diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml
index 6cdcad8..d4a0dc0 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/meshtasticator-e2e.yaml
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Print simulator log (on failure)
         if: failure()
         run: |
-          echo "===== meshtasticator-sim.log ====="
-          tail -n 200 meshtasticator-sim.log 2>/dev/null || true
+          echo "===== meshtasticator-sim.log (tail) ====="
+          tail -n 400 meshtasticator-sim.log 2>/dev/null || true
+          echo "===== meshtasticator-nodes.log (if any) ====="
+          tail -n 200 meshtasticator-nodes.log 2>/dev/null || true
           echo "===== docker ps ====="
           docker ps -a 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
index e3f5da4..2a5a034 100755
--- a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
@@ -135,6 +135,32 @@ assert old in src, "move_figure source no longer matches the pinned meshtasticat
 src = src.replace(old, new)
 gui.write_text(src)
 print("patched lib/gui.py")
+
+# --- RF instrumentation (prints land in meshtasticator-sim.log) ---------------
+# Why nothing is delivered between nodes is not yet known; log every packet the
+# sim's per-node interfaces observe so the next failing run explains itself.
+interactive = Path(sys.argv[1]) / "lib" / "interactive.py"
+src = interactive.read_text()
+
+old = '    def on_receive(self, interface, packet):\n'
+new = old + (
+    '        print(f"[sim] on_receive port={getattr(interface, \'portNumber\', None)} '
+    'decoded_keys={list(packet.get(\'decoded\', {}).keys())}")\n'
+)
+assert old in src, "on_receive signature moved in the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new, 1)
+
+old = '            pub.subscribe(self.on_receive, "meshtastic.receive.simulator")'
+new = old + (
+    '\n            pub.subscribe('
+    'lambda interface, packet: print(f"[sim-text] port={getattr(interface, \'portNumber\', None)} '
+    'text={packet.get(\'decoded\', {}).get(\'text\')!r}"), "meshtastic.receive.text")'
+)
+assert old in src, "simulator subscription moved in the pinned meshtasticator"
+src = src.replace(old, new, 1)
+
+interactive.write_text(src)
+print("patched lib/interactive.py (RF instrumentation)")
 PY
 
 if [ "$MODE" = docker ]; then
@@ -161,6 +187,10 @@ rm -f "$SIM_FIFO"
 
 cleanup() {
   echo "== tearing down simulator (pid $SIM_PID) =="
+  # Graceful 'exit' through the cmdloop (avoids hundreds of EOF spam lines in
+  # sim.log and lets the sim close its own nodes/container).
+  echo exit >&9 2>/dev/null || true
+  sleep 2
   exec 9>&- 2>/dev/null || true   # release the FIFO write end (sim stdin EOF)
   kill "$SIM_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
   wait "$SIM_PID" 2>/dev/null || true