diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/meshtastic.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/meshtastic.rs
index 5b0d7264..c7806fdb 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/meshtastic.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/meshtastic.rs
@@ -856,8 +856,22 @@ fn packet_to_inbound_frame(
     contacts: &mut HashMap<u32, ParsedContact>,
     peer_pubkeys: &mut HashMap<u32, Vec<u8>>,
 ) -> Option<InboundFrame> {
-    let packet = parse_mesh_packet(data)?;
+    let Some(packet) = parse_mesh_packet(data) else {
+        debug!(
+            len = data.len(),
+            head = %hex::encode(&data[..data.len().min(16)]),
+            "Meshtastic FromRadio.packet did not parse into a decoded MeshPacket"
+        );
+        return None;
+    };
     if packet.portnum != TEXT_MESSAGE_APP || packet.payload.is_empty() {
+        debug!(
+            from = ?packet.from.map(|n| format!("!{:08x}", n)),
+            portnum = packet.portnum,
+            payload_len = packet.payload.len(),
+            pki = packet.pki_encrypted,
+            "Meshtastic packet ignored because it is not a text payload"
+        );
         return None;
     }
     if packet_is_stale(packet.rx_time) {
@@ -870,6 +884,10 @@ fn packet_to_inbound_frame(
     }
     let from = packet.from.unwrap_or(0);
     if Some(from) == local_node_num {
+        debug!(
+            from = format!("!{:08x}", from),
+            "Ignoring Meshtastic local echo packet"
+        );
         return None;
     }
     info!(
@@ -1132,6 +1150,12 @@ fn encode_mesh_packet(to: u32, portnum: u32, payload: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {
     encode_len_field(4, &decoded, &mut packet);
     encode_fixed32_field(6, next_packet_id(), &mut packet);
     encode_fixed32_field(7, now_unix_secs(), &mut packet);
+    // Meshtastic treats an unset hop_limit as zero, i.e. direct-neighbor only.
+    // Set a normal mesh hop limit so stock-device DMs can route beyond one hop.
+    encode_varint_field_into(9, 3, &mut packet);
+    if to != BROADCAST_NUM {
+        encode_varint_field_into(10, 1, &mut packet);
+    }
     packet
 }
 
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
index 33186b70..e45e577c 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
@@ -1076,12 +1076,12 @@ function isEditedMessage(msg: MeshMessage): number | null {
 function isDeletedMessage(msg: MeshMessage): boolean {
   return msg.message_type === 'delete' || msg.typed_payload?.deleted === true
 }
-/// Short label for the per-message transport pill (Mesh / FIPS / Tor), or null
+/// Short label for the per-message transport pill (LoRa / FIPS / Tor), or null
 /// when the transport isn't known. Covers both meshcore and meshtastic since
 /// the field lives on the shared MeshMessage.
 function transportLabel(msg: MeshMessage): string | null {
   switch (msg.transport) {
-    case 'lora': return 'Mesh'
+    case 'lora': return 'LoRa'
     case 'fips': return 'FIPS'
     case 'tor': return 'Tor'
     default: return null