diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index a8a9d72..c1c5004 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ def api_diagnose_start():
             result = runner.run(host_ip, server_name, matched_iface, port_data)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f'Diagnostic job {job_id} failed: {e}', exc_info=True)
-            result = {'status': 'error', 'error': str(e)}
+            result = {'status': 'error', 'error': 'Diagnostic failed; check server logs.'}
         with _diag_lock:
             if job_id in _diag_jobs:
                 _diag_jobs[job_id]['status'] = 'done'
@@ -563,7 +563,8 @@ def health():
         db.get_state('last_check')
         checks['db'] = 'ok'
     except Exception as e:
-        checks['db'] = f'error: {e}'
+        logger.error(f'Health check db error: {e}')
+        checks['db'] = 'error'
         overall = 'degraded'
 
     # Monitor freshness: fail if last_check is older than 20 minutes
@@ -580,7 +581,8 @@ def health():
         else:
             checks['monitor'] = 'no data yet'
     except Exception as e:
-        checks['monitor'] = f'error: {e}'
+        logger.error(f'Health check monitor error: {e}')
+        checks['monitor'] = 'error'
         overall = 'degraded'
 
     status_code = 200 if overall == 'ok' else 503
diff --git a/monitor.py b/monitor.py
index 9d287ec..ef2a5bf 100644
--- a/monitor.py
+++ b/monitor.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ from urllib3.exceptions import InsecureRequestWarning
 
 import db
 
-requests.packages.urllib3.disable_warnings(InsecureRequestWarning)
 
 logging.basicConfig(
     level=logging.INFO,
@@ -90,7 +89,9 @@ class UnifiClient:
         self.base_url = cfg['controller']
         self.site_id = cfg.get('site_id', 'default')
         self.session = requests.Session()
-        self.session.verify = False
+        self.session.verify = cfg.get('verify_ssl', True)
+        if not self.session.verify:
+            requests.packages.urllib3.disable_warnings(InsecureRequestWarning)
         self.headers = {
             'X-API-KEY': cfg['api_key'],
             'Accept': 'application/json',
@@ -262,7 +263,10 @@ class PulseClient:
                 timeout=10,
             )
             resp.raise_for_status()
-            execution_id = resp.json()['execution_id']
+            execution_id = resp.json().get('execution_id')
+            if not execution_id:
+                logger.error('Pulse submit response missing execution_id')
+                return None
             self.last_execution_id = execution_id
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f'Pulse command submit failed: {e}')
@@ -352,7 +356,7 @@ class LinkStatsCollector:
             return {}
 
         # Validate interface names (kernel names only contain [a-zA-Z0-9_.-])
-        safe_ifaces = [i for i in ifaces if re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_.@-]+$', i)]
+        safe_ifaces = [i for i in ifaces if re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+$', i)]
         if not safe_ifaces:
             return {}