diff --git a/dmq-node/changelog.d/20260120_164606_crocodile-dentist_localstatequery_tracing_2.md b/dmq-node/changelog.d/20260120_164606_crocodile-dentist_localstatequery_tracing_2.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b212ea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dmq-node/changelog.d/20260120_164606_crocodile-dentist_localstatequery_tracing_2.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<!--
+A new scriv changelog fragment.
+
+Uncomment the section that is right (remove the HTML comment wrapper).
+For top level release notes, leave all the headers commented out.
+-->
+
+
+### Non-Breaking
+
+- improvements to local state query client tracing
diff --git a/dmq-node/src/DMQ/Configuration.hs b/dmq-node/src/DMQ/Configuration.hs
index fcc6706..5fbcda8 100644
--- a/dmq-node/src/DMQ/Configuration.hs
+++ b/dmq-node/src/DMQ/Configuration.hs
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ defaultConfiguration = Configuration {
       dmqcSigSubmissionLogicTracer                   = I True,
       dmqcLocalMsgSubmissionServerTracer             = I True,
       dmqcLocalMsgNotificationServerTracer           = I False,
-      dmqcLocalStateQueryTracer                      = I False,
+      dmqcLocalStateQueryTracer                      = I True,
 
       -- CLI only options
       dmqcVersion                                    = I False
diff --git a/dmq-node/src/DMQ/NodeToClient/LocalStateQueryClient.hs b/dmq-node/src/DMQ/NodeToClient/LocalStateQueryClient.hs
index aa5081b..0976fbd 100644
--- a/dmq-node/src/DMQ/NodeToClient/LocalStateQueryClient.hs
+++ b/dmq-node/src/DMQ/NodeToClient/LocalStateQueryClient.hs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import Data.Void
 import Cardano.Chain.Slotting (EpochSlots(..))
 import Cardano.Network.NodeToClient
 import Cardano.Slotting.EpochInfo.API
+import Cardano.Slotting.Slot (EpochNo)
 import Cardano.Slotting.Time
 import DMQ.Diffusion.NodeKernel
 import Ouroboros.Consensus.Cardano.Block
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ import Ouroboros.Network.Protocol.LocalStateQuery.Type
 --
 data TraceLocalStateQueryClient =
     Acquiring (Maybe SystemStart)
+  | CurrentEpoch EpochNo
   | NextEpoch UTCTime NominalDiffTime
   | PastHorizon PastHorizonException
 
@@ -56,9 +58,13 @@ instance ToJSON TraceLocalStateQueryClient where
       object [ "kind" .= Aeson.String "Acquiring"
              , "systemStart" .= show mSystemStart
              ]
+    CurrentEpoch epoch ->
+      object [ "kind" .= Aeson.String "CurrentEpoch"
+             , "remoteEpoch" .= show epoch
+             ]
     NextEpoch ne timer ->
       object [ "kind" .= Aeson.String "NextEpoch"
-             , "time" .= show ne
+             , "remoteTime" .= show ne
              , "countdown" .= show timer ]
     PastHorizon e ->
       object [ "kind" .= Aeson.String "PastHorizon"
@@ -115,6 +121,7 @@ cardanoClient tracer StakePools { stakePoolsVar } nextEpochVar =
               lastSlotLength <- epochInfoSlotLength ei lastSlot
               pure $ addRelativeTime (getSlotLength lastSlotLength) lastSlotTime
 
+      traceWith tracer $ CurrentEpoch epoch
       case res of
         Left err ->
           pure $ SendMsgRelease do
@@ -134,7 +141,7 @@ cardanoClient tracer StakePools { stakePoolsVar } nextEpochVar =
           writeTVar nextEpochVar $ Just nextEpoch
         toNextEpoch <- diffUTCTime nextEpoch <$> getCurrentTime
         traceWith tracer $ NextEpoch nextEpoch toNextEpoch
-        threadDelay $ min (realToFrac toNextEpoch) 86400 -- TODO fuzz this?
+        threadDelay $ min (max 1 $ realToFrac toNextEpoch) 86400 -- TODO fuzz this?
         idle $ Just systemStart
 
       -- TODO uncomment once this functionality is integrated into cardano-node