diff --git a/src/app.cpp b/src/app.cpp
index 9828be1..304d60b 100644
--- a/src/app.cpp
+++ b/src/app.cpp
@@ -5742,6 +5742,39 @@ void App::beginShutdown()
     });
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> App::tailDaemonDebugLog(int maxLines) const
+{
+    std::vector<std::string> out;
+    if (maxLines <= 0) return out;
+    const std::string path = util::Platform::getDataDir() + "debug.log";
+    std::error_code ec;
+    const auto sz = std::filesystem::file_size(path, ec);
+    if (ec || sz == 0) return out;
+    std::ifstream f(path, std::ios::binary);
+    if (!f) return out;
+
+    // Read only the last ~16 KB — plenty for a handful of lines, cheap even for a multi-GB log.
+    const std::uintmax_t kTailBytes = 16 * 1024;
+    const std::uintmax_t start = sz > kTailBytes ? sz - kTailBytes : 0;
+    f.seekg(static_cast<std::streamoff>(start), std::ios::beg);
+    std::string chunk(static_cast<std::size_t>(sz - start), '\0');
+    f.read(&chunk[0], static_cast<std::streamsize>(chunk.size()));
+    chunk.resize(static_cast<std::size_t>(f.gcount()));
+
+    std::vector<std::string> lines;
+    std::string cur;
+    for (char c : chunk) {
+        if (c == '\n') { if (!cur.empty()) lines.push_back(cur); cur.clear(); }
+        else if (c != '\r') cur.push_back(c);
+    }
+    if (!cur.empty()) lines.push_back(cur);
+    // When we seeked into the middle of the file the first line is a fragment — drop it.
+    if (start > 0 && !lines.empty()) lines.erase(lines.begin());
+    if (static_cast<int>(lines.size()) > maxLines)
+        lines.erase(lines.begin(), lines.end() - static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(maxLines));
+    return lines;
+}
+
 void App::renderShutdownScreen()
 {
     using namespace ui::material;
@@ -5974,6 +6007,10 @@ void App::renderShutdownScreen()
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------
     if (daemon_controller_) {
         auto lines = daemon_controller_->recentLines(8);
+        // External daemon (attached, not spawned) has no captured stdout — tail its debug.log directly
+        // so the user can still watch the node flush the block index and exit.
+        if (lines.empty())
+            lines = tailDaemonDebugLog(8);
         if (!lines.empty()) {
             float panelW = vp_size.x * shutElem("panel-width-fraction", 0.70f);
             float panelX = cx - panelW * 0.5f;
diff --git a/src/app.h b/src/app.h
index 93cc22a..ba1f41c 100644
--- a/src/app.h
+++ b/src/app.h
@@ -175,6 +175,13 @@ public:
      */
     void renderShutdownScreen();
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Tail the last N lines of the daemon's debug.log (best-effort, reads only the file tail).
+     * Fallback for the shutdown screen when we have no captured stdout — e.g. an external daemon we
+     * attached to rather than spawned — so the user can still see the node flushing/exiting.
+     */
+    std::vector<std::string> tailDaemonDebugLog(int maxLines) const;
+
     /**
      * @brief Render loading overlay in content area while daemon is starting/syncing
      * @param contentH Height of the content area child window
diff --git a/src/util/i18n.cpp b/src/util/i18n.cpp
index 3230589..d1c9351 100644
--- a/src/util/i18n.cpp
+++ b/src/util/i18n.cpp
@@ -1456,8 +1456,8 @@ void I18n::loadBuiltinEnglish()
         strings_["sb_daemon_extract_failed"] = "Failed to write daemon files — check free disk space and permissions.";
         strings_["sb_daemon_files_failed"] = "Failed to write daemon files to %s — check free disk space and permissions.";
         strings_["loading_stall_title"] = "Taking longer than expected";
-        strings_["loading_stall_body"] = "The daemon has been initializing for %.0fs. This can be normal after an update or on first launch (loading the block index or rescanning) — it will connect automatically once ready.";
-        strings_["loading_stall_hint"] = "Still stuck? Open Settings and use Restart Daemon, or check the Console for details.";
+        strings_["loading_stall_body"] = "Initializing for %.0fs — normal after an update or first launch. Connects automatically when ready.";
+        strings_["loading_stall_hint"] = "Stuck? Settings → Restart Daemon, or check the Console.";
         strings_["sb_plaintext_remote_blocked"] = "Refusing to send RPC credentials over plaintext to a remote host. Add rpcallowplaintext=1 to DRAGONX.conf to allow it, or enable TLS with rpctls=1.";
         strings_["rpc_plaintext_remote_warning"] = "Remote RPC is using plaintext HTTP. Add rpctls=1 to DRAGONX.conf if your daemon supports TLS.";
         strings_["settings_open_log_folder"] = "Open log folder";