diff --git a/bridge/README.md b/bridge/README.md
index 1d74c2d..1d448ab 100644
--- a/bridge/README.md
+++ b/bridge/README.md
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ services:
       MQTT_BASE_TOPIC: "evs"
       MQTT_TTS_TOPIC: "evs/+/play_pcm16le"
       MQTT_STATUS_RETAIN: "true"
+      WS_TX_CHUNK_BYTES: "1024"
       DEVICE_PAIR_MAP: '{"esp32-evs-1-mic":"esp32-evs-1-spk"}'
       HA_WEBHOOK_URL: ""
       SAVE_SESSIONS: "true"
diff --git a/bridge/app.py b/bridge/app.py
index 564d413..6de141a 100644
--- a/bridge/app.py
+++ b/bridge/app.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ MQTT_BASE_TOPIC = os.getenv("MQTT_BASE_TOPIC", "evs")
 MQTT_TTS_TOPIC = os.getenv("MQTT_TTS_TOPIC", f"{MQTT_BASE_TOPIC}/+/play_pcm16le")
 MQTT_STATUS_RETAIN = getenv_bool("MQTT_STATUS_RETAIN", True)
 DEVICE_PAIR_MAP_JSON = os.getenv("DEVICE_PAIR_MAP", "").strip()
+WS_TX_CHUNK_BYTES = int(os.getenv("WS_TX_CHUNK_BYTES", "1024"))
 
 HA_WEBHOOK_URL = os.getenv("HA_WEBHOOK_URL", "").strip()
 SAVE_SESSIONS = getenv_bool("SAVE_SESSIONS", True)
@@ -118,7 +119,11 @@ class BridgeState:
         if not session:
             return False
         try:
-            await session.ws.send(pcm_data)
+            if not pcm_data:
+                return True
+            chunk_size = max(128, WS_TX_CHUNK_BYTES)
+            for i in range(0, len(pcm_data), chunk_size):
+                await session.ws.send(pcm_data[i : i + chunk_size])
             return True
         except Exception:
             log.exception("ws send to device failed")
@@ -457,8 +462,18 @@ async def handle_binary_message(device_id: str, session: DeviceSession, data: by
     if ECHO_ENABLED:
         target_device = paired_output_device(device_id)
         ok = await state.send_binary_to_device(target_device, data)
-        if not ok and target_device != device_id:
-            log.debug("paired output device not connected: src=%s target=%s", device_id, target_device)
+        if ok:
+            if target_device != device_id:
+                log.info(
+                    "audio routed: src=%s -> target=%s bytes=%s",
+                    device_id,
+                    target_device,
+                    len(data),
+                )
+            else:
+                log.debug("audio echo self: device=%s bytes=%s", device_id, len(data))
+        elif target_device != device_id:
+            log.warning("paired output device not connected: src=%s target=%s", device_id, target_device)
 
 
 def parse_device_id(path: str) -> str:
diff --git a/control-portal/app.py b/control-portal/app.py
index e46ffd0..050e498 100644
--- a/control-portal/app.py
+++ b/control-portal/app.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import logging
 import os
 from typing import Any, Dict
 
@@ -13,13 +14,37 @@ MQTT_PASSWORD = os.getenv("MQTT_PASSWORD", "")
 MQTT_BASE_TOPIC = os.getenv("MQTT_BASE_TOPIC", "evs")
 PORTAL_BIND_HOST = os.getenv("PORTAL_BIND_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
 PORTAL_BIND_PORT = int(os.getenv("PORTAL_BIND_PORT", "8088"))
+LOG_LEVEL = os.getenv("LOG_LEVEL", "INFO")
 
 
+logging.basicConfig(level=LOG_LEVEL, format="%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s")
+log = logging.getLogger("evs-control-portal")
+
 app = Flask(__name__)
+mqtt_connected = False
 mqtt_client = mqtt.Client(mqtt.CallbackAPIVersion.VERSION2, client_id="evs-control-portal")
 if MQTT_USER:
     mqtt_client.username_pw_set(MQTT_USER, MQTT_PASSWORD)
-mqtt_client.connect(MQTT_HOST, MQTT_PORT, keepalive=30)
+
+
+def _on_connect(_client, _userdata, _flags, reason_code, _properties=None):
+    global mqtt_connected
+    mqtt_connected = reason_code == 0
+    if mqtt_connected:
+        log.info("mqtt connected: %s:%s", MQTT_HOST, MQTT_PORT)
+    else:
+        log.error("mqtt connect failed: reason_code=%s", reason_code)
+
+
+def _on_disconnect(_client, _userdata, reason_code, _properties=None):
+    global mqtt_connected
+    mqtt_connected = False
+    log.warning("mqtt disconnected: reason_code=%s", reason_code)
+
+
+mqtt_client.on_connect = _on_connect
+mqtt_client.on_disconnect = _on_disconnect
+mqtt_client.connect_async(MQTT_HOST, MQTT_PORT, keepalive=30)
 mqtt_client.loop_start()
 
 
@@ -28,6 +53,12 @@ def _topic_for_device(device_id: str) -> str:
 
 
 def _publish(device_id: str, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    if not mqtt_connected:
+        return {
+            "ok": False,
+            "error": f"mqtt not connected to {MQTT_HOST}:{MQTT_PORT}",
+            "mqtt_connected": False,
+        }
     topic = _topic_for_device(device_id)
     encoded = json.dumps(payload, separators=(",", ":"))
     info = mqtt_client.publish(topic, encoded, qos=0, retain=False)
@@ -36,6 +67,7 @@ def _publish(device_id: str, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         "topic": topic,
         "payload": payload,
         "mqtt_rc": info.rc,
+        "mqtt_connected": mqtt_connected,
     }
 
 
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index f7f6f27..67862f2 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ framework = arduino
 monitor_speed = 115200
 lib_deps =
   gilmaimon/ArduinoWebsockets @ ^0.5.4
+  knolleary/PubSubClient @ ^2.8
 
 ; Stable baseline (your current toolchain family)
 [env:esp32dev_core2]