len(text), text[:80],
+            )
             return b""
 
         combined = np.concatenate(audio_chunks)
         buf = io.BytesIO()
         sf.write(buf, combined, samplerate=24000, format="WAV", subtype="PCM_16")
-        logger.debug("TTS synthesis took %.2fs for %d chars", time.monotonic() - t0, len(text))
+        elapsed = time.monotonic() - t0
+        logger.info(
+            "Kokoro synthesis: %d chars → %d samples (%.2fs, %.0f chars/s)",
+            len(text), len(combined), elapsed, len(text) / elapsed if elapsed > 0 else 0,
+        )
         return buf.getvalue()
 
     loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()