v2.1.11 - Fix api-worker DB lifecycle and NIP test reliability: add dedicated worker DB connection, guard PG expiration cast in REQ path, correct NIP-45 baseline-aware expectation, and harden run_all_tests skip handling

v2.1.10 - Fix NIP-50 PG search semantics and NIP-17 test compatibility
v2.1.9 - Rebrand repository, docs, scripts, and tooling from c-relay to c-relay-pg
2026-04-03 07:32:14 -04:00 · 2026-04-02 13:00:34 -04:00 · 2026-04-02 07:06:41 -04:00 · 2026-04-01 21:03:24 -04:00 · 2026-04-01 19:48:29 -04:00 · 2026-04-01 19:08:42 -04:00
154 changed files with 38095 additions and 2876 deletions
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ copy_executable_local.sh
 nostr_login_lite/
 style_guide/
 nostr-tools
+.test_keys
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@

 # AGENTS.md - AI Agent Integration Guide for Architect Mode

-**Project-Specific Information for AI Agents Working with C-Relay in Architect Mode**
+**Project-Specific Information for AI Agents Working with C-Relay-PG in Architect Mode**

 ## Critical Architecture Understanding

 ### System Architecture Overview
-C-Relay implements a **unique event-based configuration architecture** that fundamentally differs from traditional Nostr relays:
+C-Relay-PG implements a **unique event-based configuration architecture** that fundamentally differs from traditional Nostr relays:

 ```
 ┌─────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ C-Relay implements a **unique event-based configuration architecture** that fund
 ## Architectural Decision Analysis

 ### Configuration System Design
-**Traditional Approach vs C-Relay:**
+**Traditional Approach vs C-Relay-PG:**
 ```
-Traditional:           C-Relay:
+Traditional:           C-Relay-PG:
 config.json     →     kind 33334 events
 ENV variables   →     cryptographically signed tags
 File watching   →     database polling/restart
@@ -119,18 +119,18 @@ File watching   →     database polling/restart
 ```
 Developer Machine:
 ├── ./make_and_restart_relay.sh
-├── build/c_relay_x86
+├── build/c_relay_pg_x86
 ├── build/<relay_pubkey>.db
 └── relay.log
 ```

 ### Production SystemD Deployment
 ```
-/opt/c-relay/:
-├── c_relay_x86
+/opt/c-relay-pg/:
+├── c_relay_pg_x86
 ├── <relay_pubkey>.db
-├── systemd service (c-relay.service)
-└── c-relay user isolation
+├── systemd service (c-relay-pg.service)
+└── c-relay-pg user isolation
 ```

 ### Container Deployment Architecture
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Container:

 ### Reverse Proxy Architecture
 ```
-Internet → Nginx/HAProxy → C-Relay
+Internet → Nginx/HAProxy → C-Relay-PG
                       ├── WebSocket upgrade handling
                       ├── SSL termination
                       └── Rate limiting
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ Admin Signs Event → WebSocket Submit → Validate → Store → Restart Requir
 **Decision**: Same port serves both protocols
 **Consequences**: Simplified deployment, protocol detection overhead, libwebsockets dependency

-These architectural decisions form the foundation of C-Relay's unique approach to Nostr relay implementation and should be carefully considered when planning extensions or modifications.
+These architectural decisions form the foundation of C-Relay-PG's unique approach to Nostr relay implementation and should be carefully considered when planning extensions or modifications.
 **

 [Response interrupted by a tool use result. Only one tool may be used at a time and should be placed at the end of the message.]
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # AGENTS.md - AI Agent Integration Guide

-**Project-Specific Information for AI Agents Working with C-Relay**
+**Project-Specific Information for AI Agents Working with C-Relay-PG**

 ## Critical Build Commands

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 - Starts relay in background with proper logging

 ### Architecture-Specific Binary Outputs
- **x86_64**: `./build/c_relay_x86`
- **ARM64**: `./build/c_relay_arm64`
- **Other**: `./build/c_relay_$(ARCH)`
+- **x86_64**: `./build/c_relay_pg_x86`
+- **ARM64**: `./build/c_relay_pg_arm64`
+- **Other**: `./build/c_relay_pg_$(ARCH)`

 ### Database File Naming Convention
 - **Format**: `<relay_pubkey>.db` (NOT `.nrdb` as shown in docs)
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@
 ### Process Management
 ```bash
 # Kill existing relay processes
-pkill -f "c_relay_"
+pkill -f "c_relay_pg_"

 # Check running processes
-ps aux | grep c_relay_
+ps aux | grep c_relay_pg_

 # Force kill port binding
 fuser -k 8888/tcp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ fuser -k 8888/tcp
 - Event configuration tests: `tests/event_config_tests.sh`

 ### SystemD Integration Considerations
- Service runs as `c-relay` user in `/opt/c-relay`
+- Service runs as `c-relay-pg` user in `/opt/c-relay-pg`
 - Database files created in WorkingDirectory automatically
 - No environment variables needed (event-based config)
 - Resource limits: 65536 file descriptors, 4096 processes
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ fuser -k 8888/tcp
 ## Quick Debugging Commands
 ```bash
 # Check relay status
-ps aux | grep c_relay_ && netstat -tln | grep 8888
+ps aux | grep c_relay_pg_ && netstat -tln | grep 8888

 # View logs
 tail -f relay.log
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-# C-Relay API Documentation
+# C-Relay-PG API Documentation

-Complete API reference for the C-Relay event-based administration system and advanced features.
+Complete API reference for the C-Relay-PG event-based administration system and advanced features.

 ## Table of Contents

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Complete API reference for the C-Relay event-based administration system and adv

 ## Overview

-C-Relay uses an innovative **event-based administration system** where all configuration and management commands are sent as cryptographically signed Nostr events. This provides:
+C-Relay-PG uses an innovative **event-based administration system** where all configuration and management commands are sent as cryptographically signed Nostr events. This provides:

 - **Cryptographic security**: All commands must be signed with the admin private key
 - **Audit trail**: Complete history of all administrative actions
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ Store the admin private key securely:
 export C_RELAY_ADMIN_KEY="nsec1abc123..."

 # Secure file
-echo "nsec1abc123..." > ~/.c-relay-admin
-chmod 600 ~/.c-relay-admin
+echo "nsec1abc123..." > ~/.c-relay-pg-admin
+chmod 600 ~/.c-relay-pg-admin

 # Password manager (recommended)
 # Store in 1Password, Bitwarden, etc.
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ Examples:
  "data": [
    {
      "key": "relay_name",
-      "value": "C-Relay",
+      "value": "C-Relay-PG",
      "data_type": "string",
      "category": "relay",
      "description": "Relay name displayed in NIP-11"
@@ -506,10 +506,10 @@ ORDER BY count DESC

 | Key | Type | Default | Description |
 |-----|------|---------|-------------|
-| `relay_name` | string | "C-Relay" | Relay name (NIP-11) |
+| `relay_name` | string | "C-Relay-PG" | Relay name (NIP-11) |
 | `relay_description` | string | "C Nostr Relay" | Relay description |
 | `relay_contact` | string | "" | Admin contact info |
-| `relay_software` | string | "c-relay" | Software identifier |
+| `relay_software` | string | "c-relay-pg" | Software identifier |
 | `relay_version` | string | auto | Software version |
 | `supported_nips` | string | "1,9,11,13,15,20,33,40,42,45,50,70" | Supported NIPs |
 | `language_tags` | string | "*" | Supported languages |
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ ORDER BY count DESC

 ## Real-time Monitoring

-C-Relay provides subscription-based real-time monitoring using ephemeral events (kind 24567).
+C-Relay-PG provides subscription-based real-time monitoring using ephemeral events (kind 24567).

 ### Activation

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-# Alpine-based MUSL static binary builder for C-Relay
+# Alpine-based MUSL static binary builder for C-Relay-PG
 # Produces truly portable binaries with zero runtime dependencies

 ARG DEBUG_BUILD=false
+ARG DB_BACKEND=sqlite

 FROM alpine:3.19 AS builder

-# Re-declare build argument in this stage
+# Re-declare build arguments in this stage
 ARG DEBUG_BUILD=false
+ARG DB_BACKEND=sqlite

 # Install build dependencies
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
@@ -26,9 +28,11 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache \
    curl-static \
    sqlite-dev \
    sqlite-static \
+    postgresql-dev \
    linux-headers \
    wget \
-    bash
+    bash \
+    openssh-client

 # Set working directory
 WORKDIR /build
@@ -68,15 +72,8 @@ RUN cd /tmp && \
    make install && \
    rm -rf /tmp/libwebsockets

-# Copy only submodule configuration and git directory
-COPY .gitmodules /build/.gitmodules
-COPY .git /build/.git
-
-# Clean up any stale submodule references (nips directory is not a submodule)
-RUN git rm --cached nips 2>/dev/null || true
-
-# Initialize submodules (cached unless .gitmodules changes)
-RUN git submodule update --init --recursive
+# Submodules are provided in the local build context and copied explicitly below.
+# Avoid network/SSH dependency inside Docker image build.

 # Copy nostr_core_lib source files (cached unless nostr_core_lib changes)
 COPY nostr_core_lib /build/nostr_core_lib/
@@ -84,11 +81,13 @@ COPY nostr_core_lib /build/nostr_core_lib/
 # Copy c_utils_lib source files (cached unless c_utils_lib changes)
 COPY c_utils_lib /build/c_utils_lib/

-# Build c_utils_lib with MUSL-compatible flags (cached unless c_utils_lib changes)
+# Build c_utils_lib static library for relay logging utilities
+# (build only debug.c to avoid broken/missing version header surface in submodule revision)
 RUN cd c_utils_lib && \
-    sed -i 's/CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -O2 -g/CFLAGS = -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -O2 -g/' Makefile && \
-    make clean && \
-    make
+    mkdir -p build && \
+    gcc -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -O2 -g \
+        -Isrc -Iinclude -c src/debug.c -o build/debug.o && \
+    ar rcs libc_utils.a build/debug.o

 # Build nostr_core_lib with required NIPs (cached unless nostr_core_lib changes)
 # Disable fortification in build.sh to prevent __*_chk symbol issues
@@ -99,44 +98,54 @@ RUN cd nostr_core_lib && \
    rm -f *.o *.a 2>/dev/null || true && \
    ./build.sh --nips=1,6,13,17,19,44,59

-# Copy c-relay source files LAST (only this layer rebuilds on source changes)
+# Copy c-relay-pg source files LAST (only this layer rebuilds on source changes)
 COPY src/ /build/src/
 COPY Makefile /build/Makefile

-# Build c-relay with full static linking (only rebuilds when src/ changes)
+# Build c-relay-pg with full static linking (only rebuilds when src/ changes)
 # Disable fortification to avoid __*_chk symbols that don't exist in MUSL
-# Use conditional compilation flags based on DEBUG_BUILD argument
+# Use conditional compilation flags based on DEBUG_BUILD and DB_BACKEND build args
 RUN if [ "$DEBUG_BUILD" = "true" ]; then \
        CFLAGS="-g -O2 -DDEBUG"; \
        STRIP_CMD="echo 'Keeping debug symbols'"; \
        echo "Building with DEBUG symbols enabled (optimized with -O2)"; \
    else \
        CFLAGS="-O2"; \
-        STRIP_CMD="strip /build/c_relay_static"; \
+        STRIP_CMD="strip /build/c_relay_pg_static"; \
        echo "Building optimized production binary (symbols stripped)"; \
    fi && \
-    gcc -static $CFLAGS -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 \
+    if [ "$DB_BACKEND" = "postgres" ]; then \
+        DB_FLAGS="-DDB_BACKEND_POSTGRES -DHAVE_LIBPQ"; \
+        DB_LIBS="-lpq -lpgcommon -lpgport"; \
+        echo "Compiling with PostgreSQL backend"; \
+    else \
+        DB_FLAGS=""; \
+        DB_LIBS=""; \
+        echo "Compiling with SQLite backend"; \
+    fi && \
+    gcc -static $CFLAGS $DB_FLAGS -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 \
    -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0 \
    -I. -Ic_utils_lib/src -Inostr_core_lib -Inostr_core_lib/nostr_core \
-    -Inostr_core_lib/cjson -Inostr_core_lib/nostr_websocket \
+    -Inostr_core_lib/cjson -Inostr_core_lib/nostr_websocket -I/usr/include/postgresql \
    src/main.c src/config.c src/dm_admin.c src/request_validator.c \
    src/nip009.c src/nip011.c src/nip013.c src/nip040.c src/nip042.c \
-    src/websockets.c src/subscriptions.c src/api.c src/embedded_web_content.c \
-    -o /build/c_relay_static \
+    src/websockets.c src/subscriptions.c src/api.c src/embedded_web_content.c src/ip_ban.c \
+    src/db_ops.c src/db_ops_sqlite.c src/db_ops_postgres.c src/thread_pool.c \
+    -o /build/c_relay_pg_static \
    c_utils_lib/libc_utils.a \
    nostr_core_lib/libnostr_core_x64.a \
    -lwebsockets -lssl -lcrypto -lsqlite3 -lsecp256k1 \
-    -lcurl -lz -lpthread -lm -ldl && \
+    -lcurl -lz -lpthread -lm -ldl $DB_LIBS && \
    eval "$STRIP_CMD"

 # Verify it's truly static
 RUN echo "=== Binary Information ===" && \
-    file /build/c_relay_static && \
-    ls -lh /build/c_relay_static && \
+    file /build/c_relay_pg_static && \
+    ls -lh /build/c_relay_pg_static && \
    echo "=== Checking for dynamic dependencies ===" && \
-    (ldd /build/c_relay_static 2>&1 || echo "Binary is static") && \
+    (ldd /build/c_relay_pg_static 2>&1 || echo "Binary is static") && \
    echo "=== Build complete ==="

 # Output stage - just the binary
 FROM scratch AS output
-COPY --from=builder /build/c_relay_static /c_relay_static
+COPY --from=builder /build/c_relay_pg_static /c_relay_pg_static
@@ -1,28 +1,40 @@
-# C-Relay Makefile
+# C-Relay-PG Makefile

 CC = gcc
 CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -g -O2
 INCLUDES = -I. -Ic_utils_lib/src -Inostr_core_lib -Inostr_core_lib/nostr_core -Inostr_core_lib/cjson -Inostr_core_lib/nostr_websocket
 LIBS = -lsqlite3 -lwebsockets -lz -ldl -lpthread -lm -L/usr/local/lib -lsecp256k1 -lssl -lcrypto -L/usr/local/lib -lcurl -Lc_utils_lib -lc_utils

+DB_BACKEND ?= sqlite
+
 # Build directory
 BUILD_DIR = build

 # Source files
-MAIN_SRC = src/main.c src/config.c src/dm_admin.c src/request_validator.c src/nip009.c src/nip011.c src/nip013.c src/nip040.c src/nip042.c src/websockets.c src/subscriptions.c src/api.c src/embedded_web_content.c
+MAIN_SRC = src/main.c src/config.c src/dm_admin.c src/request_validator.c src/nip009.c src/nip011.c src/nip013.c src/nip040.c src/nip042.c src/websockets.c src/subscriptions.c src/api.c src/embedded_web_content.c src/ip_ban.c src/thread_pool.c
+DB_OPS_SRC = src/db_ops.c
+
+ifeq ($(DB_BACKEND),postgres)
+    CFLAGS += -DDB_BACKEND_POSTGRES -DHAVE_LIBPQ
+    DB_OPS_SRC += src/db_ops_postgres.c
+    LIBS += -lpq
+else
+    DB_OPS_SRC += src/db_ops_sqlite.c
+endif
+
 NOSTR_CORE_LIB = nostr_core_lib/libnostr_core_x64.a
 C_UTILS_LIB = c_utils_lib/libc_utils.a

 # Architecture detection
 ARCH = $(shell uname -m)
 ifeq ($(ARCH),x86_64)
-    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_x86
+    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_x86
 else ifeq ($(ARCH),aarch64)
-    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_arm64
+    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_arm64
 else ifeq ($(ARCH),arm64)
-    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_arm64
+    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_arm64
 else
-    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_$(ARCH)
+    TARGET = $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_$(ARCH)
 endif

 # Default target
@@ -81,19 +93,19 @@ force-version:
 	@$(MAKE) src/main.h

 # Build the relay
-$(TARGET): $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
-	@echo "Compiling C-Relay for architecture: $(ARCH)"
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) -o $(TARGET) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) $(LIBS)
+$(TARGET): $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
+	@echo "Compiling C-Relay-PG for architecture: $(ARCH) (backend: $(DB_BACKEND))"
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) -o $(TARGET) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) $(LIBS)
 	@echo "Build complete: $(TARGET)"

 # Build for specific architectures
-x86: $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
-	@echo "Building C-Relay for x86_64..."
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_x86 $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) $(LIBS)
-	@echo "Build complete: $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_x86"
+x86: $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
+	@echo "Building C-Relay-PG for x86_64 (backend: $(DB_BACKEND))..."
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_x86 $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) $(LIBS)
+	@echo "Build complete: $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_x86"

-arm64: $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
-	@echo "Cross-compiling C-Relay for ARM64..."
+arm64: $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB)
+	@echo "Cross-compiling C-Relay-PG for ARM64 (backend: $(DB_BACKEND))..."
 	@if ! command -v aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
 		echo "ERROR: ARM64 cross-compiler not found."; \
 		echo "Install with: make install-cross-tools"; \
@@ -116,9 +128,9 @@ arm64: $(BUILD_DIR) src/main.h src/sql_schema.h $(MAIN_SRC) $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(
 	fi
 	@echo "Using aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc with ARM64 libraries..."
 	PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/pkgconfig:/usr/share/pkgconfig \
-	aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_arm64 $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) \
+	aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc $(CFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(MAIN_SRC) $(DB_OPS_SRC) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_arm64 $(NOSTR_CORE_LIB) $(C_UTILS_LIB) \
 		-L/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu $(LIBS)
-	@echo "Build complete: $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_arm64"
+	@echo "Build complete: $(BUILD_DIR)/c_relay_pg_arm64"

 # Install ARM64 cross-compilation dependencies
 install-arm64-deps:
@@ -160,7 +172,7 @@ test: $(TARGET)
 init-db:
 	@echo "Database initialization is now handled automatically when the server starts."
 	@echo "The schema is embedded in the binary - no external files needed."
-	@echo "To manually recreate database: rm -f db/c_nostr_relay.db && ./build/c_relay_x86"
+	@echo "To manually recreate database: rm -f db/c_nostr_relay.db && ./build/c_relay_pg_x86"

 # Clean build artifacts
 clean:
@@ -180,7 +192,7 @@ install-deps:

 # Help
 help:
-	@echo "C-Relay Build System"
+	@echo "C-Relay-PG Build System"
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "Targets:"
 	@echo "  all              Build the relay for current architecture (default)"
@@ -209,15 +221,15 @@ help:
 # Build fully static MUSL binaries using Docker
 static-musl-x86_64:
 	@echo "Building fully static MUSL binary for x86_64..."
-	docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 -f examples/deployment/static-builder.Dockerfile -t c-relay-static-builder-x86_64 --load .
-	docker run --rm -v $(PWD)/build:/output c-relay-static-builder-x86_64 sh -c "cp /c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 /output/"
-	@echo "Static binary created: build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64"
+	docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 -f examples/deployment/static-builder.Dockerfile -t c-relay-pg-static-builder-x86_64 --load .
+	docker run --rm -v $(PWD)/build:/output c-relay-pg-static-builder-x86_64 sh -c "cp /c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 /output/"
+	@echo "Static binary created: build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64"

 static-musl-arm64:
 	@echo "Building fully static MUSL binary for ARM64..."
-	docker buildx build --platform linux/arm64 -f examples/deployment/static-builder.Dockerfile -t c-relay-static-builder-arm64 --load .
-	docker run --rm -v $(PWD)/build:/output c-relay-static-builder-arm64 sh -c "cp /c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 /output/c_relay_static_musl_arm64"
-	@echo "Static binary created: build/c_relay_static_musl_arm64"
+	docker buildx build --platform linux/arm64 -f examples/deployment/static-builder.Dockerfile -t c-relay-pg-static-builder-arm64 --load .
+	docker run --rm -v $(PWD)/build:/output c-relay-pg-static-builder-arm64 sh -c "cp /c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 /output/c_relay_pg_static_musl_arm64"
+	@echo "Static binary created: build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_arm64"

 static-musl: static-musl-x86_64 static-musl-arm64
 	@echo "Built static MUSL binaries for both architectures"
@@ -45,21 +45,21 @@ Also included is a more standard administrative web front end. This front end co

 ## Screenshots

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/main.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/main.png)
 Main page with real time updates.

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/config.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/config.png)
 Set your configuration preferences.

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/subscriptions.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/subscriptions.png)
 View current subscriptions

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/white-blacklists.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/white-blacklists.png)
 Add npubs to white or black lists.

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/sqlQuery.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/sqlQuery.png)
 Run sql queries on the database.

-![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/raw/branch/master/screenshots/main-light.png)
+![](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/raw/branch/master/screenshots/main-light.png)
 Light mode.

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-# C-Relay: High-Performance Nostr Relay
+# C-Relay-PG: High-Performance Nostr Relay

 A blazingly fast, production-ready Nostr relay implemented in C with an innovative event-based configuration system. Built for performance, security, and ease of deployment.

-## 🚀 Why C-Relay?
+## 🚀 Why C-Relay-PG?

 ### Event-Based Configuration
-Unlike traditional relays that require config files, C-Relay uses **cryptographically signed Nostr events** for all configuration. This means:
+Unlike traditional relays that require config files, C-Relay-PG uses **cryptographically signed Nostr events** for all configuration. This means:
 - **Zero config files** - Everything stored in the database
 - **Real-time updates** - Changes applied instantly without restart
 - **Cryptographic security** - All changes must be signed by admin
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Control your relay by sending direct messages from any Nostr client:

 ## 📋 Supported NIPs

-C-Relay implements a comprehensive set of Nostr Improvement Proposals:
+C-Relay-PG implements a comprehensive set of Nostr Improvement Proposals:

 - ✅ **NIP-01**: Basic protocol flow implementation
 - ✅ **NIP-09**: Event deletion
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ Download and run - no dependencies required:

 ```bash
 # Download the latest static release
-wget https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/releases/download/v0.6.0/c-relay-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static
-chmod +x c-relay-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static
-mv c-relay-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static c-relay
+wget https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/releases/download/v0.6.0/c-relay-pg-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static
+chmod +x c-relay-pg-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static
+mv c-relay-pg-v0.6.0-linux-x86_64-static c-relay-pg

 # Run the relay
-./c-relay
+./c-relay-pg
 ```

 **Important**: On first startup, save the **Admin Private Key** displayed in the console. You'll need it for all administrative operations.
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ sudo apt install -y build-essential git sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev \
    libwebsockets-dev libssl-dev libsecp256k1-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev zlib1g-dev

 # Clone and build
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 git submodule update --init --recursive
 ./make_and_restart_relay.sh
 ```
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ The web interface provides:

 ```bash
 # Clone repository
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 git submodule update --init --recursive

 # Build
@@ -147,25 +147,25 @@ make clean && make
 sudo systemd/install-service.sh

 # Start and enable
-sudo systemctl start c-relay
-sudo systemctl enable c-relay
+sudo systemctl start c-relay-pg
+sudo systemctl enable c-relay-pg

 # Capture admin keys from logs
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay | grep "Admin Private Key"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg | grep "Admin Private Key"
 ```

 ### Docker Deployment

 ```bash
 # Build Docker image
-docker build -f Dockerfile.alpine-musl -t c-relay .
+docker build -f Dockerfile.alpine-musl -t c-relay-pg .

 # Run container
 docker run -d \
-  --name c-relay \
+  --name c-relay-pg \
  -p 8888:8888 \
  -v /path/to/data:/data \
-  c-relay
+  c-relay-pg
 ```

 ### Cloud Deployment
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ See [`docs/deployment_guide.md`](docs/deployment_guide.md) for detailed deployme

 ## 🔧 Configuration

-C-Relay uses an innovative event-based configuration system. All settings are managed through signed Nostr events.
+C-Relay-PG uses an innovative event-based configuration system. All settings are managed through signed Nostr events.

 ### Basic Configuration

@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ The admin private key is displayed **only once** during first startup. Store it

 ```bash
 # Save to secure location
-echo "ADMIN_PRIVKEY=your_admin_private_key" > ~/.c-relay-admin
-chmod 600 ~/.c-relay-admin
+echo "ADMIN_PRIVKEY=your_admin_private_key" > ~/.c-relay-pg-admin
+chmod 600 ~/.c-relay-pg-admin
 ```

 ### Production Security
@@ -269,9 +269,9 @@ Contributions are welcome! Please:

 ## 🔗 Links

- **Repository**: [https://github.com/your-org/c-relay](https://github.com/your-org/c-relay)
- **Releases**: [https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/releases](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay/releases)
- **Issues**: [https://github.com/your-org/c-relay/issues](https://github.com/your-org/c-relay/issues)
+- **Repository**: [https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg](https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg)
+- **Releases**: [https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/releases](https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg/releases)
+- **Issues**: [https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg/issues](https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg/issues)
 - **Nostr Protocol**: [https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr)

 ## 💬 Support
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ This guide is specifically tailored for C programs that use:

 ```bash
 # 1. Copy the Dockerfile template (see below)
-cp /path/to/c-relay/Dockerfile.alpine-musl ./Dockerfile.static
+cp /path/to/c-relay-pg/Dockerfile.alpine-musl ./Dockerfile.static

 # 2. Customize for your project (see Customization section)
 vim Dockerfile.static
@@ -466,13 +466,13 @@ docker build -t my-app:latest .
 docker run --rm my-app:latest --help
 ```

-## Reusing c-relay Files
+## Reusing c-relay-pg Files

-You can directly copy these files from c-relay:
+You can directly copy these files from c-relay-pg:

 ### 1. Dockerfile.alpine-musl
 ```bash
-cp /path/to/c-relay/Dockerfile.alpine-musl ./Dockerfile.static
+cp /path/to/c-relay-pg/Dockerfile.alpine-musl ./Dockerfile.static
 ```

 Then customize:
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ Then customize:

 ### 2. build_static.sh
 ```bash
-cp /path/to/c-relay/build_static.sh ./
+cp /path/to/c-relay-pg/build_static.sh ./
 ```

 Then customize:
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ Then customize:

 ### 3. .dockerignore (Optional)
 ```bash
-cp /path/to/c-relay/.dockerignore ./
+cp /path/to/c-relay-pg/.dockerignore ./
 ```

 Helps speed up Docker builds by excluding unnecessary files.
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ Helps speed up Docker builds by excluding unnecessary files.
 - [Alpine Linux](https://alpinelinux.org/)
 - [nostr_core_lib](https://github.com/chebizarro/nostr_core_lib)
 - [Static Linking Best Practices](https://www.musl-libc.org/faq.html)
- [c-relay Implementation](./docs/musl_static_build.md)
+- [c-relay-pg Implementation](./docs/musl_static_build.md)

 ## Example: Minimal Nostr Client

@@ -1291,6 +1291,184 @@ body.dark-mode .sql-results-table tbody tr:nth-child(even) {
    /* background-color: var(--secondary-color); */
 }

+/* ================================
+   WEB OF TRUST (WoT) STYLES
+   ================================ */
+
+.wot-status-row, .wot-stats-row {
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding: 8px 0;
+    font-size: 14px;
+}
+
+.wot-indicator {
+    padding: 2px 10px;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.wot-indicator.wot-found { background: #28a745; color: white; }
+.wot-indicator.wot-missing { background: #dc3545; color: white; }
+.wot-indicator.wot-unknown { background: #6c757d; color: white; }
+
+.wot-level-selector { padding: 10px 0; }
+.wot-level-selector label { display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; font-weight: bold; }
+
+.wot-level-btn { min-width: 100px; }
+.wot-level-btn.active {
+    background: var(--accent-color, #ff0000);
+    color: white;
+    border-color: var(--accent-color, #ff0000);
+}
+
+.wot-level-description {
+    font-size: 12px;
+    color: var(--primary-color);
+    margin-top: 5px;
+    font-style: italic;
+    opacity: 0.8;
+}
+
+/* Dark mode adjustments for WoT */
+body.dark-mode .wot-indicator.wot-found { background: #28a745; }
+body.dark-mode .wot-indicator.wot-missing { background: #dc3545; }
+body.dark-mode .wot-indicator.wot-unknown { background: #6c757d; }
+
+/* ================================
+   ADMIN ACCESS GATE STYLES
+   ================================ */
+
+/* Access Denied Overlay */
+.access-denied-overlay {
+    position: fixed;
+    top: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85);
+    z-index: 9999;
+    display: none;
+    justify-content: center;
+    align-items: center;
+}
+
+.access-denied-content {
+    background: var(--card-bg);
+    border: 2px solid #dc3545;
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    padding: 40px 60px;
+    text-align: center;
+    max-width: 500px;
+    box-shadow: 0 10px 40px rgba(220, 53, 69, 0.3);
+}
+
+.access-denied-icon {
+    font-size: 64px;
+    margin-bottom: 20px;
+}
+
+.access-denied-content h2 {
+    color: #dc3545;
+    font-size: 32px;
+    margin-bottom: 20px;
+    letter-spacing: 2px;
+}
+
+.access-denied-message {
+    font-size: 16px;
+    color: var(--primary-color);
+    margin-bottom: 10px;
+    line-height: 1.5;
+}
+
+.access-denied-submessage {
+    font-size: 14px;
+    color: var(--muted-color);
+    margin-bottom: 30px;
+    font-style: italic;
+}
+
+.access-denied-logout-btn {
+    background: #dc3545;
+    color: white;
+    border: none;
+    padding: 12px 40px;
+    font-size: 16px;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    border-radius: 6px;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    transition: all 0.3s ease;
+}
+
+.access-denied-logout-btn:hover {
+    background: #c82333;
+    transform: translateY(-2px);
+    box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(220, 53, 69, 0.4);
+}
+
+/* Admin Verification Loading Overlay */
+.admin-verification-overlay {
+    position: fixed;
+    top: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);
+    z-index: 9998;
+    display: none;
+    justify-content: center;
+    align-items: center;
+}
+
+.admin-verification-content {
+    background: var(--card-bg);
+    border: 1px solid var(--border-color);
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    padding: 40px 60px;
+    text-align: center;
+    max-width: 450px;
+}
+
+.admin-verification-content h3 {
+    color: var(--accent-color);
+    font-size: 20px;
+    margin-bottom: 15px;
+}
+
+.admin-verification-content p {
+    color: var(--muted-color);
+    font-size: 14px;
+    margin-top: 15px;
+}
+
+/* Spinner Animation */
+.spinner {
+    width: 50px;
+    height: 50px;
+    border: 4px solid var(--border-color);
+    border-top: 4px solid var(--accent-color);
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
+    margin: 0 auto 20px;
+}
+
+@keyframes spin {
+    0% { transform: rotate(0deg); }
+    100% { transform: rotate(360deg); }
+}
+
+/* Dark mode adjustments */
+body.dark-mode .access-denied-content {
+    background: var(--card-bg);
+}
+
+body.dark-mode .admin-verification-content {
+    background: var(--card-bg);
+}
+
 .subscription-detail-row:hover {
    background-color: var(--muted-color);
 }
@@ -1308,3 +1486,16 @@ body.dark-mode .sql-results-table tbody tr:nth-child(even) {
    font-size: 12px;
 }

+
+/* ================================
+   IP BANS TABLE - compact rows
+   ================================ */
+#ip-bans-table td, #ip-bans-table th {
+    padding: 4px 8px;
+    line-height: 1.3;
+    font-size: 13px;
+}
+#ip-bans-table button {
+    padding: 2px 8px;
+    font-size: 12px;
+}
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
-    <title>C-Relay Admin</title>
+    <title>C-Relay-PG Admin</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/api/index.css">
 </head>

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="subscriptions">Subscriptions</button></li>
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="configuration">Configuration</button></li>
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="authorization">Authorization</button></li>
+            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="ip-bans">IP BANS</button></li>
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="relay-events">Relay Events</button></li>
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="dm">DM</button></li>
            <li><button class="nav-item" data-page="database">Database Query</button></li>
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@
                <span class="relay-letter" data-letter="Y">Y</span>
            </div>
            <div class="relay-info">
-                <div id="relay-name" class="relay-name">C-Relay</div>
+                <div id="relay-name" class="relay-name">C-Relay-PG</div>
                <div id="relay-description" class="relay-description">Loading...</div>
                <div id="relay-pubkey-container" class="relay-pubkey-container">
                    <div id="relay-pubkey" class="relay-pubkey">Loading...</div>
@@ -67,6 +68,17 @@
        </div>
    </div>

+    <!-- Access Denied Overlay (shown when non-admin user logs in) -->
+    <div id="access-denied-overlay" class="access-denied-overlay" style="display: none;">
+        <div class="access-denied-content">
+            <div class="access-denied-icon">⛔</div>
+            <h2>ACCESS DENIED</h2>
+            <p class="access-denied-message">This interface is restricted to the relay administrator.</p>
+            <p class="access-denied-submessage">The logged-in account does not have admin privileges.</p>
+            <button type="button" class="access-denied-logout-btn" onclick="logout()">LOGOUT</button>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+
    <!-- DATABASE STATISTICS Section -->
    <!-- Subscribe to kind 24567 events to receive real-time monitoring data -->
    <div class="section flex-section" id="databaseStatisticsSection" style="display: none;">
@@ -100,6 +112,10 @@
                            <td>Process ID</td>
                            <td id="process-id">-</td>
                        </tr>
+                        <tr>
+                            <td>WebSocket Connections</td>
+                            <td id="websocket-connections">-</td>
+                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td>Active Subscriptions</td>
                            <td id="active-subscriptions">-</td>
@@ -108,14 +124,14 @@
                            <td>Memory Usage</td>
                            <td id="memory-usage">-</td>
                        </tr>
-                        <tr>
-                            <td>CPU Core</td>
-                            <td id="cpu-core">-</td>
-                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td>CPU Usage</td>
                            <td id="cpu-usage">-</td>
                        </tr>
+                        <tr>
+                            <td>CPU Core</td>
+                            <td id="cpu-core">-</td>
+                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td>Oldest Event</td>
                            <td id="oldest-event">-</td>
@@ -251,6 +267,7 @@
    </div>

    <!-- Auth Rules Management - Moved after configuration -->
+    <!-- AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT SECTION -->
    <div class="section flex-section" id="authRulesSection" style="display: none;">
        <div class="section-header">
 AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT
@@ -273,16 +290,11 @@ AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT
            </table>
        </div>

-        <!-- Simplified Auth Rule Input Section -->
+        <!-- Auth Rule Input Section -->
        <div id="authRuleInputSections" style="display: block;">
-
-            <!-- Combined Pubkey Auth Rule Section -->
-
-
            <div class="input-group">
-                <label for="authRulePubkey">Pubkey (nsec or hex):</label>
-                <input type="text" id="authRulePubkey" placeholder="nsec1... or 64-character hex pubkey">
-
+                <label for="authRulePubkey">Public Key (npub or hex):</label>
+                <input type="text" id="authRulePubkey" placeholder="npub1... or 64-character hex pubkey">
            </div>
            <div id="whitelistWarning" class="warning-box" style="display: none;">
                <strong>⚠️ WARNING:</strong> Adding whitelist rules changes relay behavior to whitelist-only
@@ -296,10 +308,51 @@ AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT
                    BLACKLIST</button>
                <button type="button" id="refreshAuthRulesBtn">REFRESH</button>
            </div>
+        </div>
+    </div>

-
+    <!-- WEB OF TRUST SECTION -->
+    <div class="section flex-section" id="wotSection" style="display: none;">
+        <div class="section-header">
+WEB OF TRUST
        </div>

+        <!-- Kind 3 Status Indicator -->
+        <div id="wotKind3Status" class="wot-status-row">
+            <span>Admin Contact List (kind 3):</span>
+            <span id="wotKind3Indicator" class="wot-indicator wot-unknown">Checking...</span>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- WoT Level Selector -->
+        <div class="wot-level-selector">
+            <label>WoT Level:</label>
+            <div class="inline-buttons">
+                <button type="button" id="wotLevel0Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(0)">
+                    OFF
+                </button>
+                <button type="button" id="wotLevel1Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(1)">
+                    WRITE ONLY
+                </button>
+                <button type="button" id="wotLevel2Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(2)">
+                    FULL
+                </button>
+            </div>
+            <div class="wot-level-description" id="wotLevelDescription">
+                Level 0: Open relay — anyone can read and write
+            </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- WoT Stats -->
+        <div class="wot-stats-row">
+            <span>Whitelisted Pubkeys:</span>
+            <span id="wotWhitelistCount">—</span>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- Sync Button -->
+        <div class="inline-buttons">
+            <button type="button" id="wotSyncBtn" onclick="syncWot()">SYNC FROM KIND 3</button>
+            <button type="button" id="wotRefreshBtn" onclick="loadWotStatus()">REFRESH STATUS</button>
+        </div>
    </div>


@@ -334,12 +387,138 @@ AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT
        </div>
    </div>

+    <!-- IP BANS Section -->
+    <div class="section" id="ipBansSection" style="display: none;">
+        <div class="section-header">
+            IP BAN MANAGEMENT
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- Statistics Cards -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <div class="config-table-container">
+                <table class="config-table" id="ip-bans-stats-table">
+                    <thead>
+                        <tr>
+                            <th>Total IPs Tracked</th>
+                            <th>Currently Banned</th>
+                            <th>Total Bans Issued</th>
+                        </tr>
+                    </thead>
+                    <tbody>
+                        <tr>
+                            <td id="ip-bans-total">-</td>
+                            <td id="ip-bans-active">-</td>
+                            <td id="ip-bans-issued">-</td>
+                        </tr>
+                    </tbody>
+                </table>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- Add Ban Form -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <h3>Manually Ban IP Address</h3>
+            <div class="form-group">
+                <label for="ban-ip-input">IP Address:</label>
+                <input type="text" id="ban-ip-input" placeholder="192.168.1.100">
+            </div>
+            <div class="form-group">
+                <label for="ban-duration-select">Ban Duration:</label>
+                <select id="ban-duration-select">
+                    <option value="3600">1 Hour</option>
+                    <option value="86400" selected>24 Hours</option>
+                    <option value="604800">7 Days</option>
+                    <option value="2592000">30 Days</option>
+                    <option value="31536000">1 Year</option>
+                    <option value="999999999">Permanent</option>
+                </select>
+            </div>
+            <div class="inline-buttons">
+                <button type="button" id="add-ban-btn">BAN IP</button>
+            </div>
+            <div id="add-ban-status" class="status-message"></div>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- Whitelist Management -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <h3>IP Whitelist (Never Banned)</h3>
+            <p style="font-size:13px;opacity:0.8;">IPs in this list are never idle-banned. Comma-separated.</p>
+            <div class="form-group">
+                <label for="whitelist-ip-input">Add IP to Whitelist:</label>
+                <input type="text" id="whitelist-ip-input" placeholder="103.81.231.220">
+            </div>
+            <div class="inline-buttons">
+                <button type="button" id="add-whitelist-btn">ADD TO WHITELIST</button>
+            </div>
+            <div id="whitelist-status" class="status-message"></div>
+            <div id="whitelist-current" style="margin-top:8px;font-size:13px;"></div>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- Filter Controls -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <div class="inline-buttons">
+                <button type="button" id="ip-ban-filter-all" class="active">All IPs</button>
+                <button type="button" id="ip-ban-filter-banned">Currently Banned</button>
+                <button type="button" id="ip-ban-filter-expired">Expired</button>
+                <button type="button" id="refresh-ip-bans-btn">REFRESH</button>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <!-- IP Bans List -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <label>Banned IP Addresses:</label>
+            <div class="config-table-container">
+                <table class="config-table" id="ip-bans-table">
+                        <thead>
+                            <tr>
+                                <th>IP Address</th>
+                                <th>Status</th>
+                                <th>Banned Until</th>
+                                <th>Failures</th>
+                                <th>Authed Successfully</th>
+                                <th>Connection Attempts</th>
+                                <th>Actions</th>
+                            </tr>
+                        </thead>
+                    <tbody id="ip-bans-tbody">
+                        <tr>
+                                                    <td colspan="7" style="text-align: center;">Click REFRESH to load IP bans</td>
+                                                </tr>
+                    </tbody>
+                </table>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+
    <!-- RELAY EVENTS Section -->
    <div class="section" id="relayEventsSection" style="display: none;">
        <div class="section-header">
            RELAY EVENTS MANAGEMENT
        </div>

+        <!-- Live Relay Event Feed -->
+        <div class="input-group">
+            <h3>Live Relay Event Feed (Normal Nostr Subscription)</h3>
+            <div class="config-table-container">
+                <table class="config-table" id="live-relay-events-table">
+                    <thead>
+                        <tr>
+                            <th>Time</th>
+                            <th>Kind</th>
+                            <th>Pubkey</th>
+                            <th>ID</th>
+                            <th>Content Preview</th>
+                        </tr>
+                    </thead>
+                    <tbody id="live-relay-events-table-body">
+                        <tr>
+                            <td colspan="5" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for live events...</td>
+                        </tr>
+                    </tbody>
+                </table>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+
        <!-- Kind 0: User Metadata -->
        <div class="input-group">
            <h3>Kind 0: User Metadata</h3>
@@ -419,6 +598,10 @@ AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT
                    <option value="event_kinds">Event Kinds Distribution</option>
                    <option value="time_stats">Time-based Statistics</option>
                </optgroup>
+                <optgroup label="IP Ban Queries">
+                    <option value="banned_ips_summary">Banned IPs Summary</option>
+                    <option value="banned_ips_list">All Banned IP Addresses</option>
+                </optgroup>
                <optgroup label="Query History" id="history-group">
                    <!-- Dynamically populated from localStorage -->
                </optgroup>
@@ -3297,8 +3297,18 @@ var NostrTools = (() => {
      this.enablePing = opts.enablePing;
    }
    async ensureRelay(url, params) {
+      const rawUrl = url;
+      const debugEnabled = typeof window !== "undefined" && !!window.__SIMPLE_POOL_DEBUG__;
      url = normalizeURL(url);
      let relay = this.relays.get(url);
+      if (debugEnabled) {
+        console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL ensureRelay START", {
+          rawUrl,
+          normalizedUrl: url,
+          hadRelay: !!relay,
+          relayMapKeysBefore: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+        });
+      }
      if (!relay) {
        relay = new AbstractRelay(url, {
          verifyEvent: this.trustedRelayURLs.has(url) ? alwaysTrue : this.verifyEvent,
@@ -3306,13 +3316,38 @@ var NostrTools = (() => {
          enablePing: this.enablePing
        });
        relay.onclose = () => {
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL ensureRelay onclose", {
+              normalizedUrl: url,
+              relayMapKeysBeforeDelete: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+            });
+          }
          this.relays.delete(url);
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL ensureRelay onclose complete", {
+              normalizedUrl: url,
+              relayMapKeysAfterDelete: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+            });
+          }
        };
        if (params?.connectionTimeout)
          relay.connectionTimeout = params.connectionTimeout;
        this.relays.set(url, relay);
+        if (debugEnabled) {
+          console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL ensureRelay created relay", {
+            normalizedUrl: url,
+            relayMapKeysAfterCreate: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+          });
+        }
      }
      await relay.connect();
+      if (debugEnabled) {
+        console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL ensureRelay connected", {
+          normalizedUrl: url,
+          relayConnected: relay.connected,
+          relayMapKeysAfterConnect: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+        });
+      }
      return relay;
    }
    close(relays) {
@@ -3334,16 +3369,26 @@ var NostrTools = (() => {
    }
    subscribeMany(relays, filters, params) {
      params.onauth = params.onauth || params.doauth;
+      const debugEnabled = typeof window !== "undefined" && !!window.__SIMPLE_POOL_DEBUG__;
      const request = [];
      const uniqUrls = [];
      for (let i2 = 0; i2 < relays.length; i2++) {
        const url = normalizeURL(relays[i2]);
        if (uniqUrls.indexOf(url) === -1) {
+          uniqUrls.push(url);
          for (let f2 = 0; f2 < filters.length; f2++) {
            request.push({ url, filter: filters[f2] });
          }
        }
      }
+      if (debugEnabled) {
+        console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL subscribeMany", {
+          relaysInput: relays,
+          uniqUrls,
+          filtersCount: filters.length,
+          requestsCount: request.length
+        });
+      }
      return this.subscribeMap(request, params);
    }
    subscribeMap(requests, params) {
@@ -3391,14 +3436,31 @@ var NostrTools = (() => {
        _knownIds.add(id);
        return have;
      };
+      const debugEnabled = typeof window !== "undefined" && !!window.__SIMPLE_POOL_DEBUG__;
      const allOpened = Promise.all(
        requests.map(async ({ url, filter }, i2) => {
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL subscribeMap request", {
+              index: i2,
+              url,
+              filterKinds: filter?.kinds,
+              hasAuthorFilter: !!filter?.authors,
+              hasPTagFilter: !!filter?.["#p"]
+            });
+          }
          let relay;
          try {
            relay = await this.ensureRelay(url, {
              connectionTimeout: params.maxWait ? Math.max(params.maxWait * 0.8, params.maxWait - 1e3) : void 0
            });
          } catch (err) {
+            if (debugEnabled) {
+              console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL subscribeMap ensureRelay FAILED", {
+                index: i2,
+                url,
+                error: err?.message || String(err)
+              });
+            }
            handleClose(i2, err?.message || String(err));
            return;
          }
@@ -3480,18 +3542,50 @@ var NostrTools = (() => {
      return events[0] || null;
    }
    publish(relays, event, options) {
-      return relays.map(normalizeURL).map(async (url, i2, arr) => {
+      const debugEnabled = typeof window !== "undefined" && !!window.__SIMPLE_POOL_DEBUG__;
+      const normalizedRelays = relays.map(normalizeURL);
+      if (debugEnabled) {
+        console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL publish START", {
+          relaysInput: relays,
+          normalizedRelays,
+          eventKind: event?.kind,
+          eventId: event?.id
+        });
+      }
+      return normalizedRelays.map(async (url, i2, arr) => {
        if (arr.indexOf(url) !== i2) {
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL publish duplicate URL", { url, index: i2 });
+          }
          return Promise.reject("duplicate url");
        }
        let r = await this.ensureRelay(url);
+        if (debugEnabled) {
+          console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL publish ensured relay", {
+            url,
+            relayConnected: r?.connected,
+            relayMapKeys: Array.from(this.relays.keys())
+          });
+        }
        return r.publish(event).catch(async (err) => {
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL publish ERROR", {
+              url,
+              error: err?.message || String(err)
+            });
+          }
          if (err instanceof Error && err.message.startsWith("auth-required: ") && options?.onauth) {
            await r.auth(options.onauth);
            return r.publish(event);
          }
          throw err;
        }).then((reason) => {
+          if (debugEnabled) {
+            console.log("🔎 SIMPLE_POOL publish SUCCESS", {
+              url,
+              reason
+            });
+          }
          if (this.trackRelays) {
            let set = this.seenOn.get(event.id);
            if (!set) {
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash

-# Build fully static MUSL binaries for C-Relay using Alpine Docker
+# Build fully static MUSL binaries for C-Relay-PG using Alpine Docker
 # Produces truly portable binaries with zero runtime dependencies

 set -e
@@ -11,19 +11,52 @@ DOCKERFILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/Dockerfile.alpine-musl"

 # Parse command line arguments
 DEBUG_BUILD=false
-if [[ "$1" == "--debug" ]]; then
-    DEBUG_BUILD=true
+DB_BACKEND="${DB_BACKEND:-postgres}"
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "$1" in
+        --debug)
+            DEBUG_BUILD=true
+            shift
+            ;;
+        --db-backend)
+            if [[ -z "$2" ]]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-backend requires a value (sqlite|postgres)"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            DB_BACKEND="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --db-backend=*)
+            DB_BACKEND="${1#*=}"
+            shift
+            ;;
+        *)
+            echo "ERROR: Unknown argument: $1"
+            echo "Usage: $0 [--debug] [--db-backend postgres|sqlite]"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [[ "$DB_BACKEND" != "sqlite" && "$DB_BACKEND" != "postgres" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Invalid DB backend '$DB_BACKEND'. Use sqlite or postgres."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ "$DEBUG_BUILD" == "true" ]]; then
    echo "=========================================="
-    echo "C-Relay MUSL Static Binary Builder (DEBUG MODE)"
+    echo "C-Relay-PG MUSL Static Binary Builder (DEBUG MODE)"
    echo "=========================================="
 else
    echo "=========================================="
-    echo "C-Relay MUSL Static Binary Builder (PRODUCTION MODE)"
+    echo "C-Relay-PG MUSL Static Binary Builder (PRODUCTION MODE)"
    echo "=========================================="
 fi
 echo "Project directory: $SCRIPT_DIR"
 echo "Build directory: $BUILD_DIR"
 echo "Debug build: $DEBUG_BUILD"
+echo "DB backend: $DB_BACKEND"
 echo ""

 # Create build directory
@@ -63,20 +96,25 @@ ARCH=$(uname -m)
 case "$ARCH" in
    x86_64)
        PLATFORM="linux/amd64"
-        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_static_x86_64"
+        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_pg_static_x86_64"
        ;;
    aarch64|arm64)
        PLATFORM="linux/arm64"
-        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_static_arm64"
+        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_pg_static_arm64"
        ;;
    *)
        echo "WARNING: Unknown architecture: $ARCH"
        echo "Defaulting to linux/amd64"
        PLATFORM="linux/amd64"
-        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_static_${ARCH}"
+        OUTPUT_NAME="c_relay_pg_static_${ARCH}"
        ;;
 esac

+# Append _debug suffix to output name for debug builds so production binary is never overwritten
+if [ "$DEBUG_BUILD" = true ]; then
+    OUTPUT_NAME="${OUTPUT_NAME}_debug"
+fi
+
 echo "Building for platform: $PLATFORM"
 echo "Output binary: $OUTPUT_NAME"
 echo ""
@@ -111,14 +149,15 @@ echo "=========================================="
 echo "This will:"
 echo "  - Use Alpine Linux (native MUSL)"
 echo "  - Build all dependencies statically"
-echo "  - Compile c-relay with full static linking"
+echo "  - Compile c-relay-pg with full static linking"
 echo ""

 $DOCKER_CMD build \
    --platform "$PLATFORM" \
    --build-arg DEBUG_BUILD=$DEBUG_BUILD \
+    --build-arg DB_BACKEND=$DB_BACKEND \
    -f "$DOCKERFILE" \
-    -t c-relay-musl-builder:latest \
+    -t c-relay-pg-musl-builder:latest \
    --progress=plain \
    . || {
        echo ""
@@ -140,16 +179,17 @@ echo "=========================================="
 $DOCKER_CMD build \
    --platform "$PLATFORM" \
    --build-arg DEBUG_BUILD=$DEBUG_BUILD \
+    --build-arg DB_BACKEND=$DB_BACKEND \
    --target builder \
    -f "$DOCKERFILE" \
-    -t c-relay-static-builder-stage:latest \
+    -t c-relay-pg-static-builder-stage:latest \
    . > /dev/null 2>&1

 # Create a temporary container to copy the binary
-CONTAINER_ID=$($DOCKER_CMD create c-relay-static-builder-stage:latest)
+CONTAINER_ID=$($DOCKER_CMD create c-relay-pg-static-builder-stage:latest)

 # Copy binary from container
-$DOCKER_CMD cp "$CONTAINER_ID:/build/c_relay_static" "$BUILD_DIR/$OUTPUT_NAME" || {
+$DOCKER_CMD cp "$CONTAINER_ID:/build/c_relay_pg_static" "$BUILD_DIR/$OUTPUT_NAME" || {
    echo "ERROR: Failed to extract binary from container"
    $DOCKER_CMD rm "$CONTAINER_ID" 2>/dev/null
    exit 1
@@ -219,6 +259,7 @@ if [ "$DEBUG_BUILD" = true ]; then
 else
    echo "Build Type: PRODUCTION (optimized, stripped)"
 fi
+echo "DB Backend: $DB_BACKEND"
 if [ "$TRULY_STATIC" = true ]; then
    echo "Linkage: Fully static binary (Alpine MUSL-based)"
    echo "Portability: Works on ANY Linux distribution"
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+key,value,data_type,description,category,requires_restart,created_at,updated_at
@@ -1,19 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# Restart the service
+sudo systemctl stop c-relay-pg.service

 # Copy the binary to the deployment location
-cp build/c_relay_x86 ~/Storage/c_relay/crelay
-
-# Copy the service file to systemd (use the main service file)
-sudo cp systemd/c-relay.service /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-local.service
-
-# Reload systemd daemon to pick up the new service
-sudo systemctl daemon-reload
-
-# Enable the service (if not already enabled)
-sudo systemctl enable c-relay-local.service
+cp build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64 ~/Storage/c_relay_pg/crelay

 # Restart the service
-sudo systemctl restart c-relay-local.service
+sudo systemctl restart c-relay-pg.service

 # Show service status
-sudo systemctl status c-relay-local.service --no-pager -l
+sudo systemctl status c-relay-pg.service --no-pager -l
@@ -1,28 +1,98 @@
 #!/bin/bash

-# C-Relay Static Binary Deployment Script
-# Deploys build/c_relay_static_x86_64 to server via ssh
+# C-Relay-PG PostgreSQL Deployment Script
+# Deploys static relay binary and configures PostgreSQL 18 + systemd service on remote server.

-set -e
+set -euo pipefail

 # Configuration
-LOCAL_BINARY="build/c_relay_static_x86_64"
-REMOTE_BINARY_PATH="/usr/local/bin/c_relay/c_relay"
-SERVICE_NAME="c-relay"
+REMOTE_HOST="ubuntu@laantungir.net"
+LOCAL_BINARY="build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64"
+REMOTE_BINARY_DIR="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg"
+REMOTE_BINARY_PATH="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg/c_relay_pg"
+SERVICE_NAME="c-relay-pg"

-# Create backup
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo cp '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH' '${REMOTE_BINARY_PATH}.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)'" 2>/dev/null || true
+LOCAL_SERVICE_FILE="systemd/c-relay.service"
+LOCAL_PG_SETUP_SCRIPT="systemd/setup_postgres_18.sh"

-# Upload binary to temp location
-scp "$LOCAL_BINARY" "ubuntu@laantungir.com:/tmp/c_relay.tmp"
+if [ ! -f "$LOCAL_BINARY" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Binary not found: $LOCAL_BINARY"
+    echo "Build it first (e.g. ./make_and_restart_relay.sh)"
+    exit 1
+fi

-# Install binary
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo mv '/tmp/c_relay.tmp' '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'"
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo chown c-relay:c-relay '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'"
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo chmod +x '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'"
+if [ ! -f "$LOCAL_SERVICE_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Service file not found: $LOCAL_SERVICE_FILE"
+    exit 1
+fi

-# Reload systemd and restart service
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo systemctl daemon-reload"
-ssh ubuntu@laantungir.com "sudo systemctl restart '$SERVICE_NAME'"
+if [ ! -f "$LOCAL_PG_SETUP_SCRIPT" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: PostgreSQL setup script not found: $LOCAL_PG_SETUP_SCRIPT"
+    exit 1
+fi

-echo "Deployment complete!"
+echo "==> Uploading artifacts to $REMOTE_HOST"
+scp "$LOCAL_BINARY" "$REMOTE_HOST:/tmp/c_relay_pg.tmp"
+scp "$LOCAL_SERVICE_FILE" "$REMOTE_HOST:/tmp/c-relay-pg.service"
+scp "$LOCAL_PG_SETUP_SCRIPT" "$REMOTE_HOST:/tmp/setup_postgres_18.sh"
+
+echo "==> Running remote install/configuration"
+ssh "$REMOTE_HOST" 'bash -s' <<'EOF'
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SERVICE_NAME="c-relay-pg"
+RELAY_USER="c-relay-pg"
+REMOTE_BINARY_DIR="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg"
+REMOTE_BINARY_PATH="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg/c_relay_pg"
+
+echo "[remote] Ensuring service user exists"
+if ! id "$RELAY_USER" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/c-relay-pg --shell /usr/sbin/nologin "$RELAY_USER"
+fi
+
+echo "[remote] Ensuring required directories exist"
+sudo mkdir -p "$REMOTE_BINARY_DIR" /opt/c-relay-pg /etc/c-relay-pg
+sudo chown "$RELAY_USER:$RELAY_USER" /opt/c-relay-pg
+
+echo "[remote] Installing PostgreSQL 18 (PGDG) if missing"
+if ! dpkg -s postgresql-18 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  sudo apt-get update
+  sudo apt-get install -y curl ca-certificates lsb-release gnupg
+  sudo install -d /usr/share/postgresql-common/pgdg
+  sudo curl -fsSL https://www.postgresql.org/media/keys/ACCC4CF8.asc -o /usr/share/postgresql-common/pgdg/apt.postgresql.org.asc
+  echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/postgresql-common/pgdg/apt.postgresql.org.asc] https://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt $(lsb_release -cs)-pgdg main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgdg.list >/dev/null
+  sudo apt-get update
+  sudo apt-get install -y postgresql-18
+fi
+
+sudo systemctl enable postgresql
+sudo systemctl restart postgresql
+
+echo "[remote] Configuring PostgreSQL role/database"
+sudo chmod +x /tmp/setup_postgres_18.sh
+sudo /tmp/setup_postgres_18.sh
+
+echo "[remote] Installing relay binary"
+if [ -f "$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH" ]; then
+  sudo cp "$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH" "${REMOTE_BINARY_PATH}.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
+fi
+sudo mv /tmp/c_relay_pg.tmp "$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH"
+sudo chown "$RELAY_USER:$RELAY_USER" "$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH"
+sudo chmod +x "$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH"
+
+echo "[remote] Installing systemd unit"
+sudo mv /tmp/c-relay-pg.service /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg.service
+sudo chown root:root /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg.service
+sudo chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg.service
+
+echo "[remote] Reloading and restarting service"
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable "$SERVICE_NAME"
+sudo systemctl restart "$SERVICE_NAME"
+
+echo "[remote] Health checks"
+sudo systemctl --no-pager --full status "$SERVICE_NAME" | sed -n '1,25p'
+sudo -u "$RELAY_USER" psql -d crelay -c "SELECT current_user, current_database();"
+EOF
+
+echo "Deployment complete: $REMOTE_HOST"
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# C-Relay-PG Debug Binary Deployment Script
+# Deploys build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64_debug to server for CPU profiling
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./deploy_lt_debug.sh           -- deploy debug binary and restart
+#   ./deploy_lt_debug.sh --profile -- deploy, then run perf and fetch results
+#
+# After deploying, profile with:
+#   sudo perf record -g -p $(pgrep c_relay_pg) -- sleep 30
+#   sudo perf report --stdio --sort=symbol --no-children -n 2>/dev/null | head -80
+#
+# Restore production binary:
+#   ./deploy_lt.sh
+
+set -e
+
+LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY="build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64_debug"
+REMOTE_BINARY_PATH="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg/c_relay_pg"
+REMOTE_PROD_BACKUP="/usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg/c_relay_pg.production"
+SERVICE_NAME="c-relay-pg"
+REMOTE_HOST="ubuntu@laantungir.com"
+
+# Check debug binary exists
+if [ ! -f "$LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Debug binary not found: $LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY"
+    echo ""
+    echo "Build it first with:"
+    echo "  ./build_static.sh --debug"
+    echo ""
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "C-Relay-PG Debug Deployment"
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "Binary: $LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY ($(du -h "$LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY" | cut -f1))"
+echo "Target: $REMOTE_HOST:$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH"
+echo ""
+echo "WARNING: Debug binary has symbols and is larger than production."
+echo "         It is safe to run but should not be left deployed long-term."
+echo ""
+
+# Backup production binary (only if not already backed up)
+echo "Backing up production binary..."
+ssh "$REMOTE_HOST" "
+    if [ ! -f '$REMOTE_PROD_BACKUP' ]; then
+        sudo cp '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH' '$REMOTE_PROD_BACKUP'
+        echo 'Production binary backed up to $REMOTE_PROD_BACKUP'
+    else
+        echo 'Production backup already exists, skipping'
+    fi
+"
+
+# Upload debug binary
+echo "Uploading debug binary..."
+scp "$LOCAL_DEBUG_BINARY" "$REMOTE_HOST:/tmp/c_relay_pg_debug.tmp"
+
+# Install debug binary
+echo "Installing debug binary..."
+ssh "$REMOTE_HOST" "
+    sudo mv '/tmp/c_relay_pg_debug.tmp' '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'
+    sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'
+    sudo chmod +x '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'
+"
+
+# Restart service
+echo "Restarting c-relay-pg service..."
+ssh "$REMOTE_HOST" "sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl restart '$SERVICE_NAME'"
+
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Debug binary deployed and service restarted"
+echo ""
+
+# If --profile flag, run perf automatically
+if [ "$1" = "--profile" ]; then
+    echo "=========================================="
+    echo "Running perf profile (30 seconds)..."
+    echo "=========================================="
+    echo ""
+    
+    # Wait for relay to start
+    sleep 3
+    
+    ssh "$REMOTE_HOST" "
+        PID=\$(pgrep c_relay_pg)
+        if [ -z \"\$PID\" ]; then
+            echo 'ERROR: c_relay_pg not running'
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo \"Profiling PID \$PID for 30 seconds...\"
+        sudo perf record -g -p \$PID -- sleep 30
+        echo ''
+        echo '=== TOP FUNCTIONS BY CPU ==='
+        sudo perf report --stdio --sort=symbol --no-children -n 2>/dev/null | head -60
+    "
+else
+    echo "=========================================="
+    echo "Next Steps: Profile the relay"
+    echo "=========================================="
+    echo ""
+    echo "SSH to server and run:"
+    echo "  sudo perf record -g -p \$(pgrep c_relay_pg) -- sleep 30"
+    echo "  sudo perf report --stdio --sort=symbol --no-children -n 2>/dev/null | head -60"
+    echo ""
+    echo "Or run with --profile to do it automatically:"
+    echo "  ./deploy_lt_debug.sh --profile"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "Restore Production Binary When Done"
+echo "=========================================="
+echo ""
+echo "Run this to restore the production binary:"
+echo "  ./deploy_lt.sh"
+echo ""
+echo "Or manually on the server:"
+echo "  sudo cp '$REMOTE_PROD_BACKUP' '$REMOTE_BINARY_PATH'"
+echo "  sudo systemctl restart $SERVICE_NAME"
+echo ""
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# C-Relay Administrator API Implementation Plan
+# C-Relay-PG Administrator API Implementation Plan

 ## Problem Analysis

@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ Would require changing schema, migration scripts, and storage logic.
 #### README.md Documentation Format:

 ```markdown
-# C-Relay Administrator API
+# C-Relay-PG Administrator API

 ## Authentication
 All admin commands require signing with the admin private key generated during first startup.
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+# Agent Browser Testing Guide for C-Relay-PG
+
+This document explains how to use the `agent-browser` CLI tool to test the c-relay-pg admin web UI from an AI agent context (no physical display required).
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- **agent-browser** installed globally: `npm install -g agent-browser`
+- Binary location: `/home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v24.14.1/bin/agent-browser`
+- The relay must be running locally (default port 8888)
+- Test keys configured in `.test_keys`
+
+## Starting the Relay for Local Testing
+
+```bash
+./make_and_restart_relay.sh -t
+```
+
+This reads `.test_keys` and starts the relay with:
+- `ADMIN_PUBKEY` — the hex public key of the admin account
+- `ADMIN_PRIVKEY` — the hex secret key (used for browser login, not by the relay itself)
+- `SERVER_PRIVKEY` — the relay's own private key
+
+## Key URLs
+
+| URL | Purpose |
+|-----|---------|
+| `http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/index.html` | Admin web UI (the correct entry point) |
+| `http://127.0.0.1:8888/` | Returns 406 without NIP-11 Accept header — **do not use for browser testing** |
+| `http://127.0.0.1:8888/` with `Accept: application/nostr+json` | NIP-11 relay info JSON |
+
+**Important:** The root URL `/` is a WebSocket/NIP-11 endpoint, not an HTML page. Always use `/api/index.html` for browser testing.
+
+## Admin Login Credentials
+
+The admin nsec for the current `.test_keys` configuration:
+
+```
+nsec: nsec1zkn0hlt4jvcvn9yt5p7ea4m7f82pf3ph0gj3d4rlcz4s64x5z86satv9qm
+hex:  15a6fbfd759330c9948ba07d9ed77e49d414c4377a2516d47fc0ab0d54d411f5
+npub: npub1tlyzk6slzt8d989f4pn3synk98fea64ea3jmrdc7dtd0kw8uxlas9a9fwr
+hex pubkey: 5fc82b6a1f12ced29ca9a86718127629d39eeab9ec65b1b71e6adafb38fc37fb
+```
+
+## Complete Login Flow with agent-browser
+
+### Step 1: Open the admin UI
+
+```bash
+agent-browser open http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/index.html
+agent-browser wait --load networkidle
+```
+
+### Step 2: Take an interactive snapshot to see what is on screen
+
+```bash
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+```
+
+You will see a login modal with buttons like:
+- `"Browser Extension"` — skip this
+- `"Local Key"` — **use this one**
+- `"Seed Phrase"` — skip
+- `"Nostr Connect"` — skip
+- `"Read Only"` — skip
+
+### Step 3: Click "Local Key"
+
+```bash
+agent-browser click @e15
+```
+
+(The ref number may vary — use the ref from the snapshot output for the "Local Key" button.)
+
+After clicking, a text input appears asking for the secret key.
+
+### Step 4: Enter the admin nsec
+
+```bash
+agent-browser fill @e14 "nsec1zkn0hlt4jvcvn9yt5p7ea4m7f82pf3ph0gj3d4rlcz4s64x5z86satv9qm"
+```
+
+(Use the ref from the snapshot for the textbox element.)
+
+### Step 5: Click "Import Key"
+
+```bash
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+```
+
+Check the snapshot — the "Import Key" button should now be enabled. Click it:
+
+```bash
+agent-browser click @e15
+```
+
+### Step 6: Click "Continue" on the success screen
+
+After import, a success screen appears with "Continue" button:
+
+```bash
+agent-browser wait 800
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+agent-browser click @e19
+```
+
+(Use the ref from the snapshot for the "Continue" button.)
+
+### Step 7: Wait for admin UI to load
+
+```bash
+agent-browser wait 5000
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+```
+
+You should now see the admin dashboard with:
+- Statistics table (Database Size, Total Events, PID, etc.)
+- Navigation buttons (Statistics, Subscriptions, Configuration, Authorization, etc.)
+- Admin profile area showing "admin" label
+
+## Navigating Admin Sections
+
+After login, use the sidebar navigation buttons:
+
+```bash
+# View configuration
+agent-browser click @e8    # Configuration button ref
+
+# View authorization rules
+agent-browser click @e9    # Authorization button ref
+
+# View statistics
+agent-browser click @e6    # Statistics button ref
+
+# Always snapshot after navigation to see results
+agent-browser wait 2500
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+```
+
+## Checking for Errors
+
+```bash
+# View browser console logs
+agent-browser console
+
+# View JavaScript errors
+agent-browser errors
+
+# View relay server logs
+tail -n 100 relay.log
+```
+
+## Chained Command Example (Full Login in One Shot)
+
+```bash
+agent-browser open http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/index.html && \
+agent-browser wait --load networkidle && \
+agent-browser snapshot -i
+```
+
+Then use refs from the snapshot to complete login steps.
+
+## Tips for AI Agents
+
+1. **Always use `/api/index.html`** — never the root URL
+2. **Use `snapshot -i`** after every action to see the current interactive elements and their refs
+3. **Refs change** between snapshots — always re-snapshot before clicking
+4. **Wait after clicks** — use `agent-browser wait 2000` (milliseconds) between actions that trigger async operations
+5. **The login flow has 3 screens**: method selection → key input → success confirmation
+6. **Console logs are cumulative** — they show all logs since page load, which is useful for debugging admin API responses
+7. **The relay log** at `relay.log` shows server-side processing of admin commands
+8. **Command chaining** with `&&` works — the browser daemon persists between commands
+
+## Verifying Admin API is Working
+
+After login, the statistics page should show populated data:
+- Database Size (e.g., "4 KB")
+- Process ID (the relay PID)
+- WebSocket Connections count
+- Memory Usage
+
+If these show "-" or "Loading...", check:
+1. `relay.log` for errors
+2. `agent-browser console` for JavaScript errors
+3. `agent-browser errors` for page-level errors
+
+## Closing the Browser
+
+```bash
+agent-browser close --all
+```
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ int main() {
 }
 ```

-## Migration Plan for c-relay
+## Migration Plan for c-relay-pg

 ### Phase 1: Extract Debug System
 1. Create `c_utils_lib` repository
@@ -333,16 +333,16 @@ int main() {
 4. Add basic tests

 ### Phase 2: Add Versioning System
-1. Extract version generation logic from c-relay
+1. Extract version generation logic from c-relay-pg
 2. Create reusable version utilities
-3. Update c-relay to use new system
+3. Update c-relay-pg to use new system
 4. Update nostr_core_lib to use new system

 ### Phase 3: Add as Submodule
-1. Add `c_utils_lib` as submodule to c-relay
-2. Update c-relay Makefile
-3. Update includes in c-relay source files
-4. Remove old debug files from c-relay
+1. Add `c_utils_lib` as submodule to c-relay-pg
+2. Update c-relay-pg Makefile
+3. Update includes in c-relay-pg source files
+4. Remove old debug files from c-relay-pg

 ### Phase 4: Documentation & Examples
 1. Create comprehensive README
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ int main() {

 ## Benefits

-### For c-relay
+### For c-relay-pg
 - Cleaner separation of concerns
 - Reusable utilities across projects
 - Easier to maintain and test
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ int main() {
 - Memory leak detection (valgrind)

 ### Integration Tests
- Test with real projects (c-relay, nostr_core_lib)
+- Test with real projects (c-relay-pg, nostr_core_lib)
 - Cross-platform testing
 - Performance benchmarks

@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ MIT License - permissive and suitable for learning and commercial use.

 ## Success Criteria

-1. ✅ Successfully integrated into c-relay
+1. ✅ Successfully integrated into c-relay-pg
 2. ✅ Successfully integrated into nostr_core_lib
 3. ✅ All tests passing
 4. ✅ Documentation complete
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ MIT License - permissive and suitable for learning and commercial use.
 4. Create build system
 5. Write tests
 6. Create documentation
-7. Integrate into c-relay
+7. Integrate into c-relay-pg
 8. Publish to GitHub

 ---
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@

 ## Overview

-This document provides a step-by-step implementation plan for creating the `c_utils_lib` library and integrating it into the c-relay project.
+This document provides a step-by-step implementation plan for creating the `c_utils_lib` library and integrating it into the c-relay-pg project.

 ## Phase 1: Repository Setup & Structure

 ### Step 1.1: Create Repository Structure

-**Location**: Create outside c-relay project (sibling directory)
+**Location**: Create outside c-relay-pg project (sibling directory)

 ```bash
 # Create directory structure
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ git branch -M main

 ### Step 2.1: Move Debug Files

-**Source files** (from c-relay):
+**Source files** (from c-relay-pg):
 - `src/debug.c` → `c_utils_lib/src/debug.c`
 - `src/debug.h` → `c_utils_lib/include/c_utils/debug.h`

@@ -484,20 +484,20 @@ How to integrate into projects:
 3. Code examples
 4. Migration from standalone utilities

-## Phase 7: Integration with c-relay
+## Phase 7: Integration with c-relay-pg

 ### Step 7.1: Add as Submodule

 ```bash
-cd /path/to/c-relay
+cd /path/to/c-relay-pg
 git submodule add <repo-url> c_utils_lib
 git submodule update --init --recursive
 ```

-### Step 7.2: Update c-relay Makefile
+### Step 7.2: Update c-relay-pg Makefile

 ```makefile
-# Add to c-relay Makefile
+# Add to c-relay-pg Makefile
 C_UTILS_LIB = c_utils_lib/libc_utils.a

 # Update includes
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ $(C_UTILS_LIB):
 $(TARGET): $(C_UTILS_LIB) ...
 ```

-### Step 7.3: Update c-relay Source Files
+### Step 7.3: Update c-relay-pg Source Files

 **Changes needed**:

@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ $(TARGET): $(C_UTILS_LIB) ...
 ### Step 7.4: Test Integration

 ```bash
-cd c-relay
+cd c-relay-pg
 make clean
 make
 ./make_and_restart_relay.sh
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ Verify:

 ## Phase 8: Version System Integration

-### Step 8.1: Update c-relay Makefile for Versioning
+### Step 8.1: Update c-relay-pg Makefile for Versioning

 ```makefile
 # Add version generation
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ src/version.h: .git/refs/tags/*
 $(TARGET): src/version.h ...
 ```

-### Step 8.2: Update c-relay to Use Generated Version
+### Step 8.2: Update c-relay-pg to Use Generated Version

 Replace hardcoded version in `src/main.h` with:
 ```c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ Replace hardcoded version in `src/main.h` with:
 - **Phase 4**: Build System - 2 hours
 - **Phase 5**: Examples & Tests - 3 hours
 - **Phase 6**: Documentation - 3 hours
- **Phase 7**: c-relay Integration - 2 hours
+- **Phase 7**: c-relay-pg Integration - 2 hours
 - **Phase 8**: Version Integration - 2 hours

 **Total**: ~19 hours
@@ -593,11 +593,11 @@ Replace hardcoded version in `src/main.h` with:
 - [ ] c_utils_lib builds successfully
 - [ ] All tests pass
 - [ ] Examples compile and run
- [ ] c-relay integrates successfully
- [ ] Debug output works in c-relay
+- [ ] c-relay-pg integrates successfully
+- [ ] Debug output works in c-relay-pg
 - [ ] Version generation works
 - [ ] Documentation complete
- [ ] No regressions in c-relay functionality
+- [ ] No regressions in c-relay-pg functionality

 ## Next Steps

@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ Replace hardcoded version in `src/main.h` with:
 5. Create build system
 6. Write tests and examples
 7. Create documentation
-8. Integrate into c-relay
+8. Integrate into c-relay-pg
 9. Test thoroughly
 10. Publish to GitHub

@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ Configuration events follow the standard Nostr event format with kind 33334:

 #### `relay_software`
 - **Description**: Software identifier for NIP-11
- **Default**: `"c-relay"`
+- **Default**: `"c-relay-pg"`
 - **Format**: String, max 64 characters
- **Example**: `"c-relay v1.0.0"`
+- **Example**: `"c-relay-pg v1.0.0"`

 #### `relay_version`
 - **Description**: Software version string
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ sqlite3 relay.nrdb "SELECT json_pretty(json_object(
 #### Invalid Parameter Values
 ```bash
 # Check relay logs for validation errors
-journalctl -u c-relay | grep "Configuration.*invalid\|Invalid.*configuration"
+journalctl -u c-relay-pg | grep "Configuration.*invalid\|Invalid.*configuration"

 # Common issues:
 # - Numeric values outside valid ranges
@@ -395,10 +395,10 @@ ORDER BY date DESC;"
 #### Resource Usage After Changes
 ```bash
 # Monitor system resources after configuration updates
-top -p $(pgrep c_relay)
+top -p $(pgrep c_relay_pg)

 # Check for memory leaks
-ps aux | grep c_relay | awk '{print $6}' # RSS memory
+ps aux | grep c_relay_pg | awk '{print $6}' # RSS memory
 ```

 ### Emergency Recovery
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ nostrtool event \
 # If database is corrupted, backup and recreate
 cp relay.nrdb relay.nrdb.backup
 rm relay.nrdb*
-./build/c_relay_x86  # Creates fresh database with new keys
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86  # Creates fresh database with new keys
 ```

 ---
@@ -21,22 +21,22 @@ typedef enum {

 ```bash
 # Production (default - no debug output)
-./c_relay_x86
+./c_relay_pg_x86

 # Show errors only
-./c_relay_x86 --debug-level=1
+./c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=1

 # Show errors and warnings
-./c_relay_x86 --debug-level=2
+./c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=2

 # Show errors, warnings, and info (recommended for development)
-./c_relay_x86 --debug-level=3
+./c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=3

 # Show all debug messages
-./c_relay_x86 --debug-level=4
+./c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=4

 # Show everything including trace with file:line (very verbose)
-./c_relay_x86 --debug-level=5
+./c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=5
 ```

 ## Implementation
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ When `g_debug_level = 0` (constant), you'll see the compiler has removed all deb

 ### Level 3 (Errors + Warnings + Info)
 ```
-[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] Initializing C-Relay v0.4.6
+[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] Initializing C-Relay-PG v0.4.6
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] Loading configuration from database
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [ERROR] Failed to open database: permission denied
 [2025-01-12 14:30:16] [WARN ] Port 8888 unavailable, trying 8889
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ When `g_debug_level = 0` (constant), you'll see the compiler has removed all deb

 ### Level 4 (All Debug Messages)
 ```
-[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] Initializing C-Relay v0.4.6
+[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] Initializing C-Relay-PG v0.4.6
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [DEBUG] Opening database: build/abc123...def.db
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [DEBUG] Executing schema initialization
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] SQLite WAL mode enabled
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ When `g_debug_level = 0` (constant), you'll see the compiler has removed all deb

 ### Level 5 (Everything Including file:line for ALL messages)
 ```
-[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] [main.c:1607] Initializing C-Relay v0.4.6
+[2025-01-12 14:30:15] [INFO ] [main.c:1607] Initializing C-Relay-PG v0.4.6
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [DEBUG] [main.c:348] Opening database: build/abc123...def.db
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [TRACE] [main.c:330] Entering init_database()
 [2025-01-12 14:30:15] [ERROR] [config.c:125] Database locked
@@ -525,11 +525,11 @@ Update the existing `log_*` functions to use the new debug macros
 make clean && make

 # Test different levels
-./build/c_relay_x86                    # No output
-./build/c_relay_x86 --debug-level=1    # Errors only
-./build/c_relay_x86 --debug-level=3    # Info + warnings + errors
-./build/c_relay_x86 --debug-level=4    # All debug messages
-./build/c_relay_x86 --debug-level=5    # Everything with file:line on TRACE
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86                    # No output
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=1    # Errors only
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=3    # Info + warnings + errors
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=4    # All debug messages
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --debug-level=5    # Everything with file:line on TRACE
 ```

 ### Step 5: Gradual Migration (Ongoing)
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static const struct {
    // NIP-11 Relay Information (relay keys will be populated at runtime)
    {"relay_description", "High-performance C Nostr relay with SQLite storage"},
    {"relay_contact", ""},
-    {"relay_software", "https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay.git"},
+    {"relay_software", "https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg.git"},
    {"relay_version", "v1.0.0"},
    
    // NIP-13 Proof of Work (pow_min_difficulty = 0 means PoW disabled)
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ sudo apt install -y build-essential git sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev \
 #### User and Directory Setup
 ```bash
 # Create dedicated system user
-sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/c-relay --shell /bin/false c-relay
+sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/c-relay-pg --shell /bin/false c-relay-pg

 # Create application directory
-sudo mkdir -p /opt/c-relay
-sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay
+sudo mkdir -p /opt/c-relay-pg
+sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg
 ```

 ### Build and Installation
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay
 #### Automated Installation (Recommended)
 ```bash
 # Clone repository
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 git submodule update --init --recursive

 # Build
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ sudo systemd/install-service.sh
 make clean && make

 # Install binary
-sudo cp build/c_relay_x86 /opt/c-relay/
-sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay/c_relay_x86
-sudo chmod +x /opt/c-relay/c_relay_x86
+sudo cp build/c_relay_pg_x86 /opt/c-relay-pg/
+sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg/c_relay_pg_x86
+sudo chmod +x /opt/c-relay-pg/c_relay_pg_x86

 # Install systemd service
-sudo cp systemd/c-relay.service /etc/systemd/system/
+sudo cp systemd/c-relay-pg.service /etc/systemd/system/
 sudo systemctl daemon-reload
 ```

@@ -95,22 +95,22 @@ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
 #### Start and Enable Service
 ```bash
 # Start the service
-sudo systemctl start c-relay
+sudo systemctl start c-relay-pg

 # Enable auto-start on boot
-sudo systemctl enable c-relay
+sudo systemctl enable c-relay-pg

 # Check status
-sudo systemctl status c-relay
+sudo systemctl status c-relay-pg
 ```

 #### Capture Admin Keys (CRITICAL)
 ```bash
 # View startup logs to get admin keys
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay --since "5 minutes ago" | grep -A 10 "IMPORTANT: SAVE THIS ADMIN PRIVATE KEY"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg --since "5 minutes ago" | grep -A 10 "IMPORTANT: SAVE THIS ADMIN PRIVATE KEY"

 # Or check the full log
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay --no-pager | grep "Admin Private Key"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg --no-pager | grep "Admin Private Key"
 ```

 ⚠️ **CRITICAL**: Save the admin private key immediately - it's only shown once and is needed for all configuration updates!
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ sudo iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4
 ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-instance-ip

 # Use the simple deployment script
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 sudo examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 ```

@@ -168,10 +168,10 @@ sudo examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/xvdf
 sudo mkdir /data
 sudo mount /dev/xvdf /data
-sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /data
+sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /data

 # Update systemd service to use /data
-sudo sed -i 's/WorkingDirectory=\/opt\/c-relay/WorkingDirectory=\/data/' /etc/systemd/system/c-relay.service
+sudo sed -i 's/WorkingDirectory=\/opt\/c-relay-pg/WorkingDirectory=\/data/' /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg.service
 sudo systemctl daemon-reload
 ```

@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
 #### Compute Engine Setup
 ```bash
 # Create VM instance (e2-micro or larger)
-gcloud compute instances create c-relay-instance \
+gcloud compute instances create c-relay-pg-instance \
    --image-family=ubuntu-2204-lts \
    --image-project=ubuntu-os-cloud \
    --machine-type=e2-micro \
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ gcloud compute firewall-rules create allow-nostr-relay \
    --target-tags nostr-relay

 # SSH and deploy
-gcloud compute ssh c-relay-instance
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+gcloud compute ssh c-relay-pg-instance
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 sudo examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 ```

@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@ sudo examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 ```bash
 # Create and attach persistent disk
 gcloud compute disks create relay-data --size=50GB
-gcloud compute instances attach-disk c-relay-instance --disk=relay-data
+gcloud compute instances attach-disk c-relay-pg-instance --disk=relay-data

 # Format and mount
 sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb
 sudo mkdir /data
 sudo mount /dev/sdb /data
-sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /data
+sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /data
 ```

 ### DigitalOcean
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /data
 ssh root@your-droplet-ip

 # Deploy relay
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 ```

@@ -245,8 +245,8 @@ The `examples/deployment/` directory contains ready-to-use scripts:
 ### Simple VPS Deployment
 ```bash
 # Clone repository and run automated deployment
-git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay.git
-cd c-relay
+git clone https://github.com/your-org/c-relay-pg.git
+cd c-relay-pg
 sudo examples/deployment/simple-vps/deploy.sh
 ```

@@ -417,9 +417,9 @@ LOG_FILE="/var/log/relay-monitor.log"
 DATE=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')

 # Check if relay is running
-if ! pgrep -f "c_relay_x86" > /dev/null; then
+if ! pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_x86" > /dev/null; then
    echo "[$DATE] ERROR: Relay process not running" >> $LOG_FILE
-    systemctl restart c-relay
+    systemctl restart c-relay-pg
 fi

 # Check port availability
@@ -428,14 +428,14 @@ if ! netstat -tln | grep -q ":8888"; then
 fi

 # Check database file
-RELAY_DB=$(find /opt/c-relay -name "*.nrdb" | head -1)
+RELAY_DB=$(find /opt/c-relay-pg -name "*.nrdb" | head -1)
 if [[ -n "$RELAY_DB" ]]; then
    DB_SIZE=$(du -h "$RELAY_DB" | cut -f1)
    echo "[$DATE] INFO: Database size: $DB_SIZE" >> $LOG_FILE
 fi

 # Check memory usage
-MEM_USAGE=$(ps aux | grep c_relay_x86 | grep -v grep | awk '{print $6}')
+MEM_USAGE=$(ps aux | grep c_relay_pg_x86 | grep -v grep | awk '{print $6}')
 if [[ -n "$MEM_USAGE" ]]; then
    echo "[$DATE] INFO: Memory usage: ${MEM_USAGE}KB" >> $LOG_FILE
 fi
@@ -454,8 +454,8 @@ sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/relay-monitor.sh

 #### Centralized Logging with rsyslog
 ```bash
-# /etc/rsyslog.d/50-c-relay.conf
-if $programname == 'c-relay' then /var/log/c-relay.log
+# /etc/rsyslog.d/50-c-relay-pg.conf
+if $programname == 'c-relay-pg' then /var/log/c-relay-pg.log
 & stop
 ```

@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ if $programname == 'c-relay' then /var/log/c-relay.log
 ```yaml
 # /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
 scrape_configs:
-  - job_name: 'c-relay'
+  - job_name: 'c-relay-pg'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:8888']
    metrics_path: '/metrics'  # If implemented
@@ -479,30 +479,30 @@ scrape_configs:
 #### Service User Restrictions
 ```bash
 # Restrict service user
-sudo usermod -s /bin/false c-relay
-sudo usermod -d /opt/c-relay c-relay
+sudo usermod -s /bin/false c-relay-pg
+sudo usermod -d /opt/c-relay-pg c-relay-pg

 # Set proper permissions
-sudo chmod 700 /opt/c-relay
-sudo chown -R c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay
+sudo chmod 700 /opt/c-relay-pg
+sudo chown -R c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg
 ```

 #### File System Restrictions
 ```bash
 # Mount data directory with appropriate options
-echo "/dev/sdb /opt/c-relay ext4 defaults,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 2" >> /etc/fstab
+echo "/dev/sdb /opt/c-relay-pg ext4 defaults,noexec,nosuid,nodev 0 2" >> /etc/fstab
 ```

 ### Network Security

 #### Fail2Ban Configuration
 ```ini
-# /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/c-relay.conf
-[c-relay-dos]
+# /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/c-relay-pg.conf
+[c-relay-pg-dos]
 enabled = true
 port = 8888
-filter = c-relay-dos
-logpath = /var/log/c-relay.log
+filter = c-relay-pg-dos
+logpath = /var/log/c-relay-pg.log
 maxretry = 10
 findtime = 60
 bantime = 300
@@ -534,9 +534,9 @@ sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/relay-data
 #!/bin/bash
 # /usr/local/bin/backup-relay.sh

-BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay"
+BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay-pg"
 DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
-RELAY_DB=$(find /opt/c-relay -name "*.nrdb" | head -1)
+RELAY_DB=$(find /opt/c-relay-pg -name "*.nrdb" | head -1)

 mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ sudo apt install -y awscli
 aws configure

 # Sync backups to S3
-aws s3 sync /backup/c-relay/ s3://your-backup-bucket/c-relay/ --delete
+aws s3 sync /backup/c-relay-pg/ s3://your-backup-bucket/c-relay-pg/ --delete
 ```

 ### Disaster Recovery
@@ -583,16 +583,16 @@ aws s3 sync /backup/c-relay/ s3://your-backup-bucket/c-relay/ --delete
 ```bash
 # 1. Restore from backup
 gunzip backup/relay_backup_20231201_020000.nrdb.gz
-cp backup/relay_backup_20231201_020000.nrdb /opt/c-relay/
+cp backup/relay_backup_20231201_020000.nrdb /opt/c-relay-pg/

 # 2. Fix permissions
-sudo chown c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay/*.nrdb
+sudo chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg/*.nrdb

 # 3. Restart service
-sudo systemctl restart c-relay
+sudo systemctl restart c-relay-pg

 # 4. Verify recovery
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay --since "1 minute ago"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg --since "1 minute ago"
 ```

 ---
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 ## Overview

-This guide explains how to build truly portable MUSL-based static binaries of c-relay using Alpine Linux Docker containers. These binaries have **zero runtime dependencies** and work on any Linux distribution.
+This guide explains how to build truly portable MUSL-based static binaries of c-relay-pg using Alpine Linux Docker containers. These binaries have **zero runtime dependencies** and work on any Linux distribution.

 ## Why MUSL?

@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ This guide explains how to build truly portable MUSL-based static binaries of c-
 ./build_static.sh

 # The binary will be created at:
-# build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64  (on x86_64)
-# build/c_relay_static_musl_arm64   (on ARM64)
+# build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64  (on x86_64)
+# build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_arm64   (on ARM64)
 ```

 ### What Happens During Build
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ This guide explains how to build truly portable MUSL-based static binaries of c-
   - Includes required NIPs: 001, 006, 013, 017, 019, 044, 059
   - Produces static library (~316KB)

-4. **c-relay Compilation**: Links everything statically:
+4. **c-relay-pg Compilation**: Links everything statically:
   - All source files compiled with `-static` flag
   - Fortification disabled to avoid `__*_chk` symbols
   - Results in ~7.6MB stripped binary
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ FROM alpine:3.19 AS builder
 - Install build tools and static libraries
 - Build dependencies from source
 - Compile nostr_core_lib with MUSL flags
- Compile c-relay with full static linking
+- Compile c-relay-pg with full static linking
 - Strip binary to reduce size

 # Stage 2: Output (scratch)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ FROM scratch AS output
 CFLAGS="-U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -fPIC -O2"
 ```

-**For c-relay:**
+**For c-relay-pg:**
 ```bash
 gcc -static -O2 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 \
    -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0 \
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ gcc -static -O2 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 \
 - `-U_FORTIFY_SOURCE` (undefine any existing definition)
 - `-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=0` (set to 0)

-This must be applied to **both** nostr_core_lib and c-relay compilation.
+This must be applied to **both** nostr_core_lib and c-relay-pg compilation.

 ### NIP Dependencies

@@ -129,26 +129,26 @@ The build includes these NIPs in nostr_core_lib:

 ```bash
 # Should show "statically linked"
-file build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+file build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64

 # Should show "not a dynamic executable"
-ldd build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+ldd build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64

 # Check size (should be ~7.6MB)
-ls -lh build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+ls -lh build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64
 ```

 ### Test Execution

 ```bash
 # Show help
-./build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --help
+./build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --help

 # Show version
-./build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --version
+./build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --version

 # Run relay
-./build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --port 8888
+./build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --port 8888
 ```

 ### Cross-Distribution Testing
@@ -157,16 +157,16 @@ Test the binary on different distributions to verify portability:

 ```bash
 # Alpine Linux
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app alpine:latest /app/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --version
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app alpine:latest /app/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --version

 # Ubuntu
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app ubuntu:latest /app/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --version
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app ubuntu:latest /app/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --version

 # Debian
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app debian:latest /app/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --version
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app debian:latest /app/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --version

 # CentOS
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app centos:latest /app/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --version
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/build:/app centos:latest /app/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --version
 ```

 ## Troubleshooting
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ newgrp docker  # Or logout and login again

 **Solution**: Ensure fortification is disabled in both:
 1. nostr_core_lib build.sh (line 534)
-2. c-relay compilation flags in Dockerfile
+2. c-relay-pg compilation flags in Dockerfile

 ### Binary Won't Execute

@@ -213,26 +213,26 @@ newgrp docker  # Or logout and login again

 ```bash
 # Copy binary to server
-scp build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 user@server:/opt/c-relay/
+scp build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 user@server:/opt/c-relay-pg/

 # Run on server (no dependencies needed!)
 ssh user@server
-cd /opt/c-relay
-./c_relay_static_musl_x86_64 --port 8888
+cd /opt/c-relay-pg
+./c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64 --port 8888
 ```

 ### SystemD Service

 ```ini
 [Unit]
-Description=C-Relay Nostr Relay (MUSL Static)
+Description=C-Relay-PG Nostr Relay (MUSL Static)
 After=network.target

 [Service]
 Type=simple
-User=c-relay
-WorkingDirectory=/opt/c-relay
-ExecStart=/opt/c-relay/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+User=c-relay-pg
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/c-relay-pg
+ExecStart=/opt/c-relay-pg/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ We chose Option B because:

 ## Detailed Implementation Steps

-### Phase 1: Configuration Setup in c-relay
+### Phase 1: Configuration Setup in c-relay-pg

 #### 1.1 Add Configuration Parameter
 **File:** `src/default_config_event.h`
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ int nostr_nip17_send_dm(cJSON* dm_event,

 ---

-### Phase 4: Update c-relay Call Sites
+### Phase 4: Update c-relay-pg Call Sites

 #### 4.1 Update src/api.c
 **Location:** Line 1319
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ causing compatibility issues.
 - [ ] Update `nostr_nip17_send_dm()` signature and implementation
 - [ ] Update `nip017.h` function declaration and documentation

-### c-relay Changes
+### c-relay-pg Changes
 - [ ] Add `nip59_timestamp_max_delay_sec` to `default_config_event.h`
 - [ ] Add validation in `config.c` for new parameter
 - [ ] Update `src/api.c` call site to pass `max_delay_sec`
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ causing compatibility issues.

 If issues arise:
 1. Revert nostr_core_lib changes (git revert in submodule)
-2. Revert c-relay changes
+2. Revert c-relay-pg changes
 3. Configuration parameter will be ignored if not used
 4. Default behavior (0) provides maximum compatibility

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 ## Overview

-This document describes the design for a general-purpose SQL query interface for the C-Relay admin API. This allows administrators to execute read-only SQL queries against the relay database through cryptographically signed kind 23456 events with NIP-44 encrypted command arrays.
+This document describes the design for a general-purpose SQL query interface for the C-Relay-PG admin API. This allows administrators to execute read-only SQL queries against the relay database through cryptographically signed kind 23456 events with NIP-44 encrypted command arrays.

 ## Security Model

@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ const SQL_QUERY_TEMPLATES = {
 };

 // Query history management (localStorage)
-const QUERY_HISTORY_KEY = 'c_relay_sql_history';
+const QUERY_HISTORY_KEY = 'c_relay_pg_sql_history';
 const MAX_HISTORY_ITEMS = 20;

 // Load query history from localStorage
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ The script should:
 - `curl` or `websocat` for WebSocket communication
 - `jq` for JSON parsing
 - Nostr CLI tools (optional, for event signing)
- Running c-relay instance
+- Running c-relay-pg instance

 ## Example Output

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# C-Relay Complete Startup Flow Documentation
+# C-Relay-PG Complete Startup Flow Documentation

 ## Overview

-C-Relay has two distinct startup paths:
+C-Relay-PG has two distinct startup paths:
 1. **First-Time Startup**: No database exists, generates keys and initializes system
 2. **Existing Relay Startup**: Database exists, loads configuration and resumes operation

@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ int populate_default_config_values(void) {
    
    struct config_default defaults[] = {
        {"relay_port", "8888", "integer", "WebSocket port", "network", 1},
-        {"relay_name", "C-Relay", "string", "Relay name", "info", 0},
+        {"relay_name", "C-Relay-PG", "string", "Relay name", "info", 0},
        {"relay_description", "High-performance C Nostr relay", "string", "Description", "info", 0},
        {"max_subscriptions_per_client", "25", "integer", "Max subs per client", "limits", 0},
        {"pow_min_difficulty", "0", "integer", "Minimum PoW difficulty", "security", 0},
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ if (current_version < LATEST_VERSION) {

 **Solutions**:
 - Use `--port <number>` to specify different port
- Kill existing process: `pkill -f c_relay_`
+- Kill existing process: `pkill -f c_relay_pg_`
 - Force kill port: `fuser -k 8888/tcp`
 - Use `--strict-port` to fail fast instead of trying fallback ports

@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ if (current_version < LATEST_VERSION) {
 **Solutions**:
 - Kill existing relay processes
 - Remove WAL files: `rm build/*.db-wal build/*.db-shm`
- Check for stale processes: `ps aux | grep c_relay_`
+- Check for stale processes: `ps aux | grep c_relay_pg_`

 #### 3. Missing Admin Private Key

@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ Typical startup times (on modern hardware):

 ## Summary

-The c-relay startup system is designed for:
+The c-relay-pg startup system is designed for:

 1. **Security**: Admin keys never stored, relay keys encrypted
 2. **Reliability**: Automatic port fallback, schema migrations
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ The script now attempts to build with `musl-gcc` for truly portable static binar

 SQLite is now built once and cached for future builds:

- **Cache location**: `~/.cache/c-relay-sqlite/`
+- **Cache location**: `~/.cache/c-relay-pg-sqlite/`
 - **Version-specific**: Each SQLite version gets its own cache directory
 - **Significant speedup**: Subsequent builds skip the SQLite compilation step
- **Manual cleanup**: `rm -rf ~/.cache/c-relay-sqlite` to clear cache
+- **Manual cleanup**: `rm -rf ~/.cache/c-relay-pg-sqlite` to clear cache

 ### 3. Smart Package Installation

@@ -51,13 +51,13 @@ The script will:
 ## Binary Types

 ### MUSL Static Binary (Ideal - Currently Not Achievable)
- **Filename**: `build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64`
+- **Filename**: `build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64`
 - **Dependencies**: None (truly static)
 - **Portability**: Works on any Linux distribution
 - **Status**: Requires MUSL-compiled libwebsockets and other dependencies (not available by default)

 ### Glibc Static Binary (Current Output)
- **Filename**: `build/c_relay_static_x86_64` or `build/c_relay_static_glibc_x86_64`
+- **Filename**: `build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64` or `build/c_relay_pg_static_glibc_x86_64`
 - **Dependencies**: None - fully statically linked with glibc
 - **Portability**: Works on most Linux distributions (glibc is statically included)
 - **Note**: Despite using glibc, this is a **fully static binary** with no runtime dependencies
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ The script automatically verifies binaries using `ldd` and `file`:

 ```bash
 # For MUSL binary
-ldd build/c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+ldd build/c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64
 # Output: "not a dynamic executable" (good!)

 # For glibc binary
-ldd build/c_relay_static_glibc_x86_64
+ldd build/c_relay_pg_static_glibc_x86_64
 # Output: Shows glibc dependencies
 ```

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ The script attempts MUSL compilation but falls back to glibc:

 ### Clear SQLite Cache
 ```bash
-rm -rf ~/.cache/c-relay-sqlite
+rm -rf ~/.cache/c-relay-pg-sqlite
 ```

 ### Force Package Reinstall
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ cat /tmp/musl_build.log

 ### Verify Binary Type
 ```bash
-file build/c_relay_static_*
-ldd build/c_relay_static_* 2>&1
+file build/c_relay_pg_static_*
+ldd build/c_relay_pg_static_* 2>&1
 ```

 ## Performance Impact
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 ## Problem Summary

-The c-relay Nostr relay experienced severe performance degradation (90-100% CPU) due to subscription accumulation in the database. Investigation revealed **323,644 orphaned subscriptions** that were never properly closed when WebSocket connections dropped.
+The c-relay-pg Nostr relay experienced severe performance degradation (90-100% CPU) due to subscription accumulation in the database. Investigation revealed **323,644 orphaned subscriptions** that were never properly closed when WebSocket connections dropped.

 ## Solution: Two-Component Approach

@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ int add_pubkeys_to_config_table(void) {
   rm -f *.db
   
   # Start relay with defaults
-   ./build/c_relay_x86
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86
   
   # Verify config table complete
   sqlite3 <relay_pubkey>.db "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM config;"
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ int add_pubkeys_to_config_table(void) {
   rm -f *.db
   
   # Start relay with port override
-   ./build/c_relay_x86 --port 9999
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --port 9999
   
   # Verify port override applied
   sqlite3 <relay_pubkey>.db "SELECT value FROM config WHERE key='relay_port';"
@@ -612,13 +612,13 @@ int add_pubkeys_to_config_table(void) {
 3. **Restart with Existing Database**
   ```bash
   # Start relay (creates database)
-   ./build/c_relay_x86
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86
   
   # Stop relay
-   pkill -f c_relay_
+   pkill -f c_relay_pg_
   
   # Restart relay
-   ./build/c_relay_x86
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86
   
   # Verify config unchanged
   # Check relay.log for validation message
@@ -627,13 +627,13 @@ int add_pubkeys_to_config_table(void) {
 4. **Restart with CLI Overrides**
   ```bash
   # Start relay (creates database)
-   ./build/c_relay_x86
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86
   
   # Stop relay
-   pkill -f c_relay_
+   pkill -f c_relay_pg_
   
   # Restart with port override
-   ./build/c_relay_x86 --port 9999
+   ./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --port 9999
   
   # Verify port override applied
   sqlite3 <relay_pubkey>.db "SELECT value FROM config WHERE key='relay_port';"
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ Complete guide for deploying, configuring, and managing the C Nostr Relay with e
 ```bash
 # Clone and build
 git clone <repository-url>
-cd c-relay
+cd c-relay-pg
 git submodule update --init --recursive
 make

 # Start relay (zero configuration needed)
-./build/c_relay_x86
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86
 ```

 ### 2. First Startup - Save Keys
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ brew install git sqlite libwebsockets openssl libsecp256k1 curl zlib
 ```bash
 # Clone repository
 git clone <repository-url>
-cd c-relay
+cd c-relay-pg

 # Initialize submodules
 git submodule update --init --recursive
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ git submodule update --init --recursive
 make clean && make

 # Verify build
-ls -la build/c_relay_x86
+ls -la build/c_relay_pg_x86
 ```

 ### Production Deployment
@@ -98,27 +98,27 @@ ls -la build/c_relay_x86
 sudo systemd/install-service.sh

 # Start service
-sudo systemctl start c-relay
+sudo systemctl start c-relay-pg

 # Enable auto-start
-sudo systemctl enable c-relay
+sudo systemctl enable c-relay-pg

 # Check status
-sudo systemctl status c-relay
+sudo systemctl status c-relay-pg
 ```

 #### Manual Deployment
 ```bash
 # Create dedicated user
-sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/c-relay --shell /bin/false c-relay
+sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/c-relay-pg --shell /bin/false c-relay-pg

 # Install binary
-sudo mkdir -p /opt/c-relay
-sudo cp build/c_relay_x86 /opt/c-relay/
-sudo chown -R c-relay:c-relay /opt/c-relay
+sudo mkdir -p /opt/c-relay-pg
+sudo cp build/c_relay_pg_x86 /opt/c-relay-pg/
+sudo chown -R c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg

 # Run as service user
-sudo -u c-relay /opt/c-relay/c_relay_x86
+sudo -u c-relay-pg /opt/c-relay-pg/c_relay_pg_x86
 ```

 ## Configuration Management
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ Send this to your relay via WebSocket, and changes are applied immediately.
 |-----------|-------------|---------|---------|
 | `relay_description` | Relay description for NIP-11 | "C Nostr Relay" | "My awesome relay" |
 | `relay_contact` | Admin contact information | "" | "admin@example.com" |
-| `relay_software` | Software identifier | "c-relay" | "c-relay v1.0" |
+| `relay_software` | Software identifier | "c-relay-pg" | "c-relay-pg v1.0" |

 #### Client Limits
 | Parameter | Description | Default | Range |
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ chmod 600 admin_keys_backup_*.txt
 #### Key Recovery
 If you lose your admin private key:

-1. **Stop the relay**: `pkill c_relay` or `sudo systemctl stop c-relay`
+1. **Stop the relay**: `pkill c_relay_pg` or `sudo systemctl stop c-relay-pg`
 2. **Backup events**: `cp <relay_pubkey>.nrdb backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).nrdb`
 3. **Remove database**: `rm <relay_pubkey>.nrdb*`
 4. **Restart relay**: This creates new database with new keys
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ sudo ufw allow 8888/tcp
 ```bash
 # Secure database file permissions
 chmod 600 <relay_pubkey>.nrdb
-chown c-relay:c-relay <relay_pubkey>.nrdb
+chown c-relay-pg:c-relay-pg <relay_pubkey>.nrdb

 # Regular backups
 cp <relay_pubkey>.nrdb backup/relay_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).nrdb
@@ -311,10 +311,10 @@ cp <relay_pubkey>.nrdb backup/relay_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).nrdb
 ### Service Status
 ```bash
 # Check if relay is running
-ps aux | grep c_relay
+ps aux | grep c_relay_pg

 # SystemD status
-sudo systemctl status c-relay
+sudo systemctl status c-relay-pg

 # Network connections
 netstat -tln | grep 8888
@@ -324,16 +324,16 @@ sudo ss -tlpn | grep 8888
 ### Log Monitoring
 ```bash
 # Real-time logs (systemd)
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay -f
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg -f

 # Recent logs
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay --since "1 hour ago"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg --since "1 hour ago"

 # Error logs only
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay -p err
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg -p err

 # Configuration changes
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay | grep "Configuration updated via kind 33334"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg | grep "Configuration updated via kind 33334"
 ```

 ### Database Analytics
@@ -365,13 +365,13 @@ ORDER BY created_at DESC;
 du -sh <relay_pubkey>.nrdb*

 # Memory usage
-ps aux | grep c_relay | awk '{print $6}' # RSS memory in KB
+ps aux | grep c_relay_pg | awk '{print $6}' # RSS memory in KB

 # Connection count (approximate)
 netstat -an | grep :8888 | grep ESTABLISHED | wc -l

 # System resources
-top -p $(pgrep c_relay)
+top -p $(pgrep c_relay_pg)
 ```

 ## Troubleshooting
@@ -385,11 +385,11 @@ netstat -tln | grep 8888
 # If port in use, find process: sudo lsof -i :8888

 # Check binary permissions
-ls -la build/c_relay_x86
-chmod +x build/c_relay_x86
+ls -la build/c_relay_pg_x86
+chmod +x build/c_relay_pg_x86

 # Check dependencies
-ldd build/c_relay_x86
+ldd build/c_relay_pg_x86
 ```

 #### Configuration Not Updating
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ sqlite3 recovered.nrdb < recovered.sql

 # If repair fails, start fresh (loses all events)
 mv <relay_pubkey>.nrdb <relay_pubkey>.nrdb.corrupted
-./build/c_relay_x86  # Creates new database
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86  # Creates new database
 ```

 #### Lost Configuration Recovery
@@ -455,12 +455,12 @@ If configuration is lost but database is intact:
 #### Emergency Restart
 ```bash
 # Quick restart with clean state
-sudo systemctl stop c-relay
+sudo systemctl stop c-relay-pg
 mv <relay_pubkey>.nrdb <relay_pubkey>.nrdb.backup
-sudo systemctl start c-relay
+sudo systemctl start c-relay-pg

 # Check logs for new admin keys
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay --since "5 minutes ago" | grep "Admin Private Key"
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg --since "5 minutes ago" | grep "Admin Private Key"
 ```

 ## Advanced Usage
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ ws.on('open', function() {
 # backup-relay.sh
 DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
 DB_FILE=$(ls *.nrdb | head -1)
-BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay"
+BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay-pg"

 mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
 cp $DB_FILE $BACKUP_DIR/relay_backup_$DATE.nrdb
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ tar czf relay_migration.tar.gz *.nrdb* relay.log

 # Target server  
 tar xzf relay_migration.tar.gz
-./build/c_relay_x86  # Will detect existing database and continue
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86  # Will detect existing database and continue
 ```

 ---
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash

-# Script to embed web files into C headers for the C-Relay admin interface
+# Script to embed web files into C headers for the C-Relay-PG admin interface
 # Converts HTML, CSS, and JS files from api/ directory into C byte arrays

 set -e
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ All examples assume the event-based configuration system where:
 - **Save Admin Keys**: All deployment examples emphasize capturing the admin private key on first startup
 - **Firewall Configuration**: Examples include proper firewall rules
 - **SSL/TLS**: Production examples include HTTPS configuration
- **User Isolation**: Service runs as dedicated `c-relay` system user
+- **User Isolation**: Service runs as dedicated `c-relay-pg` system user

 ## Support

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ BLUE='\033[0;34m'
 NC='\033[0m' # No Color

 # Default configuration
-RELAY_DIR="/opt/c-relay"
-BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay"
+RELAY_DIR="/opt/c-relay-pg"
+BACKUP_DIR="/backup/c-relay-pg"
 RETENTION_DAYS="30"
 COMPRESS="true"
 REMOTE_BACKUP=""
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ show_help() {
    echo "Usage: $0 [OPTIONS]"
    echo
    echo "Options:"
-    echo "  -d, --relay-dir DIR       Relay directory (default: /opt/c-relay)"
-    echo "  -b, --backup-dir DIR      Backup directory (default: /backup/c-relay)"
+    echo "  -d, --relay-dir DIR       Relay directory (default: /opt/c-relay-pg)"
+    echo "  -b, --backup-dir DIR      Backup directory (default: /backup/c-relay-pg)"
    echo "  -r, --retention DAYS      Retention period in days (default: 30)"
    echo "  -n, --no-compress         Don't compress backups"
    echo "  -s, --s3-bucket BUCKET    Upload to S3 bucket"
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ upload_to_s3() {
    
    print_step "Uploading backup to S3..."
    
-    local s3_path="s3://$S3_BUCKET/c-relay/$(date +%Y)/$(date +%m)/"
+    local s3_path="s3://$S3_BUCKET/c-relay-pg/$(date +%Y)/$(date +%m)/"
    
    if aws s3 cp "$BACKUP_FILE" "$s3_path" --storage-class STANDARD_IA; then
        print_success "Backup uploaded to S3: $s3_path"
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ cleanup_old_backups() {
        print_step "Cleaning S3 backups older than $cutoff_date..."
        
        # Note: This is a simplified approach. In production, use S3 lifecycle policies
-        aws s3 ls "s3://$S3_BUCKET/c-relay/" --recursive | \
+        aws s3 ls "s3://$S3_BUCKET/c-relay-pg/" --recursive | \
        awk '$1 < "'$cutoff_date'" {print $4}' | \
        while read -r key; do
            aws s3 rm "s3://$S3_BUCKET/$key"
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ BLUE='\033[0;34m'
 NC='\033[0m' # No Color

 # Configuration
-RELAY_DIR="/opt/c-relay"
-SERVICE_NAME="c-relay"
+RELAY_DIR="/opt/c-relay-pg"
+SERVICE_NAME="c-relay-pg"
 RELAY_PORT="8888"
 LOG_FILE="/var/log/relay-monitor.log"
 ALERT_EMAIL=""
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ show_help() {
    echo "Usage: $0 [OPTIONS]"
    echo
    echo "Options:"
-    echo "  -d, --relay-dir DIR       Relay directory (default: /opt/c-relay)"
+    echo "  -d, --relay-dir DIR       Relay directory (default: /opt/c-relay-pg)"
    echo "  -p, --port PORT           Relay port (default: 8888)"
    echo "  -i, --interval SECONDS    Check interval (default: 60)"
    echo "  -e, --email EMAIL         Alert email address"
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ parse_args() {
 check_process_running() {
    print_step "Checking if relay process is running..."
    
-    if pgrep -f "c_relay_x86" > /dev/null; then
+    if pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_x86" > /dev/null; then
        print_success "Relay process is running"
        return 0
    else
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ check_service_status() {
 check_memory_usage() {
    print_step "Checking memory usage..."
    
-    local memory_kb=$(ps aux | grep "c_relay_x86" | grep -v grep | awk '{sum+=$6} END {print sum}')
+    local memory_kb=$(ps aux | grep "c_relay_pg_x86" | grep -v grep | awk '{sum+=$6} END {print sum}')
    
    if [[ -z "$memory_kb" ]]; then
        print_warning "Could not determine memory usage"
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ http {
    }

    # Upstream for the relay
-    upstream c_relay_backend {
+    upstream c_relay_pg_backend {
        server 127.0.0.1:8888;
        keepalive 32;
    }
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ http {
        # Main proxy location for WebSocket and HTTP
        location / {
            # Proxy settings
-            proxy_pass http://c_relay_backend;
+            proxy_pass http://c_relay_pg_backend;
            proxy_http_version 1.1;
            proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;

@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ http {

        # Health check endpoint (if implemented)
        location /health {
-            proxy_pass http://c_relay_backend/health;
+            proxy_pass http://c_relay_pg_backend/health;
            access_log off;
        }

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ http {

        # Optional: Metrics endpoint (if implemented)
        location /metrics {
-            proxy_pass http://c_relay_backend/metrics;
+            proxy_pass http://c_relay_pg_backend/metrics;
            # Restrict access to monitoring systems
            allow 10.0.0.0/8;
            allow 172.16.0.0/12;
@@ -96,9 +96,9 @@ check_root() {
 check_relay_running() {
    print_step "Checking if C Nostr Relay is running..."
    
-    if ! pgrep -f "c_relay_x86" > /dev/null; then
+    if ! pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_x86" > /dev/null; then
        print_error "C Nostr Relay is not running"
-        print_error "Please start the relay first with: sudo systemctl start c-relay"
+        print_error "Please start the relay first with: sudo systemctl start c-relay-pg"
        exit 1
    fi
    
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ BLUE='\033[0;34m'
 NC='\033[0m' # No Color

 # Configuration
-RELAY_USER="c-relay"
-INSTALL_DIR="/opt/c-relay"
-SERVICE_NAME="c-relay"
+RELAY_USER="c-relay-pg"
+INSTALL_DIR="/opt/c-relay-pg"
+SERVICE_NAME="c-relay-pg"
 RELAY_PORT="8888"

 # Functions
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ build_relay() {
    
    # Check if we're in the source directory
    if [[ ! -f "Makefile" ]]; then
-        print_error "Makefile not found. Please run this script from the c-relay source directory."
+        print_error "Makefile not found. Please run this script from the c-relay-pg source directory."
        exit 1
    fi
    
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ build_relay() {
    make clean
    make
    
-    if [[ ! -f "build/c_relay_x86" ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -f "build/c_relay_pg_x86" ]]; then
        print_error "Build failed - binary not found"
        exit 1
    fi
@@ -118,9 +118,9 @@ build_relay() {
 install_binary() {
    print_step "Installing relay binary..."
    
-    cp build/c_relay_x86 "$INSTALL_DIR/"
-    chown "$RELAY_USER:$RELAY_USER" "$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_x86"
-    chmod +x "$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_x86"
+    cp build/c_relay_pg_x86 "$INSTALL_DIR/"
+    chown "$RELAY_USER:$RELAY_USER" "$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_pg_x86"
+    chmod +x "$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_pg_x86"
    
    print_success "Binary installed to $INSTALL_DIR"
 }
@@ -129,14 +129,14 @@ install_service() {
    print_step "Installing systemd service..."
    
    # Use the existing systemd service file
-    if [[ -f "systemd/c-relay.service" ]]; then
-        cp systemd/c-relay.service /etc/systemd/system/
+    if [[ -f "systemd/c-relay-pg.service" ]]; then
+        cp systemd/c-relay-pg.service /etc/systemd/system/
        systemctl daemon-reload
        print_success "Systemd service installed"
    else
        print_warning "Systemd service file not found, creating basic one..."
        
-        cat > /etc/systemd/system/c-relay.service << EOF
+        cat > /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg.service << EOF
 [Unit]
 Description=C Nostr Relay
 After=network.target
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ Type=simple
 User=$RELAY_USER
 Group=$RELAY_USER
 WorkingDirectory=$INSTALL_DIR
-ExecStart=$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_x86
+ExecStart=$INSTALL_DIR/c_relay_pg_x86
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# MUSL-based fully static C-Relay builder
+# MUSL-based fully static C-Relay-PG builder
 # Produces portable binaries with zero runtime dependencies

 FROM alpine:latest AS builder
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ RUN cd /tmp && \
        --prefix=/usr && \
    make && make install

-# Copy c-relay source
+# Copy c-relay-pg source
 COPY . /build/

 # Initialize submodules
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ RUN git submodule update --init --recursive
 # Build nostr_core_lib
 RUN cd nostr_core_lib && ./build.sh

-# Build c-relay static
+# Build c-relay-pg static
 RUN make clean && \
    CC="musl-gcc -static" \
    CFLAGS="-O2 -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -g" \
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ RUN make clean && \
    make

 # Strip binary for size
-RUN strip build/c_relay_x86
+RUN strip build/c_relay_pg_x86

 # Multi-stage build to produce minimal output
 FROM scratch AS output
-COPY --from=builder /build/build/c_relay_x86 /c_relay_static_musl_x86_64
+COPY --from=builder /build/build/c_relay_pg_x86 /c_relay_pg_static_musl_x86_64
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ RELEASE_MODE=false
 VERSION_INCREMENT_TYPE="patch"  # "patch", "minor", or "major"

 show_usage() {
-    echo "C-Relay Increment and Push Script"
+    echo "C-Relay-PG Increment and Push Script"
    echo ""
    echo "USAGE:"
    echo "  $0 [OPTIONS] \"commit message\""
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ build_release_binary() {
 create_source_tarball() {
    print_status "Creating source tarball..."

-    local tarball_name="c-relay-${NEW_VERSION#v}.tar.gz"
+    local tarball_name="c-relay-pg-${NEW_VERSION#v}.tar.gz"

    # Create tarball excluding build artifacts and git files
    if tar -czf "$tarball_name" \
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ upload_release_assets() {
    fi

    local token=$(cat "$HOME/.gitea_token" | tr -d '\n\r')
-    local api_url="https://git.laantungir.net/api/v1/repos/laantungir/c-relay"
+    local api_url="https://git.laantungir.net/api/v1/repos/laantungir/c-relay-pg"
    local assets_url="$api_url/releases/$release_id/assets"
    print_status "Assets URL: $assets_url"

@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ create_gitea_release() {
    fi

    local token=$(cat "$HOME/.gitea_token" | tr -d '\n\r')
-    local api_url="https://git.laantungir.net/api/v1/repos/laantungir/c-relay"
+    local api_url="https://git.laantungir.net/api/v1/repos/laantungir/c-relay-pg"

    # Create release
    print_status "Creating release $NEW_VERSION..."
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ create_gitea_release() {

 # Main execution
 main() {
-    print_status "C-Relay Increment and Push Script"
+    print_status "C-Relay-PG Increment and Push Script"

    # Check prerequisites
    check_git_repo
@@ -505,13 +505,13 @@ main() {

        # Build release binary
        if build_release_binary; then
-            local binary_path="build/c_relay_static_x86_64"
+            local binary_path="build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64"
        else
            print_warning "Binary build failed, continuing with release creation"
            # Check if binary exists from previous build
-            if [[ -f "build/c_relay_static_x86_64" ]]; then
+            if [[ -f "build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64" ]]; then
                print_status "Using existing binary from previous build"
-                binary_path="build/c_relay_static_x86_64"
+                binary_path="build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64"
            else
                binary_path=""
            fi
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash

-# C-Relay Build and Restart Script
+# C-Relay-PG Build and Restart Script
 # Builds the project first, then stops any running relay and starts a new one in the background

 echo "=== C Nostr Relay Build and Restart Script ==="
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ ADMIN_KEY=""
 RELAY_KEY=""
 PORT_OVERRIDE=""
 DEBUG_LEVEL="5"
+DB_BACKEND="postgres"
+DB_CONNSTRING=""
+DB_HOST=""
+DB_PORT=""
+DB_NAME=""
+DB_USER=""
+DB_PASSWORD=""

 # Key validation function
 validate_hex_key() {
@@ -70,6 +77,24 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
            ;;
        --test-keys|-t)
            USE_TEST_KEYS=true
+            # Read keys from .test_keys file
+            if [ -f ".test_keys" ]; then
+                echo "Reading test keys from .test_keys file..."
+                # Source the file to get the variables
+                source .test_keys
+                # Remove any single quotes from the values
+                # Note: -a flag expects ADMIN_PUBKEY (public key), not ADMIN_PRIVKEY
+                ADMIN_KEY=$(echo "$ADMIN_PUBKEY" | tr -d "'")
+                RELAY_KEY=$(echo "$SERVER_PRIVKEY" | tr -d "'")
+                echo "Using admin pubkey from .test_keys: ${ADMIN_KEY:0:16}..."
+                echo "Using relay privkey from .test_keys: ${RELAY_KEY:0:16}..."
+            else
+                echo "ERROR: .test_keys file not found"
+                echo "Please create a .test_keys file with the following format:"
+                echo "  ADMIN_PUBKEY='your_admin_public_key_hex'"
+                echo "  SERVER_PRIVKEY='your_relay_private_key_hex'"
+                exit 1
+            fi
            shift
            ;;
        --debug-level=*)
@@ -100,6 +125,84 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
                shift 2
            fi
            ;;
+        --db-backend)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-backend requires a value (sqlite|postgres)"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_BACKEND="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-backend=*)
+            DB_BACKEND="${1#*=}"
+            shift
+            ;;
+        --db-connstring)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-connstring requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_CONNSTRING="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-connstring=*)
+            DB_CONNSTRING="${1#*=}"
+            shift
+            ;;
+        --db-host)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-host requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_HOST="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-port)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-port requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_PORT="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-name)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-name requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_NAME="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-user)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-user requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_USER="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
+        --db-password)
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --db-password requires a value"
+                HELP=true
+                shift
+            else
+                DB_PASSWORD="$2"
+                shift 2
+            fi
+            ;;
        --help|-h)
            HELP=true
            shift
@@ -146,6 +249,98 @@ if [ -n "$DEBUG_LEVEL" ]; then
    fi
 fi

+# Validate DB backend
+if [ "$DB_BACKEND" != "sqlite" ] && [ "$DB_BACKEND" != "postgres" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Invalid --db-backend value '$DB_BACKEND'. Use sqlite or postgres."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Validate DB port if provided
+if [ -n "$DB_PORT" ]; then
+    if ! [[ "$DB_PORT" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || [ "$DB_PORT" -lt 1 ] || [ "$DB_PORT" -gt 65535 ]; then
+        echo "ERROR: --db-port must be a number between 1 and 65535"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$DB_BACKEND" = "postgres" ] && [ -z "$DB_CONNSTRING" ]; then
+    [ -z "$DB_HOST" ] && DB_HOST="localhost"
+    [ -z "$DB_PORT" ] && DB_PORT="5432"
+    [ -z "$DB_NAME" ] && DB_NAME="crelay"
+    [ -z "$DB_USER" ] && DB_USER="crelay"
+    [ -z "$DB_PASSWORD" ] && DB_PASSWORD="crelay"
+fi
+
+ensure_postgres_database() {
+    if ! command -v psql >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "ERROR: psql not found. Install PostgreSQL client tools to continue."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    echo "Ensuring PostgreSQL database exists: host=$DB_HOST port=$DB_PORT dbname=$DB_NAME user=$DB_USER"
+
+    if [ -n "$DB_PASSWORD" ]; then
+        export PGPASSWORD="$DB_PASSWORD"
+    fi
+
+    # Prefer local postgres superuser for provisioning when available.
+    if sudo -n -u postgres psql -d postgres -tAc "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -tAc "SELECT 1 FROM pg_roles WHERE rolname = '$DB_USER'" | grep -q 1 || \
+            sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "CREATE ROLE \"$DB_USER\" LOGIN PASSWORD '$DB_PASSWORD';" || return 1
+
+        sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "ALTER ROLE \"$DB_USER\" WITH LOGIN PASSWORD '$DB_PASSWORD';" >/dev/null || return 1
+
+        if [ "$PRESERVE_DATABASE" = false ]; then
+            echo "Resetting PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME' for fresh start..."
+
+            # Ensure no active sessions block DROP DATABASE (common when relay is still running).
+            sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c \
+                "SELECT pg_terminate_backend(pid) FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname = '$DB_NAME' AND pid <> pg_backend_pid();" >/dev/null || return 1
+
+            # Prefer force drop when supported; fallback to regular dropdb.
+            if ! sudo -u postgres dropdb --if-exists --force "$DB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                sudo -u postgres dropdb --if-exists "$DB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+            fi
+
+            sudo -u postgres createdb -O "$DB_USER" "$DB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+            echo "✓ Recreated PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME' owned by '$DB_USER'"
+        else
+            DB_EXISTS=$(sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -tAc "SELECT 1 FROM pg_database WHERE datname = '$DB_NAME'" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]')
+            if [ "$DB_EXISTS" != "1" ]; then
+                sudo -u postgres createdb -O "$DB_USER" "$DB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+                echo "✓ Created PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME'"
+            else
+                echo "✓ PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME' already exists"
+            fi
+        fi
+
+        sudo -u postgres psql -d postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE \"$DB_NAME\" TO \"$DB_USER\";" >/dev/null || return 1
+        sudo -u postgres psql -d "$DB_NAME" -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "ALTER SCHEMA public OWNER TO \"$DB_USER\"; GRANT ALL ON SCHEMA public TO \"$DB_USER\";" >/dev/null || return 1
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # Fallback: use configured DB user directly.
+    if ! psql -h "$DB_HOST" -p "$DB_PORT" -U "$DB_USER" -d postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -tAc "SELECT 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "ERROR: Cannot connect to PostgreSQL server/database 'postgres' with current settings"
+        echo "       host=$DB_HOST port=$DB_PORT user=$DB_USER"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    DB_EXISTS=$(psql -h "$DB_HOST" -p "$DB_PORT" -U "$DB_USER" -d postgres -tAc "SELECT 1 FROM pg_database WHERE datname = '$DB_NAME'" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]')
+    if [ "$DB_EXISTS" != "1" ]; then
+        echo "Database '$DB_NAME' not found. Creating..."
+        if ! createdb -h "$DB_HOST" -p "$DB_PORT" -U "$DB_USER" "$DB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "ERROR: Failed to create PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME'"
+            return 1
+        fi
+        echo "✓ Created PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME'"
+    else
+        echo "✓ PostgreSQL database '$DB_NAME' already exists"
+    fi
+
+    return 0
+}
+
 # Show help
 if [ "$HELP" = true ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 [OPTIONS]"
@@ -157,6 +352,13 @@ if [ "$HELP" = true ]; then
    echo "  -d, --debug-level <0-5>  Set debug level: 0=none, 1=errors, 2=warnings, 3=info, 4=debug, 5=trace"
    echo "  --preserve-database      Keep existing database files (don't delete for fresh start)"
    echo "  --test-keys, -t          Use deterministic test keys for development (admin: all 'a's, relay: all '1's)"
+    echo "  --db-backend <name>      Database backend: postgres (default) or sqlite"
+    echo "  --db-connstring <str>    PostgreSQL libpq connection string"
+    echo "  --db-host <host>         PostgreSQL host"
+    echo "  --db-port <port>         PostgreSQL port"
+    echo "  --db-name <name>         PostgreSQL database name"
+    echo "  --db-user <user>         PostgreSQL database user"
+    echo "  --db-password <pass>     PostgreSQL database password"
    echo "  --help, -h               Show this help message"
    echo ""
    echo "Event-Based Configuration:"
@@ -176,6 +378,9 @@ if [ "$HELP" = true ]; then
    echo "  $0 --test-keys                       # Use test keys for consistent development"
    echo "  $0 -t --preserve-database            # Use test keys and preserve database"
    echo ""
+    echo "Default PostgreSQL connection (when no DB flags provided):"
+    echo "  host=localhost port=5432 dbname=crelay user=crelay password=crelay"
+    echo ""
    echo "Key Format: Keys must be exactly 64 hexadecimal characters (0-9, a-f, A-F)"
    echo "Default behavior: Deletes existing database files to start fresh with new keys"
    echo "                 for development purposes"
@@ -199,13 +404,17 @@ fi
 rm -rf dev-config/ 2>/dev/null
 rm -f db/c_nostr_relay.db* 2>/dev/null

+if [ "$DB_BACKEND" = "postgres" ] && [ -z "$DB_CONNSTRING" ]; then
+    ensure_postgres_database || exit 1
+fi
+
 # Embed web files into C headers before building
 echo "Embedding web files..."
 ./embed_web_files.sh

 # Build the project - ONLY static build
-echo "Building project (static binary with SQLite JSON1 extension)..."
-./build_static.sh
+echo "Building project (static binary, backend: $DB_BACKEND)..."
+./build_static.sh --db-backend "$DB_BACKEND"

 # Exit if static build fails - no fallback
 if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
@@ -224,13 +433,13 @@ fi
 ARCH=$(uname -m)
 case "$ARCH" in
    x86_64)
-        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_static_x86_64"
+        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_pg_static_x86_64"
        ;;
    aarch64|arm64)
-        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_static_arm64"
+        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_pg_static_arm64"
        ;;
    *)
-        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_static_$ARCH"
+        BINARY_PATH="./build/c_relay_pg_static_$ARCH"
        ;;
 esac

@@ -252,7 +461,7 @@ echo "Build successful. Proceeding with relay restart..."
 echo "Stopping any existing relay servers..."

 # Get all relay processes and kill them immediately with -9
-RELAY_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_" || echo "")
+RELAY_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_" || echo "")
 if [ -n "$RELAY_PIDS" ]; then
    echo "Force killing relay processes immediately: $RELAY_PIDS"
    kill -9 $RELAY_PIDS 2>/dev/null
@@ -273,7 +482,7 @@ for attempt in {1..15}; do
    fuser -k 8888/tcp 2>/dev/null || true
    
    # Double-check for any remaining relay processes
-    REMAINING_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_" || echo "")
+    REMAINING_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_" || echo "")
    if [ -n "$REMAINING_PIDS" ]; then
        echo "Killing remaining relay processes: $REMAINING_PIDS"
        kill -9 $REMAINING_PIDS 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -291,7 +500,7 @@ for attempt in {1..15}; do
 done

 # Final safety check - ensure no relay processes remain
-FINAL_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_" || echo "")
+FINAL_PIDS=$(pgrep -f "c_relay_pg_" || echo "")
 if [ -n "$FINAL_PIDS" ]; then
    echo "Final cleanup: killing processes $FINAL_PIDS"
    kill -9 $FINAL_PIDS 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -307,7 +516,7 @@ echo "Database will be initialized automatically on startup if needed"

 # Start relay in background with output redirection
 echo "Starting relay server..."
-echo "Debug: Current processes: $(ps aux | grep 'c_relay_' | grep -v grep || echo 'None')"
+echo "Debug: Current processes: $(ps aux | grep 'c_relay_pg_' | grep -v grep || echo 'None')"

 # Build command line arguments for relay binary
 RELAY_ARGS=""
@@ -332,15 +541,42 @@ if [ -n "$DEBUG_LEVEL" ]; then
    echo "Using debug level: $DEBUG_LEVEL"
 fi

+if [ -n "$DB_CONNSTRING" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-connstring '$DB_CONNSTRING'"
+    echo "Using PostgreSQL connection string override"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DB_HOST" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-host '$DB_HOST'"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DB_PORT" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-port '$DB_PORT'"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DB_NAME" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-name '$DB_NAME'"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DB_USER" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-user '$DB_USER'"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$DB_PASSWORD" ]; then
+    RELAY_ARGS="$RELAY_ARGS --db-password '$DB_PASSWORD'"
+fi
+
 # Change to build directory before starting relay so database files are created there
 cd build
 # Start relay in background and capture its PID
 if [ "$USE_TEST_KEYS" = true ]; then
-    echo "Using deterministic test keys for development..."
-    ./$(basename $BINARY_PATH) -a 6a04ab98d9e4774ad806e302dddeb63bea16b5cb5f223ee77478e861bb583eb3 -r 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 --debug-level=$DEBUG_LEVEL --strict-port > ../relay.log 2>&1 &
+    echo "Using test keys from .test_keys file..."
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    eval ./$(basename $BINARY_PATH) -a "$ADMIN_KEY" -r "$RELAY_KEY" $RELAY_ARGS --strict-port > ../relay.log 2>&1 &
 elif [ -n "$RELAY_ARGS" ]; then
    echo "Starting relay with custom configuration..."
-    ./$(basename $BINARY_PATH) $RELAY_ARGS --debug-level=$DEBUG_LEVEL --strict-port > ../relay.log 2>&1 &
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    eval ./$(basename $BINARY_PATH) $RELAY_ARGS --strict-port > ../relay.log 2>&1 &
 else
    # No command line arguments needed for random key generation
    echo "Starting relay with random key generation..."
@@ -410,8 +646,8 @@ if ps -p "$RELAY_PID" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "=== Event-Based Relay Server Running ==="
    echo "Configuration: Event-based (kind 33334 Nostr events)"
    echo "Database: Automatically created with relay pubkey naming"
-    echo "To kill relay: pkill -f 'c_relay_'"
-    echo "To check status: ps aux | grep c_relay_"
+    echo "To kill relay: pkill -f 'c_relay_pg_'"
+    echo "To check status: ps aux | grep c_relay_pg_"
    echo "To view logs: tail -f relay.log"
    echo "Binary: $BINARY_PATH (zero configuration needed)"
    echo "Ready for Nostr client connections!"
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ After the next crash, analyze it:
 # List all core dumps (most recent first)
 sudo coredumpctl list

-# View info about the most recent c-relay crash
-sudo coredumpctl info c-relay
+# View info about the most recent c-relay-pg crash
+sudo coredumpctl info c-relay-pg

 # Load the core dump in gdb for detailed analysis
-sudo coredumpctl gdb c-relay
+sudo coredumpctl gdb c-relay-pg

 Inside gdb, run these commands:
 (gdb) bt full          # Full backtrace with all variables
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ DEBUGGING

 Even simpler: Use this one-liner
 # Start relay and immediately attach gdb
-cd /usr/local/bin/c_relay
-sudo -u c-relay ./c_relay --debug-level=5 & sleep 2 && sudo gdb -p $(pgrep c_relay)
+cd /usr/local/bin/c_relay_pg
+sudo -u c-relay-pg ./c_relay_pg --debug-level=5 & sleep 2 && sudo gdb -p $(pgrep c_relay_pg)

 Inside gdb, after attaching:

@@ -48,17 +48,17 @@ Or shorter:

 How to View the Logs
 Check systemd journal:
-# View all c-relay logs
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay
+# View all c-relay-pg logs
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg

 # View recent logs (last 50 lines)
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay -n 50
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg -n 50

 # Follow logs in real-time
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay -f
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg -f

 # View logs since last boot
-sudo journalctl -u c-relay -b
+sudo journalctl -u c-relay-pg -b

 Check if service is running:

@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ sudo systemctl start rsyslog
 sudo systemctl status rsyslog


-sudo -u c-relay ./c_relay --debug-level=5 -r 85d0b37e2ae822966dcadd06b2dc9368cde73865f90ea4d44f8b57d47ef0820a -a 1ec454734dcbf6fe54901ce25c0c7c6bca5edd89443416761fadc321d38df139
+sudo -u c-relay-pg ./c_relay_pg --debug-level=5 -r 85d0b37e2ae822966dcadd06b2dc9368cde73865f90ea4d44f8b57d47ef0820a -a 1ec454734dcbf6fe54901ce25c0c7c6bca5edd89443416761fadc321d38df139

-./c_relay_static_x86_64 -p 7889 --debug-level=5 -r 85d0b37e2ae822966dcadd06b2dc9368cde73865f90ea4d44f8b57d47ef0820a -a 1ec454734dcbf6fe54901ce25c0c7c6bca5edd89443416761fadc321d38df139
+./c_relay_pg_static_x86_64 -p 7889 --debug-level=5 -r 85d0b37e2ae822966dcadd06b2dc9368cde73865f90ea4d44f8b57d47ef0820a -a 1ec454734dcbf6fe54901ce25c0c7c6bca5edd89443416761fadc321d38df139


 sudo ufw allow 8888/tcp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "name": "c-relay",
+  "name": "c-relay-pg",
  "lockfileVersion": 3,
  "requires": true,
  "packages": {
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+# API Upgrade Plan: Monitoring Thread + PostgreSQL Push
+
+## Current API Architecture
+
+### How Monitoring Works Today
+
+The relay publishes monitoring data as **kind 24567 ephemeral Nostr events**. The admin dashboard is a standard Nostr client that subscribes to these events.
+
+```
+Dashboard connects → subscribes to kind 24567 with d-tags
+Relay detects subscription → starts generating monitoring events
+Relay queries DB → builds JSON → signs event → broadcasts to subscribers
+Dashboard receives events → renders stats/charts
+```
+
+### Current Monitoring Event Types
+
+| d-tag | Query Function | What It Contains | Triggered By |
+|-------|---------------|-----------------|-------------|
+| `event_kinds` | `query_event_kind_distribution()` | Event count per kind, total events | Event storage |
+| `time_stats` | `query_time_based_statistics()` | Events in last 24h/7d/30d | Event storage |
+| `top_pubkeys` | `query_top_pubkeys()` | Top 10 pubkeys by event count | Event storage |
+| `subscription_details` | `query_subscription_details()` | Active subscriptions list | Subscription changes |
+| `cpu_metrics` | `query_cpu_metrics()` | PID, memory, CPU, connections | Both triggers |
+
+### Current Admin Command System
+
+Two parallel admin interfaces exist:
+
+**1. Kind 23456 Admin Events (WebSocket)**
+- Admin sends NIP-44 encrypted commands as kind 23456 events
+- Relay decrypts, processes, responds with kind 23457 events
+- Commands: config get/set, auth rules, system commands, SQL queries
+
+**2. NIP-17 DM Admin (Direct Messages)**
+- Admin sends gift-wrapped DMs (kind 1059) to relay
+- Relay unwraps, processes commands, responds via DM
+- Commands: stats, config, help, SQL queries
+
+### Current Problems
+
+1. **All monitoring runs on lws-main thread** — DB queries block the event loop
+2. **Monitoring is triggered by event storage** — `generate_event_driven_monitoring()` runs synchronously after each event insert
+3. **No dedicated monitoring thread** — monitoring piggybacks on the relay's main processing
+4. **Throttle is time-based only** — `kind_24567_reporting_throttle_sec` (default 5s) but queries still run on main thread
+5. **Dashboard polls via subscription** — no way to get data without the relay actively generating events
+
+---
+
+## Upgrade Plan
+
+### Phase 1: Dedicated API Thread (`api-worker`)
+
+**What:** Create a new thread that owns all monitoring event generation. It runs on a timer, queries PostgreSQL with its own connection, builds and signs monitoring events, and pushes them into the broadcast system.
+
+**Thread behavior:**
+```
+api-worker thread:
+  1. Open own PG connection
+  2. Loop:
+     a. Sleep for throttle_sec interval
+     b. Check if anyone is subscribed to kind 24567
+     c. If yes: run all monitoring queries
+     d. Build kind 24567 events with results
+     e. Sign events with relay key
+     f. Push completed events to lws-main for broadcast
+     g. Repeat
+```
+
+**Key design decisions:**
+- The api-worker thread does ALL the heavy work (queries + signing)
+- It only hands off pre-built, signed events to lws-main for broadcast
+- lws-main never blocks on monitoring queries
+- The thread sleeps when no one is subscribed (zero overhead)
+
+**Files to change:**
+- `src/api.c`: Refactor `generate_monitoring_event_for_type()` to be callable from any thread
+- `src/websockets.c`: Add monitor thread lifecycle (start/stop), completion queue for broadcast
+- `src/thread_pool.h`: Add api-worker thread config options
+
+**New thread in the process:**
+```
+c_relay_pg process
+├── lws-main           — WebSocket event loop
+├── db-read-1..N       — Async REQ/COUNT queries
+├── event-worker       — Async EVENT ingestion
+├── db-write-1..N      — Async sub logging, misc writes
+└── api-worker         — NEW: periodic monitoring event generation
+```
+
+### Phase 2: Remove Monitoring from Main Thread Path
+
+**What:** Remove `generate_event_driven_monitoring()` and `generate_subscription_driven_monitoring()` calls from the synchronous event processing path.
+
+**Currently these are called from:**
+- After event storage (event-driven monitoring)
+- After subscription create/close (subscription-driven monitoring)
+
+**After change:**
+- The api-worker thread handles all monitoring on its own timer
+- Event storage and subscription changes no longer trigger monitoring directly
+- The throttle interval controls how fresh the data is (default 5 seconds)
+
+**Benefit:** Event processing becomes faster — no monitoring overhead per event.
+
+### Phase 3: Dashboard Uses Normal Subscriptions for Real-Time Events
+
+**What:** Instead of the relay generating special monitoring events for "recent events," the dashboard simply subscribes to all events using standard Nostr REQ filters.
+
+**Current approach:** Dashboard subscribes to kind 24567 monitoring events that contain aggregated stats.
+
+**New approach for real-time event feed:**
+```javascript
+// Dashboard subscribes to ALL events on the relay
+relayPool.subscribeMany([url], [
+  { kinds: [1, 3, 5, 7, ...], limit: 50 }  // Recent events
+], {
+  onevent(event) {
+    // Render in real-time event feed
+    addEventToFeed(event);
+  }
+});
+```
+
+**What this replaces:** The "Relay Events" page in the dashboard currently shows events from monitoring. Instead, it would show live events as they arrive via normal Nostr subscription.
+
+**What stays as monitoring events:** Aggregated stats (event_kinds, time_stats, top_pubkeys, cpu_metrics, subscription_details) still need to be generated by the relay because they require SQL aggregation queries that a client can't do.
+
+### Phase 4: Evaluate Which Monitoring Events Can Be Replaced
+
+For each current monitoring event type, here's whether it should stay as a relay-generated event or be replaced by dashboard-side logic:
+
+| d-tag | Current: Relay generates | Could dashboard do it? | Recommendation |
+|-------|------------------------|----------------------|----------------|
+| `event_kinds` | SQL: `SELECT kind, COUNT(*) FROM events GROUP BY kind` | No — requires DB aggregation | **Keep as monitoring event** |
+| `time_stats` | SQL: `SELECT COUNT(*) FROM events WHERE created_at > ?` for 24h/7d/30d | No — requires DB aggregation | **Keep as monitoring event** |
+| `top_pubkeys` | SQL: `SELECT pubkey, COUNT(*) FROM events GROUP BY pubkey ORDER BY count DESC LIMIT 10` | No — requires DB aggregation | **Keep as monitoring event** |
+| `subscription_details` | SQL: `SELECT * FROM active_subscriptions_log` | No — requires DB access | **Keep as monitoring event** |
+| `cpu_metrics` | Reads `/proc/self/stat`, memory info | No — requires server-side access | **Keep as monitoring event** |
+| Real-time event feed | Currently via monitoring events | **Yes — normal Nostr subscription** | **Replace with REQ subscription** |
+| Auth rules list | Currently via admin command | No — requires DB access | **Keep as admin command** |
+| Config values | Currently via admin command | No — requires DB access | **Keep as admin command** |
+
+**Conclusion:** All 5 monitoring event types should stay as relay-generated events (they require SQL aggregation or server-side data). The only thing that changes is the real-time event feed, which becomes a normal subscription.
+
+### Phase 5: PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY for Monitoring Triggers (Future)
+
+**What:** Instead of the monitor thread polling on a timer, PostgreSQL can push notifications when data changes.
+
+**Example triggers:**
+```sql
+-- Notify when a new event is stored
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION notify_event_stored() RETURNS trigger AS $$
+BEGIN
+  PERFORM pg_notify('event_stored', json_build_object(
+    'kind', NEW.kind,
+    'pubkey', substring(NEW.pubkey, 1, 8)
+  )::text);
+  RETURN NEW;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+CREATE TRIGGER trg_notify_event_stored
+  AFTER INSERT ON events
+  FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION notify_event_stored();
+```
+
+**How the monitor thread would use it:**
+```
+api-worker thread:
+  1. LISTEN event_stored
+  2. Wait for notification (blocks efficiently)
+  3. On notification: batch up for throttle_sec, then generate monitoring events
+  4. Repeat
+```
+
+**Benefit:** Zero-polling. The monitor thread only wakes up when data actually changes.
+
+**This is optional and can be added later.** The timer-based approach in Phase 1 works well and is simpler.
+
+---
+
+## Updated Thread Layout (After All Phases)
+
+```
+c_relay_pg process
+├── lws-main           — WebSocket event loop (never blocks on DB for monitoring)
+├── db-read-1..4       — Async REQ/COUNT queries
+├── event-worker       — Async EVENT ingestion (validate + store)
+├── db-write-1..2      — Async sub logging, IP bans, misc writes
+└── api-worker         — Periodic monitoring event generation (own PG conn)
+```
+
+**Total: 9 threads, 9 PG connections** (with 4 readers + 2 writers)
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Priority
+
+| Phase | Description | Complexity | Impact |
+|-------|-------------|-----------|--------|
+| 1 | Dedicated api-worker thread | Medium | High — unblocks main thread |
+| 2 | Remove monitoring from event processing path | Low | Medium — faster event processing |
+| 3 | Dashboard uses normal subscriptions for event feed | Low (frontend only) | Medium — simpler, more reliable |
+| 4 | Evaluate monitoring event types | Analysis only | Confirms architecture |
+| 5 | PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY triggers | Medium | Low (optimization) — add later |
+
+**Recommended start:** Phase 1 + 2 together (they're coupled), then Phase 3 (frontend change), then Phase 5 when needed.
+
+---
+
+## Relationship to Thread Pool Plan
+
+This plan complements `thread_pool_pg_optimization_plan.md`:
+
+- Thread pool plan handles **reader/writer scaling** for client-facing operations
+- This plan handles **monitoring/API operations** on a dedicated thread
+- Both plans share the same PG connection model (one connection per thread)
+- The api-worker thread is independent from the thread pool — it has its own lifecycle
+
+The combined target is:
+```
+lws-main (1) + readers (4) + event-worker (1) + writers (2) + api-worker (1) = 9 threads
+```
@@ -0,0 +1,632 @@
+# c-relay-pg-pg Plan — PostgreSQL Backend + Multi-Instance + Dashboard
+
+## Overview
+
+**c-relay-pg-pg** is a new project (separate repository) forked from c-relay-pg after the `db_ops` abstraction layer is complete. It replaces the SQLite backend with PostgreSQL, enabling horizontal scaling, external dashboards, and production-grade deployments.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- The `db_ops.h` / `db_ops.c` abstraction layer must be complete in c-relay-pg first — see [c-relay-pg thread pool plan](c_relay_pg_thread_pool_plan.md) Phase 1.
+- The fork happens after Phase 1 of that plan is done and tested.
+
+### Why a Separate Project?
+
+| | c-relay-pg | c-relay-pg-pg |
+|---|---------|-----------|
+| **Database** | SQLite (embedded) | PostgreSQL (client-server) |
+| **Deployment** | Single binary + DB file | Binary + PostgreSQL server |
+| **Scaling** | Single instance | Multiple instances + load balancer |
+| **Dashboard** | Embedded web UI | Separate web server + Grafana |
+| **Target user** | Personal relay, small community | Medium-large relay, production |
+| **Complexity** | Minimal | More infrastructure |
+
+For the full analysis of why PostgreSQL was chosen over MySQL/MariaDB and other databases, see the [database architecture analysis](database_architecture_analysis.md).
+
+## Architecture
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    subgraph c-relay-pg-pg - Production Deployment
+        LB[nginx - TLS + load balancing] -->|WebSocket| R1[c-relay-pg-pg Instance 1]
+        LB -->|WebSocket| R2[c-relay-pg-pg Instance 2]
+        LB -->|HTTP| DASH[Dashboard]
+        R1 -->|db_ops API| PGBACK[PostgreSQL Backend - db_ops_postgres.c]
+        R2 -->|db_ops API| PGBACK
+        PGBACK -->|libpq| PG[PostgreSQL Server]
+        DASH -->|SQL| PG
+        R1 <-->|LISTEN/NOTIFY| R2
+    end
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: PostgreSQL Backend
+
+### Goal
+
+Fork c-relay-pg into a new repository called **c-relay-pg-pg**. Replace the SQLite `db_ops` implementation with PostgreSQL using `libpq`. The `db_ops.h` interface stays identical — only the backend changes.
+
+### New Files
+
+- `src/db_ops_sqlite.c` — Renamed from `db_ops.c` (the Phase 1 SQLite implementation from c-relay-pg)
+- `src/db_ops_postgres.c` — New PostgreSQL implementation
+- `src/db_ops.c` — Thin dispatcher that calls the active backend
+
+### PostgreSQL Schema
+
+```sql
+-- PostgreSQL schema for c-relay-pg-pg
+-- No event_tags table needed — JSONB + GIN handles everything
+
+CREATE TABLE events (
+    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    pubkey TEXT NOT NULL,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL,
+    kind INTEGER NOT NULL,
+    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('regular', 'replaceable', 'ephemeral', 'addressable')),
+    content TEXT NOT NULL,
+    sig TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tags JSONB NOT NULL DEFAULT '[]',
+    event_json TEXT NOT NULL,
+    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+-- Core indexes
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_pubkey ON events(pubkey);
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_kind ON events(kind);
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_created_at ON events(created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_kind_created_at ON events(kind, created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_pubkey_created_at ON events(pubkey, created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_pubkey_kind ON events(pubkey, kind);
+
+-- THE KEY INDEX: GIN on JSONB tags — replaces the entire event_tags table
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_tags ON events USING GIN (tags);
+
+-- Partial index: only non-ephemeral events (what REQ queries actually filter)
+CREATE INDEX idx_events_non_ephemeral ON events(created_at DESC) 
+    WHERE kind < 20000 OR kind >= 30000;
+
+-- Config table
+CREATE TABLE config (
+    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    value TEXT NOT NULL,
+    data_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (data_type IN ('string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'json')),
+    description TEXT,
+    category TEXT DEFAULT 'general',
+    requires_restart INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+-- Auth rules table
+CREATE TABLE auth_rules (
+    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required', 'wot_whitelist')),
+    pattern_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (pattern_type IN ('pubkey', 'kind', 'ip', 'global')),
+    pattern_value TEXT,
+    active INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX idx_auth_rules_lookup ON auth_rules(rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value) WHERE active = 1;
+
+-- Relay private key storage
+CREATE TABLE relay_seckey (
+    private_key_hex TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (length(private_key_hex) = 64),
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+-- Subscription logging
+CREATE TABLE subscriptions (
+    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    subscription_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+    wsi_pointer TEXT NOT NULL,
+    client_ip TEXT NOT NULL,
+    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('created', 'closed', 'expired', 'disconnected')),
+    filter_json TEXT,
+    events_sent INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    ended_at BIGINT,
+    duration INTEGER,
+    UNIQUE(subscription_id, wsi_pointer)
+);
+
+-- IP ban persistence
+CREATE TABLE ip_bans (
+    ip TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    has_authed_successfully INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    last_success_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_connections INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_failures INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_successes INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
+);
+
+-- Materialized views for dashboard (refreshed periodically)
+CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW event_kinds_mv AS
+SELECT kind, COUNT(*) as count,
+       ROUND(COUNT(*) * 100.0 / NULLIF((SELECT COUNT(*) FROM events), 0), 2) as percentage
+FROM events GROUP BY kind;
+
+CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW time_stats_mv AS
+SELECT 'total' as period, COUNT(*) as total_events, COUNT(DISTINCT pubkey) as unique_pubkeys
+FROM events
+UNION ALL
+SELECT '24h', COUNT(*), COUNT(DISTINCT pubkey)
+FROM events WHERE created_at >= EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT - 86400
+UNION ALL
+SELECT '7d', COUNT(*), COUNT(DISTINCT pubkey)
+FROM events WHERE created_at >= EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT - 604800;
+
+CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW top_pubkeys_mv AS
+SELECT pubkey, COUNT(*) as event_count,
+       ROUND(COUNT(*) * 100.0 / NULLIF((SELECT COUNT(*) FROM events), 0), 2) as percentage
+FROM events GROUP BY pubkey ORDER BY event_count DESC LIMIT 20;
+
+-- Unique indexes required for CONCURRENTLY refresh
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_event_kinds_mv ON event_kinds_mv(kind);
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_time_stats_mv ON time_stats_mv(period);
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_top_pubkeys_mv ON top_pubkeys_mv(pubkey);
+```
+
+### Key Implementation Details
+
+#### Tag Queries with JSONB
+
+The biggest win — replacing the `event_tags` subquery with JSONB containment:
+
+```c
+// SQLite (current): subquery into event_tags table
+// AND id IN (SELECT event_id FROM event_tags WHERE tag_name = ? AND tag_value IN (?))
+
+// PostgreSQL: JSONB containment operator with GIN index
+// AND tags @> '[["p", "pubkey_hex"]]'
+
+// For multiple tag values:
+// AND (tags @> '[["p", "val1"]]' OR tags @> '[["p", "val2"]]')
+```
+
+This eliminates the entire `event_tags` table (4 million rows, ~2 GB indexes in the current SQLite schema). The GIN index on JSONB handles everything in ~100–200 MB.
+
+#### LISTEN/NOTIFY Integration
+
+For cross-instance event broadcasting:
+
+```c
+// In db_ops_postgres.c:
+int db_notify_new_event(const char* event_id) {
+    char cmd[128];
+    snprintf(cmd, sizeof(cmd), "NOTIFY new_event, '%s'", event_id);
+    PGresult* res = PQexec(g_pg_conn, cmd);
+    PQclear(res);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+// Called from the lws event loop every iteration:
+int db_check_notifications(char* event_id_out, size_t max_len) {
+    PQconsumeInput(g_pg_notify_conn);
+    PGnotify* notify = PQnotifies(g_pg_notify_conn);
+    if (notify) {
+        strncpy(event_id_out, notify->extra, max_len);
+        PQfreemem(notify);
+        return 1;  // Got a notification
+    }
+    return 0;  // No notifications
+}
+```
+
+#### Connection Management
+
+```c
+// db_ops_postgres.c connection pool (simple version)
+#define DB_POOL_SIZE 4
+
+static PGconn* g_pg_read_pool[DB_POOL_SIZE];  // For REQ queries
+static PGconn* g_pg_write_conn;                // For EVENT inserts
+static PGconn* g_pg_notify_conn;               // For LISTEN/NOTIFY
+static pthread_mutex_t g_pool_lock;
+
+PGconn* db_get_read_connection(void) {
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_pool_lock);
+    // Round-robin or find idle connection
+    // ...
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_pool_lock);
+}
+```
+
+### Build System Changes
+
+```makefile
+# Makefile additions
+DB_BACKEND ?= sqlite  # Default to sqlite, override with: make DB_BACKEND=postgres
+
+ifeq ($(DB_BACKEND),postgres)
+    MAIN_SRC += src/db_ops.c src/db_ops_postgres.c
+    LIBS += -lpq
+    CFLAGS += -DDB_BACKEND_POSTGRES
+else
+    MAIN_SRC += src/db_ops.c src/db_ops_sqlite.c
+    CFLAGS += -DDB_BACKEND_SQLITE
+endif
+```
+
+### Data Migration Tool
+
+A standalone tool to migrate existing SQLite data to PostgreSQL:
+
+```bash
+# migrate_to_postgres.sh
+# 1. Export events from SQLite
+sqlite3 old_relay.db ".mode csv" "SELECT id,pubkey,created_at,kind,event_type,content,sig,tags,event_json,first_seen FROM events" > events.csv
+
+# 2. Import into PostgreSQL
+psql -d crelay -c "\COPY events FROM 'events.csv' WITH CSV"
+
+# 3. Migrate config
+sqlite3 old_relay.db ".mode csv" "SELECT key,value,data_type,description,category,requires_restart FROM config" > config.csv
+psql -d crelay -c "\COPY config(key,value,data_type,description,category,requires_restart) FROM 'config.csv' WITH CSV"
+
+# 4. Migrate auth rules
+sqlite3 old_relay.db ".mode csv" "SELECT rule_type,pattern_type,pattern_value,active FROM auth_rules" > auth_rules.csv
+psql -d crelay -c "\COPY auth_rules(rule_type,pattern_type,pattern_value,active) FROM 'auth_rules.csv' WITH CSV"
+
+# 5. Refresh materialized views
+psql -d crelay -c "REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW event_kinds_mv; REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW time_stats_mv; REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW top_pubkeys_mv;"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 2: Multi-Instance + Dashboard
+
+### Goal
+
+Run multiple c-relay-pg-pg instances behind a load balancer with a separate dashboard web server, all sharing the same PostgreSQL database.
+
+### Components
+
+1. **nginx config** — WebSocket load balancing with `ip_hash` stickiness
+2. **systemd template** — `c-relay-pg-pg@.service` for multiple instances
+3. **LISTEN/NOTIFY integration** — Cross-instance event broadcasting in the `lws_service()` loop
+4. **PgBouncer** — Connection pooling between c-relay-pg-pg instances and PostgreSQL
+5. **Dashboard** — Separate web server querying PostgreSQL directly
+6. **Materialized view refresh** — Background job to refresh analytics views
+
+### Multi-Instance Architecture
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    INTERNET[Internet - Nostr Clients] -->|wss://relay.example.com| NGINX[nginx reverse proxy - TLS termination + load balancing]
+    
+    NGINX -->|ws://localhost:8888| R1[c-relay-pg-pg Instance 1 - port 8888]
+    NGINX -->|ws://localhost:8889| R2[c-relay-pg-pg Instance 2 - port 8889]
+    NGINX -->|ws://localhost:8890| R3[c-relay-pg-pg Instance 3 - port 8890]
+    NGINX -->|http://localhost:3000| DASHWEB[Dashboard Web Server]
+    
+    R1 -->|libpq connection pool| PGPOOL[PgBouncer - connection pooler]
+    R2 -->|libpq connection pool| PGPOOL
+    R3 -->|libpq connection pool| PGPOOL
+    
+    PGPOOL -->|pooled connections| PG[PostgreSQL Primary]
+    DASHWEB -->|read queries| PG
+    
+    PG -->|streaming replication| REPLICA[Read Replica - optional]
+    DASHWEB -.->|heavy analytics| REPLICA
+```
+
+### nginx Load Balancing Config
+
+```nginx
+# nginx.conf - WebSocket load balancing for c-relay-pg-pg
+upstream relay_backends {
+    # ip_hash ensures a client always hits the same instance
+    # (important for WebSocket session stickiness)
+    ip_hash;
+    
+    server 127.0.0.1:8888;
+    server 127.0.0.1:8889;
+    server 127.0.0.1:8890;
+}
+
+server {
+    listen 443 ssl;
+    server_name relay.example.com;
+    
+    # TLS config...
+    
+    location / {
+        proxy_pass http://relay_backends;
+        proxy_http_version 1.1;
+        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
+        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
+        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
+        proxy_read_timeout 86400;  # Keep WebSocket alive for 24h
+    }
+    
+    # Dashboard on separate path
+    location /dashboard {
+        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Session stickiness** (`ip_hash`) ensures that once a client connects to Instance 2, all their subsequent WebSocket frames go to Instance 2. This is important because subscriptions are held in-memory per instance.
+
+### Starting Multiple Instances
+
+Each instance is the same binary, just on a different port, all pointing to the same PostgreSQL:
+
+```bash
+# Instance 1
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --port 8888 --db-host localhost --db-name crelay &
+
+# Instance 2
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --port 8889 --db-host localhost --db-name crelay &
+
+# Instance 3
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --port 8890 --db-host localhost --db-name crelay &
+```
+
+Or with systemd template units:
+
+```ini
+# /etc/systemd/system/c-relay-pg-pg@.service
+[Unit]
+Description=C-Relay-PG-PG Nostr Instance %i
+After=postgresql.service
+
+[Service]
+ExecStart=/opt/c-relay-pg-pg/c_relay_pg_x86 --port %i --db-host localhost --db-name crelay
+Restart=always
+User=c-relay-pg
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+```
+
+```bash
+systemctl enable c-relay-pg-pg@8888 c-relay-pg-pg@8889 c-relay-pg-pg@8890
+systemctl start c-relay-pg-pg@8888 c-relay-pg-pg@8889 c-relay-pg-pg@8890
+```
+
+### Cross-Instance Event Broadcasting
+
+When Instance 1 receives a new EVENT and stores it in PostgreSQL, Instance 2 and Instance 3 need to know about it so they can broadcast to their connected subscribers.
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant Client_A as Client A - connected to Instance 1
+    participant I1 as Instance 1
+    participant PG as PostgreSQL
+    participant I2 as Instance 2
+    participant I3 as Instance 3
+    participant Client_B as Client B - connected to Instance 2
+    participant Client_C as Client C - connected to Instance 3
+
+    Client_A->>I1: EVENT - new kind:1 note
+    I1->>PG: INSERT INTO events...
+    PG-->>I1: OK
+    I1->>I1: broadcast to local subscribers
+    I1->>PG: NOTIFY new_event with event_id
+    
+    Note over PG: PostgreSQL delivers notification to all listeners
+    
+    PG-->>I2: NOTIFY: new_event event_id
+    PG-->>I3: NOTIFY: new_event event_id
+    
+    I2->>PG: SELECT event_json FROM events WHERE id = event_id
+    PG-->>I2: event JSON
+    I2->>I2: match against local subscriptions
+    I2->>Client_B: EVENT message - if subscription matches
+    
+    I3->>PG: SELECT event_json FROM events WHERE id = event_id
+    PG-->>I3: event JSON
+    I3->>I3: match against local subscriptions
+    I3->>Client_C: EVENT message - if subscription matches
+```
+
+#### PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY Implementation
+
+Built into PostgreSQL — no additional infrastructure needed:
+
+```c
+// === In the relay's event loop (modified lws_service loop) ===
+
+// Setup: create a dedicated connection for LISTEN
+PGconn* notify_conn = PQconnectdb("host=localhost dbname=crelay");
+PQexec(notify_conn, "LISTEN new_event");
+int notify_fd = PQsocket(notify_conn);  // Get the socket fd for poll()
+
+// After storing an event:
+void on_event_stored(PGconn* write_conn, const char* event_id) {
+    char notify_cmd[128];
+    snprintf(notify_cmd, sizeof(notify_cmd),
+             "NOTIFY new_event, '%s'", event_id);
+    PQexec(write_conn, notify_cmd);
+}
+
+// In the main event loop (runs every lws_service iteration):
+void check_cross_instance_events(PGconn* notify_conn) {
+    // Non-blocking check for notifications
+    PQconsumeInput(notify_conn);
+    
+    PGnotify* notify;
+    while ((notify = PQnotifies(notify_conn)) != NULL) {
+        // Another instance stored a new event
+        const char* event_id = notify->extra;
+        
+        // Fetch the event and check against local subscriptions
+        cJSON* event = db_get_event_by_id(event_id);
+        if (event) {
+            broadcast_event_to_subscriptions(event);
+            cJSON_Delete(event);
+        }
+        
+        PQfreemem(notify);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Performance**: LISTEN/NOTIFY adds ~1–5ms latency for cross-instance delivery. For a Nostr relay, this is imperceptible — clients already expect network latency.
+
+**Payload limit**: NOTIFY payloads are limited to 8000 bytes. For event IDs (64 hex chars), this is fine.
+
+#### Alternative: Redis Pub/Sub
+
+If you later need even lower latency or more sophisticated routing:
+
+```c
+// Using hiredis (Redis C client)
+redisContext* redis = redisConnect("127.0.0.1", 6379);
+
+// After storing event:
+redisCommand(redis, "PUBLISH new_event %s", event_json);
+
+// Subscriber (in each instance):
+redisCommand(redis, "SUBSCRIBE new_event");
+// Then poll for messages in the event loop
+```
+
+Redis adds sub-millisecond pub/sub but requires running a Redis server. For most relays, PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY is sufficient.
+
+### Connection Pooling with PgBouncer
+
+Each relay instance needs multiple database connections. Without pooling, 3 instances × 10 connections = 30 PostgreSQL backend processes. With PgBouncer:
+
+```ini
+# /etc/pgbouncer/pgbouncer.ini
+[databases]
+crelay = host=127.0.0.1 port=5432 dbname=crelay
+
+[pgbouncer]
+listen_port = 6432
+listen_addr = 127.0.0.1
+auth_type = md5
+pool_mode = transaction    # Return connection to pool after each transaction
+max_client_conn = 200      # Total connections from all relay instances
+default_pool_size = 20     # Actual PostgreSQL connections
+```
+
+Relay instances connect to PgBouncer (port 6432) instead of PostgreSQL directly (port 5432). PgBouncer multiplexes 200 client connections onto 20 actual PostgreSQL connections.
+
+### Zero-Downtime Deployment
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant LB as nginx
+    participant I1 as Instance 1 - v1.0
+    participant I2 as Instance 2 - v1.0
+    participant I3 as Instance 3 - v1.0
+    participant I1_NEW as Instance 1 - v1.1
+
+    Note over LB,I3: Normal operation: 3 instances serving traffic
+    
+    LB->>I1: Mark upstream as down
+    Note over I1: Drain: wait for existing connections to close or timeout
+    I1->>I1: Graceful shutdown
+    
+    Note over LB: Traffic now goes to I2 and I3 only
+    
+    I1_NEW->>I1_NEW: Start with new binary
+    I1_NEW->>LB: Health check passes
+    LB->>I1_NEW: Mark upstream as up
+    
+    Note over LB,I1_NEW: Instance 1 now running v1.1, repeat for I2 and I3
+```
+
+Rolling deploy script:
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# rolling_deploy.sh - Zero-downtime deployment
+
+for port in 8888 8889 8890; do
+    echo "Deploying instance on port $port..."
+    
+    # 1. Tell nginx to stop sending new connections
+    sed -i "s/server 127.0.0.1:$port;/server 127.0.0.1:$port down;/" /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
+    nginx -s reload
+    
+    # 2. Wait for existing connections to drain (30 seconds)
+    sleep 30
+    
+    # 3. Stop old instance
+    systemctl stop c-relay-pg-pg@$port
+    
+    # 4. Deploy new binary
+    cp ./build/c_relay_pg_x86 /opt/c-relay-pg-pg/c_relay_pg_x86
+    
+    # 5. Start new instance
+    systemctl start c-relay-pg-pg@$port
+    
+    # 6. Wait for health check
+    sleep 5
+    
+    # 7. Re-enable in nginx
+    sed -i "s/server 127.0.0.1:$port down;/server 127.0.0.1:$port;/" /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
+    nginx -s reload
+    
+    echo "Instance on port $port deployed successfully"
+done
+```
+
+### Dashboard Options
+
+With PostgreSQL, the dashboard can be built with any technology:
+
+- **Grafana** — Point directly at PostgreSQL, zero custom code
+- **Custom web app** — React/Vue frontend + any backend (Node, Python, Go) querying PostgreSQL
+- **Embedded in c-relay-pg-pg** — Keep current approach but queries go through `db_ops` to PostgreSQL (no longer blocks event loop since PostgreSQL handles concurrency)
+
+### Scaling Scenarios
+
+| Scenario | Instances | Connections | Events/hour | Setup |
+|----------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------|
+| **Current** | 1 | ~1,200 | 56 | Single process + SQLite |
+| **Small upgrade** | 2 | ~2,500 | 500 | 2 instances + PostgreSQL |
+| **Medium relay** | 4 | ~5,000 | 5,000 | 4 instances + PostgreSQL + PgBouncer |
+| **Large relay** | 8 | ~10,000 | 50,000 | 8 instances + PostgreSQL + read replica |
+| **Multi-region** | 2–4 per region | ~50,000 | 500,000 | Multiple servers + PostgreSQL replication |
+
+### Cost Perspective
+
+Running multiple relay instances with PostgreSQL on a single VPS:
+- **PostgreSQL**: ~200–500 MB RAM baseline
+- **PgBouncer**: ~10 MB RAM
+- **Each relay instance**: ~50–100 MB RAM
+- **Dashboard web server**: ~50–100 MB RAM
+- **4 instances + PostgreSQL + PgBouncer + dashboard**: ~1–2 GB total RAM
+- A **$20/month VPS** with 4 cores and 4 GB RAM handles this easily
+- A **$40/month VPS** with 8 cores and 8 GB RAM handles 8 instances comfortably
+
+---
+
+## Risk Mitigation
+
+| Risk | Mitigation |
+|------|-----------|
+| PostgreSQL connection failures | `db_ops` returns error codes. Relay logs errors but doesn't crash. Reconnection logic with exponential backoff. |
+| Performance regression | Benchmark before/after. PostgreSQL should be faster for complex queries, similar for simple ones. |
+| Data loss during migration | Migration tool is read-only on SQLite. PostgreSQL import is idempotent (INSERT ON CONFLICT). |
+| SQLite fallback needed | Keep `db_ops_sqlite.c` working. Compile-time flag switches backends. Can always go back. |
+| LISTEN/NOTIFY message loss | NOTIFY is transactional — if the INSERT commits, the NOTIFY is guaranteed. Missed notifications during reconnect handled by periodic full-sync. |
+| PgBouncer adds latency | Transaction pooling mode adds <0.1ms. Negligible compared to query time. |
+
+---
+
+## Relationship to c-relay-pg
+
+This project depends on the `db_ops.h` abstraction layer built in [c-relay-pg thread pool plan](c_relay_pg_thread_pool_plan.md) Phase 1. The interface is identical — only the backend implementation changes:
+
+- **c-relay-pg**: `db_ops.c` → SQLite calls via `sqlite3_*`
+- **c-relay-pg-pg**: `db_ops_postgres.c` → PostgreSQL calls via `libpq` (`PQexec`, `PQgetvalue`, etc.)
+
+The `db_ops.h` header file is shared between both projects. Changes to the interface should be coordinated.
@@ -0,0 +1,332 @@
+# c-relay-pg Thread Pool Plan — db_ops Abstraction + SQLite Thread Pool
+
+## Overview
+
+This plan covers improvements to **c-relay-pg** (this repo) — the lean, single-binary, embedded-SQLite Nostr relay. Two phases:
+
+1. **Phase 1: Database Abstraction Layer** — Consolidate all scattered `sqlite3_*` calls into a single `db_ops.h` / `db_ops.c` module. Pure refactor, no behavior change.
+2. **Phase 2: SQLite Thread Pool** — Add worker threads for concurrent reads, unblocking the `lws_service()` event loop.
+
+This is the **final form of c-relay-pg**: an embedded-SQLite relay with clean architecture and non-blocking database access. The abstraction layer also enables a future fork to PostgreSQL — see [c-relay-pg-pg plan](c_relay_pg_pg_plan.md).
+
+### Why This First?
+
+The current architecture has a fundamental bottleneck documented in the [database architecture analysis](database_architecture_analysis.md): the single-threaded event loop blocks on every database call. A 672ms REQ query freezes every connected client. The thread pool fixes this without changing the database engine or deployment model.
+
+| Metric | Current | After Thread Pool |
+|--------|---------|-------------------|
+| **Event loop blocking** | 0.1–672ms per query | Near-zero |
+| **Concurrent reads** | 1 | 4–8 |
+| **Deployment** | Single binary + DB file | Same |
+| **Database** | SQLite | Same |
+| **Code risk** | N/A | Low — additive change |
+
+## Architecture
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    subgraph c-relay-pg - Final Form
+        RELAY[c-relay-pg binary] -->|db_ops API| DBOPS[db_ops.c - abstraction layer]
+        DBOPS -->|sqlite3 calls| SQLITE[SQLite WAL database]
+    end
+```
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    subgraph c-relay-pg with Thread Pool
+        LWS[lws_service event loop] -->|REQ arrives| Q[Thread-safe job queue]
+        LWS -->|EVENT arrives| WQ[Write queue - single writer]
+        Q --> T1[Reader Thread 1 - own sqlite3*]
+        Q --> T2[Reader Thread 2 - own sqlite3*]
+        Q --> T3[Reader Thread 3 - own sqlite3*]
+        Q --> T4[Reader Thread 4 - own sqlite3*]
+        WQ --> TW[Writer Thread - own sqlite3*]
+        T1 -->|results| CB[Callback to lws event loop]
+        T2 -->|results| CB
+        T3 -->|results| CB
+        T4 -->|results| CB
+        TW -->|OK/error| CB
+        CB -->|queue_message| LWS
+    end
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: Database Abstraction Layer
+
+### Goal
+
+Consolidate all 258 scattered `sqlite3_*` calls across 8 files into a single `db_ops.h` / `db_ops.c` module with a backend-agnostic interface. SQLite continues to work — this is a pure refactor.
+
+### Files That Currently Touch SQLite Directly
+
+| File | `sqlite3_*` calls | Operations |
+|------|-------------------|------------|
+| [`src/main.c`](../src/main.c) | ~80 | Event store/retrieve, tag storage, REQ queries, COUNT queries, DB init, schema migration |
+| [`src/config.c`](../src/config.c) | ~60 | Config CRUD, auth rules CRUD, WoT sync, relay key storage, startup sequence |
+| [`src/api.c`](../src/api.c) | ~40 | Stats queries, monitoring views, admin SQL execution, config management |
+| [`src/dm_admin.c`](../src/dm_admin.c) | ~20 | Auth rule management, WoT whitelist operations |
+| [`src/websockets.c`](../src/websockets.c) | ~15 | COUNT queries, IP ban stats, connection tracking |
+| [`src/subscriptions.c`](../src/subscriptions.c) | ~15 | Subscription logging — create/close/disconnect |
+| [`src/nip009.c`](../src/nip009.c) | ~10 | Event deletion — by ID and by address |
+| [`src/request_validator.c`](../src/request_validator.c) | ~8 | Blacklist/whitelist checks |
+| [`src/ip_ban.c`](../src/ip_ban.c) | ~15 | IP ban table CRUD, persistence |
+
+### Abstraction Layer Design
+
+New files: `src/db_ops.h` and `src/db_ops.c`
+
+```c
+// src/db_ops.h — Database operations abstraction layer
+#ifndef DB_OPS_H
+#define DB_OPS_H
+
+#include "../nostr_core_lib/cjson/cJSON.h"
+
+// ============================================================
+// Lifecycle
+// ============================================================
+int db_init(const char* connection_string);  // SQLite: file path, PG: connection string
+void db_close(void);
+int db_is_available(void);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Schema / Migration
+// ============================================================
+int db_ensure_schema(void);
+int db_get_schema_version(void);
+int db_execute_raw(const char* sql);  // For schema DDL only
+
+// ============================================================
+// Event Operations
+// ============================================================
+int db_store_event(cJSON* event);
+int db_event_exists(const char* event_id);
+char* db_get_event_json(const char* event_id);  // Caller must free
+int db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey);
+int db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind, 
+                                 const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Event Queries - REQ handling
+// ============================================================
+typedef struct {
+    int* kinds;           int kind_count;
+    char** authors;       int author_count;
+    char** ids;           int id_count;
+    char** tag_names;     // Parallel arrays: tag_names[i] has tag_values[i][]
+    char*** tag_values;
+    int* tag_value_counts;
+    int tag_filter_count;
+    long since;           // 0 = not set
+    long until;           // 0 = not set
+    int limit;            // 0 = default 500
+    char* search;         // NIP-50 search term, NULL = not set
+} db_event_filter_t;
+
+typedef struct db_result db_result_t;
+
+db_result_t* db_query_events(const db_event_filter_t* filter);
+const char* db_result_next_json(db_result_t* result);  // Returns event_json, NULL when done
+int db_result_row_count(db_result_t* result);
+void db_result_free(db_result_t* result);
+
+int db_count_events(const db_event_filter_t* filter);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Config Operations
+// ============================================================
+char* db_get_config(const char* key);  // Caller must free, NULL if not found
+int db_set_config(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                  const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart);
+int db_update_config(const char* key, const char* value);
+int db_config_exists(const char* key);
+int db_get_config_count(void);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Auth Rules Operations
+// ============================================================
+int db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int db_auth_rule_exists(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int db_clear_auth_rules(const char* rule_type);  // NULL = clear all
+int db_is_blacklisted(const char* pubkey);
+int db_is_whitelisted(const char* pubkey);
+int db_has_any_whitelist(void);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Relay Key Storage
+// ============================================================
+int db_store_relay_private_key(const char* privkey_hex);
+char* db_get_relay_private_key(void);  // Caller must free
+
+// ============================================================
+// Subscription Logging
+// ============================================================
+int db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr, 
+                                 const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json);
+int db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip);
+int db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip);
+int db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent);
+int db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void);
+
+// ============================================================
+// IP Ban Persistence
+// ============================================================
+int db_ensure_ip_ban_table(void);
+int db_load_ip_bans(void* ban_table, int table_size);  // Populates in-memory table
+int db_save_ip_bans(const void* ban_table, int table_size);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Analytics / Stats - for dashboard
+// ============================================================
+cJSON* db_get_event_kind_distribution(void);
+cJSON* db_get_time_based_stats(void);
+cJSON* db_get_top_pubkeys(int limit);
+cJSON* db_get_subscription_details(void);
+int db_get_total_event_count(void);
+
+// ============================================================
+// Admin SQL Query
+// ============================================================
+cJSON* db_execute_admin_query(const char* sql, char* error_msg, size_t error_size);
+
+#endif // DB_OPS_H
+```
+
+### Migration Strategy for Phase 1
+
+The key principle: **change the interface, not the behavior**. Each function in `db_ops.c` initially just wraps the existing SQLite calls.
+
+**Step-by-step for each file:**
+
+1. **Create `db_ops.h` and `db_ops.c`** with the interface above
+2. **Implement each `db_ops` function** by moving the existing SQLite code from the source files into `db_ops.c`
+3. **Replace direct `sqlite3_*` calls** in each source file with `db_ops_*` calls
+4. **Remove `extern sqlite3* g_db`** from each file — only `db_ops.c` knows about `g_db`
+5. **Remove `#include <sqlite3.h>`** from each file — only `db_ops.c` includes it
+6. **Update Makefile** to compile `db_ops.c`
+
+### Order of Migration (by risk, lowest first)
+
+1. **`src/ip_ban.c`** — Self-contained, simple CRUD. Good warmup.
+2. **`src/subscriptions.c`** — Logging only, no critical path.
+3. **`src/nip009.c`** — Event deletion, small file.
+4. **`src/request_validator.c`** — Auth checks, small file.
+5. **`src/api.c`** — Stats/monitoring queries. Larger but read-only.
+6. **`src/dm_admin.c`** — Auth rules + WoT. Medium complexity.
+7. **`src/config.c`** — Config CRUD. Large but well-structured.
+8. **`src/websockets.c`** — COUNT queries, minimal DB usage.
+9. **`src/main.c`** — Event store/retrieve, REQ queries. The big one — do last.
+
+### Testing Phase 1
+
+After Phase 1, the relay should behave **identically** to before. Run:
+- `tests/run_all_tests.sh` — Full test suite
+- `tests/performance_benchmarks.sh` — Verify no performance regression
+- Manual testing with production-like traffic
+
+---
+
+## Phase 2: SQLite Thread Pool
+
+### Goal
+
+Add a pool of N worker threads, each with its own `sqlite3*` connection to the same database file. SQLite WAL mode (already enabled) supports **concurrent readers**. The event loop dispatches database work to the pool and remains responsive.
+
+### Key Design Points
+
+1. **Read path**: REQ queries dispatched to thread pool. Each worker opens its own `sqlite3*` connection. SQLite WAL allows unlimited concurrent readers.
+
+2. **Write path**: EVENT inserts go through a single dedicated writer thread. SQLite only allows one writer at a time anyway — this serializes writes cleanly.
+
+3. **Result delivery**: Worker threads cannot call `lws_write()` directly (libwebsockets is not thread-safe). Instead, they push results into a per-session message queue and call `lws_cancel_service()` to wake the event loop, which then drains the queue.
+
+4. **Connection lifecycle**: Each thread opens its own connection with `PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL` and `PRAGMA busy_timeout=5000`.
+
+### What Changes in the Codebase
+
+| Component | Current | Thread Pool |
+|-----------|---------|-------------|
+| [`g_db`](../src/main.c:49) | Single global connection | One per thread + writer connection |
+| [`handle_req_message()`](../src/main.c:1101) | Synchronous SQL in callback | Package filter into job, dispatch to pool |
+| [`store_event()`](../src/main.c:787) | Synchronous INSERT in callback | Dispatch to writer thread |
+| [`handle_count_message()`](../src/websockets.c:2863) | Synchronous COUNT in callback | Dispatch to pool |
+| Result delivery | Direct `queue_message()` | Worker pushes to queue + `lws_cancel_service()` |
+| Config reads | Direct `sqlite3_prepare` on `g_db` | Can stay synchronous with own connection or cache |
+
+### New Files
+
+- `src/thread_pool.h` — Thread pool interface
+- `src/thread_pool.c` — Thread pool implementation (job queue, worker lifecycle, result delivery)
+
+### Thread Pool Interface (sketch)
+
+```c
+// src/thread_pool.h
+#ifndef THREAD_POOL_H
+#define THREAD_POOL_H
+
+typedef enum {
+    JOB_TYPE_REQ_QUERY,
+    JOB_TYPE_COUNT_QUERY,
+    JOB_TYPE_STORE_EVENT,
+    JOB_TYPE_DELETE_EVENT,
+} job_type_t;
+
+typedef struct {
+    job_type_t type;
+    void* session;              // lws per-session data pointer
+    db_event_filter_t filter;   // For REQ/COUNT jobs
+    cJSON* event;               // For STORE jobs
+    char event_id[65];          // For DELETE jobs
+} db_job_t;
+
+int thread_pool_init(int num_readers, const char* db_path);
+void thread_pool_shutdown(void);
+int thread_pool_submit_read(db_job_t* job);
+int thread_pool_submit_write(db_job_t* job);
+
+#endif // THREAD_POOL_H
+```
+
+### Performance Characteristics
+
+| Metric | Value |
+|--------|-------|
+| **Concurrent reads** | N readers in parallel (N = thread count, typically 4–8) |
+| **Write throughput** | Same as current — SQLite serializes writes regardless |
+| **Event loop latency** | Near-zero — REQ no longer blocks the loop |
+| **Max theoretical read throughput** | ~4–8x current (limited by disk I/O, not CPU) |
+| **Memory overhead** | ~50–100 MB per connection (page cache) |
+| **Latency per query** | Same as current per-query, but no head-of-line blocking |
+
+### Limitations
+
+- **Write contention**: SQLite still allows only ONE writer at a time. With WAL, readers don't block writers and writers don't block readers, but two simultaneous writes will serialize. At the current write rate (~56 events/hour), this is a non-issue.
+- **Database size**: The 2.7 GB index bloat problem remains. Thread pool doesn't fix the schema — it fixes the concurrency.
+- **Scaling ceiling**: Beyond ~8 reader threads, diminishing returns due to disk I/O contention on a single SQLite file.
+- **Complexity**: Need a proper job queue, thread lifecycle management, and careful handling of the lws ↔ worker thread boundary.
+
+---
+
+## Risk Mitigation
+
+| Risk | Mitigation |
+|------|-----------|
+| Phase 1 introduces bugs | Each file migrated independently, tested after each. Full test suite runs after each file. |
+| Thread pool race conditions | Worker threads only touch their own `sqlite3*` connection. Result delivery uses a mutex-protected queue. `lws_cancel_service()` is documented as thread-safe. |
+| Performance regression from abstraction | Abstraction layer is thin wrappers — no extra allocations or copies. Benchmark before/after. |
+| lws thread safety issues | Workers never call `lws_write()` directly. They push to a queue and wake the event loop. This is the documented pattern for libwebsockets multi-threading. |
+| Rollback needed | Phase 1 is a pure refactor — easy to revert. Phase 2 thread pool is additive — can be disabled with a compile flag. |
+
+---
+
+## Relationship to c-relay-pg-pg
+
+After Phase 1 (abstraction layer) is complete, the codebase is ready to be forked into a separate **c-relay-pg-pg** project that replaces the SQLite backend with PostgreSQL. See [c-relay-pg-pg plan](c_relay_pg_pg_plan.md) for details.
+
+The `db_ops.h` interface is designed to work with any backend:
+- **SQLite** (this plan): `db_result_next_json()` copies from `sqlite3_column_text()`
+- **PostgreSQL** (c-relay-pg-pg): `db_result_next_json()` returns from `PQgetvalue()`
+- **LMDB** (future possibility): `db_result_next_json()` returns a zero-copy pointer into mmap'd memory
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+# Plan: Eliminate g_db from the Main Thread
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+All SQLite calls go through `db_ops.c`, but `db_active_connection()` falls back to `g_db` when `g_thread_db` is NULL. Since the main thread never sets `g_thread_db`, every `db_*` call from lws-main executes synchronous SQLite on the main thread. The thread pool workers have their own connections and work correctly — the problem is the **fallback path**.
+
+Current perf data shows lws-main at **67.6% avg CPU**, dominated by SQLite symbols (`sqlite3BtreeTableMoveto`, `sqlite3VdbeExec`, `pcache1Fetch`).
+
+## Goal
+
+Remove `g_db` as a runtime connection used by the main thread. After this change:
+- The main thread has **no SQLite connection** and cannot execute synchronous queries
+- All DB work routes through thread pool workers (which have their own connections)
+- `g_db` is only used during startup/shutdown (before/after the event loop)
+- Any accidental `db_*` call from lws-main returns an error instead of silently blocking
+
+## Architecture After Change
+
+```
+lws-main thread:
+  - WebSocket protocol handling
+  - Message parsing/routing
+  - Completion queue draining
+  - NO SQLite access during event loop
+
+db-read-0 thread:
+  - REQ queries
+  - COUNT queries
+  - Config cache miss reads
+  - Auth rule checks
+  - Monitoring/stats queries
+
+db-write thread:
+  - EVENT inserts
+  - Subscription logging
+  - Config updates
+  - Auth rule modifications
+
+event-worker thread:
+  - Signature validation
+  - Duplicate check
+  - Store via db-write
+```
+
+## Categorized g_db Call Sites
+
+### Category A: Startup-only — keep using g_db
+
+These run before the event loop starts. They are fine.
+
+| Function | File | Purpose |
+|----------|------|---------|
+| `db_init()` | db_ops.c:27 | Open database |
+| `db_exec_sql()` for PRAGMAs | main.c:854-882 | WAL, mmap, cache setup |
+| `db_table_exists()` | main.c:750 | Schema check |
+| `db_get_schema_version_dup()` | main.c:754 | Migration check |
+| `db_exec_sql()` for schema | main.c:842 | Create tables |
+| `populate_all_config_values_atomic()` | config.c:4290 | First-time config |
+| `populate_default_config_values()` | config.c:1657 | Default config |
+| `add_pubkeys_to_config_table()` | config.c:1778 | Pubkey storage |
+| `apply_cli_overrides_atomic()` | config.c:4211 | CLI overrides |
+| `db_store_relay_private_key_hex()` | config.c:495 | Key storage |
+| `db_populate_event_tags_from_existing()` | main.c:1156 | Tag migration |
+| `cleanup_all_subscriptions_on_startup()` | subscriptions.c:1092 | Orphan cleanup |
+
+### Category B: Shutdown-only — keep using g_db
+
+| Function | File | Purpose |
+|----------|------|---------|
+| `db_exec_sql()` WAL checkpoint | main.c:900 | Clean shutdown |
+| `db_close()` | main.c:904 | Close connection |
+
+### Category C: Runtime hot path — must move off main thread
+
+These are called during the event loop from lws-main context.
+
+| Function | File | Called from | Fix strategy |
+|----------|------|------------|--------------|
+| `db_get_config_value_dup()` | db_ops.c:777 | config cache miss | Already cached with 5s TTL; pre-warm cache at startup so misses are rare |
+| `store_event()` for kind 14/1059 | main.c:983 | websockets.c sync path | Route through async event worker |
+| `store_event_post_actions()` | main.c | completion handler | Already runs on main; its DB calls need routing |
+| `db_log_subscription_created()` | db_ops.c:145 | subscriptions.c | Fire-and-forget via write queue |
+| `db_log_subscription_closed()` | db_ops.c:165 | subscriptions.c | Fire-and-forget via write queue |
+| `db_log_subscription_disconnected()` | db_ops.c:193 | subscriptions.c | Fire-and-forget via write queue |
+| `db_update_subscription_events_sent()` | db_ops.c:225 | subscriptions.c | Fire-and-forget via write queue |
+| `db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions()` | db_ops.c:244 | subscriptions.c | Move to startup only |
+| `generate_and_post_status_event()` | websockets.c:3408 | periodic timer | Submit to write worker |
+| `ip_ban_cleanup()` / `ip_ban_log_stats()` | websockets.c:3196 | periodic timer | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_get_total_event_count_ll()` | db_ops.c:589 | api.c monitoring | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_event_count_since()` | db_ops.c:606 | api.c monitoring | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows()` | db_ops.c:625 | api.c monitoring | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_top_pubkeys_rows()` | db_ops.c:663 | api.c monitoring | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_subscription_details_rows()` | db_ops.c:697 | api.c monitoring | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_all_config_rows()` | db_ops.c:745 | api.c config query | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_execute_readonly_query_json()` | db_ops.c:442 | api.c SQL query | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_event_id_exists()` | db_ops.c:1041 | main.c event check | Already moved to event worker |
+| `db_retrieve_event_by_id()` | db_ops.c:1056 | main.c | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_get_event_pubkey()` | db_ops.c:262 | NIP-09 deletion | Submit to read worker |
+| `db_delete_event_by_id()` | db_ops.c:285 | NIP-09 deletion | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_delete_older_replaceable_events()` | db_ops.c:305 | store_event_core | Already on write worker |
+| `db_store_config_event()` | db_ops.c:888 | config.c | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_add_auth_rule()` | db_ops.c:1226 | config.c admin | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_remove_auth_rule()` | db_ops.c:1242 | config.c admin | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules()` | db_ops.c:1258 | config.c WoT | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_count_wot_whitelist_rules()` | db_ops.c:1266 | config.c | Cache or read worker |
+| `db_store_event_tags_cjson()` | db_ops.c:1140 | main.c post-actions | Already on write worker path |
+| `db_get_config_row_count()` | db_ops.c:1121 | config.c diagnostics | Cache or read worker |
+| `db_set_config_value_full()` | db_ops.c:796 | config.c | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_update_config_value_only()` | db_ops.c:821 | config.c | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_upsert_config_value()` | db_ops.c:838 | api.c | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_exec_sql()` for transactions | config.c | admin events | Submit to write worker |
+| `db_count_with_sql()` | db_ops.c:415 | config.c admin | Submit to read worker |
+| `is_config_table_ready()` | config.c:4595 | config.c hybrid | Cache result at startup |
+| `generate_config_event_from_table()` | config.c:4933 | config.c | Cache or read worker |
+
+### Category D: Auth rule checks — already use separate connections
+
+These functions in `db_ops.c` open their own temporary read-only connections:
+
+| Function | Line | Notes |
+|----------|------|-------|
+| `db_is_pubkey_blacklisted()` | 347 | Opens own connection |
+| `db_is_hash_blacklisted()` | 362 | Opens own connection |
+| `db_is_pubkey_whitelisted()` | 377 | Opens own connection |
+| `db_count_active_whitelist_rules()` | 392 | Opens own connection |
+
+These are already safe — they don't use `g_db`. No change needed.
+
+## Implementation Strategy
+
+### Phase 1: Pre-warm caches and eliminate cache-miss DB reads
+
+1. Pre-warm the config cache at startup by loading all config values into the in-memory cache before the event loop starts
+2. Pre-warm the NIP-11 cache at startup
+3. Pre-warm the auth rules fast cache at startup
+4. This eliminates the most frequent cache-miss `db_get_config_value_dup()` calls
+
+### Phase 2: Route subscription logging through write worker
+
+1. Add a `THREAD_POOL_JOB_FIRE_AND_FORGET` job type to thread_pool
+2. Create async wrappers: `db_log_subscription_created_async()`, etc.
+3. These submit SQL to the write worker queue and return immediately
+4. No completion callback needed — fire and forget
+
+### Phase 3: Route special-kind EVENT store through async worker
+
+1. Remove the `event_is_async_eligible()` exclusion for kinds 14, 1059, 23456
+2. For kind 23456: process admin command in completion handler on main thread after store
+3. For kind 14/1059: process NIP-17 DM in completion handler after store
+
+### Phase 4: Route periodic timer DB work through workers
+
+1. `generate_and_post_status_event()` — submit event creation to write worker
+2. `ip_ban_cleanup()` / `ip_ban_log_stats()` — submit to write worker
+3. Monitoring queries — submit to read worker with completion callback
+
+### Phase 5: Null out g_db before event loop
+
+1. After startup is complete and thread pool is initialized, set `g_db = NULL`
+2. Change `db_active_connection()` to assert/warn if both `g_thread_db` and `g_db` are NULL
+3. Any accidental main-thread DB call will now fail loudly instead of silently blocking
+4. Restore `g_db` briefly for shutdown checkpoint
+
+## Implementation Order
+
+1. Phase 1 — lowest risk, immediate benefit from eliminating cache misses
+2. Phase 2 — straightforward fire-and-forget pattern
+3. Phase 3 — moderate complexity, needs careful completion handler design
+4. Phase 4 — moderate complexity, periodic tasks need async patterns
+5. Phase 5 — the final enforcement step, only safe after phases 1-4
+
+## Risk Assessment
+
+- **Phase 1**: Very low risk — just pre-warming existing caches
+- **Phase 2**: Low risk — subscription logging is non-critical, fire-and-forget is safe
+- **Phase 3**: Medium risk — admin/DM event processing has complex state; needs careful testing
+- **Phase 4**: Medium risk — periodic tasks have side effects that need to complete
+- **Phase 5**: High risk if done prematurely — must verify ALL runtime paths are covered first
+
+## Expected Impact
+
+After all phases:
+- lws-main CPU should drop from ~67% to near 0% SQLite overhead
+- All SQLite work happens on db-read and db-write threads
+- Main thread only does WebSocket I/O, JSON parsing, and completion queue draining
+- Thread model becomes: lws-main = pure I/O, workers = all DB
@@ -0,0 +1,312 @@
+# Event Tags Denormalization Plan
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+The relay is at 99% CPU with 1,178 WebSocket connections and ~120 new REQ subscriptions per minute. The root cause is that every tag-filtered REQ query (e.g., `#g`, `#e`, `#p`) uses `json_each(json(tags))` with `json_extract()` — a correlated subquery that parses the JSON tags column for every candidate row. With geohash-based subscriptions from a location app generating constant connection churn, this creates unsustainable CPU load.
+
+### Evidence
+
+- `EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN` shows: `CORRELATED SCALAR SUBQUERY → SCAN json_each VIRTUAL TABLE`
+- 8,077 subscription creates/hour but only 442 active at any time (connection churn)
+- Only 56 events stored/hour — the load is entirely from **read queries**, not writes
+- 14,819 events match the kind filter; each query parses JSON tags on candidate rows
+
+## Solution: Denormalized `event_tags` Table
+
+Replace `json_each()` queries with indexed lookups on a separate `event_tags` table. This is the standard approach used by strfry, nostream, and other production Nostr relays.
+
+### Performance Impact
+
+| Metric | Before | After |
+|--------|--------|-------|
+| Tag query type | `json_each()` correlated subquery | Indexed JOIN/subquery |
+| Complexity per query | O(rows × tags_per_event) JSON parsing | O(log n) B-tree lookup |
+| Expected CPU reduction | 99% | <10% for same traffic |
+
+## Files to Modify
+
+| File | Changes |
+|------|---------|
+| `src/sql_schema.h` | Add `event_tags` table, indexes, cascade triggers; bump to schema v12 |
+| `src/main.c` | Add `store_event_tags()`, update `handle_req_message()` tag filter SQL, move config reads out of row loop, add startup tag population |
+| `src/nip009.c` | Add `DELETE FROM event_tags` alongside event deletions |
+| `src/dm_admin.c` | Downgrade NIP-17 decryption failure log level |
+| `src/websockets.c` | Downgrade NIP-17 error log to DEBUG at lines 780 and 1488 |
+
+## Detailed Changes
+
+### 1. Schema: `src/sql_schema.h`
+
+Add the `event_tags` table after the events table definition. Bump schema version to 12.
+
+```sql
+-- Denormalized event tags for fast indexed lookups
+-- Replaces json_each(json(tags)) queries which cause full JSON parsing per row
+CREATE TABLE event_tags (
+    event_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tag_name TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tag_value TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tag_index INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    FOREIGN KEY (event_id) REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
+);
+
+-- Primary lookup index: find events by tag name + value
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_lookup ON event_tags(tag_name, tag_value);
+
+-- Reverse lookup: find all tags for an event (for cleanup)
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_event ON event_tags(event_id);
+
+-- Composite index for common query pattern: tag + kind (via join)
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_value_name ON event_tags(tag_value, tag_name);
+```
+
+**Key design decisions:**
+- `ON DELETE CASCADE` handles cleanup when events are deleted (NIP-09, replaceable events)
+- `tag_index` stores the position within the tags array (useful for ordered tag access)
+- Only the first two elements of each tag are indexed (`tag_name` = `$[0]`, `tag_value` = `$[1]`) — this covers all standard Nostr tag filters (`#e`, `#p`, `#t`, `#g`, `#d`, etc.)
+- `PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON` is already in the schema, so CASCADE will work
+
+### 2. Store Tags: `src/main.c` — New `store_event_tags()` Function
+
+Add a new function called after successful event INSERT in `store_event()`:
+
+```c
+// Insert denormalized tags into event_tags table for fast indexed lookups
+int store_event_tags(const char* event_id, cJSON* tags) {
+    if (!g_db || !event_id || !tags || !cJSON_IsArray(tags)) {
+        return 0; // Not an error if no tags
+    }
+
+    const char* sql = "INSERT INTO event_tags (event_id, tag_name, tag_value, tag_index) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)";
+    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
+    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
+    if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to prepare event_tags insert: %s", sqlite3_errmsg(g_db));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    int tag_index = 0;
+    cJSON* tag = NULL;
+    cJSON_ArrayForEach(tag, tags) {
+        if (cJSON_IsArray(tag) && cJSON_GetArraySize(tag) >= 2) {
+            cJSON* name = cJSON_GetArrayItem(tag, 0);
+            cJSON* value = cJSON_GetArrayItem(tag, 1);
+
+            if (cJSON_IsString(name) && cJSON_IsString(value)) {
+                sqlite3_reset(stmt);
+                sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, event_id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
+                sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, cJSON_GetStringValue(name), -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
+                sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 3, cJSON_GetStringValue(value), -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
+                sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 4, tag_index);
+
+                rc = sqlite3_step(stmt);
+                if (rc != SQLITE_DONE) {
+                    DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to insert event tag: %s", sqlite3_errmsg(g_db));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        tag_index++;
+    }
+
+    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    return 0;
+}
+```
+
+**Call site** — in `store_event()` at line ~784, after `monitoring_on_event_stored()`:
+
+```c
+// After successful event storage, insert denormalized tags
+store_event_tags(cJSON_GetStringValue(id), tags);
+```
+
+### 3. Update REQ Query Builder: `src/main.c` — `handle_req_message()`
+
+Replace the `json_each()` tag filter at lines 1243-1270 with an `event_tags` subquery:
+
+**Before** (current code at line 1244):
+```c
+snprintf(sql_ptr, remaining, 
+    " AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM json_each(json(tags)) "
+    "WHERE json_extract(value, '$[0]') = ? "
+    "AND json_extract(value, '$[1]') IN (");
+```
+
+**After** (new code):
+```c
+snprintf(sql_ptr, remaining,
+    " AND id IN (SELECT event_id FROM event_tags "
+    "WHERE tag_name = ? AND tag_value IN (");
+```
+
+The rest of the parameter binding code (lines 1248-1270) stays the same — the bind params are identical (`tag_name` then `tag_value(s)`). Only the SQL template changes.
+
+The closing parenthesis changes from `"))` to `"))` — same syntax, just different semantics.
+
+### 4. NIP-09 Delete Cascade: `src/nip009.c`
+
+The `ON DELETE CASCADE` foreign key handles this automatically. When `DELETE FROM events WHERE id = ?` executes, SQLite will automatically delete matching rows from `event_tags`. **No code changes needed in nip009.c** as long as `PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON` is set (it already is in the schema).
+
+However, verify the replaceable/addressable event triggers in the schema also cascade properly. The existing triggers at schema lines 97-119 use `DELETE FROM events WHERE ...` which will trigger the CASCADE.
+
+### 5. Performance Fix: Move Config Reads Out of Row Loop
+
+In `handle_req_message()` at lines 1400-1401, `get_config_bool()` is called **inside the `while (sqlite3_step())` loop** — meaning it executes a SQLite query for every row returned. Move these before the loop:
+
+**Before** (inside loop):
+```c
+while (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
+    // ...
+    int expiration_enabled = get_config_bool("expiration_enabled", 1);  // SQLite query per row!
+    int filter_responses = get_config_bool("expiration_filter", 1);     // SQLite query per row!
+```
+
+**After** (before loop):
+```c
+int expiration_enabled = get_config_bool("expiration_enabled", 1);
+int filter_responses = get_config_bool("expiration_filter", 1);
+
+while (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
+    // ... use cached values
+```
+
+### 6. Log Level Fixes
+
+#### NIP-17 Decryption Failure — `src/websockets.c` lines 780 and 1488
+
+Change from `DEBUG_ERROR` to `DEBUG_INFO`:
+```c
+// Before:
+DEBUG_ERROR("NIP-17 admin message processing failed");
+// After:
+DEBUG_INFO("NIP-17 admin message processing failed");
+```
+
+This is expected behavior when non-admin gift wraps arrive — not an error condition.
+
+#### Duplicate Event INSERT — `src/main.c` line 741
+
+The `DEBUG_ERROR` at line 741 fires before the CONSTRAINT check at line 746. Suppress it for constraint violations:
+
+```c
+// Before (line 738-741):
+if (rc != SQLITE_DONE) {
+    const char* err_msg = sqlite3_errmsg(g_db);
+    int extended_errcode = sqlite3_extended_errcode(g_db);
+    DEBUG_ERROR("INSERT failed: rc=%d, extended_errcode=%d, msg=%s", rc, extended_errcode, err_msg);
+}
+
+// After:
+if (rc != SQLITE_DONE) {
+    const char* err_msg = sqlite3_errmsg(g_db);
+    int extended_errcode = sqlite3_extended_errcode(g_db);
+    if (rc != SQLITE_CONSTRAINT) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR("INSERT failed: rc=%d, extended_errcode=%d, msg=%s", rc, extended_errcode, err_msg);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 7. Startup Tag Population
+
+Since you said no migration code is needed (fresh deploy), the `event_tags` table will start empty and populate as new events arrive. Existing events won't have tags in the lookup table.
+
+However, to avoid a period where old events don't appear in tag-filtered queries, add a one-time population function that runs at startup:
+
+```c
+// Populate event_tags from existing events (run once at startup)
+int populate_event_tags_from_existing(void) {
+    if (!g_db) return -1;
+
+    // Check if event_tags is already populated
+    sqlite3_stmt* check_stmt;
+    sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM event_tags", -1, &check_stmt, NULL);
+    if (sqlite3_step(check_stmt) == SQLITE_ROW && sqlite3_column_int(check_stmt, 0) > 0) {
+        sqlite3_finalize(check_stmt);
+        DEBUG_INFO("event_tags already populated, skipping");
+        return 0;
+    }
+    sqlite3_finalize(check_stmt);
+
+    DEBUG_INFO("Populating event_tags from existing events...");
+
+    const char* sql = "SELECT id, tags FROM events WHERE tags != '[]'";
+    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
+    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
+    if (rc != SQLITE_OK) return -1;
+
+    // Use a transaction for bulk insert performance
+    sqlite3_exec(g_db, "BEGIN TRANSACTION", NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
+    int event_count = 0;
+    while (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
+        const char* event_id = (const char*)sqlite3_column_text(stmt, 0);
+        const char* tags_json = (const char*)sqlite3_column_text(stmt, 1);
+
+        if (event_id && tags_json) {
+            cJSON* tags = cJSON_Parse(tags_json);
+            if (tags) {
+                store_event_tags(event_id, tags);
+                cJSON_Delete(tags);
+                event_count++;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    sqlite3_exec(g_db, "COMMIT", NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
+    DEBUG_INFO("Populated event_tags for %d events", event_count);
+    return 0;
+}
+```
+
+Call this during startup, after database initialization but before accepting connections.
+
+## Architecture Diagram
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    subgraph "Current: O(n) per query"
+        A1["REQ with #g filter"] --> B1["SQL: SELECT ... WHERE EXISTS"]
+        B1 --> C1["json_each(json(tags))"]
+        C1 --> D1["json_extract per row"]
+        D1 --> E1["🔴 Full JSON parse per candidate row"]
+    end
+
+    subgraph "New: O(log n) per query"
+        A2["REQ with #g filter"] --> B2["SQL: SELECT ... WHERE id IN"]
+        B2 --> C2["event_tags table"]
+        C2 --> D2["idx_event_tags_lookup"]
+        D2 --> E2["🟢 B-tree index lookup"]
+    end
+
+    subgraph "Write Path (unchanged speed)"
+        F["EVENT arrives"] --> G["store_event()"]
+        G --> H["INSERT INTO events"]
+        H --> I["store_event_tags()"]
+        I --> J["INSERT INTO event_tags\n(one row per tag)"]
+    end
+
+    subgraph "Delete Path (automatic)"
+        K["NIP-09 DELETE"] --> L["DELETE FROM events"]
+        L --> M["ON DELETE CASCADE"]
+        M --> N["event_tags rows auto-deleted"]
+    end
+```
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+1. Run existing test suite: `tests/run_all_tests.sh`
+2. Specifically run NIP tests that use tag filters: `tests/run_nip_tests.sh`
+3. Verify tag-filtered REQ queries return correct results
+4. Verify NIP-09 deletion cascades to event_tags
+5. Verify replaceable event triggers cascade to event_tags
+6. Monitor CPU usage after deployment with same traffic pattern
+
+## Risk Assessment
+
+- **Low risk**: The `event_tags` table is additive — it doesn't change the events table structure
+- **Low risk**: `ON DELETE CASCADE` is a well-tested SQLite feature
+- **Low risk**: The SQL change in `handle_req_message()` is a drop-in replacement (same bind params)
+- **Medium risk**: Startup population on a large database could take a few seconds — but with only 55K events, this should complete in under 1 second
+- **Write overhead**: Each event INSERT now also inserts ~5 rows into event_tags — negligible at 56 events/hour
@@ -0,0 +1,585 @@
+# Plan: Ban Idle and Early-Disconnect Connections
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+The relay needs to defend against spam connections that:
+1. Connect via WebSocket and sit idle doing nothing (the original problem)
+2. Connect and immediately disconnect without subscribing or posting (the new requirement)
+
+Both patterns indicate bot/scanner behavior that should result in IP bans.
+
+## Goal
+
+Implement a system that:
+- Bans IPs that connect but never send a REQ or EVENT (regardless of how the connection ends)
+- Works **independent of NIP-42 authentication** (no auth required)
+- Allows legitimate users to connect and use the relay normally
+- Uses existing IP ban infrastructure
+
+## Architecture Overview
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    A[Client connects] --> B{IP banned?}
+    B -->|Yes| C[Reject immediately]
+    B -->|No| D[Set idle timeout timer]
+    D --> E{Client sends REQ or EVENT?}
+    E -->|Yes| F[Mark session ACTIVE<br>Cancel idle timer]
+    E -->|No| G{Connection closes?}
+    G --> H{Session was ACTIVE?}
+    H -->|Yes| I[Clean close - no ban]
+    H -->|No| J["ip_ban_record_failure()<br>→ may trigger ban"]
+    F --> K[Normal operation]
+    K --> L[Connection closes]
+    L --> I
+```
+
+## Key Insight
+
+The distinction between "idle timeout" and "early disconnect" is minimal:
+- **Idle timeout**: Connection closed by server because client never became ACTIVE
+- **Early disconnect**: Connection closed by client because client never became ACTIVE
+
+Both result in the same check: `if (!session_was_active) ban_ip()`
+
+## Implementation Plan
+
+### 1. Add Session Activity Tracking
+
+**File: `src/websockets.h`**
+
+Add to `struct per_session_data`:
+
+```c
+// Session activity tracking for idle connection banning
+int session_active;           // 1 if client sent REQ or EVENT, 0 otherwise
+int idle_timeout_sec;         // Timeout value for this session (copied from config)
+```
+
+### 2. Set Idle Timeout on All Connections
+
+**File: `src/websockets.c` - `LWS_CALLBACK_ESTABLISHED`**
+
+Currently (lines 561-572):
+```c
+// Only set timeout if auth is required
+if (pss->nip42_auth_required_events || pss->nip42_auth_required_subscriptions) {
+    int auth_timeout = get_config_int("nip42_auth_timeout_sec", 10);
+    if (auth_timeout > 0) {
+        lws_set_timeout(wsi, PENDING_TIMEOUT_AWAITING_PING, auth_timeout);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+Change to:
+```c
+// Initialize session activity tracking
+pss->session_active = 0;
+pss->idle_timeout_sec = get_config_int("idle_connection_timeout_sec", 30);
+
+// Set idle timeout for ALL connections (not just auth-required)
+// This catches bots that connect and do nothing
+if (pss->idle_timeout_sec > 0) {
+    lws_set_timeout(wsi, PENDING_TIMEOUT_AWAITING_PING, pss->idle_timeout_sec);
+    DEBUG_TRACE("Idle timeout set: %d seconds for connection from %s",
+                pss->idle_timeout_sec, pss->client_ip);
+}
+
+// Also set auth timeout if auth is required (separate concern)
+if (pss->nip42_auth_required_events || pss->nip42_auth_required_subscriptions) {
+    int auth_timeout = get_config_int("nip42_auth_timeout_sec", 10);
+    // Use the shorter of the two timeouts
+    int effective_timeout = (pss->idle_timeout_sec > 0 && pss->idle_timeout_sec < auth_timeout) 
+                            ? pss->idle_timeout_sec 
+                            : auth_timeout;
+    if (effective_timeout > 0) {
+        lws_set_timeout(wsi, PENDING_TIMEOUT_AWAITING_PING, effective_timeout);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 3. Mark Session as Active on Valid Activity
+
+**File: `src/websockets.c` - `LWS_CALLBACK_RECEIVE`**
+
+When processing REQ message (around line 1030):
+```c
+// Before handling REQ, mark session as active
+pthread_mutex_lock(&pss->session_lock);
+pss->session_active = 1;
+pthread_mutex_unlock(&pss->session_lock);
+
+// Cancel idle timeout - this is legitimate usage
+lws_set_timeout(wsi, NO_PENDING_TIMEOUT, 0);
+```
+
+When processing EVENT message (around line 1380):
+```c
+// Before handling EVENT, mark session as active
+pthread_mutex_lock(&pss->session_lock);
+pss->session_active = 1;
+pthread_mutex_unlock(&pss->session_lock);
+
+// Cancel idle timeout - this is legitimate usage
+lws_set_timeout(wsi, NO_PENDING_TIMEOUT, 0);
+```
+
+**Note**: We should also consider AUTH as "activity" since the client is engaging with the protocol:
+```c
+// In handle_nip42_auth_signed_event (nip042.c)
+// After successful auth, also mark session active
+pthread_mutex_lock(&pss->session_lock);
+pss->session_active = 1;
+pthread_mutex_unlock(&pss->session_lock);
+```
+
+### 3.5. Separate Rate Limiting for Idle Connections
+
+Per user feedback, idle/early-disconnect failures have **separate rate limiting** from auth failures. This requires:
+
+**New Config Keys:**
+
+| Config Key | Type | Default | Range | Description |
+|------------|------|---------|-------|-------------|
+| `idle_ban_threshold` | int | 3 | 1-100 | Idle failures before ban |
+| `idle_ban_window_sec` | int | 60 | 10-3600 | Window for counting idle failures |
+| `idle_ban_duration_sec` | int | 300 | 60-86400 | Initial idle ban duration |
+
+**Add to `ip_ban_entry_t` in `src/ip_ban.c`:**
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    int state;
+    char ip[46];
+    
+    // Auth failure tracking (existing)
+    int failure_count;
+    time_t first_failure;
+    time_t banned_until;
+    int ban_count;
+    
+    // NEW: Idle failure tracking (separate)
+    int idle_failure_count;
+    time_t idle_first_failure;
+    time_t idle_banned_until;
+    int idle_ban_count;
+    
+    // Other existing fields...
+    int has_authed_successfully;
+    time_t last_success_at;
+    int total_connections;
+    int total_failures;
+    int total_successes;
+    time_t first_seen;
+} ip_ban_entry_t;
+```
+
+**New function in `src/ip_ban.c`:**
+
+```c
+// Record an idle/early-disconnect failure for an IP
+void ip_ban_record_idle_failure(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return;
+    if (!get_config_bool("idle_ban_enabled", 1)) return;
+
+    int threshold = get_config_int("idle_ban_threshold", 3);
+    int window_sec = get_config_int("idle_ban_window_sec", 60);
+    int ban_duration = get_config_int("idle_ban_duration_sec", 300);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = get_or_create_entry(ip);
+    if (!entry) {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+
+    // Reset window if expired
+    if (entry->idle_first_failure > 0 && (now - entry->idle_first_failure) > window_sec) {
+        entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+        entry->idle_first_failure = now;
+    }
+    if (entry->idle_first_failure == 0) {
+        entry->idle_first_failure = now;
+    }
+
+    entry->idle_failure_count++;
+    entry->total_failures++;
+
+    DEBUG_TRACE("IP %s idle failure count: %d/%d", ip, entry->idle_failure_count, threshold);
+
+    if (entry->idle_failure_count >= threshold) {
+        int duration = ban_duration;
+        for (int i = 0; i < entry->idle_ban_count && duration < 86400; i++) {
+            duration *= 2;
+        }
+        if (duration > 86400) duration = 86400;
+
+        entry->idle_banned_until = now + duration;
+        entry->idle_ban_count++;
+        entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+        entry->idle_first_failure = 0;
+
+        DEBUG_WARN("IP %s banned for %d seconds (idle ban #%d) after %d idle failures",
+                   ip, duration, entry->idle_ban_count, threshold);
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+```
+
+**Update `ip_ban_is_banned()` to check BOTH ban types:**
+
+```c
+int ip_ban_is_banned(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return 0;
+    
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    int idx = find_slot(ip);
+    if (idx < 0 || g_ban_table[idx].state == IP_BAN_EMPTY) {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[idx];
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+    int banned = 0;
+
+    // Check auth ban (if enabled)
+    if (get_config_bool("auth_fail_ban_enabled", 1) &&
+        entry->banned_until > 0 && now < entry->banned_until) {
+        banned = 1;
+    }
+    
+    // Check idle ban (if enabled)
+    if (get_config_bool("idle_ban_enabled", 1) &&
+        entry->idle_banned_until > 0 && now < entry->idle_banned_until) {
+        banned = 1;
+    }
+    
+    // Clear expired bans
+    if (!banned) {
+        if (entry->banned_until > 0 && now >= entry->banned_until) {
+            entry->banned_until = 0;
+            entry->failure_count = 0;
+            entry->first_failure = 0;
+        }
+        if (entry->idle_banned_until > 0 && now >= entry->idle_banned_until) {
+            entry->idle_banned_until = 0;
+            entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+            entry->idle_first_failure = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    return banned;
+}
+```
+
+**Update persistence:**
+- `ip_ban_load_from_db()`: Load idle_* fields from new columns
+- `ip_ban_save_to_db()`: Save idle_* fields to new columns
+- Add migration SQL to create new columns if they don't exist
+
+**Add to `src/ip_ban.h`:**
+
+```c
+// Record an idle/early-disconnect failure for an IP
+void ip_ban_record_idle_failure(const char* ip);
+```
+
+### 4. Record Failure on Inactive Connection Close
+
+**File: `src/websockets.c` - `LWS_CALLBACK_CLOSED`**
+
+Currently (lines 2121-2128):
+```c
+// Record auth failure if connection closed while unauthenticated and auth was required
+if (!pss->authenticated &&
+    (pss->nip42_auth_required_events || pss->nip42_auth_required_subscriptions) &&
+    pss->auth_challenge_sent &&
+    strlen(pss->client_ip) > 0) {
+    ip_ban_record_failure(pss->client_ip);
+}
+```
+
+Change to:
+```c
+// Record failure if connection closed without ever becoming active
+// This catches:
+// 1. Idle connections that timed out (never sent REQ/EVENT/AUTH)
+// 2. Early disconnects (client closed before sending REQ/EVENT/AUTH)
+if (!pss->session_active && strlen(pss->client_ip) > 0) {
+    // Use separate idle failure recording (has its own threshold/duration)
+    ip_ban_record_idle_failure(pss->client_ip);
+    DEBUG_LOG("Recording idle/early-disconnect failure for IP %s (connected %ld seconds)",
+              pss->client_ip,
+              time(NULL) - pss->connection_established);
+}
+// Legacy: record auth failure if auth was required but not completed
+else if (!pss->authenticated &&
+         (pss->nip42_auth_required_events || pss->nip42_auth_required_subscriptions) &&
+         pss->auth_challenge_sent &&
+         strlen(pss->client_ip) > 0) {
+    ip_ban_record_failure(pss->client_ip);
+}
+```
+
+### 5. Add Configuration Keys
+
+**File: `src/config.c` - Add validation for new keys**
+
+In the config validation section, add:
+
+```c
+// Idle connection ban settings
+if (strcmp(key, "idle_connection_timeout_sec") == 0) {
+    if (!is_valid_positive_integer(value)) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "invalid idle_connection_timeout_sec '%s' (must be positive integer)", value);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int timeout = atoi(value);
+    if (timeout < 5 || timeout > 300) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "idle_connection_timeout_sec must be between 5 and 300 seconds");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_enabled") == 0) {
+    if (!is_valid_boolean(value)) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "invalid boolean value '%s' for idle_ban_enabled", value);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_threshold") == 0) {
+    if (!is_valid_positive_integer(value)) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "invalid idle_ban_threshold '%s' (must be positive integer)", value);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int threshold = atoi(value);
+    if (threshold < 1 || threshold > 100) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "idle_ban_threshold must be between 1 and 100");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_window_sec") == 0) {
+    if (!is_valid_positive_integer(value)) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "invalid idle_ban_window_sec '%s' (must be positive integer)", value);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int window = atoi(value);
+    if (window < 10 || window > 3600) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "idle_ban_window_sec must be between 10 and 3600");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_duration_sec") == 0) {
+    if (!is_valid_positive_integer(value)) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "invalid idle_ban_duration_sec '%s' (must be positive integer)", value);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    int duration = atoi(value);
+    if (duration < 60 || duration > 86400) {
+        snprintf(error_msg, error_size, "idle_ban_duration_sec must be between 60 and 86400");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+```
+
+Also update the config introspection/documentation functions to describe these keys.
+
+### 6. Add API Documentation
+
+**File: `src/api.c` - Add to config metadata**
+
+```c
+{"idle_connection_timeout_sec", "int", 5, 300},
+{"idle_ban_enabled", "bool", 0, 1},
+{"idle_ban_threshold", "int", 1, 100},
+{"idle_ban_window_sec", "int", 10, 3600},
+{"idle_ban_duration_sec", "int", 60, 86400},
+```
+
+Add descriptions in the config query handler:
+```c
+} else if (strcmp(key, "idle_connection_timeout_sec") == 0) {
+    description = "Seconds before an idle connection (no REQ/EVENT) is closed and IP flagged. 0 to disable.";
+} else if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_enabled") == 0) {
+    description = "Whether to ban IPs that repeatedly connect without sending REQ or EVENT.";
+} else if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_threshold") == 0) {
+    description = "Number of idle/early-disconnect failures before banning an IP.";
+} else if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_window_sec") == 0) {
+    description = "Time window in seconds for counting idle failures.";
+} else if (strcmp(key, "idle_ban_duration_sec") == 0) {
+    description = "Initial ban duration in seconds for idle failures (doubles each time).";
+}
+```
+
+### 7. Update ip_ban Persistence and Cleanup
+
+**File: `src/ip_ban.c` - Update `ip_ban_load_from_db()`**
+
+Add migration SQL to create new columns if they don't exist, then load them:
+```sql
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_banned_until INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_first_failure INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+```
+
+**File: `src/ip_ban.c` - Update `ip_ban_save_to_db()`**
+
+Add the idle_* fields to the INSERT/REPLACE statement.
+
+**File: `src/ip_ban.c` - Update `ip_ban_cleanup()`**
+
+Add cleanup logic for idle ban entries (same pattern as auth ban cleanup).
+
+**File: `src/ip_ban.c` - Update `ip_ban_log_stats()`**
+
+Add idle ban count to the periodic log summary:
+```c
+DEBUG_WARN("IP BAN SUMMARY: %d auth-banned, %d idle-banned, %d tracked, %d trusted",
+           auth_banned_count, idle_banned_count, tracked_count, trusted_count);
+```
+
+## Configuration Reference
+
+### Idle Connection Settings
+
+| Config Key | Type | Default | Range | Description |
+|------------|------|---------|-------|-------------|
+| `idle_connection_timeout_sec` | int | 30 | 5-300 | Seconds to wait for REQ/EVENT before closing connection. 0 = disable idle timeout. |
+| `idle_ban_enabled` | bool | true | true/false | Whether to ban IPs with repeated idle/early-disconnect failures. |
+| `idle_ban_threshold` | int | 3 | 1-100 | Idle failures before ban. |
+| `idle_ban_window_sec` | int | 60 | 10-3600 | Window for counting idle failures. |
+| `idle_ban_duration_sec` | int | 300 | 60-86400 | Initial idle ban duration. |
+
+### Auth Failure Settings (Existing)
+
+| Config Key | Type | Default | Range | Description |
+|------------|------|---------|-------|-------------|
+| `auth_fail_ban_enabled` | bool | true | true/false | Whether to ban IPs with failed auth. |
+| `auth_fail_ban_threshold` | int | 3 | 1-100 | Auth failures before ban. |
+| `auth_fail_window_sec` | int | 60 | 10-3600 | Window for counting auth failures. |
+| `auth_fail_ban_duration_sec` | int | 300 | 60-86400 | Initial auth ban duration. |
+
+## Behavior Matrix
+
+| Scenario | idle_timeout_sec | idle_ban_enabled | Result |
+|----------|------------------|------------------|--------|
+| Connect → do nothing → timeout | >0 | true | Connection closed, IP failure recorded, may be banned |
+| Connect → do nothing → timeout | >0 | false | Connection closed, no ban |
+| Connect → immediate disconnect | any | true | IP failure recorded, may be banned |
+| Connect → immediate disconnect | any | false | No ban |
+| Connect → send REQ | any | any | Session active, no ban |
+| Connect → send EVENT | any | any | Session active, no ban |
+| Connect → send AUTH (NIP-42) | any | any | Session active, no ban |
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+1. **Idle timeout test**: Connect via wscat, wait 30 seconds, verify disconnect and ban table entry
+2. **Early disconnect test**: Connect via wscat, immediately Ctrl-C, verify ban table entry
+3. **Active session test**: Connect, send REQ, disconnect immediately, verify NO ban
+4. **Config disable test**: Set `idle_ban_enabled=false`, repeat test 1, verify no ban
+5. **Timeout config test**: Set `idle_connection_timeout_sec=5`, verify faster disconnect
+
+## Files to Modify
+
+| File | Change Type |
+|------|-------------|
+| `src/websockets.h` | Add `session_active` and `idle_timeout_sec` fields to `per_session_data` |
+| `src/websockets.c` ~565 | Set idle timeout on ALL connections in `LWS_CALLBACK_ESTABLISHED` |
+| `src/websockets.c` ~1030 | Mark `session_active=1` and cancel idle timer on REQ |
+| `src/websockets.c` ~1380 | Mark `session_active=1` and cancel idle timer on EVENT |
+| `src/websockets.c` ~2121 | Call `ip_ban_record_idle_failure()` for inactive sessions in `LWS_CALLBACK_CLOSED` |
+| `src/nip042.c` ~130 | Mark `session_active=1` on successful AUTH |
+| `src/ip_ban.h` | Add `ip_ban_record_idle_failure()` declaration |
+| `src/ip_ban.c` | Add idle_* fields to `ip_ban_entry_t`, new `ip_ban_record_idle_failure()` function, update `ip_ban_is_banned()` to check both ban types, update persistence and cleanup |
+| `src/config.c` ~987+ | Add validation for 5 new idle_* config keys |
+| `src/api.c` ~664 | Add config metadata entries for idle_* keys |
+
+## Deployment on Existing Server
+
+### Config Keys: No Manual SQL Required
+
+All config keys use [`get_config_int()`](src/config.c:300) and [`get_config_bool()`](src/config.c:313) which return **hardcoded defaults** when a key doesn't exist in the config table. The new code will work immediately with these defaults:
+
+- `idle_connection_timeout_sec` → defaults to 30
+- `idle_ban_enabled` → defaults to true
+- `idle_ban_threshold` → defaults to 3
+- `idle_ban_window_sec` → defaults to 60
+- `idle_ban_duration_sec` → defaults to 300
+
+If you want to **override** any defaults, you can insert them into the config table. From the same directory as the `.db` file:
+
+```bash
+# Find your database file
+DB_FILE=$(ls *.db | head -1)
+
+# Optional: Insert custom values (only if you want non-default settings)
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO config (key, value) VALUES ('idle_connection_timeout_sec', '30');"
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO config (key, value) VALUES ('idle_ban_enabled', 'true');"
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO config (key, value) VALUES ('idle_ban_threshold', '3');"
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO config (key, value) VALUES ('idle_ban_window_sec', '60');"
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO config (key, value) VALUES ('idle_ban_duration_sec', '300');"
+```
+
+Or change them via the admin API/web UI after deployment.
+
+### ip_bans Table: Automatic Migration
+
+The `ip_bans` table needs 4 new columns for idle tracking. The updated [`ip_ban_load_from_db()`](src/ip_ban.c:93) will run `ALTER TABLE` statements automatically on startup. These are safe because SQLite's `ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN` is a no-op if the column already exists (we'll use error-tolerant execution).
+
+If you prefer to run the migration manually before deploying:
+
+```bash
+DB_FILE=$(ls *.db | head -1)
+
+sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" <<'SQL'
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_banned_until INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_first_failure INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+SQL
+```
+
+**Note:** SQLite will error on `ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN` if the column already exists, but the code will handle this gracefully (ignore the error). Running it manually is optional — the relay will do it on startup.
+
+### Deployment Steps
+
+1. Build and deploy with `deploy_lt.sh` as usual
+2. The relay starts, `ip_ban_load_from_db()` auto-migrates the `ip_bans` table
+3. Config keys use defaults immediately — no manual SQL needed
+4. Optionally tune settings via admin API or direct SQL
+
+## Backward Compatibility
+
+- Default `idle_connection_timeout_sec=30` provides immediate protection
+- Default `idle_ban_enabled=true` maintains current spam protection behavior
+- Setting `idle_connection_timeout_sec=0` restores old behavior (no idle timeout)
+- Setting `idle_ban_enabled=false` allows connections without banning (for debugging)
+- Existing auth-based banning continues to work independently with its own thresholds
+- Database migration adds new columns with defaults — existing ban data preserved
+
+## Summary
+
+This plan implements a unified "session activity" tracking system with **separate rate limiting** for idle vs auth failures:
+
+1. **Catches idle connections** via `lws_set_timeout()` on ALL connections (not just auth-required)
+2. **Catches early disconnects** via the same `!session_active` check on close
+3. **Respects legitimate users** who actually use the relay (REQ/EVENT/AUTH marks session active)
+4. **Separate idle ban tracking** — idle failures have their own threshold, window, and duration independent of auth failures
+5. **Extends existing ban infrastructure** — adds idle_* fields to `ip_ban_entry_t`, unified `ip_ban_is_banned()` checks both ban types
+6. **Fully configurable** — 5 new config keys for idle banning, all tunable via admin events
+
+The key insight is that there's no meaningful difference between "idle timeout" and "early disconnect" — both indicate a client that connected but never actually used the relay. The same `!session_active` check handles both cases, and the separate rate limiting ensures idle bots don't interfere with auth failure tracking for legitimate clients who fail NIP-42.
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+# Main Thread CPU Offload Plan
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+The main `c_relay_pg` thread consumes ~56% CPU while the DB worker threads (`db-read-1..4`, `db-write`) sit near 0%. All protocol handling, JSON parsing, event validation, subscription matching, and message queueing happens synchronously inside `nostr_relay_callback()` on the main libwebsockets event-loop thread.
+
+## Current Architecture
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    LWS[lws_service - main thread] --> CB[nostr_relay_callback]
+    CB --> PARSE[JSON parse - cJSON_Parse]
+    CB --> VALIDATE[Signature verify - nostr_validate_unified_request]
+    CB --> STORE[store_event - builds payload]
+    STORE --> SYNC_WRITE[thread_pool_execute_store_event_sync]
+    SYNC_WRITE --> |blocks main thread| DB_WRITE[db-write thread]
+    DB_WRITE --> |signal| SYNC_WRITE
+    CB --> REQ[handle_req_message - builds SQL]
+    REQ --> SYNC_READ[thread_pool_execute_req_sync]
+    SYNC_READ --> |blocks main thread| DB_READ[db-read-N thread]
+    DB_READ --> |signal| SYNC_READ
+    CB --> BROADCAST[broadcast_event_to_subscriptions]
+    BROADCAST --> QUEUE[queue_message per subscriber]
+    CB --> WRITEABLE[LWS_CALLBACK_SERVER_WRITEABLE]
+    WRITEABLE --> DRAIN[process_message_queue - lws_write]
+```
+
+### Why the main thread is hot
+
+| Work item | Where | Cost |
+|-----------|-------|------|
+| JSON parsing | `cJSON_Parse` in `LWS_CALLBACK_RECEIVE` | Medium - per message |
+| Signature verification | `nostr_validate_unified_request` - ed25519 crypto | **High** - per EVENT |
+| SQL query building | `handle_req_message` filter-to-SQL loop | Low-Medium |
+| Sync DB wait | `thread_pool_execute_*_sync` - pthread_cond_wait | Blocks but yields CPU |
+| Result iteration + expiration check | Row loop in `handle_req_message` with `cJSON_Parse` per row | Medium-High for large result sets |
+| Subscription matching | `broadcast_event_to_subscriptions` - filter matching | Medium - scales with subscriber count |
+| Message serialization + queueing | `snprintf` + `queue_message_take_ownership` per subscriber | Medium |
+| Config lookups | `get_config_int/bool` called repeatedly in hot paths | Low but frequent |
+
+### Key constraint: libwebsockets is single-threaded
+
+libwebsockets requires that **all `lws_write`, `lws_callback_on_writable`, and `lws_close_reason` calls happen from the service thread** (the thread running `lws_service`). This means we cannot directly write to WebSocket connections from worker threads. However, we **can** do computation on worker threads and post results back to the main thread for I/O.
+
+## Offload Strategy
+
+### Phase 1: Async EVENT Processing (Highest Impact)
+
+Convert EVENT handling from synchronous to async. Currently the main thread does: parse → validate → store → broadcast, all blocking. Instead:
+
+1. **Main thread**: Parse JSON (fast), extract event ID for dedup check, then submit a job to a new "event processing" worker thread
+2. **Worker thread**: Signature verification (expensive crypto), store_event (already goes to DB thread), prepare broadcast payload
+3. **Main thread callback**: Receive result via `wake_loop_cb` + `lws_cancel_service`, send OK response and broadcast to subscribers
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    LWS[lws_service - main thread] --> RECEIVE[LWS_CALLBACK_RECEIVE]
+    RECEIVE --> PARSE[JSON parse + dedup check]
+    PARSE --> SUBMIT[Submit to event-worker queue]
+    SUBMIT --> LWS
+    
+    WORKER[event-worker thread] --> VERIFY[Signature verification]
+    VERIFY --> STORE_DB[store_event via DB pool]
+    STORE_DB --> PREP[Prepare broadcast payload]
+    PREP --> RESULT_Q[Push result to completion queue]
+    RESULT_Q --> WAKE[lws_cancel_service]
+    
+    LWS2[lws_service wakes] --> POLL[Poll completion queue]
+    POLL --> OK[Send OK response via queue_message]
+    POLL --> BCAST[broadcast_event_to_subscriptions]
+```
+
+**What this offloads**: ed25519 signature verification (~the most expensive per-event operation), event classification, tag serialization, and the synchronous DB store wait.
+
+**What stays on main thread**: JSON parse (needed to extract event ID for dedup), OK response writing, broadcast fan-out (requires lws access).
+
+### Phase 2: Async REQ Query Execution (Medium Impact)
+
+Convert REQ handling from sync to async:
+
+1. **Main thread**: Parse filters, build SQL, create subscription, submit query job
+2. **DB reader thread**: Execute query (already happens, but currently blocks main thread via `_sync`)
+3. **Main thread callback**: Iterate results, queue EVENT messages, send EOSE
+
+This is simpler than Phase 1 because the thread pool already supports async submission via `thread_pool_submit_read` with a `result_cb`. The `_sync` wrappers just add a condvar wait on top. We need to:
+- Use `thread_pool_submit_read` directly instead of `thread_pool_execute_req_sync`
+- Store pending REQ context (sub_id, wsi, pss) so the callback can complete the work
+- In the result callback, push results to a completion queue and call `lws_cancel_service`
+- On the main thread, drain the completion queue and send EVENT + EOSE messages
+
+### Phase 3: Reduce Per-Row Overhead in REQ Results (Low-Medium Impact)
+
+Currently each row from a REQ query gets `cJSON_Parse` just to check NIP-40 expiration. This is wasteful:
+
+- Option A: Add an `expiration` column to the events table so expiration filtering can be done in SQL
+- Option B: Store expiration timestamp in a fast-parse format (extract during INSERT, store as integer column)
+- Option C: Use string search on the raw JSON for the expiration tag instead of full parse
+
+### Phase 4: Config Value Caching (Low Impact, Easy Win)
+
+`get_config_int` and `get_config_bool` are called on every message in hot paths. These do SQLite queries. Cache config values in memory with a TTL or invalidation signal, so the main loop only refreshes them periodically (already done for `debug_level` every 60s — extend to all hot-path config values).
+
+## Implementation Priority
+
+| Phase | Impact | Risk | Complexity |
+|-------|--------|------|------------|
+| Phase 1: Async EVENT | **High** - removes crypto from main thread | Medium - async state management | Medium-High |
+| Phase 2: Async REQ | **Medium** - unblocks main thread during queries | Low - infrastructure exists | Medium |
+| Phase 3: Expiration optimization | **Low-Medium** - reduces per-row parse cost | Low | Low |
+| Phase 4: Config caching | **Low** - reduces DB round-trips | Very Low | Low |
+
+## Detailed Design: Phase 1 (Async EVENT Processing)
+
+### New Components
+
+#### Completion Queue (`src/completion_queue.h/.c`)
+A thread-safe FIFO queue for posting results from worker threads back to the main thread:
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    int type;           // COMPLETION_TYPE_EVENT_RESULT, COMPLETION_TYPE_REQ_RESULT, etc.
+    void* data;         // Type-specific result data
+    struct lws* wsi;    // Target WebSocket connection
+    void* pss;          // Per-session data
+} completion_item_t;
+
+int completion_queue_init(void);
+int completion_queue_push(completion_item_t* item);
+completion_item_t* completion_queue_pop(void);  // Non-blocking
+void completion_queue_shutdown(void);
+```
+
+#### Event Worker Thread
+A dedicated pthread that processes EVENT validation/storage:
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    cJSON* event;           // Parsed event JSON - ownership transferred
+    cJSON* full_message;    // Full message JSON for context
+    struct lws* wsi;
+    void* pss;
+    char sub_id[64];        // For response routing
+} event_work_item_t;
+```
+
+#### Main Loop Integration
+Add a completion queue drain step to the main event loop. After `lws_service` returns (either from timeout or `lws_cancel_service` wake), check the completion queue:
+
+```c
+while (g_server_running && !g_shutdown_flag) {
+    int result = lws_service(ws_context, 1000);
+    
+    // NEW: Drain completion queue
+    completion_item_t* item;
+    while ((item = completion_queue_pop()) != NULL) {
+        process_completion(item);  // Send OK, broadcast, etc.
+        free(item);
+    }
+    
+    // ... existing periodic checks ...
+}
+```
+
+### Changes to Existing Code
+
+1. **`nostr_relay_callback` EVENT path**: After JSON parse and dedup check, instead of calling `nostr_validate_unified_request` + `store_event` + `broadcast_event_to_subscriptions` synchronously, submit an `event_work_item_t` to the event worker queue and return 0 immediately.
+
+2. **`store_event`**: No changes needed — it already uses `thread_pool_execute_store_event_sync` which will run on the DB writer thread. The event worker thread will call it.
+
+3. **`broadcast_event_to_subscriptions`**: No changes needed — it will be called from the main thread when processing the completion item, which is correct since it calls `queue_message_take_ownership` (requires lws thread).
+
+### Thread Safety Considerations
+
+- The `cJSON* event` object must be fully owned by the worker thread during processing. The main thread must not access it after submission.
+- The `wsi` and `pss` pointers could become invalid if the client disconnects while the event is being processed. The completion handler must validate that the connection is still alive before sending the OK response.
+- A generation counter or epoch on `pss` can detect stale references.
+
+## What Cannot Be Offloaded
+
+- **`lws_write` / `queue_message`**: Must happen on the lws service thread
+- **`lws_callback_on_writable`**: Must happen on the lws service thread  
+- **`lws_close_reason`**: Must happen on the lws service thread
+- **Subscription list iteration for broadcast**: Accesses `lws_wsi_user` which is lws-internal
+
+These are fundamental libwebsockets constraints. The pattern is always: do computation off-thread, post result to completion queue, wake main thread, do I/O on main thread.
+
+## Expected Impact
+
+With Phase 1 alone, the main thread would no longer perform:
+- ed25519 signature verification (~100-500μs per event depending on CPU)
+- Synchronous DB store wait (~50-200μs per event)
+- Event classification, tag serialization, JSON serialization for storage
+
+This should reduce main-thread CPU by roughly 30-50% for EVENT-heavy workloads, shifting that work to the event worker thread and DB threads.
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+# C-Relay-PG Memory Leak Investigation & Fix Plan
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+c-relay-pg reached **1.56 GB** of its 1.5 GB `MemoryHigh` cgroup limit after only **1 hour 37 minutes** of runtime. The kernel is actively throttling the process with swap pressure (1.8M swap used). This strongly indicates one or more memory leaks causing unbounded growth.
+
+## Root Cause Analysis
+
+After thorough code review, I identified **three categories** of memory issues:
+
+1. **Confirmed `get_config_value()` leaks** — the most pervasive issue
+2. **Potential structural leaks** in subscription/connection lifecycle
+3. **Stack pressure** from large stack-allocated arrays
+
+---
+
+## Category 1: `get_config_value()` Leaks (HIGH SEVERITY — Most Likely Root Cause)
+
+### The Core Problem
+
+[`get_config_value()`](src/config.c:293) calls [`get_config_value_from_table()`](src/config.c:1690) which returns `strdup(value)` — a **heap-allocated string that the caller must free**. Many call sites treat the return value as a borrowed pointer and never free it.
+
+**Every unfree'd call leaks ~64-256 bytes per invocation.** On a busy relay processing hundreds of events/second, this accumulates to GB-scale leaks within hours.
+
+### Confirmed Leak Sites
+
+#### `websockets.c` — Called on EVERY incoming event
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [1527](src/websockets.c:1527) | `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` — auth bypass check for kind 14 DMs | Every kind-14 event | **HIGH** |
+| [1549](src/websockets.c:1549) | `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` — auth bypass check for kind 23456 | Every kind-23456 event | **MEDIUM** |
+| [2704](src/websockets.c:2704) | `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` — DM stats command processing | Every DM to relay | **MEDIUM** |
+| [2742](src/websockets.c:2742) | `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` — DM admin check | Every DM to relay | **MEDIUM** |
+
+#### `main.c` — Called on EVERY admin event check
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [1718](src/main.c:1718) | `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` — inside a loop iterating tags | Every admin event, per tag | **CRITICAL** |
+| [1742](src/main.c:1742) | `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` — admin authorization | Every admin event | **HIGH** |
+
+#### `config.c` — Called on EVERY event kind check
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [377](src/config.c:377) | `get_config_value("nip42_auth_required_kinds")` — NIP-42 kind check | Every incoming event | **CRITICAL** |
+
+#### `ip_ban.c` — Called on EVERY ban check
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [255](src/ip_ban.c:255) | `get_config_value("idle_ban_whitelist")` — whitelist check | Every connection check | **HIGH** |
+
+#### `nip042.c` — Called on every auth verification
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [99](src/nip042.c:99) | `get_config_value("relay_url")` — relay URL for auth verification | Every NIP-42 auth | **MEDIUM** |
+
+#### `request_validator.c` — Called on every auth rules check
+
+| Line | Code | Frequency | Severity |
+|------|------|-----------|----------|
+| [208](src/request_validator.c:208) | `get_config_value("auth_enabled")` — properly freed | N/A | OK |
+| [216](src/request_validator.c:216) | `get_config_value("auth_rules_enabled")` — properly freed | N/A | OK |
+| [304](src/request_validator.c:304) | `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` — NOT freed | Every event validation | **HIGH** |
+| [320](src/request_validator.c:320) | `get_config_value("nip42_auth_enabled")` — NOT freed | Every event validation | **HIGH** |
+
+### Files That DO Free Correctly (for reference)
+
+- [`nip011.c`](src/nip011.c:127) — Properly frees all `get_config_value()` results
+- [`nip013.c`](src/nip013.c:43) — Properly frees `pow_mode`
+- [`request_validator.c`](src/request_validator.c:191) — Properly frees `nip42_timeout` and `nip42_tolerance`
+
+### Estimated Impact
+
+On a relay processing ~100 events/second:
+- `is_nip42_auth_required_for_kind()` leaks ~100-200 bytes × 100/sec = **~10-20 KB/sec**
+- `ip_is_whitelisted()` leaks ~100 bytes × connections/sec
+- `is_authorized_admin_event()` leaks inside tag loop — potentially **multiple leaks per event**
+- Combined: **~50-100 KB/sec → ~180-360 MB/hour** — consistent with the observed 1.56 GB in 97 minutes
+
+---
+
+## Category 2: Structural Lifecycle Leaks (MEDIUM SEVERITY)
+
+### 2a. `LWS_CALLBACK_CLOSED` — Inactive Subscription Skip
+
+In [`websockets.c:2339`](src/websockets.c:2339), the cleanup handler only collects subscription IDs where `sub->active` is true:
+
+```c
+if (sub->active) {  // Only process active subscriptions
+    temp_sub_id_t* temp = malloc(sizeof(temp_sub_id_t));
+```
+
+If a subscription was marked inactive by another thread between the time it was added and the connection close, it will be **skipped** — never removed from the global manager, never freed. The subscription object, its filters, and all cJSON objects within leak permanently.
+
+### 2b. `connection_list_remove` Potential
+
+The `connection_list_remove(wsi)` call at [`websockets.c:2252`](src/websockets.c:2252) happens before pss cleanup. Need to verify the connection list implementation doesn't hold references that prevent cleanup.
+
+### 2c. `ip_connection_info_t` Leak on Disconnect
+
+The per-IP connection tracking in [`subscriptions.h:79`](src/subscriptions.h:79) creates `ip_connection_info_t` nodes via `calloc`. These are only removed by `remove_ip_connection()` — need to verify this is called on every disconnect path.
+
+---
+
+## Category 3: Stack Pressure (LOW SEVERITY but notable)
+
+### 3a. `candidates_to_check` Stack Array
+
+In [`subscriptions.c:810`](src/subscriptions.c:810):
+
+```c
+subscription_t* candidates_to_check[MAX_TOTAL_SUBSCRIPTIONS]; // 5000 × 8 bytes = 40 KB
+```
+
+This allocates **40 KB on the stack** for every `broadcast_event_to_subscriptions()` call. While not a heap leak, it contributes to high memory pressure under concurrent load.
+
+### 3b. `added_kinds` Bitmap
+
+In [`subscriptions.c:68`](src/subscriptions.c:68):
+
+```c
+unsigned char added_kinds[8192] = {0};  // 8 KB on stack
+```
+
+---
+
+## Fix Implementation Plan
+
+### Phase 1: Fix `get_config_value()` Leaks (Highest Impact)
+
+**Strategy A — Preferred: Add a config cache layer**
+
+Instead of fixing 20+ call sites, add a **cached config system** that reads values once and caches them in memory, invalidating on config change events. This eliminates both the leak AND the repeated SQLite queries per event.
+
+```
+Config Cache Architecture:
+- Static hash table of key-value pairs
+- Populated at startup and on config change events
+- get_config_value_cached() returns const pointer to cached value (no allocation)
+- Existing get_config_value() kept for dynamic/rare lookups
+```
+
+**Strategy B — Quick fix: Free at every call site**
+
+Add `free((char*)result)` after every `get_config_value()` call that doesn't already free. This is more error-prone but faster to implement.
+
+**Recommendation: Implement Strategy A for hot-path values (relay_pubkey, admin_pubkey, auth settings), Strategy B for cold-path values.**
+
+### Phase 2: Fix Structural Leaks
+
+1. **Fix inactive subscription skip in CLOSED handler** — Remove the `if (sub->active)` guard, or add a second pass that also collects inactive subscriptions for cleanup
+2. **Verify `remove_ip_connection()` is called on all disconnect paths**
+3. **Add defensive cleanup** — periodic sweep of orphaned subscriptions
+
+### Phase 3: Add Memory Monitoring
+
+1. **Add a `/stats` endpoint** that reports:
+   - Current RSS/VSZ from `/proc/self/status`
+   - Active subscription count
+   - Message queue depth across all sessions
+   - Config cache hit/miss ratio
+2. **Add periodic memory logging** to the service loop
+3. **Consider integrating jemalloc** for better allocation tracking in production
+
+### Phase 4: Reduce Stack Pressure
+
+1. Move `candidates_to_check` to heap allocation with `malloc`/`free`
+2. Consider reducing `MAX_TOTAL_SUBSCRIPTIONS` or using a dynamic array
+
+---
+
+## Verification Strategy
+
+1. **Build with AddressSanitizer** (`-fsanitize=address`) for development testing
+2. **Run under Valgrind** with `--leak-check=full` for comprehensive leak detection
+3. **Monitor RSS over time** after fixes — should plateau rather than grow linearly
+4. **Load test** with `tests/load_tests.sh` while monitoring memory
+
+---
+
+## Immediate Mitigation
+
+While fixes are being implemented:
+1. **Raise `MemoryHigh`** to 2 GB in the systemd unit to prevent throttling
+2. **Add a cron job** to restart the service every 12-24 hours
+3. **Monitor with**: `watch -n 5 'cat /proc/$(pgrep c_relay_pg)/status | grep -E "VmRSS|VmSwap"'`
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Priority Order
+
+| Priority | Task | Impact |
+|----------|------|--------|
+| P0 | Fix `is_nip42_auth_required_for_kind()` leak in config.c:377 | Called on every event |
+| P0 | Fix `ip_is_whitelisted()` leak in ip_ban.c:255 | Called on every connection check |
+| P0 | Fix `is_authorized_admin_event()` leaks in main.c:1718,1742 | Called per admin event, leaks in loop |
+| P1 | Fix websockets.c:1527,1549 auth bypass leaks | Called on every event with auth |
+| P1 | Fix request_validator.c:304,320 leaks | Called on every event validation |
+| P1 | Fix nip042.c:99 relay_url leak | Called on every NIP-42 auth |
+| P2 | Implement config cache for hot-path values | Eliminates leak class entirely |
+| P2 | Fix inactive subscription cleanup in CLOSED handler | Prevents slow subscription leak |
+| P3 | Add memory monitoring endpoint | Ongoing visibility |
+| P3 | Move large stack arrays to heap | Reduces stack pressure |
@@ -0,0 +1,410 @@
+# C-Relay-PG: PostgreSQL Implementation Plan
+
+## Current State Assessment
+
+### What We Have
+- **PostgreSQL 18.3** installed and running on localhost:5432
+- **libpq development headers** available via pkg-config (`/usr/include/postgresql`, `/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu`)
+- **`db_ops.h`** abstraction layer with 40+ functions already defined
+- **`db_ops.c`** — single 1,398-line file implementing all functions against SQLite
+- **`ip_ban.c`** — already uses `db_ops` API (not raw SQLite) for persistence
+- **`config.c`** — uses `db_ops` API for all database access
+
+### SQLite Coupling Points (Must Fix)
+
+| Location | Issue |
+|----------|-------|
+| `src/main.c:11` | `#include <sqlite3.h>` |
+| `src/main.c:51` | `sqlite3* g_db = NULL;` — global handle owned by main.c |
+| `src/main.c:897` | `if (g_db)` — direct handle check |
+| `src/main.c:2228` | `if (!g_db)` — direct handle check |
+| `src/main.c:2358` | `g_db = NULL;` — strict mode nullification |
+| `src/main.c:743` | Log message references `sqlite3_open()` |
+| `src/main.c:854-885` | SQLite PRAGMAs (WAL, mmap_size, cache_size) |
+| `src/main.c:795-824` | SQLite-specific DDL in migration code |
+| `src/main.c:900` | `PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE)` |
+| `src/config.c:4727` | `sqlite_master` query |
+| `src/config.c:4388` | `INSERT OR REPLACE` SQL |
+| `src/db_ops.c:13` | `extern sqlite3* g_db;` |
+| `src/db_ops.c:871` | `strftime('%s', 'now')` — SQLite-specific |
+| `src/db_ops.c:889,909,956` | `INSERT OR REPLACE` — SQLite-specific |
+| `src/db_ops.c:1341` | `sqlite_master` — SQLite-specific |
+| `src/db_ops.c:1387-1395` | `sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2()` — SQLite-only |
+| `src/ip_ban.c:122,205` | `strftime('%s', 'now')` and `INSERT OR REPLACE` in SQL strings |
+| `src/sql_schema.h` | Entire embedded schema is SQLite DDL |
+| `src/subscriptions.c:1187-1197` | Commented-out raw SQLite code |
+
+### What Already Works Through `db_ops`
+- `ip_ban.c` — uses `db_exec_sql()`, `db_prepare()`, `db_step_stmt()`, etc.
+- `config.c` — uses `db_get_config_value_dup()`, `db_set_config_value_full()`, etc.
+- `subscriptions.c` — uses `db_log_subscription_*()` functions
+- `api.c` — uses `db_execute_readonly_query_json()`, stat helpers
+- `nip009.c` — uses `db_delete_event_by_id()`, `db_get_event_pubkey()`
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Phases
+
+### Phase 0: PostgreSQL Setup & Smoke Test
+
+Create the PostgreSQL role, database, and verify connectivity from C.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  0.1  Create PostgreSQL role "crelay" with password
+  0.2  Create database "crelay" owned by role "crelay"
+  0.3  Write a minimal C test program that connects via libpq and runs SELECT 1
+  0.4  Verify the test compiles and links with: gcc test_pg.c -lpq -o test_pg
+```
+
+### Phase 1: Internalize g_db — Move Database Ownership Into db_ops
+
+**Goal**: Eliminate `extern sqlite3* g_db` from main.c. The `db_ops` module must own its connection handle internally. This is the critical prerequisite — without it, swapping backends is impossible.
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    subgraph Before
+        MAIN[main.c owns sqlite3* g_db] --> DBOPS[db_ops.c uses extern g_db]
+    end
+    subgraph After
+        MAIN2[main.c calls db_init/db_close] --> DBOPS2[db_ops.c owns static g_db internally]
+    end
+```
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  1.1  Move `sqlite3* g_db` from main.c into db_ops.c as a static variable
+  1.2  Move `char g_database_path[512]` from config.c into db_ops.c as static
+  1.3  Remove `#include <sqlite3.h>` from main.c
+  1.4  Replace all `g_db` references in main.c with db_ops API calls:
+       - `if (g_db)` → `if (db_is_available())`
+       - `g_db = NULL` → `db_close()` (or new `db_detach_main()`)
+  1.5  Replace SQLite PRAGMA calls in main.c init_database() with new db_ops functions:
+       - `db_set_journal_mode_wal()`
+       - `db_set_mmap_size(long size)`
+       - `db_set_cache_size(int kb)`
+  1.6  Move schema migration logic from main.c into db_ops (new `db_apply_schema()`)
+  1.7  Replace `sqlite_master` query in config.c:4727 with `db_table_exists()`
+  1.8  Replace `INSERT OR REPLACE` in config.c:4388 with `db_prepare()`/`db_step_stmt()`
+  1.9  Build and run existing test suite to confirm no regressions
+```
+
+### Phase 2: Rename db_ops.c → db_ops_sqlite.c, Create Dispatcher
+
+**Goal**: Split the single `db_ops.c` into a backend-specific file and a thin dispatcher, preparing the architecture for a second backend.
+
+```
+New file layout:
+  src/db_ops.h              — unchanged public API
+  src/db_ops_sqlite.c       — renamed from db_ops.c (all SQLite implementation)
+  src/db_ops_postgres.c     — new file (stub initially)
+  src/db_ops.c              — thin dispatcher that forwards to active backend
+```
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  2.1  Rename src/db_ops.c → src/db_ops_sqlite.c
+  2.2  Prefix all function names in db_ops_sqlite.c with `sqlite_` (e.g., `sqlite_db_init()`)
+  2.3  Create src/db_ops.c dispatcher with compile-time backend selection:
+       - #ifdef DB_BACKEND_POSTGRES → call postgres_* functions
+       - #else → call sqlite_* functions (default)
+  2.4  Create src/db_ops_postgres.c with stub implementations that return DB_ERROR
+  2.5  Update Makefile with DB_BACKEND variable:
+       - `DB_BACKEND ?= sqlite`
+       - Conditional source file inclusion and -lpq linking
+  2.6  Build with DB_BACKEND=sqlite — verify identical behavior
+  2.7  Build with DB_BACKEND=postgres — verify it compiles (stubs return errors)
+```
+
+### Phase 3: PostgreSQL Schema
+
+**Goal**: Create the PostgreSQL schema file and apply it to the database.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  3.1  Create src/pg_schema.sql with PostgreSQL DDL from the plan:
+       - events table with JSONB tags column
+       - GIN index on tags
+       - config, auth_rules, relay_seckey, subscriptions, ip_bans tables
+       - Materialized views for dashboard
+  3.2  Create src/pg_schema.h — embedded schema as C string (like sql_schema.h)
+  3.3  Add `postgres_db_apply_schema()` function in db_ops_postgres.c
+  3.4  Apply schema to the crelay database and verify with psql
+```
+
+### Phase 4: Implement db_ops_postgres.c — Core Functions
+
+**Goal**: Implement the PostgreSQL backend for all `db_ops.h` functions using libpq.
+
+This is the largest phase. Functions are grouped by dependency order.
+
+#### 4A: Connection Management
+```
+Tasks:
+  4A.1  Implement postgres_db_init() — PQconnectdb() with connection string
+  4A.2  Implement postgres_db_close() — PQfinish()
+  4A.3  Implement postgres_db_is_available() — PQstatus() check
+  4A.4  Implement postgres_db_last_error() — PQerrorMessage()
+  4A.5  Implement postgres_db_get_database_path() — return connection string
+  4A.6  Implement thread-local connection pool:
+        - postgres_db_set_thread_connection()
+        - postgres_db_clear_thread_connection()
+        - postgres_db_open_worker_connection() — new PQconnectdb per worker
+        - postgres_db_close_worker_connection() — PQfinish per worker
+```
+
+#### 4B: Statement API (db_stmt_t wrapper for PGresult)
+```
+Tasks:
+  4B.1  Define postgres db_stmt_t struct wrapping PGresult + cursor state
+  4B.2  Implement postgres_db_prepare() — PQprepare() with auto-generated name
+  4B.3  Implement postgres_db_bind_text_param/int_param/int64_param
+        Note: libpq uses $1,$2 params, not ?. Need parameter array approach.
+  4B.4  Implement postgres_db_step_stmt() — PQexecPrepared() + row iteration
+  4B.5  Implement postgres_db_column_text_value/int_value/int64_value/double_value
+  4B.6  Implement postgres_db_reset_stmt() and postgres_db_finalize_stmt()
+  4B.7  Implement postgres_db_exec_sql() — PQexec() for DDL/DML
+```
+
+**Key design decision**: libpq doesn't have a step-based cursor like SQLite. Two approaches:
+1. **PQexecPrepared** returns all rows at once — iterate with row index
+2. **DECLARE CURSOR / FETCH** for streaming large result sets
+
+For this relay's workload (most queries return <1000 rows), approach 1 is simpler and sufficient.
+
+#### 4C: Config & Key Storage
+```
+Tasks:
+  4C.1  Implement postgres_db_get_all_config_rows()
+  4C.2  Implement postgres_db_get_config_value_dup()
+  4C.3  Implement postgres_db_set_config_value_full()
+        — Use INSERT ... ON CONFLICT (key) DO UPDATE instead of INSERT OR REPLACE
+  4C.4  Implement postgres_db_update_config_value_only()
+        — Use EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW()) instead of strftime('%s','now')
+  4C.5  Implement postgres_db_upsert_config_value()
+  4C.6  Implement postgres_db_store_relay_private_key_hex()
+  4C.7  Implement postgres_db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup()
+  4C.8  Implement postgres_db_store_config_event()
+  4C.9  Implement postgres_db_get_config_row_count()
+```
+
+#### 4D: Event Storage & Retrieval
+```
+Tasks:
+  4D.1  Implement postgres_db_insert_event_with_json()
+        — INSERT ... ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING
+        — Map extended_errcode to DB_CONSTRAINT for duplicates
+  4D.2  Implement postgres_db_event_id_exists()
+  4D.3  Implement postgres_db_retrieve_event_by_id()
+  4D.4  Implement postgres_db_get_event_pubkey()
+  4D.5  Implement postgres_db_get_event_time_bounds()
+  4D.6  Implement postgres_db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup()
+```
+
+#### 4E: Event Deletion (NIP-09)
+```
+Tasks:
+  4E.1  Implement postgres_db_delete_event_by_id()
+  4E.2  Implement postgres_db_delete_events_by_address()
+```
+
+#### 4F: Tag Operations
+```
+Tasks:
+  4F.1  Implement postgres_db_store_event_tags_cjson()
+        — Note: With JSONB+GIN, this may become a no-op for PostgreSQL
+        — Tags are already stored in the events.tags JSONB column
+  4F.2  Implement postgres_db_populate_event_tags_from_existing()
+        — No-op for PostgreSQL (no separate event_tags table needed)
+```
+
+#### 4G: Auth Rules
+```
+Tasks:
+  4G.1  Implement postgres_db_is_pubkey_blacklisted()
+  4G.2  Implement postgres_db_is_hash_blacklisted()
+  4G.3  Implement postgres_db_is_pubkey_whitelisted()
+  4G.4  Implement postgres_db_count_active_whitelist_rules()
+  4G.5  Implement postgres_db_add_auth_rule()
+  4G.6  Implement postgres_db_remove_auth_rule()
+  4G.7  Implement postgres_db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules()
+  4G.8  Implement postgres_db_count_wot_whitelist_rules()
+```
+
+#### 4H: Subscription Logging
+```
+Tasks:
+  4H.1  Implement postgres_db_log_subscription_created()
+        — Use INSERT ... ON CONFLICT DO UPDATE
+  4H.2  Implement postgres_db_log_subscription_closed()
+        — Use EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW()) for timestamps
+  4H.3  Implement postgres_db_log_subscription_disconnected()
+  4H.4  Implement postgres_db_update_subscription_events_sent()
+  4H.5  Implement postgres_db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions()
+```
+
+#### 4I: Monitoring & Stats
+```
+Tasks:
+  4I.1  Implement postgres_db_get_total_event_count_ll()
+  4I.2  Implement postgres_db_get_event_count_since()
+  4I.3  Implement postgres_db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows()
+  4I.4  Implement postgres_db_get_top_pubkeys_rows()
+  4I.5  Implement postgres_db_get_subscription_details_rows()
+  4I.6  Implement postgres_db_count_with_sql()
+  4I.7  Implement postgres_db_execute_readonly_query_json()
+        — Map PG column types instead of SQLITE_INTEGER/SQLITE_TEXT/etc.
+```
+
+#### 4J: Schema & DDL Helpers
+```
+Tasks:
+  4J.1  Implement postgres_db_table_exists()
+        — Use information_schema.tables instead of sqlite_master
+  4J.2  Implement postgres_db_get_schema_version_dup()
+  4J.3  Implement postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_passive() — no-op for PostgreSQL
+  4J.4  Implement postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_truncate() — no-op for PostgreSQL
+```
+
+### Phase 5: Fix SQLite-Specific SQL in Callers
+
+**Goal**: Ensure SQL strings passed through `db_prepare()` / `db_exec_sql()` from outside `db_ops` are portable.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  5.1  Audit ip_ban.c SQL strings:
+       — Replace `strftime('%s', 'now')` with `EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT`
+         or pass timestamp as bind parameter from C (time(NULL))
+       — Replace `INSERT OR REPLACE` with `INSERT ... ON CONFLICT DO UPDATE`
+  5.2  Audit config.c SQL strings:
+       — Replace `sqlite_master` query with db_table_exists()
+       — Replace `INSERT OR REPLACE` with ON CONFLICT syntax
+  5.3  Audit main.c init_database():
+       — Move all PRAGMA calls behind db_ops backend-specific init
+       — Move schema migration behind db_apply_schema()
+  5.4  Strategy decision: use C-side timestamps (time(NULL)) as bind params
+       instead of database-side timestamp functions for portability
+```
+
+### Phase 6: CLI Connection String Support
+
+**Goal**: Accept PostgreSQL connection parameters from the command line.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  6.1  Add --db-host, --db-port, --db-name, --db-user, --db-password CLI options
+  6.2  Add --db-connstring option for full libpq connection string
+  6.3  Construct connection string from individual params if --db-connstring not given
+  6.4  Pass connection string to db_init() (works for both backends)
+  6.5  Update make_and_restart_relay.sh to support PostgreSQL connection params
+  6.6  Update AGENTS.md with new CLI options
+```
+
+### Phase 7: Integration Testing
+
+**Goal**: Verify the PostgreSQL backend passes all existing tests.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  7.1  Build with DB_BACKEND=postgres
+  7.2  Start relay with PostgreSQL connection string
+  7.3  Run tests/run_nip_tests.sh — verify NIP compliance
+  7.4  Run tests/run_all_tests.sh — verify full test suite
+  7.5  Run tests/performance_benchmarks.sh — compare with SQLite baseline
+  7.6  Test first-time startup flow (key generation, schema creation)
+  7.7  Test config event storage and retrieval
+  7.8  Test auth rules (whitelist/blacklist)
+  7.9  Test IP ban persistence across restarts
+  7.10 Test thread pool worker connections with PostgreSQL
+```
+
+### Phase 8: Query Builder — JSONB Tag Queries
+
+**Goal**: Replace the `event_tags` JOIN queries with PostgreSQL JSONB containment queries for tag filtering in REQ handling.
+
+```
+Tasks:
+  8.1  Identify where REQ filter → SQL translation happens (websockets.c / subscriptions.c)
+  8.2  Create backend-aware query builder or use #ifdef for tag filter SQL:
+       — SQLite: `id IN (SELECT event_id FROM event_tags WHERE tag_name=? AND tag_value IN (?))`
+       — PostgreSQL: `tags @> '[["p", "value"]]'::jsonb`
+  8.3  Test tag-filtered REQ queries against PostgreSQL
+  8.4  Verify GIN index is being used (EXPLAIN ANALYZE)
+```
+
+---
+
+## SQL Dialect Mapping Reference
+
+| SQLite | PostgreSQL |
+|--------|-----------|
+| `INSERT OR REPLACE INTO t ...` | `INSERT INTO t ... ON CONFLICT (pk) DO UPDATE SET ...` |
+| `strftime('%s', 'now')` | `EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT` |
+| `SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name=?` | `SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name=?` |
+| `PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL` | N/A (PostgreSQL handles WAL internally) |
+| `PRAGMA mmap_size=N` | N/A |
+| `PRAGMA cache_size=-N` | `SET shared_buffers` (server-level, not per-connection) |
+| `sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2()` | N/A (no-op) |
+| `sqlite3_changes()` | `PQcmdTuples(result)` |
+| `sqlite3_extended_errcode()` | `PQresultErrorField(result, PG_DIAG_SQLSTATE)` |
+| `?` bind parameter | `$1`, `$2`, ... positional parameters |
+| `JSON` column type | `JSONB` column type |
+| `json_each()` for tag queries | `@>` containment operator with GIN index |
+| `INTEGER PRIMARY KEY` auto-increment | `SERIAL` or `BIGSERIAL` |
+
+---
+
+## Architecture After Implementation
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    subgraph Application Layer
+        MAIN[main.c] --> DBOPS_H[db_ops.h - public API]
+        CONFIG[config.c] --> DBOPS_H
+        IPBAN[ip_ban.c] --> DBOPS_H
+        SUBS[subscriptions.c] --> DBOPS_H
+        API[api.c] --> DBOPS_H
+        NIP09[nip009.c] --> DBOPS_H
+        WS[websockets.c] --> DBOPS_H
+    end
+
+    subgraph Database Abstraction
+        DBOPS_H --> DISPATCH[db_ops.c - dispatcher]
+        DISPATCH -->|DB_BACKEND_SQLITE| SQLITE[db_ops_sqlite.c]
+        DISPATCH -->|DB_BACKEND_POSTGRES| PG[db_ops_postgres.c]
+    end
+
+    subgraph Backends
+        SQLITE --> SQLITE3[libsqlite3]
+        PG --> LIBPQ[libpq]
+        LIBPQ --> PGSERVER[PostgreSQL Server]
+    end
+```
+
+---
+
+## Risk Mitigation
+
+| Risk | Mitigation |
+|------|-----------|
+| Breaking SQLite backend during refactor | Phase 1-2 are pure refactors — test suite must pass after each |
+| libpq statement API mismatch | Use PQexecParams with row-index iteration, not cursor-based |
+| SQL dialect differences in caller code | Phase 5 audits all SQL outside db_ops; use C timestamps for portability |
+| Connection failures | Implement reconnection with exponential backoff in postgres_db_init |
+| Thread safety | Each worker thread gets its own PGconn via db_open_worker_connection |
+| Performance regression | Phase 7 benchmarks compare SQLite vs PostgreSQL on same workload |
+
+---
+
+## Build Commands
+
+```bash
+# SQLite backend (default, unchanged behavior)
+make
+
+# PostgreSQL backend
+make DB_BACKEND=postgres
+
+# Run with PostgreSQL
+./build/c_relay_pg_x86 --db-connstring "host=localhost dbname=crelay user=crelay password=secret"
+```
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+# PostgreSQL Nostr Relay Architecture Analysis
+
+This document summarizes common approaches and best practices for building Nostr relays backed by PostgreSQL, based on industry-standard designs and existing open-source relay implementations.
+
+## Identified Projects
+*   **Nostrss**: High-performance Rust-based relay.
+*   **Nostrgres**: Focused on PostgreSQL integration with complex event filtering.
+*   **Relay-rs (Postgres branch)**: General purpose high-throughput relay.
+*   **Nostream** ([github.com/Cameri/nostream](https://github.com/Cameri/nostream)): Production-ready TypeScript relay backed by PostgreSQL and Redis.
+*   **Nostr-Relay-NestJS** ([github.com/CodyTseng/nostr-relay-nestjs](https://github.com/CodyTseng/nostr-relay-nestjs)): High-performance relay built with NestJS and PostgreSQL, utilizing Kysely for type-safe database interactions.
+
+## Detailed Analysis
+
+### 1. Common Schema Patterns
+*   **Event Storage (JSONB)**: Most PostgreSQL-backed relays store the raw event as a JSONB object in a central `events` table. This provides flexibility for the evolving Nostr spec while allowing efficient extraction of fields.
+*   **Tag Denormalization**: While the raw event is in JSONB, performant relays extract tags (like `p`, `e`, `t`, `d`) into a separate `tags` table with foreign key relationships to the `events` table. This avoids slow JSONB traversal during complex filter queries.
+*   **Author/Publisher Tracking**: A dedicated `authors` or `pubkeys` table is typically used to maintain indexing on the `pubkey` field, enabling quick lookups of user activity.
+
+### 2. Performance Optimization
+*   **GIN Indexes on JSONB**: Crucial for filtering on specific event tags or custom properties stored within the event object. GIN indexes with `jsonb_path_ops` are generally preferred for equality checks.
+*   **Time-Series Partitioning**: Given the append-only nature of Nostr, partitioning the `events` table by time (e.g., daily or weekly chunks) is highly recommended. This significantly improves query performance for recent data and simplifies data expiration/deletion.
+*   **Clustering**: Clustering the `events` table by the timestamp index can reduce disk I/O, as it keeps temporally related events physically adjacent on the disk.
+
+### 3. Schema Management Approaches
+*   **Migrations**: Most mature relays utilize migration tools (like `Flyway`, `Diesel migrations`, or `Golang-migrate`) to version control database schema changes. This is critical for production stability.
+*   **Auto-generation**: Some lightweight prototypes auto-generate schemas at startup. This is generally discouraged for production due to the risk of destructive changes, data loss, or blocking DDL operations on large tables.
+
+## Recommendations for Building a New Relay
+1.  **Prioritize Denormalization**: Do not rely solely on JSONB queries for high-traffic filters. Extract indexed tags into dedicated columns or tables.
+2.  **Use Partitioning from Day One**: Implementing native PostgreSQL partitioning (e.g., using `pg_partman`) is much easier before the dataset grows to millions of rows.
+3.  **Connection Pooling**: PostgreSQL requires aggressive connection management. Use a high-performance pooler like `PgBouncer` to handle the large number of concurrent, short-lived connections common in WebSocket-based relay traffic.
+4.  **Asynchronous Writes**: Decouple the WebSocket ingestion thread from the database writer thread to ensure that slow database writes do not impact the relay's responsiveness.
+
+## Nostream ([github.com/Cameri/nostream](https://github.com/Cameri/nostream))
+
+A production-ready Nostr relay written in TypeScript (Node.js), backed by PostgreSQL 14+ and Redis. Uses Knex.js for versioned migrations.
+
+### PostgreSQL Schema
+
+The schema is fully normalized — no JSONB blob for the whole event. Tags are stored separately and populated by a trigger.
+
+**`events` table** — one row per event, tags kept as a JSONB column for the trigger to process:
+```sql
+CREATE TABLE events (
+    id               UUID     PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
+    event_id         BYTEA    UNIQUE NOT NULL,  -- 32-byte hash
+    event_pubkey     BYTEA    NOT NULL,
+    event_kind       INTEGER  UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
+    event_created_at INTEGER  UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
+    event_content    TEXT     NOT NULL,
+    event_tags       JSONB,                     -- raw tags array, source of truth for trigger
+    event_signature  BYTEA    NOT NULL,
+    remote_address   TEXT,
+    expires_at       INTEGER,
+    deleted_at       TIMESTAMP,
+    event_deduplication JSONB,                 -- used for replaceable event conflict key
+    first_seen       TIMESTAMP DEFAULT now()
+);
+
+-- Indexes
+CREATE INDEX ON events (event_pubkey);
+CREATE INDEX ON events (event_kind);
+CREATE INDEX ON events (event_created_at);
+CREATE INDEX ON events (expires_at);
+CREATE INDEX event_tags_idx ON events USING GIN (event_tags);  -- GIN on raw JSONB
+
+-- Unique index enforcing NIP-16 replaceable event semantics
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX replaceable_events_idx ON events (event_pubkey, event_kind)
+    WHERE event_kind = 0 OR event_kind = 3
+       OR (event_kind >= 10000 AND event_kind < 20000);
+```
+
+**`event_tags` table** — denormalized single-letter tags, populated by a PostgreSQL trigger on `events`:
+```sql
+CREATE TABLE event_tags (
+    id         UUID  PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
+    event_id   BYTEA NOT NULL,
+    tag_name   TEXT  NOT NULL,   -- single-letter only (e.g. 'e', 'p', 't')
+    tag_value  TEXT  NOT NULL
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX ON event_tags (event_id);
+CREATE INDEX ON event_tags (tag_name, tag_value);
+
+-- Trigger: on INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE to events, repopulate event_tags
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION process_event_tags() RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$
+DECLARE
+  tag_element jsonb;
+BEGIN
+  DELETE FROM event_tags WHERE event_id = OLD.event_id;
+  IF TG_OP = 'INSERT' OR TG_OP = 'UPDATE' THEN
+    FOR tag_element IN SELECT jsonb_array_elements(NEW.event_tags) LOOP
+      IF length(trim('"' FROM (tag_element->0)::text)) = 1
+         AND (tag_element->1)::text IS NOT NULL THEN
+        INSERT INTO event_tags (event_id, tag_name, tag_value)
+        VALUES (NEW.event_id,
+                trim('"' FROM (tag_element->0)::text),
+                trim('"' FROM (tag_element->1)::text));
+      END IF;
+    END LOOP;
+  END IF;
+  RETURN NEW;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+CREATE TRIGGER insert_event_tags
+AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE ON events
+FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION process_event_tags();
+```
+
+Tag queries (`#e`, `#p`, etc.) join `event_tags` rather than traversing the JSONB array.
+
+**`users` and `invoices` tables** — for paid relay admission (Lightning payments):
+```sql
+CREATE TABLE users (
+    pubkey          BYTEA    PRIMARY KEY,
+    is_admitted     BOOLEAN  DEFAULT FALSE,
+    balance         BIGINT   DEFAULT 0,      -- in msats
+    tos_accepted_at DATETIME
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE invoices (
+    id               UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
+    pubkey           BYTEA NOT NULL,
+    bolt11           TEXT  NOT NULL,
+    amount_requested BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
+    amount_paid      BIGINT UNSIGNED,
+    unit             ENUM('msats','sats','btc'),
+    status           ENUM('pending','completed','expired'),
+    description      TEXT,
+    confirmed_at     DATETIME,
+    expires_at       DATETIME
+);
+```
+
+### How Redis Is Used
+
+Redis is **not** used for subscription fan-out. Subscription delivery is handled entirely in-process: each `WebSocketAdapter` holds a `Map<subscriptionId, filters[]>`, and a broadcast event walks all connected clients and filters locally.
+
+Redis has two actual roles:
+
+1. **Sliding-window rate limiting** — The `SlidingWindowRateLimiter` uses Redis sorted sets to track request timestamps per key (pubkey, IP, etc.) within a rolling time window:
+   - `ZREMRANGEBYSCORE key 0 (now - period)` — evict old entries
+   - `ZADD key timestamp member` — record this hit
+   - `ZRANGE key 0 -1` — count hits in window
+   - `EXPIRE key period` — auto-cleanup
+   - Keys follow the pattern `<pubkey>:events:<period>` or `<ip>:message:<period>`
+
+2. **General-purpose cache** — A `RedisAdapter` wraps the client with `get`/`set`/`hasKey` helpers, used for caching admission checks (e.g. `<pubkey>:is-admitted`). The event handler has a `TODO` comment noting that the `userRepository.findByPubkey()` call should be replaced with a cache lookup — meaning this is partially implemented.
+
+---
+
+## Schema Definitions
+
+### Relay-rs (Postgres)
+```sql
+-- Events table
+CREATE TABLE "event" (
+	id bytea NOT NULL,
+	pub_key bytea NOT NULL,
+	created_at timestamp with time zone NOT NULL,
+	kind integer NOT NULL,
+	"content" bytea NOT NULL,
+	hidden bit(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0::bit(1),
+	delegated_by bytea NULL,
+	first_seen timestamp with time zone NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
+	expires_at timestamp(0) with time zone,
+	CONSTRAINT event_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
+);
+CREATE INDEX event_created_at_idx ON "event" (created_at,kind);
+CREATE INDEX event_pub_key_idx ON "event" (pub_key);
+CREATE INDEX event_delegated_by_idx ON "event" (delegated_by);
+CREATE INDEX event_expires_at_idx ON "event" (expires_at);
+
+-- Tags table
+CREATE TABLE "tag" (
+	id int8 NOT NULL GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY,
+	event_id bytea NOT NULL,
+	"name" varchar NOT NULL,
+	value bytea NULL,
+	value_hex bytea NULL,
+	CONSTRAINT tag_fk FOREIGN KEY (event_id) REFERENCES "event"(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
+	CONSTRAINT unique_constraint_name UNIQUE (event_id, "name", value, value_hex)
+);
+CREATE INDEX tag_event_id_idx ON tag USING btree (event_id, name);
+CREATE INDEX tag_value_idx ON tag USING btree (value);
+CREATE INDEX tag_value_hex_idx ON tag USING btree (value_hex);
+
+-- Account table
+CREATE TABLE "account" (
+    pubkey varchar NOT NULL,
+    is_admitted BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT FALSE,
+    balance BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    tos_accepted_at TIMESTAMP,
+    CONSTRAINT account_pkey PRIMARY KEY (pubkey)
+);
+
+-- Invoice table
+CREATE TYPE status AS ENUM ('Paid', 'Unpaid', 'Expired');
+CREATE TABLE "invoice" (
+    payment_hash varchar NOT NULL,
+    pubkey varchar NOT NULL,
+    invoice varchar NOT NULL,
+    amount BIGINT NOT NULL,
+    status status NOT NULL DEFAULT 'Unpaid',
+    description varchar,
+    created_at timestamp,
+    confirmed_at timestamp,
+    CONSTRAINT invoice_payment_hash PRIMARY KEY (payment_hash),
+    CONSTRAINT invoice_pubkey_fkey FOREIGN KEY (pubkey) REFERENCES account (pubkey) ON DELETE CASCADE
+);
+```
+
+### Nostr-Relay-NestJS (PostgreSQL via Kysely)
+```sql
+-- Events table
+CREATE TABLE events (
+    id            CHAR(64) PRIMARY KEY,
+    pubkey        CHAR(64) NOT NULL,
+    created_at    BIGINT   NOT NULL,
+    kind          INTEGER  NOT NULL,
+    tags          JSONB    NOT NULL DEFAULT '[]',
+    generic_tags  TEXT[]   NOT NULL DEFAULT '{}',
+    content       TEXT     NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+    sig           CHAR(128) NOT NULL,
+    expired_at    BIGINT,
+    d_tag_value   TEXT,
+    delegator     CHAR(64),
+    create_date   TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
+    update_date   TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
+    delete_date   TIMESTAMP
+);
+
+-- Indices
+CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS btree_gin;
+CREATE INDEX generic_tags_kind_idx ON events USING gin (generic_tags, kind);
+CREATE INDEX pubkey_kind_created_at_idx ON events (pubkey, kind, created_at);
+CREATE INDEX delegator_kind_created_at_idx ON events (delegator, kind, created_at);
+CREATE INDEX created_at_kind_idx ON events (created_at, kind);
+
+-- Generic tags table (for optimized tag queries)
+CREATE TABLE generic_tags (
+    id         SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    tag        TEXT    NOT NULL,
+    author     CHAR(64) NOT NULL,
+    kind       INTEGER  NOT NULL,
+    event_id   CHAR(64) NOT NULL REFERENCES events(id),
+    created_at BIGINT   NOT NULL
+);
+
+-- Indices for tag filtering
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX g_tag_event_id_idx ON generic_tags (tag, event_id);
+CREATE INDEX g_tag_kind_created_at_idx ON generic_tags (tag, kind, created_at);
+CREATE INDEX g_tag_created_at_idx ON generic_tags (tag, created_at);
+```
+Nostr-Relay-NestJS features a hybrid storage model where tags are stored both in a JSONB field (for general lookup) and a normalized `generic_tags` table (for optimized tag query performance). The schema uses Kysely for type-safe interaction.
+
@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+# Remaining Implementation Plan — Zero SQLite on Main Thread + PG Fork Readiness
+
+## Overview
+
+This plan covers all remaining work to achieve two goals:
+1. **Zero direct SQLite calls on lws-main** during the event loop
+2. **Clean `db_ops` abstraction boundary** so the PG fork has no raw `sqlite3_*` calls outside `db_ops.c`
+
+## Current State
+
+### Completed (Fixes 1-5, 7 + Phases 1-3, 5)
+- Global config cache with 5s TTL
+- Dedup check moved to event worker
+- Async COUNT queries via thread pool
+- WoT auth rules cached per-session
+- Special-kind EVENT store through async worker
+- Subscription logging via fire-and-forget write queue
+- IP ban periodic save via write queue
+- g_db nulled before event loop
+
+### Remaining
+- Fix 6: Reduce reader threads (trivial)
+- Fix 8: Move periodic tasks off main thread (partial — IP ban save done, monitoring/status not)
+- Fix 9: Cache NIP-11 response
+- Sync `store_event()` calls from admin/DM/NIP-09 paths
+- Raw `sqlite3_*` calls in `thread_pool.c` and `websockets.c`
+- COUNT query path in `websockets.c` still uses `json_each()` instead of `event_tags`
+
+---
+
+## Phase A: Move Remaining Periodic Tasks Off Main Thread
+
+**Goal:** Eliminate the last regular SQLite calls from the lws-main event loop timer.
+
+### A1: Move `generate_and_post_status_event()` to write worker
+
+Currently called synchronously from the main event loop at `websockets.c:3455`.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Add `THREAD_POOL_JOB_STATUS_POST` to `thread_pool.h` job type enum
+- Add executor in `thread_pool.c` that calls `generate_and_post_status_event()`
+- In `websockets.c` main loop, replace direct call with `thread_pool_submit_write()` job
+- The write worker has a DB connection, so `generate_stats_json()` → `store_event()` → `broadcast_event_to_subscriptions()` all work naturally
+- Note: `broadcast_event_to_subscriptions()` is thread-safe (uses its own mutex)
+
+**Files:** `thread_pool.h`, `thread_pool.c`, `websockets.c`
+
+### A2: Move monitoring queries to read/write worker
+
+`monitoring_on_event_stored()` and `monitoring_on_subscription_change()` in `api.c` call `generate_event_driven_monitoring()` / `generate_subscription_driven_monitoring()` which do DB queries and then broadcast ephemeral events.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Add `THREAD_POOL_JOB_MONITORING` job type
+- Submit monitoring generation as a read job (it mostly does SELECTs)
+- The completion broadcasts the ephemeral event via `lws_cancel_service()` + completion queue
+- Alternative simpler approach: since these are throttled (default 5s) and only fire when kind 24567 subscribers exist, they could run on the write worker as fire-and-forget
+
+**Files:** `thread_pool.h`, `thread_pool.c`, `api.c`, `websockets.c`
+
+### A3: Move `ip_ban_cleanup()` and `ip_ban_log_stats()` to write worker
+
+Currently called from the 60-second periodic timer at `websockets.c:3479-3480`.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Add `THREAD_POOL_JOB_IP_BAN_CLEANUP` job type (or reuse a generic callback job)
+- Submit as fire-and-forget write job from the periodic timer
+- `ip_ban_cleanup()` does in-memory cleanup + optional DB writes
+- `ip_ban_log_stats()` is purely logging, no DB
+
+**Files:** `thread_pool.h`, `thread_pool.c`, `ip_ban.c`, `websockets.c`
+
+---
+
+## Phase B: Route Remaining Sync `store_event()` Calls Through Async Worker
+
+**Goal:** Eliminate all synchronous `store_event()` calls from lws-main context.
+
+### Current sync `store_event()` call sites on main thread
+
+| Call site | File | Context | Frequency |
+|-----------|------|---------|-----------|
+| Kind 1059 gift wrap store | `websockets.c:1795,1803,1819` | NIP-17 DM processing | Low |
+| Kind 14 DM store | `websockets.c:1843` | NIP-17 DM processing | Low |
+| Regular event fallback | `websockets.c:1862,1876` | Non-async-eligible events | Low |
+| Kind 1059 (auth path) | `websockets.c:2594,2602,2618` | NIP-42 auth + DM | Low |
+| Kind 14 (auth path) | `websockets.c:2642` | NIP-42 auth + DM | Low |
+| Regular (auth path) | `websockets.c:2661,2675` | NIP-42 auth fallback | Low |
+| Admin response store | `config.c:2585` | Admin API response | Very low |
+| DM admin gift wrap | `dm_admin.c:389` | Admin DM response | Very low |
+| NIP-09 deletion store | `nip009.c:135` | Deletion events | Low |
+| Status event store | `api.c:595` | Periodic status post | Very low (handled by Phase A1) |
+| Admin response event | `api.c:908` | Admin API | Very low |
+| DM chat response | `api.c:1377` | Admin DM chat | Very low |
+| Relay-generated event | `api.c:2350` | Relay metadata | Very low |
+| DM stats response | `websockets.c:3648` | DM stats command | Very low |
+
+### Strategy
+
+Rather than converting each call site individually, create a **synchronous-to-async bridge**:
+
+**Changes:**
+- Create `store_event_async(cJSON* event, store_event_callback_t cb, void* ctx)` that submits the event to the write worker
+- For call sites that need the result (e.g., to broadcast after store), use a completion callback
+- For fire-and-forget sites (admin responses, DM responses), use NULL callback
+- The existing `store_event()` wrapper becomes: submit to write worker + block on completion (for backward compat during transition)
+- Eventually, all callers migrate to the async version
+
+**Alternative simpler approach:** Since these are all low-frequency paths, and the write worker already has a DB connection, we can submit them as generic write jobs with a callback that does the store + broadcast. The main thread just needs to hand off the event JSON.
+
+**Files:** `main.c`, `websockets.c`, `api.c`, `config.c`, `dm_admin.c`, `nip009.c`, `thread_pool.h`, `thread_pool.c`
+
+---
+
+## Phase C: `db_ops` Abstraction Cleanup for PG Fork
+
+**Goal:** Ensure all raw `sqlite3_*` calls are inside `db_ops.c` only. External code uses only `db_ops.h` functions.
+
+### C1: Add `db_open_worker_connection()` / `db_close_worker_connection()` to `db_ops.h`
+
+Currently, `thread_pool.c:208` and `websockets.c:537` call `sqlite3_open_v2()` directly.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Add to `db_ops.h`:
+  ```c
+  void* db_open_worker_connection(void);    // Returns opaque connection handle
+  void db_close_worker_connection(void* conn);
+  ```
+- Implementation in `db_ops.c`: opens a new SQLite connection with WAL + busy timeout
+- `thread_pool.c` worker init calls `db_open_worker_connection()` instead of raw `sqlite3_open_v2()`
+- `websockets.c` event-worker calls `db_open_worker_connection()` instead of raw `sqlite3_open_v2()`
+- Remove `#include <sqlite3.h>` from `thread_pool.c` and `websockets.c`
+
+**Files:** `db_ops.h`, `db_ops.c`, `thread_pool.c`, `websockets.c`
+
+### C2: Audit and remove remaining `sqlite3` includes outside `db_ops.c`
+
+After C1, grep for any remaining `sqlite3` references outside `db_ops.c` and eliminate them.
+
+**Files:** All `.c` files
+
+### C3: Unify COUNT query tag path
+
+The COUNT query builder in `websockets.c:3849` still uses `json_each(json(tags))` while the REQ query builder in `main.c:1604` uses the indexed `event_tags` table. Unify to use `event_tags` for consistency.
+
+**Files:** `websockets.c`
+
+---
+
+## Phase D: Quick Wins
+
+### D1: Fix 6 — Reduce reader threads from 4 to 1
+
+Change default in `thread_pool_init()` or make configurable. With all reads going through the pool, a single reader is sufficient unless profiling shows otherwise.
+
+**Files:** `thread_pool.c` or config default
+
+### D2: Fix 9 — Cache NIP-11 response
+
+Cache the serialized NIP-11 JSON string with a 60-second TTL. Invalidate on admin config change.
+
+**Files:** `nip011.c`
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Order
+
+| # | Task | Risk | Dependencies |
+|---|------|------|-------------|
+| 1 | A3: ip_ban_cleanup to write worker | Very Low | None |
+| 2 | A1: status post to write worker | Low | None |
+| 3 | A2: monitoring to worker | Low | None |
+| 4 | D1: reduce reader threads to 1 | Very Low | None |
+| 5 | D2: cache NIP-11 response | Very Low | None |
+| 6 | C1: db_open/close_worker_connection | Low | None |
+| 7 | C3: unify COUNT tag query path | Low | None |
+| 8 | C2: audit/remove sqlite3 includes | Very Low | C1 |
+| 9 | B: route sync store_event through async | Medium | A1 (status post already handled) |
+
+## Expected Outcome
+
+After all phases:
+- **lws-main has zero SQLite calls** during the event loop
+- **All `sqlite3_*` calls are inside `db_ops.c`** — clean abstraction boundary
+- **PG fork can replace `db_ops.c`** without touching any other file
+- Thread model is fully realized:
+  - `lws-main` = WebSocket I/O + JSON parse + subscription match + completion drain
+  - `event-worker` = signature verify + dedup + store submission
+  - `db-read` = REQ queries + COUNT queries + monitoring reads
+  - `db-write` = event INSERTs + subscription logging + periodic tasks + admin writes
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    CLIENT[Nostr Clients] --> LWS[lws-main<br/>Zero SQLite<br/>WS I/O + JSON + Sub Match]
+    
+    LWS -->|EVENT| EW[event-worker<br/>Verify + Dedup]
+    EW -->|store job| DW[db-write<br/>INSERT events<br/>Sub logging<br/>Periodic tasks<br/>Admin writes]
+    EW -->|completion| LWS
+    DW -->|completion| LWS
+    
+    LWS -->|REQ/COUNT| DR[db-read<br/>SELECT queries<br/>Monitoring reads]
+    DR -->|completion| LWS
+    
+    LWS -->|OK/EVENT/EOSE/COUNT| CLIENT
+```
@@ -0,0 +1,379 @@
+# Plan: Remove All SQLite from lws-main Thread
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+After implementing the 4 offload fixes (v2.1.4), `lws-main` still consumes **53.87% avg CPU** (down from 68.71%). Perf profiling shows **100% of the top symbols are SQLite** — B-tree traversal, page cache, VFS reads. The worker threads (`db-read`, `db-write`, `event-worker`) are nearly idle at 0.0–0.1%.
+
+The goal is to eliminate all synchronous SQLite access from `lws-main` so it only does: JSON parsing, WebSocket I/O, subscription matching (in-memory), and message queuing.
+
+## Thread Architecture Change
+
+Reduce from 7 threads to 4:
+
+```
+Current:  lws-main, db-read-1, db-read-2, db-read-3, db-read-4, db-write, event-worker
+Proposed: lws-main, db-read, db-write, event-worker
+```
+
+The 4 reader threads are overkill — they average 0.07–0.10% CPU each. A single `db-read` thread is sufficient for the current workload. This can be made configurable later if needed.
+
+## Remaining SQLite Calls on lws-main
+
+Every synchronous SQLite call that currently runs on `lws-main`:
+
+### Hot Path — Per-Event (every incoming EVENT message)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `event_id_exists_in_db()` | websockets.c:1324, 2134 | Every EVENT | ~10-50us per B-tree lookup |
+| `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` | websockets.c:2050 | Every kind-14 EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` | websockets.c:2073 | Every kind-23456 EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Hot Path — Per-Connection (every new WebSocket connection)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_bool("trust_proxy_headers")` | websockets.c:1071 | Every connection | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("nip42_auth_required_events")` | websockets.c:1134 | Every connection | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("nip42_auth_required_subscriptions")` | websockets.c:1135 | Every connection | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Hot Path — Per-REQ (every subscription request)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_bool("expiration_enabled")` | main.c:1424 | Every REQ | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("expiration_filter")` | main.c:1425 | Every REQ | SQLite SELECT |
+| `check_database_auth_rules()` | websockets.c:1706 | Every REQ when WoT enabled | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Medium Path — Per-COUNT (NIP-45)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `thread_pool_execute_count_sync()` | websockets.c:3689 | Every COUNT message | Blocks main thread waiting for db-read |
+
+### Low Path — Periodic (every 60s or on timer)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `refresh_hot_config_if_needed()` | websockets.c:228-247 | Every 5s | 8 SQLite SELECTs |
+| `generate_and_post_status_event()` | websockets.c:3213 | Every N hours | store_event + broadcast |
+| `ip_ban_cleanup/log_stats` | websockets.c:3004-3005 | Every 60s | SQLite reads/writes |
+
+### Per-EVENT — Validator Path (called from event-worker AND sync path)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` | request_validator.c:308 | Every kind-23456 EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("nip42_auth_enabled")` | request_validator.c:326 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("pow_enabled")` | request_validator.c:370 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("pow_min_difficulty")` | request_validator.c:371 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("pow_validation_flags")` | request_validator.c:372 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("nip40_expiration_grace_period")` | request_validator.c:432 | Every EVENT with expiration | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("auth_enabled")` | request_validator.c:212 | Every EVENT (reload_auth_config) | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("auth_rules_enabled")` | request_validator.c:220 | Every EVENT (reload_auth_config) | SQLite SELECT |
+| `db_count_active_whitelist_rules()` | request_validator.c:536 | Every 5s (cached) | Opens separate SQLite connection |
+
+**Note:** These run on the **event-worker** thread for async-eligible events, but on **lws-main** for special kinds (14, 1059, 23456) that go through the sync validation path. They also run on lws-main for the `nostr_validate_unified_request()` call in the sync fallback.
+
+### Per-EVENT — NIP-13 PoW Validation
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_bool("pow_enabled")` | nip013.c:27 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("pow_min_difficulty")` | nip013.c:28 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("pow_mode")` | nip013.c:29 | Every EVENT | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Per-Broadcast — NIP-40 Expiration Check
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_bool("expiration_enabled")` | subscriptions.c:764 | Every broadcast | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("expiration_filter")` | subscriptions.c:765 | Every broadcast | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Per-NIP-11 Request (HTTP, not WebSocket)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| 15+ `get_config_value()` calls | nip011.c:96-110 | Every NIP-11 HTTP request | 15 SQLite SELECTs |
+| 10+ `get_config_int()`/`get_config_bool()` calls | nip011.c:113-123 | Every NIP-11 HTTP request | 10 SQLite SELECTs |
+
+### Per-NIP-42 Auth Event
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_value("relay_url")` | nip042.c:99 | Every AUTH event | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("relay_port")` | nip042.c:103 | Every AUTH event (fallback) | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### Per-NIP-40 Expiration Check (EVENT submission)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| 5 `get_config_bool()`/`get_config_int()` calls | nip040.c:37-41 | Every EVENT with expiration tag | 5 SQLite SELECTs |
+
+### Subscription Lifecycle (per sub create/close/disconnect)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `db_log_subscription_created()` | subscriptions.c:1043 | Every REQ | SQLite INSERT |
+| `db_log_subscription_closed()` | subscriptions.c:1053 | Every CLOSE | SQLite INSERT + UPDATE |
+| `db_log_subscription_disconnected()` | subscriptions.c:1060 | Every disconnect | SQLite UPDATE + INSERT |
+| `db_update_subscription_events_sent()` | subscriptions.c:1088 | Every broadcast match | SQLite UPDATE |
+| `db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions()` | subscriptions.c:1100 | Startup only | SQLite DELETE |
+
+### IP Ban System (per-connection and periodic)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_value("idle_ban_whitelist")` | ip_ban.c:254 | Every ban check | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("auth_fail_ban_enabled")` | ip_ban.c:301, 343 | Every ban check + failure | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_bool("idle_ban_enabled")` | ip_ban.c:307, 394 | Every ban check + idle failure | SQLite SELECT |
+| 6+ `get_config_int()` calls | ip_ban.c:345-399, 464-465 | Every failure recording | SQLite SELECTs |
+| `db_prepare()`/`db_step_stmt()` for ip_bans | ip_ban.c:141-238 | Load at startup + periodic save | SQLite reads/writes |
+
+### Special Kind Sync Path (kinds 14, 1059, 23456)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `store_event()` | websockets.c:1548-1629 | Every special-kind EVENT | Full sync store |
+| `process_admin_event_in_config()` | websockets.c:1468 | Every kind-23456 | Config DB writes |
+| `process_nip17_admin_message()` | websockets.c:1523 | Every kind-1059 when enabled | Decrypt + DB |
+| `process_dm_stats_command()` | websockets.c:3240 | Admin DM stats | Decrypt + query + encrypt |
+| `generate_stats_json()` | api.c:1167 (via dm_admin.c:805) | Admin stats command | Multiple SQLite queries |
+
+### DM Admin Path (called from lws-main for kind 1059/14)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` | dm_admin.c:358, 451 | Every admin DM | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_value("admin_pubkey")` | dm_admin.c:504 | Every admin DM | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("nip59_timestamp_max_delay_sec")` | dm_admin.c:373 | Every admin DM | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("wot_enabled")` | dm_admin.c:613, 640, 660 | WoT commands | SQLite SELECT |
+
+### API/Monitoring (called from lws-main periodic timer)
+
+| Call | Location | Frequency | Cost |
+|------|----------|-----------|------|
+| `generate_stats_json()` | api.c:1167 | Status post + admin stats | ~10 SQLite queries |
+| `query_time_based_statistics()` | api.c:102 | Monitoring events | SQLite queries |
+| `query_subscription_details()` | api.c:197 | Monitoring events | SQLite queries |
+| `get_config_value("relay_pubkey")` | api.c:419, 821, 1291 | Every monitoring event | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("kind_1_status_posts_hours")` | api.c:547 | Status post check | SQLite SELECT |
+| `get_config_int("kind_24567_reporting_throttle_sec")` | api.c:60 | Monitoring throttle | SQLite SELECT |
+
+## Implementation Plan
+
+### Fix 1: Create Global Config Cache — Eliminate ALL get_config_* SQLite Calls
+
+**Impact: Very High** — eliminates 50+ distinct `get_config_value/int/bool` call sites across 8 source files
+
+The audit found `get_config_value/int/bool` calls in: `websockets.c`, `main.c`, `subscriptions.c`, `request_validator.c`, `nip011.c`, `nip013.c`, `nip040.c`, `nip042.c`, `ip_ban.c`, `dm_admin.c`, `api.c`, `config.c`. Every single one does a `SELECT value FROM config WHERE key=?` SQLite query.
+
+**Approach:** Replace `get_config_value_from_table()` with an in-memory hash map that is loaded once at startup and refreshed periodically (every 5s) or on admin config change events.
+
+**Changes:**
+
+1. **New: `config_cache` in config.c** — A simple hash map or fixed array of key-value pairs loaded from the config table:
+   ```c
+   typedef struct {
+       char key[64];
+       char value[512];
+   } config_cache_entry_t;
+   
+   static config_cache_entry_t g_config_cache[256];
+   static int g_config_cache_count = 0;
+   static time_t g_config_cache_last_refresh = 0;
+   static pthread_mutex_t g_config_cache_mutex;
+   #define CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_SEC 5
+   ```
+
+2. **Modify `get_config_value_from_table()`** — Instead of querying SQLite, look up in the in-memory cache. If cache is stale, refresh from SQLite (but only once per TTL period, not per call).
+
+3. **Add `config_cache_refresh()`** — Loads all rows from `SELECT key, value FROM config` into the hash map. Called:
+   - Once at startup after config table is populated
+   - Every 5 seconds from the existing `refresh_hot_config_if_needed()` timer
+   - Immediately after `process_admin_event_in_config()` modifies config
+
+4. **Thread safety:** The cache is read from lws-main and event-worker threads. Use a read-write lock or double-buffer pattern. Since config changes are rare, a simple mutex with short hold time is fine.
+
+5. **Remove the existing `hot_config_cache_t`** in websockets.c — it becomes redundant since the global config cache serves the same purpose with broader coverage.
+
+This single change eliminates SQLite calls from:
+- Per-connection: `trust_proxy_headers`, `nip42_auth_required_*` (websockets.c)
+- Per-REQ: `expiration_enabled`, `expiration_filter` (main.c)
+- Per-EVENT: `admin_pubkey`, `relay_pubkey`, `nip42_auth_enabled`, `pow_*` (request_validator.c, nip013.c)
+- Per-broadcast: `expiration_enabled`, `expiration_filter` (subscriptions.c)
+- Per-NIP-11: 25+ config values (nip011.c)
+- Per-NIP-42: `relay_url`, `relay_port` (nip042.c)
+- Per-NIP-40: 5 expiration config values (nip040.c)
+- Per-IP-ban: `idle_ban_*`, `auth_fail_*` config values (ip_ban.c)
+- Per-admin-DM: `relay_pubkey`, `admin_pubkey`, `wot_enabled` (dm_admin.c)
+- Per-monitoring: `relay_pubkey`, throttle values (api.c)
+
+### Fix 2: Move Duplicate Check to Event Worker Thread
+
+**Impact: High** — eliminates the most frequent per-EVENT SQLite call from lws-main
+
+Currently `event_id_exists_in_db()` runs on lws-main before async submission. Move it into the `async_event_worker_main()` function, which already has its own SQLite connection.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Remove `event_id_exists_in_db()` calls from both EVENT paths in websockets.c (lines 1324 and 2134)
+- Add the duplicate check at the start of `async_event_worker_main()` before `nostr_validate_unified_request()`
+- If duplicate found, set `completion->success = 1` and `completion->error_message = "duplicate: already have this event"` and skip crypto
+- The completion handler already sends OK responses, so this works seamlessly
+
+**Trade-off:** Without the early dedup check on lws-main, duplicate events will be submitted to the event worker queue and consume a queue slot + thread wakeup before being detected. This is acceptable because:
+- The worker thread dedup check is still fast (B-tree index lookup)
+- It avoids the much larger cost of running SQLite on lws-main for every event
+- Queue depth is 4096, so even under heavy duplicate traffic this won't overflow
+
+### Fix 3: Make COUNT Queries Async
+
+**Impact: Medium** — eliminates blocking wait on lws-main for NIP-45 COUNT
+
+Currently `handle_count_message()` calls `thread_pool_execute_count_sync()` which blocks lws-main waiting for the db-read worker. Convert to the same async pattern used for REQ queries.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Create `count_async_state_t` similar to `req_async_state_t`
+- Create `count_async_completion_t` with count result
+- Add `submit_count_query_async()` that uses `thread_pool_submit_read()` with a callback
+- The callback pushes to a count completion queue
+- Add `process_count_async_completions()` to drain the queue on lws-main and send COUNT responses
+- Call it from the main event loop alongside `process_req_async_completions()`
+
+### Fix 4: Cache Auth Rules Check Result
+
+**Impact: Low-Medium** — eliminates per-REQ SQLite when WoT is enabled
+
+`check_database_auth_rules()` at websockets.c:1706 runs a SQLite query for every REQ when `wot_enabled == 2`. Cache the result per-session.
+
+**Changes:**
+- Add `wot_checked` and `wot_allowed` fields to `per_session_data`
+- On first REQ, call `check_database_auth_rules()` and cache the result
+- On subsequent REQs from the same session, use the cached value
+- Reset cache when auth state changes (e.g., after NIP-42 AUTH)
+
+### Fix 5: Move Special-Kind EVENT Store to Event Worker
+
+**Impact: Low** — special kinds are rare but currently do full sync store on lws-main
+
+Kinds 14, 1059, and 23456 are currently excluded from async processing because they have special handling. However, the `store_event()` call within those paths still blocks lws-main.
+
+**Changes:**
+- For kind 1059 and kind 14: after special processing completes, submit the store to the event worker instead of calling `store_event()` synchronously
+- For kind 23456: admin events are not stored (processed by admin API), so no change needed
+- This requires the special processing (decryption, admin check) to still happen on lws-main (it needs `pss` context), but the final DB write goes async
+
+### Fix 6: Reduce Reader Threads from 4 to 1
+
+**Impact: Resource savings** — 3 fewer threads, 3 fewer SQLite connections
+
+**Changes:**
+- Change default `reader_threads` in `thread_pool_init()` from 4 to 1
+- Or make it configurable via config with default 1
+- The single `db-read` thread handles all REQ and COUNT queries sequentially
+- If future profiling shows the read thread becoming a bottleneck, increase back to 2+
+
+### Fix 7: Move Subscription Logging Off Main Thread
+
+**Impact: Medium** — eliminates per-REQ INSERT, per-CLOSE UPDATE, per-broadcast UPDATE
+
+The subscription lifecycle functions in subscriptions.c do synchronous SQLite writes on lws-main:
+- `db_log_subscription_created()` — INSERT on every REQ
+- `db_log_subscription_closed()` — INSERT + UPDATE on every CLOSE
+- `db_log_subscription_disconnected()` — UPDATE + INSERT on every disconnect
+- `db_update_subscription_events_sent()` — UPDATE on every broadcast match
+
+**Changes:**
+- Submit these as fire-and-forget write jobs to the db-write thread via `thread_pool_submit_write()`
+- Create a new job type `THREAD_POOL_JOB_SUBSCRIPTION_LOG` or simply use a generic callback job
+- The main thread doesn't need to wait for these to complete — they're purely observational logging
+
+### Fix 8: Move Periodic Tasks Off Main Thread
+
+**Impact: Low** — these run every 60s but can still cause latency spikes
+
+- `generate_and_post_status_event()`: Submit as an async job to the event worker
+- `ip_ban_cleanup()`/`ip_ban_log_stats()`/`ip_ban_save()`: These do SQLite reads/writes. Move to a periodic job on the db-write thread
+- Config cache refresh (Fix 1) replaces the old `refresh_hot_config_if_needed()` SQLite queries
+
+### Fix 9: Cache NIP-11 Response
+
+**Impact: Low-Medium** — eliminates 25+ SQLite SELECTs per NIP-11 HTTP request
+
+`generate_relay_info_json()` in nip011.c calls `get_config_value()` 15 times and `get_config_int()`/`get_config_bool()` 10 times. After Fix 1 (global config cache), these become in-memory lookups. But we can go further:
+
+**Changes:**
+- Cache the serialized NIP-11 JSON response string with a TTL (e.g., 60 seconds)
+- On NIP-11 request, return the cached string directly without rebuilding
+- Invalidate on admin config change events
+
+## Implementation Order
+
+| # | Fix | Risk | Complexity |
+|---|-----|------|------------|
+| 1 | Global config cache (replaces all get_config_* SQLite) | Low | Medium |
+| 2 | Move dedup check to event worker | Low | Low |
+| 3 | Async COUNT queries | Low | Medium |
+| 4 | Cache WoT auth rules per-session | Very Low | Low |
+| 5 | Async store for special kinds | Medium | Medium |
+| 6 | Reduce reader threads to 1 | Very Low | Trivial |
+| 7 | Move subscription logging off main thread | Low | Low-Medium |
+| 8 | Move periodic tasks off main thread | Low | Medium |
+| 9 | Cache NIP-11 response | Very Low | Low |
+
+## Expected Impact
+
+After all 9 fixes, `lws-main` should have **zero direct SQLite calls**. Its work becomes:
+- JSON parse incoming messages (~fast)
+- In-memory subscription matching (~fast)
+- In-memory config lookups (~fast, hash map)
+- Message formatting and queuing (~fast)
+- `lws_service()` I/O (~fast)
+- Draining completion queues (~fast)
+
+### Impact by fix
+
+| Fix | SQLite calls eliminated | Frequency |
+|-----|------------------------|-----------|
+| Fix 1: Global config cache | ~50+ `get_config_*` call sites across 8 files | Per-event, per-connection, per-REQ, per-broadcast, per-NIP-11 |
+| Fix 2: Dedup to event worker | 2 `event_id_exists_in_db()` calls | Per-EVENT |
+| Fix 3: Async COUNT | 1 `thread_pool_execute_count_sync()` | Per-COUNT message |
+| Fix 4: WoT cache per-session | 1 `check_database_auth_rules()` | Per-REQ when WoT enabled |
+| Fix 5: Async special-kind store | ~6 `store_event()` calls | Per special-kind EVENT |
+| Fix 6: Reduce readers | N/A (resource savings) | N/A |
+| Fix 7: Async subscription logging | 4 `db_log_*`/`db_update_*` calls | Per-REQ, per-CLOSE, per-broadcast |
+| Fix 8: Async periodic tasks | `generate_stats_json()`, `ip_ban_*` | Every 60s |
+| Fix 9: Cache NIP-11 | 25+ config lookups per request | Per NIP-11 HTTP request |
+
+Estimated main-thread CPU reduction: from **54% to ~5-10%** (mostly WebSocket I/O, subscription matching, and JSON parsing).
+
+## Thread Model After Changes
+
+```
+lws-main     — WebSocket I/O, JSON parse, subscription match, message queue
+               NO SQLite. Pure compute + I/O.
+
+db-read      — All SELECT queries: REQ results, COUNT results, config refresh,
+               auth rule checks, event dedup checks via completion queue
+
+db-write     — All INSERT/UPDATE: event storage, tag inserts, IP ban persistence,
+               status event generation
+
+event-worker — EVENT validation: signature verification, then submits store to
+               db-write via completion queue, results flow back to lws-main
+```
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    CLIENT[Nostr Clients] --> LWS[lws-main<br/>WebSocket I/O<br/>JSON parse<br/>Sub matching<br/>NO SQLite]
+    
+    LWS -->|EVENT submit| EW[event-worker<br/>Sig verify<br/>Dedup check]
+    EW -->|store job| DW[db-write<br/>INSERT events<br/>INSERT tags<br/>IP ban save]
+    EW -->|completion| LWS
+    DW -->|completion| LWS
+    
+    LWS -->|REQ/COUNT submit| DR[db-read<br/>SELECT queries<br/>Config refresh<br/>Auth checks]
+    DR -->|completion| LWS
+    
+    LWS -->|OK/EVENT/EOSE| CLIENT
+```
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+# Thread Pool PostgreSQL Optimization Plan
+
+## Current State
+
+### Thread Inventory
+| Thread | Name | Role | PG Connection | Config Key |
+|--------|------|------|--------------|------------|
+| lws-main | `lws-main` | WebSocket event loop, HTTP, NIP-11, admin events, subscription matching, broadcast, monitoring event generation | `g_pg_conn` (main) | N/A — always runs |
+| reader-1 | `db-read-1` | Async REQ and COUNT query execution | `g_thread_pg_conn` (TLS) | `thread_pool_readers` (default: 1) |
+| writer | `db-write` | Async EVENT store, delete, sub logging, IP ban save, WAL checkpoint | `g_thread_pg_conn` (TLS) | N/A — always 1 |
+| event-worker | `event-worker` | Async EVENT ingestion — duplicate check, signature validation, `store_event_core()`, ephemeral event handling | Own `worker_db` via `db_open_worker_connection()` | N/A — always 1 |
+
+**Total: 4 threads, 4 PG connections**
+
+### event-worker Thread (websockets.c — separate from thread pool)
+
+The `event-worker` is a dedicated async pipeline for incoming EVENT messages, defined in [`src/websockets.c`](src/websockets.c:543). It is **not** part of the thread pool — it has its own job queue, mutex, and condvar.
+
+**What it does for each incoming EVENT:**
+1. Checks if event ID already exists in DB (`event_id_exists_in_db()`)
+2. Validates the event with `nostr_validate_unified_request()` (signature check)
+3. For ephemeral events (kind 20000-29999): marks for broadcast only, no storage
+4. For regular events: calls `store_event_core()` to insert into PostgreSQL
+5. Pushes a completion struct and wakes `lws-main` via `lws_cancel_service()`
+6. `lws-main` picks up the completion, sends OK response, and broadcasts to subscribers
+
+**Why it exists separately from the thread pool writer:**
+- The thread pool writer handles generic DB operations (sub logging, IP bans, etc.)
+- The event-worker handles the full EVENT ingestion pipeline including validation and duplicate detection — not just the DB insert
+- It was added to move CPU-intensive signature verification off the main thread
+
+**Relationship to thread pool writer:**
+There is overlap — both can write to the events table. The event-worker calls `store_event_core()` directly, while the thread pool writer uses `db_insert_event_with_json()`. Some EVENT paths still go through the thread pool writer (sync path for admin/DM/protected events).
+
+### What Runs on lws-main Today (Shouldn't Block)
+- WebSocket accept/read/write for all Nostr clients
+- JSON parsing of REQ/EVENT/CLOSE/COUNT messages
+- Event signature verification (CPU-bound)
+- Subscription matching and broadcast (iterates all subscriptions)
+- NIP-11 HTTP responses
+- NIP-42 auth challenge generation
+- Admin event processing (kind 23456) — includes NIP-44 decrypt + config changes
+- **Monitoring event generation** — queries DB, signs events, broadcasts (BLOCKS)
+- **Sync config reads** — `get_config_value()` hits PG on main thread (BLOCKS)
+
+### SQLite-Era Constraints (No Longer Apply)
+- Single writer thread was required (SQLite serializes writes)
+- WAL checkpoint job was required (SQLite-specific)
+- Reader/writer separation was critical for avoiding SQLITE_BUSY
+- `db_wal_checkpoint_truncate()` on writer shutdown — SQLite-only
+
+---
+
+## Changes for PostgreSQL
+
+### Phase 1: Increase Reader Thread Count
+
+**What:** Change default reader count from 1 to 4.
+
+**Why:** With SQLite, multiple readers had diminishing returns due to file-level locking. PostgreSQL handles concurrent reads perfectly — each reader has its own connection and queries execute in parallel.
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/main.c` line ~2524: Change default from 1 to 4
+- Config key `thread_pool_readers` already exists — just change the default
+
+**Risk:** Low. Each reader opens its own PG connection via `db_open_worker_connection()`. PostgreSQL default `max_connections = 100` easily handles 4-8 readers.
+
+### Phase 2: Allow Multiple Writer Threads
+
+**What:** Make writer thread count configurable (default: 2). Convert the single `pthread_t writer` to an array like readers.
+
+**Why:** PostgreSQL supports concurrent writes with row-level locking. The single-writer bottleneck was a SQLite constraint. With multiple writers, EVENT inserts from different clients can execute in parallel.
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/thread_pool.h`: Add `int writer_threads` to `thread_pool_config_t`
+- `src/thread_pool.c`: 
+  - Change `pthread_t writer` to `pthread_t* writers` + `int writer_count`
+  - `thread_pool_init()`: create N writer threads
+  - `thread_pool_shutdown()`: join all writer threads
+  - `writer_worker_main()`: set thread name to `db-write-N`
+- `src/main.c`: Add config key `thread_pool_writers` (default: 2)
+
+**Risk:** Medium. Need to verify that no write job assumes serialized execution. Current write jobs:
+- `STORE_EVENT` — PG handles concurrent inserts with ON CONFLICT
+- `LOG_SUB_CREATED/CLOSED/DISCONNECTED` — independent rows, safe
+- `UPDATE_SUB_EVENTS_SENT` — updates by sub_id, safe
+- `IP_BAN_SAVE` — writes to ip_bans table, safe
+- `WAL_CHECKPOINT` — SQLite-only, skip for PG (see Phase 3)
+
+All write jobs operate on independent rows or use conflict resolution. Multiple writers are safe.
+
+### Phase 3: Remove SQLite-Specific WAL Checkpoint Logic
+
+**What:** Make WAL checkpoint a no-op when running PostgreSQL backend.
+
+**Why:** PostgreSQL manages its own WAL internally. The `db_wal_checkpoint_passive()` and `db_wal_checkpoint_truncate()` calls are SQLite-specific.
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/thread_pool.c`:
+  - `execute_wal_checkpoint_job()`: Return OK immediately if PG backend
+  - `writer_worker_main()` shutdown path: Skip `db_wal_checkpoint_truncate()` if PG backend
+- `src/db_ops.c` or `src/db_ops_postgres.c`: Ensure WAL checkpoint functions are no-ops for PG
+
+**Risk:** Low. These are already effectively no-ops since the PG backend doesn't implement them, but making it explicit avoids log noise.
+
+### Phase 4: Move Monitoring Event Generation Off Main Thread
+
+**What:** Run monitoring queries and event generation on a reader thread instead of lws-main.
+
+**Why:** The monitoring system (`generate_monitoring_event_for_type()` in `src/api.c`) currently:
+1. Queries PostgreSQL for stats (blocks main thread 5-50ms)
+2. Creates and signs a Nostr event (CPU work on main thread)
+3. Broadcasts to subscriptions (main thread)
+
+Step 1 and 2 should happen on a worker thread. Only step 3 (broadcast) needs to happen on lws-main.
+
+**Approach:** Add a new job type `THREAD_POOL_JOB_MONITORING_QUERY` to the read queue. The reader thread executes the query and prepares the event JSON. The completion callback on lws-main just broadcasts the pre-built event.
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/thread_pool.h`: Add `THREAD_POOL_JOB_MONITORING_QUERY` job type and payload struct
+- `src/thread_pool.c`: Add `execute_monitoring_query_job()` handler
+- `src/api.c`: Refactor `generate_monitoring_event_for_type()` to submit async job
+- `src/websockets.c`: Handle monitoring completion in the event loop callback
+
+**Risk:** Medium. The monitoring event signing requires the relay private key. Need to pass it to the worker thread or pre-compute the unsigned event and sign on completion.
+
+### Phase 5: Add Configurable Thread Pool Sizing via Config Events
+
+**What:** Allow thread pool reader/writer counts to be set via the admin config event system.
+
+**Config keys:**
+- `thread_pool_readers` — number of reader threads (default: 4)
+- `thread_pool_writers` — number of writer threads (default: 2)
+- `thread_pool_max_queue_depth` — max pending jobs per queue (default: 4096)
+
+**Note:** Thread count changes require relay restart (cannot dynamically resize thread pool).
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/default_config_event.h`: Add defaults for new config keys
+- `src/main.c`: Read config values when initializing thread pool
+
+**Risk:** Low. Config keys already work this way for `thread_pool_readers`.
+
+### Phase 6: Fix Error Messages (Cosmetic)
+
+**What:** Update SQLite-specific error messages in thread pool to be backend-neutral.
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/thread_pool.c` line 508: "Reader worker failed to open SQLite connection" → "Reader worker failed to open database connection"
+- `src/thread_pool.c` line 530: "Writer worker failed to open SQLite connection" → "Writer worker failed to open database connection"
+
+**Risk:** None.
+
+---
+
+## Target Thread Layout After Implementation
+
+```
+c_relay_pg process
+├── lws-main           — WebSocket event loop (never blocks on DB)
+├── db-read-1          — Async REQ/COUNT/monitoring queries
+├── db-read-2          — Async REQ/COUNT/monitoring queries
+├── db-read-3          — Async REQ/COUNT/monitoring queries
+├── db-read-4          — Async REQ/COUNT/monitoring queries
+├── event-worker       — Async EVENT ingestion (validate + store)
+├── db-write-1         — Async sub logging, IP bans, misc writes
+└── db-write-2         — Async sub logging, IP bans, misc writes
+```
+
+**Total: 8 threads, 8 PG connections** (configurable)
+
+---
+
+## PostgreSQL Connection Budget
+
+| Component | Connections | Notes |
+|-----------|------------|-------|
+| lws-main | 1 | Sync config reads, admin event processing |
+| Reader threads (4) | 4 | One per reader |
+| event-worker | 1 | EVENT ingestion pipeline |
+| Writer threads (2) | 2 | Sub logging, IP bans, misc |
+| **Total per instance** | **8** | Well within PG default max_connections=100 |
+| Future: admin-ws | +1 | When/if added later |
+| Future: pg-listener | +1 | When/if added later |
+| **Future total** | **10** | Still very comfortable |
+
+For load balancing with N relay instances: N × 8 connections. With 10 instances = 80 connections. PgBouncer recommended at that scale.
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Order
+
+| Phase | Description | Complexity | Impact |
+|-------|-------------|-----------|--------|
+| 1 | Increase reader count to 4 | Trivial — one line change | High — parallel query execution |
+| 2 | Multiple writer threads | Medium — refactor writer array | Medium — parallel event inserts |
+| 3 | Remove WAL checkpoint logic | Low — conditional no-op | Low — cleaner code |
+| 4 | Move monitoring off main thread | Medium — new job type + async flow | High — unblocks event loop |
+| 5 | Config event integration | Low — add config keys | Low — operational convenience |
+| 6 | Fix error messages | Trivial | None — cosmetic |
+
+**Recommended start:** Phase 1 + 6 (trivial, immediate benefit), then Phase 3 (cleanup), then Phase 4 (biggest architectural improvement), then Phase 2 (nice-to-have), then Phase 5 (polish).
+
+---
+
+## Future: Load Balancing Considerations
+
+The thread pool design is already compatible with horizontal scaling because:
+
+1. **No shared in-process state between instances** — all state is in PostgreSQL
+2. **Subscription matching is per-instance** — each instance tracks its own connected clients
+3. **Cross-instance event notification** via PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY (future phase)
+4. **Connection pooling** via PgBouncer when connection count becomes a concern
+
+The only addition needed for multi-instance is a LISTEN/NOTIFY subscriber thread that receives "new event stored" notifications from PostgreSQL and triggers subscription matching on the local instance. This is the `pg-listener` thread discussed earlier — it can be added independently of the thread pool changes in this plan.
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# WAL Checkpoint Fix — db-write Thread CPU Plan
+
+## Problem
+
+Fresh profiling of the production server shows the `db-write` thread consuming **77% average CPU** (peaking at 100%) while `lws-main` sits at 0.3%.
+
+The `perf` callgraph confirms 100% of the hot symbols are SQLite **B-tree read operations** running on the `db-write` thread:
+
+| % CPU | Symbol | Role |
+|-------|--------|------|
+| 13.88 | `sqlite3BtreeTableMoveto` | B-tree seek |
+| 10.05 | `sqlite3VdbeExec` | VM execution |
+| 7.77 | `rep_movs_alternative` | kernel memcpy in pread |
+| 7.76 | `sqlite3GetVarint` | varint decode |
+| 6.66 | `pcache1Fetch` | page cache lookup |
+| 6.02 | `memcpy` | data copy |
+
+These are **read-path** functions, not write-path. The `event-worker` thread accumulated only 3 CPU ticks over 5 minutes, meaning very few events are actually being stored.
+
+## Root Cause
+
+SQLite WAL auto-checkpoint. By default SQLite triggers a checkpoint every 1000 WAL pages. The checkpoint is executed by the **next writer** — which is always the `db-write` thread since all writes are funnelled through it.
+
+A WAL checkpoint reads every dirty page from the WAL file and writes it back to the main database file. This involves B-tree traversals to locate pages, which explains the `BtreeTableMoveto` dominance.
+
+The current `db_open_worker_connection` in `src/db_ops.c` sets `PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL` and `busy_timeout=5000` but does **not** configure `wal_autocheckpoint`. SQLite's default of 1000 pages applies.
+
+In earlier profiling runs the same CPU burn appeared on `lws-main` at 55-67% — because that thread was doing the writes directly before the thread-pool refactoring. The work simply moved threads; the total cost is unchanged.
+
+## Implementation Plan
+
+### Step 1 — Disable auto-checkpoint on the write connection
+
+In `db_open_worker_connection` add:
+
+```c
+sqlite3_exec(db, "PRAGMA wal_autocheckpoint=0;", NULL, NULL, NULL);
+```
+
+This prevents the write thread from ever running a checkpoint inline with normal writes.
+
+### Step 2 — Add a periodic checkpoint job type to the thread pool
+
+Add a new job type `THREAD_POOL_JOB_WAL_CHECKPOINT` to `thread_pool.h`.
+
+The handler in `thread_pool.c` calls:
+
+```c
+sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2(db, NULL, SQLITE_CHECKPOINT_PASSIVE, NULL, NULL);
+```
+
+`PASSIVE` mode checkpoints only pages that are not currently being read, so it never blocks readers.
+
+### Step 3 — Submit the checkpoint job on a timer
+
+In the existing 60-second periodic timer in `websockets.c`, add a call to submit a WAL checkpoint job to the write queue:
+
+```c
+thread_pool_submit_wal_checkpoint();
+```
+
+This runs the checkpoint once per minute on the write thread, but as a **bounded, predictable** operation rather than being triggered unpredictably by every INSERT.
+
+### Step 4 — Also disable auto-checkpoint on reader connections
+
+In `db_open_worker_connection`, the same `wal_autocheckpoint=0` applies to reader connections too. Readers can also trigger checkpoints in SQLite; disabling it on all connections ensures only the explicit periodic job does checkpointing.
+
+### Step 5 — Run a TRUNCATE checkpoint at shutdown
+
+In `thread_pool_shutdown`, before closing the write connection, run:
+
+```c
+sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2(db, NULL, SQLITE_CHECKPOINT_TRUNCATE, NULL, NULL);
+```
+
+This ensures the WAL is fully flushed and truncated on clean shutdown, keeping the database file compact.
+
+## Files Changed
+
+| File | Change |
+|------|--------|
+| `src/db_ops.c` | Add `PRAGMA wal_autocheckpoint=0` in `db_open_worker_connection` |
+| `src/thread_pool.h` | Add `THREAD_POOL_JOB_WAL_CHECKPOINT` enum value |
+| `src/thread_pool.c` | Add `execute_wal_checkpoint_job` handler; add checkpoint-at-shutdown in `thread_pool_shutdown`; add `thread_pool_submit_wal_checkpoint` helper |
+| `src/websockets.c` | Call `thread_pool_submit_wal_checkpoint()` in the 60-second periodic timer |
+
+## Expected Impact
+
+- `db-write` CPU should drop from ~77% to near 0% when idle (no events to store)
+- Periodic checkpoint bursts of a few seconds every 60s instead of continuous burn
+- No change to data durability — WAL still protects against crashes; checkpoint just moves data from WAL to main DB file
+- Readers are unaffected — PASSIVE checkpoint never blocks them
+
+## Risk
+
+- If the relay crashes between checkpoints, the WAL file may be larger than before (up to 60s of accumulated writes). This is safe — SQLite replays the WAL on next open. The WAL file size is bounded by the write rate, which is low.
+- PASSIVE checkpoint may not checkpoint all pages if readers hold them. This is fine — the next checkpoint will catch up.
+
+## Verification
+
+After deploying, re-run the profiler:
+
+```bash
+./deploy_lt_debug.sh && DURATION=300 INTERVAL=5 ./tests/thread_cpu_profile.sh
+```
+
+Expected: `db-write` avg CPU drops below 5%.
@@ -0,0 +1,298 @@
+# Web of Trust (WoT) Implementation Plan
+
+## Feature Description
+
+When enabled, the relay restricts access to pubkeys that the admin follows. The admin's kind 3 (contact list) event is used as the source of truth — all `p` tags in that event become whitelisted pubkeys. The admin themselves is always whitelisted.
+
+Single config variable `wot_enabled` with three levels:
+
+| Value | Mode | Effect |
+|-------|------|--------|
+| `0` | Off | Open relay — anyone can read and write |
+| `1` | Write-only | Only followed pubkeys can **publish** events. Anyone can read/subscribe. |
+| `2` | Full | Only followed pubkeys can **publish AND subscribe**. Requires NIP-42 auth for subscriptions. Eliminates subscription churn from anonymous connections. |
+
+## How It Works
+
+### WoT Sync Flow
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    A["Admin publishes kind 3 event\n- contact list -"] --> B{wot_enabled > 0?}
+    B -->|No| C["Store event normally"]
+    B -->|Yes| D["Extract p tags from kind 3"]
+    D --> E["Clear existing WoT whitelist rules"]
+    E --> F["Insert new whitelist rules\nfor each followed pubkey"]
+    F --> G["Enable auth_enabled"]
+    G --> H{wot_enabled == 2?}
+    H -->|Yes| I["Enable nip42_auth_required_subscriptions"]
+    H -->|No| J["Done - write-only restriction"]
+```
+
+### Event Publishing Flow — Write Restriction (wot_enabled >= 1)
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    A["EVENT message arrives"] --> B{auth_enabled?}
+    B -->|No| C["Accept event"]
+    B -->|Yes| D["check_database_auth_rules - pubkey -"]
+    D --> E{Pubkey in whitelist\nor wot_whitelist?}
+    E -->|Yes| C
+    E -->|No| F{Any whitelist rules exist?}
+    F -->|Yes| G["REJECT: not whitelisted"]
+    F -->|No| C
+```
+
+### Subscription Flow — Read Restriction (wot_enabled == 2)
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    A["REQ message arrives"] --> B{wot_enabled == 2?}
+    B -->|No| C["Allow subscription"]
+    B -->|Yes| D{NIP-42 authenticated?}
+    D -->|No| E["Send AUTH challenge"]
+    D -->|Yes| F["check_database_auth_rules\nusing authenticated_pubkey"]
+    F --> G{Pubkey in whitelist\nor wot_whitelist?}
+    G -->|Yes| C
+    G -->|No| H["REJECT: not authorized\nfor subscriptions"]
+```
+
+## Design Decisions
+
+### Leveraging Existing Infrastructure
+
+The relay already has everything needed:
+
+1. **`auth_rules` table** — stores whitelist/blacklist rules with `rule_type`, `pattern_type`, `pattern_value`
+2. **`check_database_auth_rules()`** in [`request_validator.c:529`](src/request_validator.c:529) — already implements the logic: "if whitelist rules exist and pubkey is not whitelisted, deny"
+3. **`add_auth_rule_from_config()`** / **`remove_auth_rule_from_config()`** in [`config.c`](src/config.c:2082) — already manage auth rules
+4. **`event_tags` table** — can efficiently query `p` tags from kind 3 events
+5. **Config system** — `auth_enabled` flag already controls whether auth rules are checked
+6. **NIP-42 auth** — `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions` already gates REQ access, `pss->authenticated_pubkey` stores the authenticated pubkey
+
+### WoT-Specific Whitelist Rules
+
+To distinguish WoT-generated whitelist rules from manually-added ones, we use a new `rule_type` value: `wot_whitelist`. This allows:
+- Clearing all WoT rules without affecting manual whitelist/blacklist rules
+- Querying WoT status separately
+- The existing `check_database_auth_rules()` function already checks for `rule_type = 'whitelist'` — we need to also match `wot_whitelist` in the whitelist check
+
+### Trigger Mechanism
+
+The WoT sync happens when:
+1. **A kind 3 event from the admin is stored** — detected in `store_event()` after successful INSERT
+2. **Startup** — if `wot_enabled > 0`, sync from the most recent admin kind 3 event in the database
+3. **Admin DM command** — `wot sync` to force a manual resync
+
+### What Gets Whitelisted
+
+- All pubkeys in `p` tags of the admin's kind 3 event
+- The admin pubkey itself (always whitelisted)
+- The relay pubkey (always whitelisted — for admin DM responses)
+
+### What Is NOT Blocked
+
+Even with WoT enabled, these are always allowed:
+- Admin events (kind 23456) — already bypassed in [`request_validator.c:303`](src/request_validator.c:303)
+- NIP-42 auth events (kind 22242) — already bypassed in [`request_validator.c:318`](src/request_validator.c:318)
+- Kind 3 events from the admin — needed to update the follow list itself
+- Kind 1059 gift wraps addressed to the relay — needed for admin DMs
+
+## Files to Modify
+
+| File | Changes |
+|------|---------|
+| `src/default_config_event.h` | Add `wot_enabled` config key (default: `0`) |
+| `src/config.c` | Add `wot_sync_from_admin_kind3()` function |
+| `src/main.c` | Add WoT trigger in `store_event()` when admin kind 3 is stored, add startup WoT sync |
+| `src/request_validator.c` | Update whitelist SQL to also match `wot_whitelist` rule type |
+| `src/sql_schema.h` | Update `auth_rules` CHECK constraint to include `wot_whitelist` |
+| `src/websockets.c` | Add WoT pubkey check after NIP-42 auth check in REQ handler |
+| `src/dm_admin.c` | Add `wot 0`, `wot 1`, `wot 2`, `wot sync`, `wot status` DM commands |
+
+## Detailed Changes
+
+### 1. Schema: `src/sql_schema.h`
+
+Update the `auth_rules` table CHECK constraint to allow `wot_whitelist`:
+
+```sql
+-- Before:
+rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required'))
+
+-- After:
+rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required', 'wot_whitelist'))
+```
+
+### 2. Config: `src/default_config_event.h`
+
+Add WoT configuration:
+
+```c
+// Web of Trust Settings
+// 0 = off, 1 = write-only (followed pubkeys can publish), 2 = full (followed pubkeys can publish AND subscribe)
+{"wot_enabled", "0"},
+```
+
+### 3. Core WoT Sync Function: `src/config.c`
+
+New function `wot_sync_from_admin_kind3()`:
+
+```c
+int wot_sync_from_admin_kind3(void) {
+    int wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+    if (wot_level <= 0) return 0; // WoT disabled
+
+    // 1. Get admin pubkey from config
+    // 2. Query event_tags for p tags from admin's latest kind 3 event:
+    //    SELECT DISTINCT et.tag_value FROM event_tags et
+    //    JOIN events e ON et.event_id = e.id
+    //    WHERE e.kind = 3 AND e.pubkey = ? AND et.tag_name = 'p'
+    //    ORDER BY e.created_at DESC
+    // 3. BEGIN TRANSACTION
+    // 4. DELETE FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'wot_whitelist'
+    // 5. INSERT wot_whitelist for admin pubkey
+    // 6. INSERT wot_whitelist for relay pubkey
+    // 7. For each p tag: INSERT INTO auth_rules (rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value)
+    //    VALUES ('wot_whitelist', 'pubkey', ?)
+    // 8. COMMIT
+    // 9. Set auth_enabled = true
+    // 10. If wot_level == 2: set nip42_auth_required_subscriptions = true
+    // 11. Log count of whitelisted pubkeys
+    return 0;
+}
+```
+
+### 4. Trigger on Kind 3 Store: `src/main.c`
+
+In `store_event()`, after successful INSERT and after `store_event_tags()`:
+
+```c
+// Check if this is a kind 3 event from the admin — trigger WoT sync
+if ((int)cJSON_GetNumberValue(kind) == 3) {
+    int wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+    if (wot_level > 0) {
+        const char* admin_pubkey = get_config_value("admin_pubkey");
+        if (admin_pubkey && strcmp(cJSON_GetStringValue(pubkey), admin_pubkey) == 0) {
+            DEBUG_INFO("Admin kind 3 event stored — triggering WoT sync");
+            wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+        }
+        if (admin_pubkey) free((char*)admin_pubkey);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 5. Startup WoT Sync: `src/main.c`
+
+In `main()`, after `populate_event_tags_from_existing()`:
+
+```c
+// Sync Web of Trust whitelist if enabled
+int wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+if (wot_level > 0) {
+    wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+}
+```
+
+### 6. Update Whitelist Check: `src/request_validator.c`
+
+Update the whitelist SQL queries to also match `wot_whitelist`:
+
+```c
+// Before:
+"SELECT rule_type FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'whitelist' AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND pattern_value = ? AND active = 1 LIMIT 1"
+
+// After:
+"SELECT rule_type FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'wot_whitelist') AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND pattern_value = ? AND active = 1 LIMIT 1"
+```
+
+And the whitelist-exists check:
+```c
+// Before:
+"SELECT COUNT(*) FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'whitelist' AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND active = 1 LIMIT 1"
+
+// After:
+"SELECT COUNT(*) FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'wot_whitelist') AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND active = 1 LIMIT 1"
+```
+
+### 7. REQ Handler WoT Check: `src/websockets.c`
+
+When `wot_enabled == 2`, add a pubkey whitelist check **after** the existing NIP-42 auth check in the REQ handler. The existing code at line 903 already requires NIP-42 auth when `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions` is set. We add a WoT check right after:
+
+```c
+// Existing NIP-42 auth check (line 903):
+if (pss && pss->nip42_auth_required_subscriptions && !pss->authenticated) {
+    // ... send AUTH challenge or NOTICE ...
+    return 0;
+}
+
+// NEW: WoT read restriction check (wot_enabled == 2)
+if (pss && pss->authenticated && get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0) == 2) {
+    // Client is authenticated — check if their pubkey is in the WoT whitelist
+    int wot_result = check_database_auth_rules(pss->authenticated_pubkey, "subscription", NULL);
+    if (wot_result != NOSTR_SUCCESS) {
+        send_notice_message(wsi, pss, "restricted: your pubkey is not in this relay's web of trust");
+        DEBUG_INFO("REQ rejected: pubkey %s not in WoT whitelist", pss->authenticated_pubkey);
+        cJSON_Delete(json);
+        return 0;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 8. Admin DM Commands: `src/dm_admin.c`
+
+Add plain text DM commands:
+
+| Command | Action |
+|---------|--------|
+| `wot 0` or `wot off` | Disable WoT, delete all `wot_whitelist` rules, reset `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions` |
+| `wot 1` or `wot write` | Write-only WoT — sync follow list, set `auth_enabled=true` |
+| `wot 2` or `wot full` | Full WoT — sync follow list, set `auth_enabled=true`, set `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions=true` |
+| `wot sync` | Force resync from admin's kind 3 event |
+| `wot status` | Show WoT level (0/1/2), count of whitelisted pubkeys |
+
+### 9. NIP-11 Update
+
+When WoT is enabled (level 1 or 2), the relay should indicate this in NIP-11 relay info. Add to the `limitation` object:
+```json
+"auth_required": true
+```
+
+## Edge Cases
+
+1. **Admin has no kind 3 event in database**: WoT sync does nothing, logs a warning. No whitelist rules created = open relay.
+
+2. **Admin updates follow list**: New kind 3 event triggers full resync — old WoT rules are cleared, new ones inserted. This is atomic (transaction).
+
+3. **WoT disabled (set to 0)**: Clears all `wot_whitelist` rules. Manual `whitelist` rules are preserved. `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions` is reset to false.
+
+4. **Admin unfollows someone**: Next kind 3 event triggers resync, the unfollowed pubkey's `wot_whitelist` rule is removed (full clear + reinsert).
+
+5. **Kind 1059 gift wraps**: These need special handling — the relay needs to accept gift wraps addressed to it even from non-whitelisted pubkeys (for admin DMs). The `is_nip17_gift_wrap_for_relay()` check should bypass WoT.
+
+6. **Read restriction without NIP-42 support (level 2)**: If a client doesn't support NIP-42, they cannot authenticate and therefore cannot subscribe. This is by design — it's the most effective way to reduce subscription churn from anonymous connections.
+
+7. **NIP-11 discovery**: Clients can check NIP-11 to see if `auth_required` is true before connecting, avoiding wasted connections.
+
+8. **Changing level from 2 to 1**: `nip42_auth_required_subscriptions` is reset to false, allowing anonymous subscriptions again. WoT whitelist rules remain for write restriction.
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+1. Enable write-only WoT via DM: `wot 1`
+2. Verify admin can still publish events
+3. Verify followed pubkeys can publish events
+4. Verify non-followed pubkeys are rejected for EVENT
+5. Verify non-followed pubkeys can still subscribe (REQ)
+6. Enable full WoT via DM: `wot 2`
+7. Verify unauthenticated clients get AUTH challenge on REQ
+8. Verify authenticated non-followed pubkeys are rejected for REQ
+9. Verify authenticated followed pubkeys can subscribe
+10. Verify `wot status` shows correct level and count
+11. Publish new kind 3 event, verify auto-resync
+12. `wot 0` — verify all pubkeys can publish and subscribe again
+13. Verify admin DMs still work when WoT is enabled
+
+## Performance Considerations
+
+- WoT sync is O(n) where n = number of follows (typically 100-2000)
+- Uses a transaction for bulk insert — fast even for large follow lists
+- Auth rule check is already indexed: `idx_auth_rules_pattern ON auth_rules(pattern_type, pattern_value)`
+- No additional per-event overhead — the existing `check_database_auth_rules()` already runs on every event when auth is enabled
+- **Level 2 directly addresses CPU load**: With `wot_enabled=2`, unauthenticated connections cannot create subscriptions, eliminating the ~120 REQ/minute churn from anonymous connections that was causing 99% CPU
@@ -0,0 +1,388 @@
+# Web of Trust — Admin Web UI Plan
+
+## Overview
+
+Add a **Web of Trust** section to the existing Authorization page in the admin web interface. The section lets the admin see whether their kind 3 contact list is on the relay, select a WoT level, trigger a sync, and view the current whitelist count.
+
+## Architecture
+
+### Data Flow
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    A[Web UI] -->|config_set wot_enabled N| B[Kind 23456 Event]
+    A -->|system_command wot_sync| B
+    A -->|system_command wot_status| B
+    B --> C[Relay Backend]
+    C -->|Kind 23457 Response| D[Web UI updates display]
+```
+
+### How It Works
+
+1. **On page load** — the Authorization page already calls `loadAuthRules`. We add a parallel call to `loadWotStatus` which sends a `system_command` / `wot_status` event.
+2. **Backend responds** with a kind 23457 JSON containing: `wot_enabled` level, `wot_whitelist_count`, and `admin_kind3_exists` boolean.
+3. **UI renders** a card showing:
+   - Whether the admin's kind 3 event exists on the relay
+   - Current WoT level as a 3-option radio/button group
+   - Count of whitelisted pubkeys
+   - A SYNC button to force resync
+4. **Changing level** sends `config_set` / `wot_enabled` / `0|1|2` via the existing admin API, then triggers `wot_sync` if level > 0.
+5. **SYNC button** sends `system_command` / `wot_sync`.
+
+## Detailed Changes
+
+### 1. Backend: New system commands in `src/config.c`
+
+Add two new branches to `handle_system_command_unified`:
+
+#### `wot_status` command
+
+Returns JSON response:
+```json
+{
+  "command": "wot_status",
+  "status": "success",
+  "wot_enabled": 2,
+  "admin_kind3_exists": true,
+  "wot_whitelist_count": 347,
+  "timestamp": 1234567890
+}
+```
+
+Implementation:
+- Read `wot_enabled` from config table
+- Query `SELECT COUNT(*) FROM events WHERE kind = 3 AND pubkey = ?` with admin_pubkey to check kind 3 existence
+- Query `SELECT COUNT(*) FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'wot_whitelist' AND active = 1` for whitelist count
+- Return as kind 23457 signed response
+
+#### `wot_sync` command
+
+Calls `wot_sync_from_admin_kind3` and returns result:
+```json
+{
+  "command": "wot_sync",
+  "status": "success",
+  "wot_whitelist_count": 347,
+  "timestamp": 1234567890
+}
+```
+
+### 2. Backend: Hook `config_set` for `wot_enabled`
+
+In `handle_config_set_unified`, after the config value is updated, add a check:
+```c
+// After successful update, trigger WoT sync if wot_enabled changed
+if (strcmp(config_key, "wot_enabled") == 0) {
+    int new_level = atoi(config_value);
+    if (new_level > 0) {
+        wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+    } else {
+        // Level 0: clear wot_whitelist rules and reset auth flags
+        sqlite3_exec(g_db, "DELETE FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'wot_whitelist'", NULL, NULL, NULL);
+        update_config_in_table("nip42_auth_required_subscriptions", "false");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 3. Frontend: HTML — WoT section in `api/index.html`
+
+Add a new div **inside** the `authRulesSection`, before the auth rules table. This keeps WoT visually grouped with authorization:
+
+```html
+<!-- Web of Trust Section -->
+<div id="wotSection" class="input-group">
+    <div class="section-header" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
+        WEB OF TRUST
+    </div>
+    
+    <!-- Kind 3 Status Indicator -->
+    <div id="wotKind3Status" class="wot-status-row">
+        <span>Admin Contact List (kind 3):</span>
+        <span id="wotKind3Indicator" class="wot-indicator wot-unknown">Checking...</span>
+    </div>
+    
+    <!-- WoT Level Selector -->
+    <div class="wot-level-selector">
+        <label>WoT Level:</label>
+        <div class="inline-buttons">
+            <button type="button" id="wotLevel0Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(0)">
+                OFF
+            </button>
+            <button type="button" id="wotLevel1Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(1)">
+                WRITE ONLY
+            </button>
+            <button type="button" id="wotLevel2Btn" class="wot-level-btn" onclick="setWotLevel(2)">
+                FULL
+            </button>
+        </div>
+        <div class="wot-level-description" id="wotLevelDescription">
+            Level 0: Open relay — anyone can read and write
+        </div>
+    </div>
+    
+    <!-- WoT Stats -->
+    <div class="wot-stats-row">
+        <span>Whitelisted Pubkeys:</span>
+        <span id="wotWhitelistCount">—</span>
+    </div>
+    
+    <!-- Sync Button -->
+    <div class="inline-buttons">
+        <button type="button" id="wotSyncBtn" onclick="syncWot()">SYNC FROM KIND 3</button>
+        <button type="button" id="wotRefreshBtn" onclick="loadWotStatus()">REFRESH STATUS</button>
+    </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="margin: 15px 0; border-color: var(--border-color);">
+```
+
+### 4. Frontend: CSS additions in `api/index.css`
+
+```css
+/* Web of Trust styles */
+.wot-status-row, .wot-stats-row {
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding: 8px 0;
+    font-size: 14px;
+}
+
+.wot-indicator {
+    padding: 2px 10px;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.wot-indicator.wot-found { background: #28a745; color: white; }
+.wot-indicator.wot-missing { background: #dc3545; color: white; }
+.wot-indicator.wot-unknown { background: #6c757d; color: white; }
+
+.wot-level-selector { padding: 10px 0; }
+.wot-level-selector label { display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; font-weight: bold; }
+
+.wot-level-btn { min-width: 100px; }
+.wot-level-btn.active {
+    background: var(--accent-color, #007bff);
+    color: white;
+    border-color: var(--accent-color, #007bff);
+}
+
+.wot-level-description {
+    font-size: 12px;
+    color: var(--text-secondary);
+    margin-top: 5px;
+    font-style: italic;
+}
+```
+
+### 5. Frontend: JavaScript functions in `api/index.js`
+
+#### `loadWotStatus` — query current WoT state
+
+```javascript
+async function loadWotStatus() {
+    try {
+        if (!isLoggedIn || !userPubkey || !relayPool) return;
+        
+        const command_array = ["system_command", "wot_status"];
+        const encrypted_content = await encryptForRelay(JSON.stringify(command_array));
+        if (!encrypted_content) return;
+        
+        const event = {
+            kind: 23456,
+            pubkey: userPubkey,
+            created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+            tags: [["p", getRelayPubkey()]],
+            content: encrypted_content
+        };
+        
+        const signedEvent = await window.nostr.signEvent(event);
+        const url = relayConnectionUrl.value.trim();
+        await relayPool.publish([url], signedEvent);
+        
+        log('WoT status query sent', 'INFO');
+    } catch (error) {
+        log('Failed to load WoT status: ' + error.message, 'ERROR');
+    }
+}
+```
+
+#### `setWotLevel` — change WoT level via config_set
+
+```javascript
+async function setWotLevel(level) {
+    try {
+        if (!isLoggedIn || !userPubkey || !relayPool) return;
+        
+        // Send config_set for wot_enabled
+        const command_array = ["config_set", "wot_enabled", String(level)];
+        const encrypted_content = await encryptForRelay(JSON.stringify(command_array));
+        if (!encrypted_content) return;
+        
+        const event = {
+            kind: 23456,
+            pubkey: userPubkey,
+            created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+            tags: [["p", getRelayPubkey()]],
+            content: encrypted_content
+        };
+        
+        const signedEvent = await window.nostr.signEvent(event);
+        const url = relayConnectionUrl.value.trim();
+        await relayPool.publish([url], signedEvent);
+        
+        log('WoT level set to ' + level, 'INFO');
+        
+        // Refresh status after a short delay
+        setTimeout(() => loadWotStatus(), 1500);
+    } catch (error) {
+        log('Failed to set WoT level: ' + error.message, 'ERROR');
+    }
+}
+```
+
+#### `syncWot` — force WoT sync
+
+```javascript
+async function syncWot() {
+    try {
+        if (!isLoggedIn || !userPubkey || !relayPool) return;
+        
+        const command_array = ["system_command", "wot_sync"];
+        const encrypted_content = await encryptForRelay(JSON.stringify(command_array));
+        if (!encrypted_content) return;
+        
+        const event = {
+            kind: 23456,
+            pubkey: userPubkey,
+            created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+            tags: [["p", getRelayPubkey()]],
+            content: encrypted_content
+        };
+        
+        const signedEvent = await window.nostr.signEvent(event);
+        const url = relayConnectionUrl.value.trim();
+        await relayPool.publish([url], signedEvent);
+        
+        log('WoT sync command sent', 'INFO');
+        
+        // Refresh status after sync completes
+        setTimeout(() => loadWotStatus(), 2000);
+    } catch (error) {
+        log('Failed to sync WoT: ' + error.message, 'ERROR');
+    }
+}
+```
+
+#### `handleWotStatusResponse` — process backend response
+
+```javascript
+function handleWotStatusResponse(responseData) {
+    const kind3Indicator = document.getElementById('wotKind3Indicator');
+    const whitelistCount = document.getElementById('wotWhitelistCount');
+    const levelDesc = document.getElementById('wotLevelDescription');
+    
+    // Update kind 3 indicator
+    if (kind3Indicator) {
+        if (responseData.admin_kind3_exists) {
+            kind3Indicator.textContent = 'Found ✓';
+            kind3Indicator.className = 'wot-indicator wot-found';
+        } else {
+            kind3Indicator.textContent = 'Not Found ✗';
+            kind3Indicator.className = 'wot-indicator wot-missing';
+        }
+    }
+    
+    // Update whitelist count
+    if (whitelistCount) {
+        whitelistCount.textContent = responseData.wot_whitelist_count || 0;
+    }
+    
+    // Update level buttons
+    const level = responseData.wot_enabled || 0;
+    ['wotLevel0Btn', 'wotLevel1Btn', 'wotLevel2Btn'].forEach((id, i) => {
+        const btn = document.getElementById(id);
+        if (btn) {
+            btn.classList.toggle('active', i === level);
+        }
+    });
+    
+    // Update description
+    const descriptions = [
+        'Level 0: Open relay — anyone can read and write',
+        'Level 1: Write-only — only followed pubkeys can publish events',
+        'Level 2: Full — only followed pubkeys can publish AND subscribe (NIP-42 required)'
+    ];
+    if (levelDesc) {
+        levelDesc.textContent = descriptions[level] || descriptions[0];
+    }
+    
+    // Enable/disable sync button based on kind 3 existence
+    const syncBtn = document.getElementById('wotSyncBtn');
+    if (syncBtn) {
+        syncBtn.disabled = !responseData.admin_kind3_exists;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+#### Wire into existing response handler
+
+In the existing `handleSystemCommandResponse` function, add:
+```javascript
+if (responseData.command === 'wot_status' || responseData.command === 'wot_sync') {
+    handleWotStatusResponse(responseData);
+}
+```
+
+#### Wire into page navigation
+
+In the `authorization` case of the page switch handler, add:
+```javascript
+case 'authorization':
+    loadAuthRules().catch(...);
+    loadWotStatus().catch(error => {
+        console.log('Auto-load WoT status failed: ' + error.message);
+    });
+    break;
+```
+
+## Files to Modify
+
+| File | Changes |
+|------|---------|
+| `src/config.c` | Add `wot_status` and `wot_sync` branches to `handle_system_command_unified`; add WoT sync hook to `handle_config_set_unified` |
+| `api/index.html` | Add WoT section HTML inside `authRulesSection` |
+| `api/index.css` | Add WoT-specific CSS styles |
+| `api/index.js` | Add `loadWotStatus`, `setWotLevel`, `syncWot`, `handleWotStatusResponse` functions; wire into page nav and response handler |
+
+## Edge Cases
+
+1. **Admin not logged in** — WoT section shows but buttons are disabled; status shows "Checking..."
+2. **No kind 3 event** — Indicator shows red "Not Found ✗"; SYNC button is disabled; level selector still works but sync will whitelist only admin + relay
+3. **Level change from 2 to 0** — Backend clears all wot_whitelist rules and resets nip42_auth_required_subscriptions
+4. **Concurrent config_set and wot_sync** — The backend handles these sequentially via SQLite transactions; no race condition
+
+## UI Mockup
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ WEB OF TRUST                                │
+│                                             │
+│ Admin Contact List (kind 3):  [Found ✓]     │
+│                                             │
+│ WoT Level:                                  │
+│ [  OFF  ] [ WRITE ONLY ] [  FULL  ]         │
+│ Level 2: Full — only followed pubkeys can   │
+│ publish AND subscribe (NIP-42 required)     │
+│                                             │
+│ Whitelisted Pubkeys: 347                    │
+│                                             │
+│ [ SYNC FROM KIND 3 ] [ REFRESH STATUS ]     │
+├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
+│ ─────────────────────────────────────────── │
+│ AUTH RULES MANAGEMENT                       │
+│ ... existing auth rules table ...           │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+https://github.com/rushmi0/Fenrir-s
+https://github.com/barkyq/gnost-relay
+https://github.com/lpicanco/knostr
+https://github.com/bezysoftware/netstr
+https://github.com/lebrunel/nex
+https://github.com/CodyTseng/nostr-relay-nestjs
+https://github.com/mattn/nostr-relay
+https://github.com/Cameri/nostream
+https://github.com/Giszmo/NostrPostr/tree/master/NostrRelay
+https://github.com/fiatjaf/relayer/tree/master/examples/basic
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2324020
+1542644
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ void monitoring_on_event_stored(void);
 void monitoring_on_subscription_change(void);
 int get_monitoring_throttle_seconds(void);

+// Dedicated API worker thread lifecycle
+int start_api_worker(void);
+void stop_api_worker(void);
+void api_worker_process_completions(void);
+int api_worker_enqueue_status_post(void);
+
 // Kind 1 status posts
 int generate_and_post_status_event(void);

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef CONFIG_H
 #define CONFIG_H

-#include <sqlite3.h>
 #include <cjson/cJSON.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
@@ -34,6 +33,12 @@ typedef struct {
    char relay_privkey_override[65];  // Empty string = not set, 64-char hex = override
    int strict_port;  // 0 = allow port increment, 1 = fail if exact port unavailable
    int debug_level;  // 0-5, default 0 (no debug output)
+    char db_connstring_override[1024];
+    char db_host[128];
+    int db_port;  // 0 = not set
+    char db_name[128];
+    char db_user[128];
+    char db_password[128];
 } cli_options_t;

 // Core configuration functions (temporary compatibility)
@@ -78,6 +83,7 @@ char* extract_pubkey_from_filename(const char* filename);
 int store_relay_private_key(const char* relay_privkey_hex);
 char* get_relay_private_key(void);
 const char* get_temp_relay_private_key(void);  // For first-time startup only
+int preload_relay_private_key_cache(void);     // Preload relay private key before strict DB mode

 // NIP-42 authentication configuration functions
 int parse_auth_required_kinds(const char* kinds_str, int* kinds_array, int max_kinds);
@@ -116,7 +122,10 @@ cJSON* build_query_response(const char* query_type, cJSON* results_array, int to
 int add_auth_rule_from_config(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type,
                             const char* pattern_value);
 int remove_auth_rule_from_config(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type,
-                                const char* pattern_value);
+                                 const char* pattern_value);
+
+// Web of Trust (WoT) sync function
+int wot_sync_from_admin_kind3(void);

 // Unified configuration cache management
 void force_config_cache_refresh(void);
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+
+#include "db_ops.h"
+#include "sqlite_db_ops.h"
+#include "db_ops_postgres.h"
+
+#ifdef DB_BACKEND_POSTGRES
+
+int db_init(const char* connection_string) { return postgres_db_init(connection_string); }
+void db_close(void) { postgres_db_close(); }
+int db_is_available(void) { return postgres_db_is_available(); }
+const char* db_last_error(void) { return postgres_db_last_error(); }
+const char* db_get_database_path(void) { return postgres_db_get_database_path(); }
+
+int db_set_thread_connection(void* connection) { return postgres_db_set_thread_connection(connection); }
+void db_clear_thread_connection(void) { postgres_db_clear_thread_connection(); }
+
+int db_open_worker_connection(const char* db_path, void** out_connection) {
+    return postgres_db_open_worker_connection(db_path, out_connection);
+}
+void db_close_worker_connection(void* connection) { postgres_db_close_worker_connection(connection); }
+
+int db_prepare(const char* sql, db_stmt_t** out_stmt) {
+    return postgres_db_prepare(sql, (postgres_db_stmt_t**)out_stmt);
+}
+int db_bind_text_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, const char* value) {
+    return postgres_db_bind_text_param((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_bind_int_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, int value) {
+    return postgres_db_bind_int_param((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_bind_int64_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, long long value) {
+    return postgres_db_bind_int64_param((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_step_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { return postgres_db_step_stmt((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+int db_reset_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { return postgres_db_reset_stmt((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+const char* db_column_text_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return postgres_db_column_text_value((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+int db_column_int_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return postgres_db_column_int_value((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+long long db_column_int64_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return postgres_db_column_int64_value((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+double db_column_double_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return postgres_db_column_double_value((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+void db_finalize_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { postgres_db_finalize_stmt((postgres_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+
+int db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr,
+                                const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json) {
+    return postgres_db_log_subscription_created(sub_id, wsi_ptr, client_ip, filter_json);
+}
+int db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip) {
+    return postgres_db_log_subscription_closed(sub_id, client_ip);
+}
+int db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip) {
+    return postgres_db_log_subscription_disconnected(client_ip);
+}
+int db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent) {
+    return postgres_db_update_subscription_events_sent(sub_id, events_sent);
+}
+int db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void) { return postgres_db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(); }
+
+int db_get_event_pubkey(const char* event_id, char* pubkey_out, size_t pubkey_out_size) {
+    return postgres_db_get_event_pubkey(event_id, pubkey_out, pubkey_out_size);
+}
+int db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey) {
+    return postgres_db_delete_event_by_id(event_id, requester_pubkey);
+}
+int db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind, const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp) {
+    return postgres_db_delete_events_by_address(pubkey, kind, d_tag, before_timestamp);
+}
+
+int db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(const char* pubkey) { return postgres_db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(pubkey); }
+int db_is_hash_blacklisted(const char* resource_hash) { return postgres_db_is_hash_blacklisted(resource_hash); }
+int db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(const char* pubkey) { return postgres_db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(pubkey); }
+int db_count_active_whitelist_rules(void) { return postgres_db_count_active_whitelist_rules(); }
+
+int db_count_with_sql(const char* sql, const char** bind_params, int bind_param_count, int* out_count) {
+    return postgres_db_count_with_sql(sql, bind_params, bind_param_count, out_count);
+}
+char* db_execute_readonly_query_json(const char* query, const char* request_id,
+                                     char* error_message, size_t error_size,
+                                     int max_rows, int timeout_ms) {
+    return postgres_db_execute_readonly_query_json(query, request_id, error_message, error_size,
+                                                   max_rows, timeout_ms);
+}
+
+int db_get_total_event_count_ll(long long* out_count) { return postgres_db_get_total_event_count_ll(out_count); }
+int db_get_event_count_since(time_t cutoff, long long* out_count) {
+    return postgres_db_get_event_count_since(cutoff, out_count);
+}
+cJSON* db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(long long* out_total_events) {
+    return postgres_db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(out_total_events);
+}
+cJSON* db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(int limit) { return postgres_db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(limit); }
+cJSON* db_get_subscription_details_rows(void) { return postgres_db_get_subscription_details_rows(); }
+
+cJSON* db_get_all_config_rows(void) { return postgres_db_get_all_config_rows(); }
+char* db_get_config_value_dup(const char* key) { return postgres_db_get_config_value_dup(key); }
+int db_set_config_value_full(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                             const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart) {
+    return postgres_db_set_config_value_full(key, value, data_type, description, category, requires_restart);
+}
+int db_update_config_value_only(const char* key, const char* value) {
+    return postgres_db_update_config_value_only(key, value);
+}
+int db_upsert_config_value(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type) {
+    return postgres_db_upsert_config_value(key, value, data_type);
+}
+int db_store_relay_private_key_hex(const char* relay_privkey_hex) {
+    return postgres_db_store_relay_private_key_hex(relay_privkey_hex);
+}
+char* db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(void) { return postgres_db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(); }
+int db_store_config_event(const cJSON* event) { return postgres_db_store_config_event(event); }
+
+int db_insert_event_with_json(const char* id, const char* pubkey, long long created_at,
+                              int kind, const char* event_type, const char* content,
+                              const char* sig, const char* tags_json, const char* event_json,
+                              int* out_step_rc, int* out_extended_errcode) {
+    return postgres_db_insert_event_with_json(id, pubkey, created_at, kind, event_type, content,
+                                              sig, tags_json, event_json, out_step_rc, out_extended_errcode);
+}
+int db_get_event_time_bounds(long long* out_min_created_at, long long* out_max_created_at) {
+    return postgres_db_get_event_time_bounds(out_min_created_at, out_max_created_at);
+}
+int db_event_id_exists(const char* event_id, int* out_exists) {
+    return postgres_db_event_id_exists(event_id, out_exists);
+}
+cJSON* db_retrieve_event_by_id(const char* event_id) { return postgres_db_retrieve_event_by_id(event_id); }
+char* db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(int kind) {
+    return postgres_db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(kind);
+}
+
+int db_get_config_row_count(int* out_count) { return postgres_db_get_config_row_count(out_count); }
+
+int db_store_event_tags_cjson(const char* event_id, const cJSON* tags) {
+    return postgres_db_store_event_tags_cjson(event_id, tags);
+}
+int db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(void) { return postgres_db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(); }
+
+int db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value) {
+    return postgres_db_add_auth_rule(rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value);
+}
+int db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value) {
+    return postgres_db_remove_auth_rule(rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value);
+}
+int db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(void) { return postgres_db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(); }
+int db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(void) { return postgres_db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(); }
+
+int db_table_exists(const char* table_name, int* out_exists) {
+    return postgres_db_table_exists(table_name, out_exists);
+}
+char* db_get_schema_version_dup(void) { return postgres_db_get_schema_version_dup(); }
+int db_exec_sql(const char* sql) { return postgres_db_exec_sql(sql); }
+int db_wal_checkpoint_passive(void) { return postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_passive(); }
+int db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(void) { return postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(); }
+
+#else
+
+int db_init(const char* connection_string) { return sqlite_db_init(connection_string); }
+void db_close(void) { sqlite_db_close(); }
+int db_is_available(void) { return sqlite_db_is_available(); }
+const char* db_last_error(void) { return sqlite_db_last_error(); }
+const char* db_get_database_path(void) { return sqlite_db_get_database_path(); }
+
+int db_set_thread_connection(void* connection) { return sqlite_db_set_thread_connection(connection); }
+void db_clear_thread_connection(void) { sqlite_db_clear_thread_connection(); }
+
+int db_open_worker_connection(const char* db_path, void** out_connection) {
+    return sqlite_db_open_worker_connection(db_path, out_connection);
+}
+void db_close_worker_connection(void* connection) { sqlite_db_close_worker_connection(connection); }
+
+int db_prepare(const char* sql, db_stmt_t** out_stmt) {
+    return sqlite_db_prepare(sql, (sqlite_db_stmt_t**)out_stmt);
+}
+int db_bind_text_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, const char* value) {
+    return sqlite_db_bind_text_param((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_bind_int_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, int value) {
+    return sqlite_db_bind_int_param((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_bind_int64_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, long long value) {
+    return sqlite_db_bind_int64_param((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, index, value);
+}
+int db_step_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { return sqlite_db_step_stmt((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+int db_reset_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { return sqlite_db_reset_stmt((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+const char* db_column_text_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return sqlite_db_column_text_value((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+int db_column_int_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return sqlite_db_column_int_value((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+long long db_column_int64_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return sqlite_db_column_int64_value((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+double db_column_double_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col) {
+    return sqlite_db_column_double_value((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt, col);
+}
+void db_finalize_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt) { sqlite_db_finalize_stmt((sqlite_db_stmt_t*)stmt); }
+
+int db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr,
+                                const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json) {
+    return sqlite_db_log_subscription_created(sub_id, wsi_ptr, client_ip, filter_json);
+}
+int db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip) {
+    return sqlite_db_log_subscription_closed(sub_id, client_ip);
+}
+int db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip) {
+    return sqlite_db_log_subscription_disconnected(client_ip);
+}
+int db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent) {
+    return sqlite_db_update_subscription_events_sent(sub_id, events_sent);
+}
+int db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void) { return sqlite_db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(); }
+
+int db_get_event_pubkey(const char* event_id, char* pubkey_out, size_t pubkey_out_size) {
+    return sqlite_db_get_event_pubkey(event_id, pubkey_out, pubkey_out_size);
+}
+int db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey) {
+    return sqlite_db_delete_event_by_id(event_id, requester_pubkey);
+}
+int db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind, const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp) {
+    return sqlite_db_delete_events_by_address(pubkey, kind, d_tag, before_timestamp);
+}
+
+int db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(const char* pubkey) { return sqlite_db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(pubkey); }
+int db_is_hash_blacklisted(const char* resource_hash) { return sqlite_db_is_hash_blacklisted(resource_hash); }
+int db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(const char* pubkey) { return sqlite_db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(pubkey); }
+int db_count_active_whitelist_rules(void) { return sqlite_db_count_active_whitelist_rules(); }
+
+int db_count_with_sql(const char* sql, const char** bind_params, int bind_param_count, int* out_count) {
+    return sqlite_db_count_with_sql(sql, bind_params, bind_param_count, out_count);
+}
+char* db_execute_readonly_query_json(const char* query, const char* request_id,
+                                     char* error_message, size_t error_size,
+                                     int max_rows, int timeout_ms) {
+    return sqlite_db_execute_readonly_query_json(query, request_id, error_message, error_size,
+                                                 max_rows, timeout_ms);
+}
+
+int db_get_total_event_count_ll(long long* out_count) { return sqlite_db_get_total_event_count_ll(out_count); }
+int db_get_event_count_since(time_t cutoff, long long* out_count) {
+    return sqlite_db_get_event_count_since(cutoff, out_count);
+}
+cJSON* db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(long long* out_total_events) {
+    return sqlite_db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(out_total_events);
+}
+cJSON* db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(int limit) { return sqlite_db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(limit); }
+cJSON* db_get_subscription_details_rows(void) { return sqlite_db_get_subscription_details_rows(); }
+
+cJSON* db_get_all_config_rows(void) { return sqlite_db_get_all_config_rows(); }
+char* db_get_config_value_dup(const char* key) { return sqlite_db_get_config_value_dup(key); }
+int db_set_config_value_full(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                             const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart) {
+    return sqlite_db_set_config_value_full(key, value, data_type, description, category, requires_restart);
+}
+int db_update_config_value_only(const char* key, const char* value) {
+    return sqlite_db_update_config_value_only(key, value);
+}
+int db_upsert_config_value(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type) {
+    return sqlite_db_upsert_config_value(key, value, data_type);
+}
+int db_store_relay_private_key_hex(const char* relay_privkey_hex) {
+    return sqlite_db_store_relay_private_key_hex(relay_privkey_hex);
+}
+char* db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(void) { return sqlite_db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(); }
+int db_store_config_event(const cJSON* event) { return sqlite_db_store_config_event(event); }
+
+int db_insert_event_with_json(const char* id, const char* pubkey, long long created_at,
+                              int kind, const char* event_type, const char* content,
+                              const char* sig, const char* tags_json, const char* event_json,
+                              int* out_step_rc, int* out_extended_errcode) {
+    return sqlite_db_insert_event_with_json(id, pubkey, created_at, kind, event_type, content,
+                                            sig, tags_json, event_json, out_step_rc, out_extended_errcode);
+}
+int db_get_event_time_bounds(long long* out_min_created_at, long long* out_max_created_at) {
+    return sqlite_db_get_event_time_bounds(out_min_created_at, out_max_created_at);
+}
+int db_event_id_exists(const char* event_id, int* out_exists) {
+    return sqlite_db_event_id_exists(event_id, out_exists);
+}
+cJSON* db_retrieve_event_by_id(const char* event_id) { return sqlite_db_retrieve_event_by_id(event_id); }
+char* db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(int kind) {
+    return sqlite_db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(kind);
+}
+
+int db_get_config_row_count(int* out_count) { return sqlite_db_get_config_row_count(out_count); }
+
+int db_store_event_tags_cjson(const char* event_id, const cJSON* tags) {
+    return sqlite_db_store_event_tags_cjson(event_id, tags);
+}
+int db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(void) { return sqlite_db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(); }
+
+int db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value) {
+    return sqlite_db_add_auth_rule(rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value);
+}
+int db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value) {
+    return sqlite_db_remove_auth_rule(rule_type, pattern_type, pattern_value);
+}
+int db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(void) { return sqlite_db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(); }
+int db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(void) { return sqlite_db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(); }
+
+int db_table_exists(const char* table_name, int* out_exists) {
+    return sqlite_db_table_exists(table_name, out_exists);
+}
+char* db_get_schema_version_dup(void) { return sqlite_db_get_schema_version_dup(); }
+int db_exec_sql(const char* sql) { return sqlite_db_exec_sql(sql); }
+int db_wal_checkpoint_passive(void) { return sqlite_db_wal_checkpoint_passive(); }
+int db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(void) { return sqlite_db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(); }
+
+#endif
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#ifndef DB_OPS_H
+#define DB_OPS_H
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <time.h>
+#include <cjson/cJSON.h>
+
+// Generic helpers
+int db_init(const char* connection_string);
+void db_close(void);
+int db_is_available(void);
+const char* db_last_error(void);
+const char* db_get_database_path(void);
+
+// Per-thread connection override (used by thread pool workers)
+int db_set_thread_connection(void* connection);
+void db_clear_thread_connection(void);
+
+// Worker/runtime SQLite connection lifecycle (kept internal to db_ops.c)
+int db_open_worker_connection(const char* db_path, void** out_connection);
+void db_close_worker_connection(void* connection);
+
+// DB result codes (backend-agnostic)
+#define DB_OK 0
+#define DB_ERROR 1
+#define DB_CONSTRAINT 19
+#define DB_MISUSE 21
+#define DB_ROW 100
+#define DB_DONE 101
+
+typedef struct db_stmt db_stmt_t;
+
+// Generic statement helpers (Phase 1 migration)
+int db_prepare(const char* sql, db_stmt_t** out_stmt);
+int db_bind_text_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, const char* value);
+int db_bind_int_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, int value);
+int db_bind_int64_param(db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, long long value);
+int db_step_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt);
+int db_reset_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt);
+const char* db_column_text_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+int db_column_int_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+long long db_column_int64_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+double db_column_double_value(db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+void db_finalize_stmt(db_stmt_t* stmt);
+
+// Subscription logging
+int db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr,
+                                const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json);
+int db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip);
+int db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip);
+int db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent);
+int db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void);
+
+// NIP-09 event deletion helpers
+int db_get_event_pubkey(const char* event_id, char* pubkey_out, size_t pubkey_out_size);
+int db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey);
+int db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind,
+                                const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp);
+
+// Auth rule checks for request validator
+int db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(const char* pubkey);
+int db_is_hash_blacklisted(const char* resource_hash);
+int db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(const char* pubkey);
+int db_count_active_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+// Generic prepared COUNT helper
+int db_count_with_sql(const char* sql, const char** bind_params, int bind_param_count, int* out_count);
+char* db_execute_readonly_query_json(const char* query, const char* request_id,
+                                     char* error_message, size_t error_size,
+                                     int max_rows, int timeout_ms);
+
+// Monitoring/stat helpers (Phase 1 api.c migration)
+int db_get_total_event_count_ll(long long* out_count);
+int db_get_event_count_since(time_t cutoff, long long* out_count);
+cJSON* db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(long long* out_total_events);
+cJSON* db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(int limit);
+cJSON* db_get_subscription_details_rows(void);
+
+// Config helpers
+cJSON* db_get_all_config_rows(void);
+char* db_get_config_value_dup(const char* key);
+int db_set_config_value_full(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                             const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart);
+int db_update_config_value_only(const char* key, const char* value);
+int db_upsert_config_value(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type);
+int db_store_relay_private_key_hex(const char* relay_privkey_hex);
+char* db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(void);
+int db_store_config_event(const cJSON* event);
+
+// Event storage/timestamp/retrieval helpers
+int db_insert_event_with_json(const char* id, const char* pubkey, long long created_at,
+                              int kind, const char* event_type, const char* content,
+                              const char* sig, const char* tags_json, const char* event_json,
+                              int* out_step_rc, int* out_extended_errcode);
+int db_get_event_time_bounds(long long* out_min_created_at, long long* out_max_created_at);
+int db_event_id_exists(const char* event_id, int* out_exists);
+cJSON* db_retrieve_event_by_id(const char* event_id);
+char* db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(int kind);
+
+// Config table helpers
+int db_get_config_row_count(int* out_count);
+
+// Event tag helpers
+int db_store_event_tags_cjson(const char* event_id, const cJSON* tags);
+int db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(void);
+
+// Auth/WoT rule helpers
+int db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+int db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+// Schema/DDL helpers
+int db_table_exists(const char* table_name, int* out_exists);
+char* db_get_schema_version_dup(void);
+int db_exec_sql(const char* sql);
+int db_wal_checkpoint_passive(void);
+int db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(void);
+
+#endif // DB_OPS_H
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#ifndef DB_OPS_POSTGRES_H
+#define DB_OPS_POSTGRES_H
+
+#include "db_ops.h"
+
+typedef struct postgres_db_stmt postgres_db_stmt_t;
+
+int postgres_db_init(const char* connection_string);
+void postgres_db_close(void);
+int postgres_db_is_available(void);
+const char* postgres_db_last_error(void);
+const char* postgres_db_get_database_path(void);
+
+int postgres_db_apply_schema(void);
+
+int postgres_db_set_thread_connection(void* connection);
+void postgres_db_clear_thread_connection(void);
+
+int postgres_db_open_worker_connection(const char* db_path, void** out_connection);
+void postgres_db_close_worker_connection(void* connection);
+
+int postgres_db_prepare(const char* sql, postgres_db_stmt_t** out_stmt);
+int postgres_db_bind_text_param(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, const char* value);
+int postgres_db_bind_int_param(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, int value);
+int postgres_db_bind_int64_param(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, long long value);
+int postgres_db_step_stmt(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+int postgres_db_reset_stmt(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+const char* postgres_db_column_text_value(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+int postgres_db_column_int_value(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+long long postgres_db_column_int64_value(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+double postgres_db_column_double_value(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+void postgres_db_finalize_stmt(postgres_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+
+int postgres_db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr,
+                                         const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json);
+int postgres_db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip);
+int postgres_db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip);
+int postgres_db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent);
+int postgres_db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void);
+
+int postgres_db_get_event_pubkey(const char* event_id, char* pubkey_out, size_t pubkey_out_size);
+int postgres_db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey);
+int postgres_db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind,
+                                         const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp);
+
+int postgres_db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(const char* pubkey);
+int postgres_db_is_hash_blacklisted(const char* resource_hash);
+int postgres_db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(const char* pubkey);
+int postgres_db_count_active_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+int postgres_db_count_with_sql(const char* sql, const char** bind_params, int bind_param_count, int* out_count);
+char* postgres_db_execute_readonly_query_json(const char* query, const char* request_id,
+                                              char* error_message, size_t error_size,
+                                              int max_rows, int timeout_ms);
+
+int postgres_db_get_total_event_count_ll(long long* out_count);
+int postgres_db_get_event_count_since(time_t cutoff, long long* out_count);
+cJSON* postgres_db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(long long* out_total_events);
+cJSON* postgres_db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(int limit);
+cJSON* postgres_db_get_subscription_details_rows(void);
+
+cJSON* postgres_db_get_all_config_rows(void);
+char* postgres_db_get_config_value_dup(const char* key);
+int postgres_db_set_config_value_full(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                                      const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart);
+int postgres_db_update_config_value_only(const char* key, const char* value);
+int postgres_db_upsert_config_value(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type);
+int postgres_db_store_relay_private_key_hex(const char* relay_privkey_hex);
+char* postgres_db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(void);
+int postgres_db_store_config_event(const cJSON* event);
+
+int postgres_db_insert_event_with_json(const char* id, const char* pubkey, long long created_at,
+                                       int kind, const char* event_type, const char* content,
+                                       const char* sig, const char* tags_json, const char* event_json,
+                                       int* out_step_rc, int* out_extended_errcode);
+int postgres_db_get_event_time_bounds(long long* out_min_created_at, long long* out_max_created_at);
+int postgres_db_event_id_exists(const char* event_id, int* out_exists);
+cJSON* postgres_db_retrieve_event_by_id(const char* event_id);
+char* postgres_db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(int kind);
+
+int postgres_db_get_config_row_count(int* out_count);
+
+int postgres_db_store_event_tags_cjson(const char* event_id, const cJSON* tags);
+int postgres_db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(void);
+
+int postgres_db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int postgres_db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int postgres_db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+int postgres_db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+int postgres_db_table_exists(const char* table_name, int* out_exists);
+char* postgres_db_get_schema_version_dup(void);
+int postgres_db_exec_sql(const char* sql);
+int postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_passive(void);
+int postgres_db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(void);
+
+#endif // DB_OPS_POSTGRES_H
@@ -83,11 +83,58 @@ static const struct {
    // IP-based rate limiting or access control (which would require firewall protection anyway)
    {"trust_proxy_headers", "true"},

+    // Debug Level (0=none, 1=errors, 2=warnings, 3=info, 4=debug, 5=trace)
+    // Can be changed at runtime without restart via config_set admin command
+    {"debug_level", "3"},
+
+    // IP Auth Failure Ban Settings
+    // Ban IPs that repeatedly fail NIP-42 authentication
+    {"auth_fail_ban_enabled", "true"},
+    {"auth_fail_ban_threshold", "3"},      // failures before ban
+    {"auth_fail_window_sec", "60"},        // window to count failures in
+    {"auth_fail_ban_duration_sec", "300"}, // initial ban duration (doubles each time, max 24h)
+
+    // NIP-42 Authentication Timeout
+    // Seconds after connection before unauthenticated clients are disconnected (0 = disabled)
+    // Prevents unauthenticated connections from accumulating under heavy load
+    {"nip42_auth_timeout_sec", "10"},
+
+    // Idle Connection Ban Settings
+    // Ban IPs that connect but never send REQ or EVENT (idle or early disconnect)
+    {"idle_connection_timeout_sec", "0"},   // Seconds before idle connection is closed (0 = disabled)
+    {"idle_ban_enabled", "false"},          // Whether to ban IPs with idle failures
+    {"idle_ban_threshold", "1"},            // Idle failures before ban (1 = ban on first offense)
+    {"idle_ban_window_sec", "30"},          // Window to count idle failures in
+    {"idle_ban_duration_sec", "300"},       // Initial ban duration (doubles each time, max 24h)
+
+    // SQLite Performance Tuning
+    // mmap_size: bytes of database file to memory-map (0 = disabled, 268435456 = 256MB recommended)
+    // Eliminates pread64 syscall overhead for database reads — significant CPU savings under load
+    {"sqlite_mmap_size", "268435456"},
+    // cache_size_kb: SQLite page cache size in KB (negative = KB, positive = pages of 4KB each)
+    // Default 2000KB is too small for a busy relay; 65536KB (64MB) keeps hot data in memory
+    {"sqlite_cache_size_kb", "65536"},
+
    // NIP-59 Gift Wrap Timestamp Configuration
    {"nip59_timestamp_max_delay_sec", "0"},

    // Kind 1 Status Posts
-    {"kind_1_status_posts_hours", "1"}
+    {"kind_1_status_posts_hours", "1"},
+
+    // Web of Trust Settings
+    // 0 = off, 1 = write-only (followed pubkeys can publish), 2 = full (followed pubkeys can publish AND subscribe)
+    {"wot_enabled", "0"},
+
+    // NIP-17 Admin DM Settings
+    // When false (default), Kind 1059 gift wrap events are stored normally without expensive decryption attempts.
+    // Enable only if you intend to use NIP-17 DMs to send admin commands to the relay.
+    {"nip17_admin_enabled", "false"},
+
+    // Thread Pool Settings
+    {"thread_pool_enabled", "true"},
+    {"thread_pool_readers", "4"},
+    {"thread_pool_writers", "2"},
+    {"thread_pool_max_queue_depth", "4096"}
 };

 // Number of default configuration values
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "api.h"
+#include "db_ops.h"
 #include "../nostr_core_lib/nostr_core/nostr_core.h"
 #include "../nostr_core_lib/nostr_core/nip017.h"
 #include "../nostr_core_lib/nostr_core/nip044.h"
@@ -17,9 +18,6 @@
 #include <cjson/cJSON.h>
 #include <libwebsockets.h>

-// External database connection (from main.c)
-extern sqlite3* g_db;
-
 // Forward declarations for unified handlers
 extern int handle_auth_query_unified(cJSON* event, const char* query_type, char* error_message, size_t error_size, struct lws* wsi);
 extern int handle_config_query_unified(cJSON* event, const char* query_type, char* error_message, size_t error_size, struct lws* wsi);
@@ -37,10 +35,13 @@ extern const char* get_tag_value(cJSON* event, const char* tag_name, int value_i
 extern char* get_relay_private_key(void);
 extern const char* get_config_value(const char* key);
 extern int get_config_bool(const char* key, int default_value);
+extern int get_config_int(const char* key, int default_value);
+extern int update_config_in_table(const char* key, const char* value);

 // Forward declarations for database functions
 extern int store_event(cJSON* event);
 extern int broadcast_event_to_subscriptions(cJSON* event);
+extern int store_event_tags(const char* event_id, cJSON* tags);

 // Forward declarations for stats generation (moved to api.c)
 extern char* generate_stats_json(void);
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ int process_dm_admin_command(cJSON* command_array, cJSON* event, char* error_mes
    cJSON_AddItemToArray(synthetic_tags, command_tag);

    // Add existing event tags
-    cJSON* existing_tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+    cJSON* existing_tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
    if (existing_tags && cJSON_IsArray(existing_tags)) {
        cJSON* tag = NULL;
        cJSON_ArrayForEach(tag, existing_tags) {
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ cJSON* process_nip17_admin_message(cJSON* gift_wrap_event, char* error_message,
    // Only create a generic response for other command types that don't handle their own responses
    if (result == 0) {
        // Extract content to check if it's a plain text command
-        cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(inner_dm, "content");
+        cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(inner_dm, "content");
        if (content_obj && cJSON_IsString(content_obj)) {
            const char* dm_content = cJSON_GetStringValue(content_obj);
            
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ cJSON* process_nip17_admin_message(cJSON* gift_wrap_event, char* error_message,
        return NULL;

        // Get sender pubkey for response from the decrypted DM event
-        cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(inner_dm, "pubkey");
+        cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(inner_dm, "pubkey");
        if (sender_pubkey_obj && cJSON_IsString(sender_pubkey_obj)) {
            const char* sender_pubkey = cJSON_GetStringValue(sender_pubkey_obj);

@@ -436,13 +437,13 @@ int is_nip17_gift_wrap_for_relay(cJSON* event) {
    }

    // Check kind
-    cJSON* kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
+    cJSON* kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
    if (!kind_obj || !cJSON_IsNumber(kind_obj) || (int)cJSON_GetNumberValue(kind_obj) != 1059) {
        return 0;
    }

    // Check tags for "p" tag with relay pubkey
-    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
    if (!tags || !cJSON_IsArray(tags)) {
        return 0;
    }
@@ -481,7 +482,7 @@ int process_nip17_admin_command(cJSON* dm_event, char* error_message, size_t err
    DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Processing NIP-17 admin command from decrypted DM");

    // Extract content from DM
-    cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(dm_event, "content");
+    cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(dm_event, "content");
    if (!content_obj || !cJSON_IsString(content_obj)) {
        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: DM missing content field");
        strncpy(error_message, "NIP-17: DM missing content", error_size - 1);
@@ -492,7 +493,7 @@ int process_nip17_admin_command(cJSON* dm_event, char* error_message, size_t err
    DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Extracted DM content: %.100s%s", dm_content, strlen(dm_content) > 100 ? "..." : "");

    // Check if sender is admin before processing any commands
-    cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(dm_event, "pubkey");
+    cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(dm_event, "pubkey");
    if (!sender_pubkey_obj || !cJSON_IsString(sender_pubkey_obj)) {
        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: DM missing sender pubkey - treating as user DM");
        return 0; // Not an error, just treat as user DM
@@ -598,6 +599,145 @@ int process_nip17_admin_command(cJSON* dm_event, char* error_message, size_t err
                DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Status command processed successfully");
                return 0;
            }
+            // Check for WoT (Web of Trust) commands
+            else if (strstr(content_lower, "wot") != NULL) {
+                DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Processing WoT command");
+                
+                // Skip "wot" prefix and find the subcommand
+                char* wot_cmd = strstr(content_lower, "wot");
+                if (wot_cmd) {
+                    wot_cmd += 3; // Skip "wot"
+                    while (*wot_cmd == ' ') wot_cmd++; // Skip spaces
+                    
+                    char response_msg[1024];
+                    int wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+                    extern int wot_sync_from_admin_kind3(void);
+                    
+                    if (strcmp(wot_cmd, "0") == 0 || strcmp(wot_cmd, "off") == 0) {
+                        // Disable WoT
+                        update_config_in_table("wot_enabled", "0");
+                        update_config_in_table("auth_enabled", "false");
+                        update_config_in_table("nip42_auth_required_subscriptions", "false");
+                        
+                        // Clear wot_whitelist rules
+                        db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules();
+                        
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "🔓 Web of Trust Disabled\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "WoT has been turned off.\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "The relay is now open to all pubkeys for reading and writing.\n"
+                            "Manual whitelist/blacklist rules are preserved.");
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: WoT disabled");
+                    }
+                    else if (strcmp(wot_cmd, "1") == 0 || strcmp(wot_cmd, "write") == 0) {
+                        // Write-only mode
+                        update_config_in_table("wot_enabled", "1");
+                        wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+                        
+                        wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "✍️  Web of Trust: Write-Only Mode\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Level: 1 (Write-only restriction)\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Only pubkeys you follow can publish events.\n"
+                            "Anyone can still subscribe and read events.\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "The relay will now sync from your kind 3 (contact list) event.");
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: WoT set to write-only mode");
+                    }
+                    else if (strcmp(wot_cmd, "2") == 0 || strcmp(wot_cmd, "full") == 0) {
+                        // Full mode (write + read restriction)
+                        update_config_in_table("wot_enabled", "2");
+                        wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+                        
+                        wot_level = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "🔒 Web of Trust: Full Mode\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Level: 2 (Full restriction)\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Only pubkeys you follow can:\n"
+                            "  • Publish events\n"
+                            "  • Subscribe to events (requires NIP-42 auth)\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "This eliminates anonymous subscription churn.\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "The relay will now sync from your kind 3 (contact list) event.");
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: WoT set to full mode");
+                    }
+                    else if (strcmp(wot_cmd, "sync") == 0) {
+                        // Force resync
+                        wot_sync_from_admin_kind3();
+                        
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "🔄 Web of Trust: Sync Complete\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "WoT whitelist has been refreshed from your\n"
+                            "kind 3 (contact list) event.\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Current level: %d", wot_level);
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: WoT manual sync completed");
+                    }
+                    else if (strcmp(wot_cmd, "status") == 0 || strlen(wot_cmd) == 0) {
+                        // Show status
+                        // Count whitelisted pubkeys
+                        int whitelist_count = db_count_wot_whitelist_rules();
+                        
+                        const char* level_str;
+                        if (wot_level == 0) level_str = "Off (open relay)";
+                        else if (wot_level == 1) level_str = "Write-only (followed pubkeys can publish)";
+                        else if (wot_level == 2) level_str = "Full (followed pubkeys can publish AND subscribe)";
+                        else level_str = "Unknown";
+                        
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "📊 Web of Trust Status\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Level: %d\n"
+                            "%s\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Whitelisted pubkeys: %d\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Commands:\n"
+                            "  wot 0/off - Disable WoT\n"
+                            "  wot 1/write - Write-only mode\n"
+                            "  wot 2/full - Full restriction mode\n"
+                            "  wot sync - Force resync from kind 3\n"
+                            "  wot status - Show this status",
+                            wot_level, level_str, whitelist_count);
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                        DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: WoT status displayed");
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        // Unknown wot subcommand
+                        snprintf(response_msg, sizeof(response_msg),
+                            "❌ Unknown WoT Command\n"
+                            "━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Usage: wot [command]\n"
+                            "\n"
+                            "Commands:\n"
+                            "  0, off     - Disable WoT\n"
+                            "  1, write   - Write-only mode\n"
+                            "  2, full    - Full restriction mode\n"
+                            "  sync       - Force resync from kind 3\n"
+                            "  status     - Show current status");
+                        send_nip17_response(sender_pubkey, response_msg, NULL, 0);
+                    }
+                }
+                return 0;
+            }
            else {
                DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Checking for confirmation or config change requests");
                // Check if it's a confirmation response (yes/no)
@@ -652,7 +792,7 @@ int process_nip17_admin_command(cJSON* dm_event, char* error_message, size_t err
        if (cJSON_IsString(first_item) && strcmp(cJSON_GetStringValue(first_item), "stats") == 0) {
            DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: Processing JSON stats command");
            // Get sender pubkey for response
-            cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(dm_event, "pubkey");
+            cJSON* sender_pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(dm_event, "pubkey");
            if (!sender_pubkey_obj || !cJSON_IsString(sender_pubkey_obj)) {
                cJSON_Delete(command_array);
                DEBUG_INFO("DM_ADMIN: DM missing sender pubkey for stats command");
@@ -694,13 +834,13 @@ int process_nip17_admin_command(cJSON* dm_event, char* error_message, size_t err
    cJSON_AddStringToObject(synthetic_event, "content", dm_content);

    // Copy pubkey from DM
-    cJSON* pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(dm_event, "pubkey");
+    cJSON* pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(dm_event, "pubkey");
    if (pubkey_obj && cJSON_IsString(pubkey_obj)) {
        cJSON_AddStringToObject(synthetic_event, "pubkey", cJSON_GetStringValue(pubkey_obj));
    }

    // Copy tags from DM
-    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(dm_event, "tags");
+    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(dm_event, "tags");
    if (tags) {
        cJSON_AddItemToObject(synthetic_event, "tags", cJSON_Duplicate(tags, 1));
    }
@@ -0,0 +1,620 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include "ip_ban.h"
+#include "debug.h"
+#include "config.h"
+#include "db_ops.h"
+#include "thread_pool.h"
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+// ============================================================
+// IP Auth Failure Ban System
+//
+// Fixed-size open-addressing hash table. No malloc after init.
+// Thread-safe via a single mutex (low contention — only called
+// at connection open/close, not in the hot event path).
+//
+// State is persisted to the ip_bans SQLite table every 5 minutes
+// and loaded at startup so bans survive relay restarts.
+// ============================================================
+
+#define IP_BAN_EMPTY    0
+#define IP_BAN_ACTIVE   1
+
+typedef struct {
+    int state;                      // IP_BAN_EMPTY or IP_BAN_ACTIVE
+    char ip[46];                    // IPv4 or IPv6 string
+    
+    // Auth failure tracking (existing)
+    int failure_count;              // failures in current window
+    time_t first_failure;           // start of current failure window
+    time_t banned_until;            // 0 = not banned
+    int ban_count;                  // escalation level (for exponential backoff)
+    
+    // NEW: Idle failure tracking (separate)
+    int idle_failure_count;
+    time_t idle_first_failure;
+    time_t idle_banned_until;
+    int idle_ban_count;
+    
+    // Other existing fields
+    int has_authed_successfully;    // 1 if this IP has ever authenticated
+    time_t last_success_at;         // timestamp of last successful auth
+    int total_connections;          // lifetime connection count
+    int total_failures;             // lifetime auth failure count
+    int total_successes;            // lifetime successful auth count
+    time_t first_seen;              // when this IP was first seen
+} ip_ban_entry_t;
+
+static ip_ban_entry_t g_ban_table[IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE];
+static pthread_mutex_t g_ban_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static int g_initialized = 0;
+
+// Simple FNV-1a hash for IP strings
+static unsigned int ip_hash(const char* ip) {
+    unsigned int hash = 2166136261u;
+    while (*ip) {
+        hash ^= (unsigned char)*ip++;
+        hash *= 16777619u;
+    }
+    return hash % IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE;
+}
+
+// Find slot for IP (open addressing with linear probing)
+static int find_slot(const char* ip) {
+    unsigned int start = ip_hash(ip);
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        unsigned int idx = (start + i) % IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE;
+        if (g_ban_table[idx].state == IP_BAN_EMPTY) {
+            return (int)idx;
+        }
+        if (strcmp(g_ban_table[idx].ip, ip) == 0) {
+            return (int)idx;
+        }
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+// Get or create an entry for an IP. Returns NULL if table is full.
+// Caller must hold g_ban_mutex.
+static ip_ban_entry_t* get_or_create_entry(const char* ip) {
+    int idx = find_slot(ip);
+    if (idx < 0) {
+        DEBUG_WARN("IP ban table full, cannot track %s", ip);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[idx];
+    if (entry->state == IP_BAN_EMPTY) {
+        entry->state = IP_BAN_ACTIVE;
+        strncpy(entry->ip, ip, sizeof(entry->ip) - 1);
+        entry->ip[sizeof(entry->ip) - 1] = '\0';
+        entry->first_seen = time(NULL);
+    }
+    return entry;
+}
+
+void ip_ban_init(void) {
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    memset(g_ban_table, 0, sizeof(g_ban_table));
+    g_initialized = 1;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    DEBUG_LOG("IP ban table initialized (%d slots)", IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE);
+}
+
+void ip_ban_load_from_db(void) {
+    if (!db_is_available() || !g_initialized) return;
+
+    // Create table if it doesn't exist (handles existing databases)
+    const char* create_sql =
+        "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ip_bans ("
+        "  ip TEXT PRIMARY KEY,"
+        "  failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  banned_until INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  first_failure INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  has_authed_successfully INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  last_success_at INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  total_connections INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  total_failures INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  total_successes INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  first_seen INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,"
+        "  updated_at INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"
+        ");";
+    if (db_exec_sql(create_sql) != 0) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to create ip_bans table: %s", db_last_error());
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Migration: Add idle_* columns if they don't exist (ignore errors if already exists)
+    (void)db_exec_sql("ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0");
+    (void)db_exec_sql("ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0");
+    (void)db_exec_sql("ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_banned_until INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0");
+    (void)db_exec_sql("ALTER TABLE ip_bans ADD COLUMN idle_first_failure INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0");
+
+    const char* sql =
+        "SELECT ip, failure_count, ban_count, banned_until, first_failure,"
+        "       has_authed_successfully, last_success_at, total_connections,"
+        "       total_failures, total_successes, first_seen,"
+        "       idle_failure_count, idle_ban_count, idle_banned_until, idle_first_failure"
+        " FROM ip_bans";
+
+    db_stmt_t* stmt;
+    if (db_prepare(sql, &stmt) != DB_OK) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to prepare ip_bans load query");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    int loaded = 0;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    while (db_step_stmt(stmt) == DB_ROW) {
+        const char* ip = db_column_text_value(stmt, 0);
+        if (!ip) continue;
+
+        int idx = find_slot(ip);
+        if (idx < 0) continue;
+
+        ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[idx];
+        entry->state = IP_BAN_ACTIVE;
+        strncpy(entry->ip, ip, sizeof(entry->ip) - 1);
+        entry->ip[sizeof(entry->ip) - 1] = '\0';
+        entry->failure_count          = db_column_int_value(stmt, 1);
+        entry->ban_count              = db_column_int_value(stmt, 2);
+        entry->banned_until           = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 3);
+        entry->first_failure          = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 4);
+        entry->has_authed_successfully = db_column_int_value(stmt, 5);
+        entry->last_success_at        = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 6);
+        entry->total_connections      = db_column_int_value(stmt, 7);
+        entry->total_failures         = db_column_int_value(stmt, 8);
+        entry->total_successes        = db_column_int_value(stmt, 9);
+        entry->first_seen             = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 10);
+        // Load idle tracking fields (default to 0 if columns don't exist yet)
+        entry->idle_failure_count     = db_column_int_value(stmt, 11);
+        entry->idle_ban_count         = db_column_int_value(stmt, 12);
+        entry->idle_banned_until      = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 13);
+        entry->idle_first_failure     = (time_t)db_column_int64_value(stmt, 14);
+        loaded++;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    db_finalize_stmt(stmt);
+
+    // Count how many are still actively banned
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+    int still_banned = 0;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (g_ban_table[i].state == IP_BAN_ACTIVE &&
+            g_ban_table[i].banned_until > now) {
+            still_banned++;
+        }
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+
+    DEBUG_WARN("IP ban table loaded: %d IPs restored (%d still banned)", loaded, still_banned);
+}
+
+void ip_ban_save_to_db(void) {
+    if (!db_is_available() || !g_initialized) return;
+
+    const char* upsert_sql =
+        "INSERT INTO ip_bans"
+        " (ip, failure_count, ban_count, banned_until, first_failure,"
+        "  has_authed_successfully, last_success_at, total_connections,"
+        "  total_failures, total_successes, first_seen, updated_at,"
+        "  idle_failure_count, idle_ban_count, idle_banned_until, idle_first_failure)"
+        " VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"
+        " ON CONFLICT(ip) DO UPDATE SET"
+        "  failure_count=excluded.failure_count,"
+        "  ban_count=excluded.ban_count,"
+        "  banned_until=excluded.banned_until,"
+        "  first_failure=excluded.first_failure,"
+        "  has_authed_successfully=excluded.has_authed_successfully,"
+        "  last_success_at=excluded.last_success_at,"
+        "  total_connections=excluded.total_connections,"
+        "  total_failures=excluded.total_failures,"
+        "  total_successes=excluded.total_successes,"
+        "  first_seen=excluded.first_seen,"
+        "  updated_at=excluded.updated_at,"
+        "  idle_failure_count=excluded.idle_failure_count,"
+        "  idle_ban_count=excluded.idle_ban_count,"
+        "  idle_banned_until=excluded.idle_banned_until,"
+        "  idle_first_failure=excluded.idle_first_failure";
+
+    db_stmt_t* stmt;
+    if (db_prepare(upsert_sql, &stmt) != DB_OK) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to prepare ip_bans save query");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    (void)db_exec_sql("BEGIN TRANSACTION");
+
+    int saved = 0;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[i];
+        if (entry->state != IP_BAN_ACTIVE) continue;
+
+        (void)db_reset_stmt(stmt);
+        db_bind_text_param(stmt, 1, entry->ip);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 2, entry->failure_count);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 3, entry->ban_count);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 4, (long long)entry->banned_until);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 5, (long long)entry->first_failure);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 6, entry->has_authed_successfully);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 7, (long long)entry->last_success_at);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 8, entry->total_connections);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 9, entry->total_failures);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 10, entry->total_successes);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 11, (long long)entry->first_seen);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 12, (long long)time(NULL));
+        // Idle tracking fields
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 13, entry->idle_failure_count);
+        db_bind_int_param(stmt, 14, entry->idle_ban_count);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 15, (long long)entry->idle_banned_until);
+        db_bind_int64_param(stmt, 16, (long long)entry->idle_first_failure);
+
+        if (db_step_stmt(stmt) != DB_DONE) {
+            DEBUG_WARN("Failed to save ip_ban entry for %s", entry->ip);
+        } else {
+            saved++;
+        }
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+
+    db_finalize_stmt(stmt);
+    (void)db_exec_sql("COMMIT");
+
+    DEBUG_TRACE("IP ban table saved: %d entries written to DB", saved);
+}
+
+// Check if an IP is in the idle_ban_whitelist config (comma-separated list)
+static int ip_is_whitelisted(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    // Always trust loopback to avoid local test/dev self-bans.
+    if (strcmp(ip, "127.0.0.1") == 0 || strcmp(ip, "::1") == 0) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    const char* whitelist = get_config_value("idle_ban_whitelist");
+    if (!whitelist || whitelist[0] == '\0') {
+        if (whitelist) free((char*)whitelist);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    // Make a mutable copy to tokenize
+    char buf[1024];
+    strncpy(buf, whitelist, sizeof(buf) - 1);
+    buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\0';
+
+    int is_match = 0;
+    char* token = strtok(buf, ",");
+    while (token) {
+        // Trim leading/trailing spaces
+        while (*token == ' ') token++;
+        char* end = token + strlen(token) - 1;
+        while (end > token && *end == ' ') { *end = '\0'; end--; }
+        if (strcmp(token, ip) == 0) {
+            is_match = 1;
+            break;
+        }
+        token = strtok(NULL, ",");
+    }
+
+    free((char*)whitelist);
+    return is_match;
+}
+
+int ip_ban_is_banned(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return 0;
+
+    // Whitelisted IPs are never banned
+    if (ip_is_whitelisted(ip)) return 0;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    int idx = find_slot(ip);
+    if (idx < 0 || g_ban_table[idx].state == IP_BAN_EMPTY) {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[idx];
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+    int banned = 0;
+
+    // Check auth ban (if enabled)
+    if (get_config_bool("auth_fail_ban_enabled", 1) &&
+        entry->banned_until > 0 && now < entry->banned_until) {
+        banned = 1;
+    }
+
+    // Check idle ban (if enabled)
+    if (get_config_bool("idle_ban_enabled", 1) &&
+        entry->idle_banned_until > 0 && now < entry->idle_banned_until) {
+        banned = 1;
+    }
+
+    // Clear expired bans
+    if (!banned) {
+        if (entry->banned_until > 0 && now >= entry->banned_until) {
+            entry->banned_until = 0;
+            entry->failure_count = 0;
+            entry->first_failure = 0;
+        }
+        if (entry->idle_banned_until > 0 && now >= entry->idle_banned_until) {
+            entry->idle_banned_until = 0;
+            entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+            entry->idle_first_failure = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    return banned;
+}
+
+void ip_ban_record_connection(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = get_or_create_entry(ip);
+    if (entry) {
+        entry->total_connections++;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+
+void ip_ban_record_failure(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return;
+    if (!get_config_bool("auth_fail_ban_enabled", 1)) return;
+
+    int threshold = get_config_int("auth_fail_ban_threshold", 3);
+    int window_sec = get_config_int("auth_fail_window_sec", 60);
+    int ban_duration = get_config_int("auth_fail_ban_duration_sec", 300);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = get_or_create_entry(ip);
+    if (!entry) {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+
+    // Reset window if expired
+    if (entry->first_failure > 0 && (now - entry->first_failure) > window_sec) {
+        entry->failure_count = 0;
+        entry->first_failure = now;
+    }
+    if (entry->first_failure == 0) {
+        entry->first_failure = now;
+    }
+
+    entry->failure_count++;
+    entry->total_failures++;
+
+    DEBUG_TRACE("IP %s auth failure count: %d/%d", ip, entry->failure_count, threshold);
+
+    if (entry->failure_count >= threshold) {
+        int duration = ban_duration;
+        for (int i = 0; i < entry->ban_count && duration < 86400; i++) {
+            duration *= 2;
+        }
+        if (duration > 86400) duration = 86400;
+
+        entry->banned_until = now + duration;
+        entry->ban_count++;
+        entry->failure_count = 0;
+        entry->first_failure = 0;
+
+        DEBUG_WARN("IP %s banned for %d seconds (ban #%d) after %d auth failures",
+                   ip, duration, entry->ban_count, threshold);
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+
+// Record an idle/early-disconnect failure for an IP
+void ip_ban_record_idle_failure(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return;
+    if (!get_config_bool("idle_ban_enabled", 1)) return;
+    if (ip_is_whitelisted(ip)) return;  // Never record idle failures for whitelisted IPs
+
+    int threshold = get_config_int("idle_ban_threshold", 1);
+    int window_sec = get_config_int("idle_ban_window_sec", 30);
+    int ban_duration = get_config_int("idle_ban_duration_sec", 300);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = get_or_create_entry(ip);
+    if (!entry) {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+
+    // Reset window if expired
+    if (entry->idle_first_failure > 0 && (now - entry->idle_first_failure) > window_sec) {
+        entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+        entry->idle_first_failure = now;
+    }
+    if (entry->idle_first_failure == 0) {
+        entry->idle_first_failure = now;
+    }
+
+    entry->idle_failure_count++;
+    entry->total_failures++;
+
+    DEBUG_TRACE("IP %s idle failure count: %d/%d", ip, entry->idle_failure_count, threshold);
+
+    if (entry->idle_failure_count >= threshold) {
+        int duration = ban_duration;
+        for (int i = 0; i < entry->idle_ban_count && duration < 86400; i++) {
+            duration *= 2;
+        }
+        if (duration > 86400) duration = 86400;
+
+        entry->idle_banned_until = now + duration;
+        entry->idle_ban_count++;
+        entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+        entry->idle_first_failure = 0;
+
+        DEBUG_WARN("IP %s banned for %d seconds (idle ban #%d) after %d idle failures",
+                   ip, duration, entry->idle_ban_count, threshold);
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+
+void ip_ban_record_success(const char* ip) {
+    if (!ip || !g_initialized) return;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    ip_ban_entry_t* entry = get_or_create_entry(ip);
+    if (entry) {
+        entry->failure_count = 0;
+        entry->first_failure = 0;
+        entry->has_authed_successfully = 1;
+        entry->last_success_at = time(NULL);
+        entry->total_successes++;
+        DEBUG_TRACE("IP %s authenticated successfully — failure count cleared", ip);
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+
+void ip_ban_cleanup(void) {
+    if (!g_initialized) return;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+    int window_sec = get_config_int("auth_fail_window_sec", 60);
+    int idle_window_sec = get_config_int("idle_ban_window_sec", 60);
+    int cleaned = 0;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (g_ban_table[i].state != IP_BAN_ACTIVE) continue;
+        ip_ban_entry_t* entry = &g_ban_table[i];
+
+        // Check auth failure window expiration
+        int auth_ban_expired = (entry->banned_until == 0 || now >= entry->banned_until);
+        int auth_window_expired = (entry->first_failure == 0 || (now - entry->first_failure) > window_sec * 10);
+
+        // Check idle failure window expiration
+        int idle_ban_expired = (entry->idle_banned_until == 0 || now >= entry->idle_banned_until);
+        int idle_window_expired = (entry->idle_first_failure == 0 || (now - entry->idle_first_failure) > idle_window_sec * 10);
+
+        if (auth_ban_expired && auth_window_expired && entry->failure_count == 0 &&
+            idle_ban_expired && idle_window_expired && entry->idle_failure_count == 0) {
+            int retain_sec = 86400; // 24 hours
+            int last_auth_ban_expired_long_ago = (entry->banned_until == 0 ||
+                                                   (now - entry->banned_until) > retain_sec);
+            int last_idle_ban_expired_long_ago = (entry->idle_banned_until == 0 ||
+                                                   (now - entry->idle_banned_until) > retain_sec);
+
+            if (last_auth_ban_expired_long_ago && last_idle_ban_expired_long_ago &&
+                !entry->has_authed_successfully &&
+                entry->ban_count == 0 && entry->idle_ban_count == 0 &&
+                entry->total_connections <= 1) {
+                // Fully clean — never banned, never authenticated, only seen once
+                memset(entry, 0, sizeof(ip_ban_entry_t));
+                cleaned++;
+            } else {
+                // Keep entry permanently — preserve ban_count for escalation.
+                // An IP that has been banned before will always get at least a 24-hour ban
+                // if it fails auth again, regardless of how long it has been away.
+                entry->failure_count = 0;
+                entry->first_failure = 0;
+                entry->idle_failure_count = 0;
+                entry->idle_first_failure = 0;
+                if (last_auth_ban_expired_long_ago) {
+                    entry->banned_until = 0;
+                    // ban_count intentionally NOT reset — permanent escalation
+                }
+                if (last_idle_ban_expired_long_ago) {
+                    entry->idle_banned_until = 0;
+                    // idle_ban_count intentionally NOT reset — permanent escalation
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (cleaned > 0) {
+        DEBUG_TRACE("IP ban cleanup: freed %d stale entries", cleaned);
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+}
+
+int ip_ban_get_banned_count(void) {
+    if (!g_initialized) return 0;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+    int count = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (g_ban_table[i].state != IP_BAN_ACTIVE) continue;
+        // Count if either auth banned or idle banned
+        if (g_ban_table[i].banned_until > now ||
+            g_ban_table[i].idle_banned_until > now) {
+            count++;
+        }
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    return count;
+}
+
+int ip_ban_get_tracked_count(void) {
+    if (!g_initialized) return 0;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    int count = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (g_ban_table[i].state == IP_BAN_ACTIVE) count++;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    return count;
+}
+
+void ip_ban_log_stats(void) {
+    if (!g_initialized) return;
+
+    static time_t last_log = 0;
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+
+    if (now - last_log < 300) return;
+    last_log = now;
+
+    // Save to DB every 5 minutes
+    if (thread_pool_is_running()) {
+        thread_pool_job_t job;
+        memset(&job, 0, sizeof(job));
+        job.type = THREAD_POOL_JOB_IP_BAN_SAVE;
+
+        thread_pool_status_t rc = thread_pool_submit_write(&job, NULL);
+        if (rc != THREAD_POOL_STATUS_OK) {
+            DEBUG_WARN("Failed to queue IP_BAN_SAVE job (%d); saving synchronously", rc);
+            ip_ban_save_to_db();
+        }
+    } else {
+        ip_ban_save_to_db();
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_ban_mutex);
+    int auth_banned_count = 0;
+    int idle_banned_count = 0;
+    int tracked_count = 0;
+    int trusted_count = 0;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (g_ban_table[i].state != IP_BAN_ACTIVE) continue;
+        tracked_count++;
+        if (g_ban_table[i].banned_until > now) auth_banned_count++;
+        if (g_ban_table[i].idle_banned_until > now) idle_banned_count++;
+        if (g_ban_table[i].has_authed_successfully) trusted_count++;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_ban_mutex);
+
+    int total_banned = auth_banned_count + idle_banned_count;
+    if (total_banned > 0 || tracked_count > 0) {
+        DEBUG_WARN("IP BAN SUMMARY: %d auth-banned, %d idle-banned, %d tracked, %d trusted (ever authed)",
+                   auth_banned_count, idle_banned_count, tracked_count, trusted_count);
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#ifndef IP_BAN_H
+#define IP_BAN_H
+
+// IP Auth Failure Ban System
+//
+// Tracks auth failures per IP address and temporarily bans IPs that repeatedly
+// fail NIP-42 authentication. Uses an in-memory fixed-size hash table — no
+// database writes on the hot path. State is persisted to the ip_bans table
+// every 5 minutes and loaded at startup.
+//
+// Config keys (all read from the config table at runtime):
+//   auth_fail_ban_enabled      bool  default: true   (0 = disabled)
+//   auth_fail_ban_threshold    int   default: 3       (failures before ban)
+//   auth_fail_window_sec       int   default: 60      (window to count failures)
+//   auth_fail_ban_duration_sec int   default: 300     (initial ban duration, doubles each time)
+
+#include <time.h>
+
+// Maximum number of IPs tracked simultaneously (fixed-size, no malloc)
+#define IP_BAN_TABLE_SIZE 4096
+
+// Initialize the IP ban table (call once at startup, before loading from DB)
+void ip_ban_init(void);
+
+// Load ban state from the ip_bans database table.
+// Call after ip_ban_init() and after the database is open.
+void ip_ban_load_from_db(void);
+
+// Save current ban state to the ip_bans database table.
+// Called every 5 minutes from the maintenance timer.
+void ip_ban_save_to_db(void);
+
+// Check if an IP is currently banned.
+// Returns 1 if banned (connection should be rejected), 0 if allowed.
+int ip_ban_is_banned(const char* ip);
+
+// Record an auth failure for an IP.
+// Called when a connection is closed due to auth timeout.
+// May trigger a ban if the threshold is exceeded.
+void ip_ban_record_failure(const char* ip);
+
+// Record an idle/early-disconnect failure for an IP.
+// Called when a connection closes without ever sending REQ or EVENT.
+// May trigger a ban if the threshold is exceeded.
+void ip_ban_record_idle_failure(const char* ip);
+
+// Record a successful auth for an IP.
+// Sets has_authed_successfully=1 and clears failure count.
+void ip_ban_record_success(const char* ip);
+
+// Record a new connection from an IP (increment total_connections).
+void ip_ban_record_connection(const char* ip);
+
+// Periodic cleanup: expire old entries (call from the connection age checker).
+void ip_ban_cleanup(void);
+
+// Emit a periodic WARN-level log summary of banned IPs (every 5 minutes).
+// Also saves state to DB.
+void ip_ban_log_stats(void);
+
+// Get stats for logging/monitoring
+int ip_ban_get_banned_count(void);
+int ip_ban_get_tracked_count(void);
+
+#endif // IP_BAN_H
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * C-Relay Main Header - Version and Metadata Information
+ * C-Relay-PG Main Header - Version and Metadata Information
 *
 * This header contains version information and relay metadata.
 * Version macros are auto-updated by the build system.
@@ -11,16 +11,16 @@

 // Version information (auto-updated by build system)
 // Using CRELAY_ prefix to avoid conflicts with nostr_core_lib VERSION macros
-#define CRELAY_VERSION_MAJOR 1
-#define CRELAY_VERSION_MINOR 2
-#define CRELAY_VERSION_PATCH 1
-#define CRELAY_VERSION "v1.2.1"
+#define CRELAY_VERSION_MAJOR 2
+#define CRELAY_VERSION_MINOR 1
+#define CRELAY_VERSION_PATCH 11
+#define CRELAY_VERSION "v2.1.11"

 // Relay metadata (authoritative source for NIP-11 information)
-#define RELAY_NAME "C-Relay"
+#define RELAY_NAME "C-Relay-PG"
 #define RELAY_DESCRIPTION "High-performance C Nostr relay with SQLite storage"
 #define RELAY_CONTACT ""
-#define RELAY_SOFTWARE "https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay.git"
+#define RELAY_SOFTWARE "https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay-pg.git"
 #define RELAY_VERSION CRELAY_VERSION  // Use the same version as the build
 #define SUPPORTED_NIPS "1,2,4,9,11,12,13,15,16,20,22,33,40,42,50,70"
 #define LANGUAGE_TAGS ""
@@ -28,4 +28,22 @@
 #define POSTING_POLICY ""
 #define PAYMENTS_URL ""

+// Forward declaration to avoid pulling cJSON headers into all includers.
+typedef struct cJSON cJSON;
+
+// Async REQ handler status used by websocket callback to defer EOSE until worker completion
+#define HANDLE_REQ_ASYNC_PENDING (-2)
+
+// Async EVENT storage split:
+// - store_event_core(): worker-safe core DB write path
+//      returns 0 when inserted, 1 when handled without insert (duplicate/ephemeral), -1 on error
+// - store_event_post_actions(): main-thread-only follow-up actions (monitoring/tags/WoT sync)
+// - store_event(): legacy wrapper preserving original behavior for synchronous call sites
+int store_event_core(cJSON* event);
+void store_event_post_actions(cJSON* event);
+int store_event(cJSON* event);
+
+// Drains completed async REQ jobs and queues EVENT/EOSE on the lws service thread.
+void process_req_async_completions(void);
+
 #endif /* MAIN_H */
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 #include <cjson/cJSON.h>
 #include "debug.h"
-#include <sqlite3.h>
+#include "db_ops.h"
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ int store_event(cJSON* event);
 int delete_events_by_id(const char* requester_pubkey, cJSON* event_ids);
 int delete_events_by_address(const char* requester_pubkey, cJSON* addresses, long deletion_timestamp);

-// Global database variable
-extern sqlite3* g_db;
-
-
 // Handle NIP-09 deletion request event (kind 5)
 int handle_deletion_request(cJSON* event, char* error_message, size_t error_size) {
    if (!event) {
@@ -33,12 +29,12 @@ int handle_deletion_request(cJSON* event, char* error_message, size_t error_size
    }
    
    // Extract event details
-    cJSON* kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
-    cJSON* pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "pubkey");
-    cJSON* created_at_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
-    cJSON* tags_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
-    cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "content");
-    cJSON* event_id_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
+    cJSON* kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
+    cJSON* pubkey_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "pubkey");
+    cJSON* created_at_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");
+    cJSON* tags_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
+    cJSON* content_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "content");
+    cJSON* event_id_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "id");
    
    if (!kind_obj || !pubkey_obj || !created_at_obj || !tags_obj || !event_id_obj) {
        snprintf(error_message, error_size, "invalid: incomplete deletion request");
@@ -146,97 +142,72 @@ int handle_deletion_request(cJSON* event, char* error_message, size_t error_size

 // Delete events by ID (with pubkey authorization)
 int delete_events_by_id(const char* requester_pubkey, cJSON* event_ids) {
-    if (!g_db || !requester_pubkey || !event_ids || !cJSON_IsArray(event_ids)) {
+    if (!db_is_available() || !requester_pubkey || !event_ids || !cJSON_IsArray(event_ids)) {
        return 0;
    }
-    
+
    int deleted_count = 0;
-    
+
    cJSON* event_id = NULL;
    cJSON_ArrayForEach(event_id, event_ids) {
        if (!cJSON_IsString(event_id)) {
            continue;
        }
-        
+
        const char* id = cJSON_GetStringValue(event_id);
-        
-        // First check if event exists and if requester is authorized
-        const char* check_sql = "SELECT pubkey FROM events WHERE id = ?";
-        sqlite3_stmt* check_stmt;
-        
-        int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, check_sql, -1, &check_stmt, NULL);
-        if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
+        char event_pubkey[65] = {0};
+        int exists = db_get_event_pubkey(id, event_pubkey, sizeof(event_pubkey));
+        if (exists <= 0) {
            continue;
        }
-        
-        sqlite3_bind_text(check_stmt, 1, id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        
-        if (sqlite3_step(check_stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
-            const char* event_pubkey = (char*)sqlite3_column_text(check_stmt, 0);
-            
-            // Only delete if the requester is the author
-            if (event_pubkey && strcmp(event_pubkey, requester_pubkey) == 0) {
-                sqlite3_finalize(check_stmt);
-                
-                // Delete the event
-                const char* delete_sql = "DELETE FROM events WHERE id = ? AND pubkey = ?";
-                sqlite3_stmt* delete_stmt;
-                
-                rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, delete_sql, -1, &delete_stmt, NULL);
-                if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-                    sqlite3_bind_text(delete_stmt, 1, id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-                    sqlite3_bind_text(delete_stmt, 2, requester_pubkey, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-                    
-                    if (sqlite3_step(delete_stmt) == SQLITE_DONE && sqlite3_changes(g_db) > 0) {
-                        deleted_count++;
-                    }
-                    sqlite3_finalize(delete_stmt);
-                }
-            } else {
-                sqlite3_finalize(check_stmt);
-                char warning_msg[128];
-                snprintf(warning_msg, sizeof(warning_msg), "Unauthorized deletion attempt for event: %.16s...", id);
-                DEBUG_WARN(warning_msg);
+
+        // Only delete if the requester is the author
+        if (strcmp(event_pubkey, requester_pubkey) == 0) {
+            int changes = db_delete_event_by_id(id, requester_pubkey);
+            if (changes > 0) {
+                deleted_count += changes;
            }
        } else {
-            sqlite3_finalize(check_stmt);
+            char warning_msg[128];
+            snprintf(warning_msg, sizeof(warning_msg), "Unauthorized deletion attempt for event: %.16s...", id);
+            DEBUG_WARN(warning_msg);
        }
    }
-    
+
    return deleted_count;
 }

 // Delete events by addressable reference (kind:pubkey:d-identifier)
 int delete_events_by_address(const char* requester_pubkey, cJSON* addresses, long deletion_timestamp) {
-    if (!g_db || !requester_pubkey || !addresses || !cJSON_IsArray(addresses)) {
+    if (!db_is_available() || !requester_pubkey || !addresses || !cJSON_IsArray(addresses)) {
        return 0;
    }
-    
+
    int deleted_count = 0;
-    
+
    cJSON* address = NULL;
    cJSON_ArrayForEach(address, addresses) {
        if (!cJSON_IsString(address)) {
            continue;
        }
-        
+
        const char* addr = cJSON_GetStringValue(address);
-        
+
        // Parse address format: kind:pubkey:d-identifier
        char* addr_copy = strdup(addr);
        if (!addr_copy) continue;
-        
+
        char* kind_str = strtok(addr_copy, ":");
        char* pubkey_str = strtok(NULL, ":");
        char* d_identifier = strtok(NULL, ":");
-        
+
        if (!kind_str || !pubkey_str) {
            free(addr_copy);
            continue;
        }
-        
+
        int kind = atoi(kind_str);
-        
+
        // Only delete if the requester is the author
        if (strcmp(pubkey_str, requester_pubkey) != 0) {
            free(addr_copy);
@@ -245,42 +216,15 @@ int delete_events_by_address(const char* requester_pubkey, cJSON* addresses, lon
            DEBUG_WARN(warning_msg);
            continue;
        }
-        
-        // Build deletion query based on whether we have d-identifier
-        const char* delete_sql;
-        sqlite3_stmt* delete_stmt;
-        
-        if (d_identifier && strlen(d_identifier) > 0) {
-            // Delete specific addressable event with d-tag
-            delete_sql = "DELETE FROM events WHERE kind = ? AND pubkey = ? AND created_at <= ? "
-                        "AND json_extract(tags, '$[*]') LIKE '%[\"d\",\"' || ? || '\"]%'";
-        } else {
-            // Delete all events of this kind by this author up to deletion timestamp
-            delete_sql = "DELETE FROM events WHERE kind = ? AND pubkey = ? AND created_at <= ?";
+
+        int changes = db_delete_events_by_address(requester_pubkey, kind, d_identifier, deletion_timestamp);
+        if (changes > 0) {
+            deleted_count += changes;
        }
-        
-        int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, delete_sql, -1, &delete_stmt, NULL);
-        if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-            sqlite3_bind_int(delete_stmt, 1, kind);
-            sqlite3_bind_text(delete_stmt, 2, requester_pubkey, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-            sqlite3_bind_int64(delete_stmt, 3, deletion_timestamp);
-            
-            if (d_identifier && strlen(d_identifier) > 0) {
-                sqlite3_bind_text(delete_stmt, 4, d_identifier, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-            }
-            
-            if (sqlite3_step(delete_stmt) == SQLITE_DONE) {
-                int changes = sqlite3_changes(g_db);
-                if (changes > 0) {
-                    deleted_count += changes;
-                }
-            }
-            sqlite3_finalize(delete_stmt);
-        }
-        
+
        free(addr_copy);
    }
-    
+
    return deleted_count;
 }

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <libwebsockets.h>
 #include "../nostr_core_lib/cjson/cJSON.h"
 #include "config.h"
-
+#include "main.h"

 // Forward declarations for configuration functions
 const char* get_config_value(const char* key);
@@ -23,6 +23,67 @@ int get_config_bool(const char* key, int default_value);
 #define HTTP_STATUS_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR 500


+#define NIP11_CACHE_TTL_SEC 5
+
+static pthread_mutex_t g_nip11_cache_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static char* g_nip11_cached_json = NULL;
+static size_t g_nip11_cached_json_len = 0;
+static time_t g_nip11_cache_expires_at = 0;
+
+cJSON* generate_relay_info_json();
+
+static void invalidate_nip11_cache_locked(void) {
+    if (g_nip11_cached_json) {
+        free(g_nip11_cached_json);
+        g_nip11_cached_json = NULL;
+    }
+    g_nip11_cached_json_len = 0;
+    g_nip11_cache_expires_at = 0;
+}
+
+static char* get_nip11_json_cached_dup(size_t* out_len) {
+    time_t now = time(NULL);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+    if (g_nip11_cached_json && now < g_nip11_cache_expires_at) {
+        char* copy = strdup(g_nip11_cached_json);
+        if (copy && out_len) {
+            *out_len = g_nip11_cached_json_len;
+        }
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+        return copy;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+
+    cJSON* info_json = generate_relay_info_json();
+    if (!info_json) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    char* fresh_json = cJSON_Print(info_json);
+    cJSON_Delete(info_json);
+    if (!fresh_json) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    size_t fresh_len = strlen(fresh_json);
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+    invalidate_nip11_cache_locked();
+    g_nip11_cached_json = strdup(fresh_json);
+    if (g_nip11_cached_json) {
+        g_nip11_cached_json_len = fresh_len;
+        g_nip11_cache_expires_at = now + NIP11_CACHE_TTL_SEC;
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+
+    if (out_len) {
+        *out_len = fresh_len;
+    }
+    return fresh_json;
+}
+
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //             NIP-11 RELAY INFORMATION DOCUMENT
@@ -80,8 +141,9 @@ void init_relay_info() {

 // Clean up relay information JSON objects
 void cleanup_relay_info() {
-    // NIP-11 relay information is now generated dynamically from config table
-    // No cleanup needed - data is fetched directly from database when requested
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
+    invalidate_nip11_cache_locked();
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_nip11_cache_mutex);
 }

 // Generate NIP-11 compliant JSON document
@@ -118,6 +180,8 @@ cJSON* generate_relay_info_json() {
    int default_limit = get_config_int("default_limit", 500);
    int min_pow_difficulty = get_config_int("pow_min_difficulty", 0);
    int admin_enabled = get_config_bool("admin_enabled", 0);
+    int wot_enabled = get_config_int("wot_enabled", 0);
+    int auth_enabled = get_config_bool("auth_enabled", 0);

    // Add basic relay information
    if (relay_name && strlen(relay_name) > 0) {
@@ -182,14 +246,14 @@ cJSON* generate_relay_info_json() {
        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "software", relay_software);
        free((char*)relay_software);
    } else {
-        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "software", "https://git.laantungir.net/laantungir/c-relay.git");
+        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "software", RELAY_SOFTWARE);
    }

    if (relay_version && strlen(relay_version) > 0) {
        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "version", relay_version);
        free((char*)relay_version);
    } else {
-        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "version", "0.2.0");
+        cJSON_AddStringToObject(info, "version", RELAY_VERSION);
    }

    // Add policies
@@ -209,6 +273,9 @@ cJSON* generate_relay_info_json() {
    }

    // Add server limitations
+    // restricted_writes is true when WoT or auth is enabled (only trusted pubkeys can write)
+    int restricted_writes = (wot_enabled > 0 || auth_enabled) ? 1 : 0;
+
    cJSON* limitation = cJSON_CreateObject();
    if (limitation) {
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "max_message_length", max_message_length);
@@ -218,15 +285,31 @@ cJSON* generate_relay_info_json() {
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "max_event_tags", max_event_tags);
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "max_content_length", max_content_length);
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "min_pow_difficulty", min_pow_difficulty);
-        cJSON_AddBoolToObject(limitation, "auth_required", admin_enabled ? cJSON_True : cJSON_False);
+        cJSON_AddBoolToObject(limitation, "auth_required", auth_enabled ? cJSON_True : cJSON_False);
        cJSON_AddBoolToObject(limitation, "payment_required", cJSON_False);
-        cJSON_AddBoolToObject(limitation, "restricted_writes", cJSON_False);
+        cJSON_AddBoolToObject(limitation, "restricted_writes", restricted_writes ? cJSON_True : cJSON_False);
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "created_at_lower_limit", 0);
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "created_at_upper_limit", 2147483647);
        cJSON_AddNumberToObject(limitation, "default_limit", default_limit);
        cJSON_AddItemToObject(info, "limitation", limitation);
    }

+    // Add Web of Trust information when enabled
+    // This informs clients that the relay operates on a trust network
+    if (wot_enabled > 0) {
+        cJSON* wot_info = cJSON_CreateObject();
+        if (wot_info) {
+            cJSON_AddNumberToObject(wot_info, "level", wot_enabled);
+            const char* level_desc = (wot_enabled == 1)
+                ? "write-only: only followed pubkeys can publish events"
+                : "full: only followed pubkeys can publish and subscribe";
+            cJSON_AddStringToObject(wot_info, "description", level_desc);
+            cJSON_AddStringToObject(wot_info, "policy",
+                "Events from pubkeys not in the relay operator's Web of Trust are rejected.");
+            cJSON_AddItemToObject(info, "web_of_trust", wot_info);
+        }
+    }
+
    // Add retention policies (empty array for now)
    cJSON* retention = cJSON_CreateArray();
    if (retention) {
@@ -327,9 +410,10 @@ int handle_nip11_http_request(struct lws* wsi, const char* accept_header) {
        return -1; // Close connection
    }
    
-    // Generate relay information JSON
-    cJSON* info_json = generate_relay_info_json();
-    if (!info_json) {
+    // Generate (or fetch cached) relay information JSON
+    size_t json_len = 0;
+    char* json_string = get_nip11_json_cached_dup(&json_len);
+    if (!json_string) {
        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to generate relay info JSON");
        unsigned char buf[LWS_PRE + 256];
        unsigned char *p = &buf[LWS_PRE];
@@ -352,34 +436,6 @@ int handle_nip11_http_request(struct lws* wsi, const char* accept_header) {
        return -1;
    }
    
-    char* json_string = cJSON_Print(info_json);
-    cJSON_Delete(info_json);
-
-    if (!json_string) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to serialize relay info JSON");
-        unsigned char buf[LWS_PRE + 256];
-        unsigned char *p = &buf[LWS_PRE];
-        unsigned char *start = p;
-        unsigned char *end = &buf[sizeof(buf) - 1];
-
-        if (lws_add_http_header_status(wsi, HTTP_STATUS_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, &p, end)) {
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (lws_add_http_header_by_token(wsi, WSI_TOKEN_HTTP_CONTENT_TYPE, (unsigned char*)"text/plain", 10, &p, end)) {
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (lws_add_http_header_content_length(wsi, 0, &p, end)) {
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (lws_finalize_http_header(wsi, &p, end)) {
-            return -1;
-        }
-        lws_write(wsi, start, p - start, LWS_WRITE_HTTP_HEADERS);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    size_t json_len = strlen(json_string);
-    
    // Allocate session data to manage buffer lifetime across callbacks
    struct nip11_session_data* session_data = malloc(sizeof(struct nip11_session_data));
    if (!session_data) {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ int validate_event_pow(cJSON* event, char* error_message, size_t error_size) {
    // If min_pow_difficulty is 0, only validate events that have nonce tags
    // This allows events without PoW when difficulty requirement is 0
    if (min_pow_difficulty == 0) {
-        cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+        cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
        int has_nonce_tag = 0;

        if (tags && cJSON_IsArray(tags)) {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ int is_event_expired(cJSON* event, time_t current_time) {
        return 0; // Invalid event, not expired
    }

-    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+    cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
    long expiration_ts = extract_expiration_timestamp(tags);

    if (expiration_ts == 0) {
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int validate_event_expiration(cJSON* event, char* error_message, size_t error_si
    time_t current_time = time(NULL);
    if (is_event_expired(event, current_time)) {
        if (g_expiration_config.strict_mode) {
-            cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+            cJSON* tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
            long expiration_ts = extract_expiration_timestamp(tags);

            snprintf(error_message, error_size,
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include "websockets.h"
+#include "ip_ban.h"


 // Forward declaration for notice message function
@@ -93,13 +95,22 @@ void handle_nip42_auth_signed_event(struct lws* wsi, struct per_session_data* ps
    
    // Verify authentication using existing request_validator function
    // Note: nostr_nip42_verify_auth_event doesn't extract pubkey, we need to do that separately
+    char relay_url[RELAY_URL_MAX_LENGTH];
+    const char* configured_relay_url = get_config_value("relay_url");
+    if (configured_relay_url && configured_relay_url[0] != '\0') {
+        snprintf(relay_url, sizeof(relay_url), "%s", configured_relay_url);
+    } else {
+        int relay_port = (g_relay_port > 0) ? g_relay_port : get_config_int("relay_port", DEFAULT_PORT);
+        snprintf(relay_url, sizeof(relay_url), "ws://127.0.0.1:%d", relay_port);
+    }
+
    int result = nostr_nip42_verify_auth_event(auth_event, challenge_copy,
-                                               "ws://localhost:8888", 600); // 10 minutes tolerance
+                                               relay_url, 600); // 10 minutes tolerance
    
    char authenticated_pubkey[65] = {0};
    if (result == 0) {
        // Extract pubkey from the auth event
-        cJSON* pubkey_json = cJSON_GetObjectItem(auth_event, "pubkey");
+        cJSON* pubkey_json = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(auth_event, "pubkey");
        if (pubkey_json && cJSON_IsString(pubkey_json)) {
            const char* pubkey_str = cJSON_GetStringValue(pubkey_json);
            if (pubkey_str && strlen(pubkey_str) == 64) {
@@ -125,8 +136,16 @@ void handle_nip42_auth_signed_event(struct lws* wsi, struct per_session_data* ps
        memset(pss->active_challenge, 0, sizeof(pss->active_challenge));
        pss->challenge_expires = 0;
        pss->auth_challenge_sent = 0;
+        // Mark session as active - client sent AUTH
+        pss->session_active = 1;
        pthread_mutex_unlock(&pss->session_lock);
-        
+
+        // Cancel the auth timeout — client has authenticated, keep connection open
+        lws_set_timeout(wsi, NO_PENDING_TIMEOUT, 0);
+
+        // Record successful auth for this IP — marks it as trusted
+        ip_ban_record_success(pss->client_ip);
+
        send_notice_message(wsi, pss, "NIP-42 authentication successful");
    } else {
        // Authentication failed
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+#ifndef PG_SCHEMA_H
+#define PG_SCHEMA_H
+
+#define EMBEDDED_PG_SCHEMA_VERSION "2"
+
+static const char* const EMBEDDED_PG_SCHEMA_SQL =
+"-- C-Relay-PG PostgreSQL Schema\n"
+"-- Initial PostgreSQL backend schema\n"
+"\n"
+"BEGIN;\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS schema_info (\n"
+"    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    value TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS events (\n"
+"    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    pubkey TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    kind INTEGER NOT NULL,\n"
+"    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('regular', 'replaceable', 'ephemeral', 'addressable')),\n"
+"    content TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    sig TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    tags JSONB NOT NULL DEFAULT '[]'::jsonb,\n"
+"    d_tag_value TEXT GENERATED ALWAYS AS (\n"
+"        COALESCE(\n"
+"            NULLIF(\n"
+"                jsonb_path_query_first(tags, '$[*] ? (@[0] == \"d\")[1]') #>> '{}',\n"
+"                ''\n"
+"            ),\n"
+"            ''\n"
+"        )\n"
+"    ) STORED,\n"
+"    expires_at BIGINT,\n"
+"    event_json TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"ALTER TABLE events\n"
+"    ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS expires_at BIGINT;\n"
+"\n"
+"DO $$\n"
+"BEGIN\n"
+"    IF NOT EXISTS (\n"
+"        SELECT 1\n"
+"          FROM information_schema.columns\n"
+"         WHERE table_schema = current_schema()\n"
+"           AND table_name = 'events'\n"
+"           AND column_name = 'd_tag_value'\n"
+"    ) THEN\n"
+"        ALTER TABLE events\n"
+"            ADD COLUMN d_tag_value TEXT GENERATED ALWAYS AS (\n"
+"                COALESCE(\n"
+"                    NULLIF(\n"
+"                        jsonb_path_query_first(tags, '$[*] ? (@[0] == \"d\")[1]') #>> '{}',\n"
+"                        ''\n"
+"                    ),\n"
+"                    ''\n"
+"                )\n"
+"            ) STORED;\n"
+"    END IF;\n"
+"END\n"
+"$$;\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey ON events(pubkey);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_kind ON events(kind);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_created_at ON events(created_at DESC);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_event_type ON events(event_type);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_kind_created_at ON events(kind, created_at DESC);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey_created_at ON events(pubkey, created_at DESC);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey_kind ON events(pubkey, kind);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_tags_gin ON events USING GIN(tags);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_expires_at ON events(expires_at DESC) WHERE expires_at IS NOT NULL;\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_d_tag_value ON events(d_tag_value) WHERE d_tag_value <> '';\n"
+"CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS uq_events_replaceable_pubkey_kind\n"
+"    ON events(pubkey, kind)\n"
+"    WHERE event_type = 'replaceable';\n"
+"CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS uq_events_addressable_pubkey_kind_dtag\n"
+"    ON events(pubkey, kind, d_tag_value)\n"
+"    WHERE event_type = 'addressable';\n"
+"\n"
+"-- Keep this table for compatibility with existing query paths during migration.\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS event_tags (\n"
+"    event_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,\n"
+"    tag_name TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    tag_value TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    tag_index INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    PRIMARY KEY (event_id, tag_name, tag_value, tag_index)\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_lookup ON event_tags(tag_name, tag_value);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_event ON event_tags(event_id);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_value_name ON event_tags(tag_value, tag_name);\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION set_event_derived_fields()\n"
+"RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$\n"
+"DECLARE\n"
+"    expiration_value TEXT;\n"
+"BEGIN\n"
+"    NEW.expires_at := NULL;\n"
+"\n"
+"    SELECT tag->>1\n"
+"      INTO expiration_value\n"
+"      FROM jsonb_array_elements(NEW.tags) AS tag\n"
+"     WHERE jsonb_typeof(tag) = 'array'\n"
+"       AND jsonb_array_length(tag) >= 2\n"
+"       AND tag->>0 = 'expiration'\n"
+"     LIMIT 1;\n"
+"\n"
+"    IF expiration_value IS NOT NULL AND expiration_value ~ '^[0-9]+$' THEN\n"
+"        NEW.expires_at := expiration_value::BIGINT;\n"
+"    END IF;\n"
+"\n"
+"    RETURN NEW;\n"
+"END;\n"
+"$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION sync_event_tags_from_events()\n"
+"RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$\n"
+"BEGIN\n"
+"    DELETE FROM event_tags WHERE event_id = NEW.id;\n"
+"\n"
+"    INSERT INTO event_tags (event_id, tag_name, tag_value, tag_index)\n"
+"    SELECT NEW.id,\n"
+"           tag->>0 AS tag_name,\n"
+"           tag->>1 AS tag_value,\n"
+"           (ord - 1)::INTEGER AS tag_index\n"
+"      FROM jsonb_array_elements(NEW.tags) WITH ORDINALITY AS expanded(tag, ord)\n"
+"     WHERE jsonb_typeof(tag) = 'array'\n"
+"       AND jsonb_array_length(tag) >= 2\n"
+"       AND COALESCE(tag->>0, '') <> ''\n"
+"       AND COALESCE(tag->>1, '') <> '';\n"
+"\n"
+"    RETURN NEW;\n"
+"END;\n"
+"$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;\n"
+"\n"
+"DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS trg_events_set_derived_fields ON events;\n"
+"CREATE TRIGGER trg_events_set_derived_fields\n"
+"BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE OF tags ON events\n"
+"FOR EACH ROW\n"
+"EXECUTE FUNCTION set_event_derived_fields();\n"
+"\n"
+"DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS trg_events_sync_event_tags ON events;\n"
+"CREATE TRIGGER trg_events_sync_event_tags\n"
+"AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OF tags ON events\n"
+"FOR EACH ROW\n"
+"EXECUTE FUNCTION sync_event_tags_from_events();\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS relay_seckey (\n"
+"    id SMALLINT PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT 1,\n"
+"    private_key_hex TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (char_length(private_key_hex) = 64),\n"
+"    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,\n"
+"    CONSTRAINT relay_seckey_singleton CHECK (id = 1)\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS auth_rules (\n"
+"    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required', 'wot_whitelist')),\n"
+"    pattern_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (pattern_type IN ('pubkey', 'kind', 'ip', 'global', 'event_id', 'content', 'hash')),\n"
+"    pattern_value TEXT,\n"
+"    active INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,\n"
+"    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,\n"
+"    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_pattern ON auth_rules(pattern_type, pattern_value);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_type ON auth_rules(rule_type);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_active ON auth_rules(active);\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS config (\n"
+"    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    value TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    data_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (data_type IN ('string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'json')),\n"
+"    description TEXT,\n"
+"    category TEXT DEFAULT 'general',\n"
+"    requires_restart INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,\n"
+"    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_category ON config(category);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_restart ON config(requires_restart);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_updated ON config(updated_at DESC);\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subscriptions (\n"
+"    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    subscription_id TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    wsi_pointer TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    client_ip TEXT NOT NULL,\n"
+"    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('created', 'closed', 'expired', 'disconnected')),\n"
+"    filter_json TEXT,\n"
+"    events_sent INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,\n"
+"    ended_at BIGINT,\n"
+"    duration BIGINT,\n"
+"    UNIQUE(subscription_id, wsi_pointer)\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subscription_metrics (\n"
+"    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    date TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,\n"
+"    total_created INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    total_closed INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    total_events_broadcast INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    avg_duration DOUBLE PRECISION DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    peak_concurrent INTEGER DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_id ON subscriptions(subscription_id);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_type ON subscriptions(event_type);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_created ON subscriptions(created_at DESC);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_client ON subscriptions(client_ip);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_wsi ON subscriptions(wsi_pointer);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_active_log ON subscriptions(event_type, ended_at, created_at DESC);\n"
+"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscription_metrics_date ON subscription_metrics(date DESC);\n"
+"\n"
+"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ip_bans (\n"
+"    ip TEXT PRIMARY KEY,\n"
+"    failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    has_authed_successfully INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    last_success_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    total_connections INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    total_failures INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    total_successes INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,\n"
+"    idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    idle_banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n"
+"    idle_first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0\n"
+");\n"
+"\n"
+"INSERT INTO schema_info(key, value, updated_at)\n"
+"VALUES ('version', '2', EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT)\n"
+"ON CONFLICT (key) DO UPDATE SET\n"
+"    value = EXCLUDED.value,\n"
+"    updated_at = EXCLUDED.updated_at;\n"
+"\n"
+"COMMIT;\n"
+;
+
+#endif // PG_SCHEMA_H
@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+-- C-Relay-PG PostgreSQL Schema
+-- Initial PostgreSQL backend schema
+
+BEGIN;
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS schema_info (
+    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    value TEXT NOT NULL,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS events (
+    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    pubkey TEXT NOT NULL,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL,
+    kind INTEGER NOT NULL,
+    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('regular', 'replaceable', 'ephemeral', 'addressable')),
+    content TEXT NOT NULL,
+    sig TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tags JSONB NOT NULL DEFAULT '[]'::jsonb,
+    d_tag_value TEXT GENERATED ALWAYS AS (
+        COALESCE(
+            NULLIF(
+                jsonb_path_query_first(tags, '$[*] ? (@[0] == "d")[1]') #>> '{}',
+                ''
+            ),
+            ''
+        )
+    ) STORED,
+    expires_at BIGINT,
+    event_json TEXT NOT NULL,
+    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+ALTER TABLE events
+    ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS expires_at BIGINT;
+
+DO $$
+BEGIN
+    IF NOT EXISTS (
+        SELECT 1
+          FROM information_schema.columns
+         WHERE table_schema = current_schema()
+           AND table_name = 'events'
+           AND column_name = 'd_tag_value'
+    ) THEN
+        ALTER TABLE events
+            ADD COLUMN d_tag_value TEXT GENERATED ALWAYS AS (
+                COALESCE(
+                    NULLIF(
+                        jsonb_path_query_first(tags, '$[*] ? (@[0] == "d")[1]') #>> '{}',
+                        ''
+                    ),
+                    ''
+                )
+            ) STORED;
+    END IF;
+END
+$$;
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey ON events(pubkey);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_kind ON events(kind);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_created_at ON events(created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_event_type ON events(event_type);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_kind_created_at ON events(kind, created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey_created_at ON events(pubkey, created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_pubkey_kind ON events(pubkey, kind);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_tags_gin ON events USING GIN(tags);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_expires_at ON events(expires_at DESC) WHERE expires_at IS NOT NULL;
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_d_tag_value ON events(d_tag_value) WHERE d_tag_value <> '';
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS uq_events_replaceable_pubkey_kind
+    ON events(pubkey, kind)
+    WHERE event_type = 'replaceable';
+CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS uq_events_addressable_pubkey_kind_dtag
+    ON events(pubkey, kind, d_tag_value)
+    WHERE event_type = 'addressable';
+
+-- Keep this table for compatibility with existing query paths during migration.
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS event_tags (
+    event_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
+    tag_name TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tag_value TEXT NOT NULL,
+    tag_index INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    PRIMARY KEY (event_id, tag_name, tag_value, tag_index)
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_lookup ON event_tags(tag_name, tag_value);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_event ON event_tags(event_id);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_event_tags_value_name ON event_tags(tag_value, tag_name);
+
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION set_event_derived_fields()
+RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$
+DECLARE
+    expiration_value TEXT;
+BEGIN
+    NEW.expires_at := NULL;
+
+    SELECT tag->>1
+      INTO expiration_value
+      FROM jsonb_array_elements(NEW.tags) AS tag
+     WHERE jsonb_typeof(tag) = 'array'
+       AND jsonb_array_length(tag) >= 2
+       AND tag->>0 = 'expiration'
+     LIMIT 1;
+
+    IF expiration_value IS NOT NULL AND expiration_value ~ '^[0-9]+$' THEN
+        NEW.expires_at := expiration_value::BIGINT;
+    END IF;
+
+    RETURN NEW;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION sync_event_tags_from_events()
+RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$
+BEGIN
+    DELETE FROM event_tags WHERE event_id = NEW.id;
+
+    INSERT INTO event_tags (event_id, tag_name, tag_value, tag_index)
+    SELECT NEW.id,
+           tag->>0 AS tag_name,
+           tag->>1 AS tag_value,
+           (ord - 1)::INTEGER AS tag_index
+      FROM jsonb_array_elements(NEW.tags) WITH ORDINALITY AS expanded(tag, ord)
+     WHERE jsonb_typeof(tag) = 'array'
+       AND jsonb_array_length(tag) >= 2
+       AND COALESCE(tag->>0, '') <> ''
+       AND COALESCE(tag->>1, '') <> '';
+
+    RETURN NEW;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS trg_events_set_derived_fields ON events;
+CREATE TRIGGER trg_events_set_derived_fields
+BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE OF tags ON events
+FOR EACH ROW
+EXECUTE FUNCTION set_event_derived_fields();
+
+DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS trg_events_sync_event_tags ON events;
+CREATE TRIGGER trg_events_sync_event_tags
+AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OF tags ON events
+FOR EACH ROW
+EXECUTE FUNCTION sync_event_tags_from_events();
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS relay_seckey (
+    id SMALLINT PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT 1,
+    private_key_hex TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (char_length(private_key_hex) = 64),
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    CONSTRAINT relay_seckey_singleton CHECK (id = 1)
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS auth_rules (
+    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required', 'wot_whitelist')),
+    pattern_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (pattern_type IN ('pubkey', 'kind', 'ip', 'global', 'event_id', 'content', 'hash')),
+    pattern_value TEXT,
+    active INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_pattern ON auth_rules(pattern_type, pattern_value);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_type ON auth_rules(rule_type);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_rules_active ON auth_rules(active);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS config (
+    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    value TEXT NOT NULL,
+    data_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (data_type IN ('string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'json')),
+    description TEXT,
+    category TEXT DEFAULT 'general',
+    requires_restart INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_category ON config(category);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_restart ON config(requires_restart);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_config_updated ON config(updated_at DESC);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subscriptions (
+    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    subscription_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+    wsi_pointer TEXT NOT NULL,
+    client_ip TEXT NOT NULL,
+    event_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (event_type IN ('created', 'closed', 'expired', 'disconnected')),
+    filter_json TEXT,
+    events_sent INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    created_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    ended_at BIGINT,
+    duration BIGINT,
+    UNIQUE(subscription_id, wsi_pointer)
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subscription_metrics (
+    id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+    date TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
+    total_created INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    total_closed INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    total_events_broadcast INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    avg_duration DOUBLE PRECISION DEFAULT 0,
+    peak_concurrent INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_id ON subscriptions(subscription_id);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_type ON subscriptions(event_type);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_created ON subscriptions(created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_client ON subscriptions(client_ip);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_wsi ON subscriptions(wsi_pointer);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscriptions_active_log ON subscriptions(event_type, ended_at, created_at DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_subscription_metrics_date ON subscription_metrics(date DESC);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ip_bans (
+    ip TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+    failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    has_authed_successfully INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    last_success_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_connections INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_failures INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    total_successes INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    first_seen BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    updated_at BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT,
+    idle_failure_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_ban_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_banned_until BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+    idle_first_failure BIGINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
+);
+
+INSERT INTO schema_info(key, value, updated_at)
+VALUES ('version', '2', EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::BIGINT)
+ON CONFLICT (key) DO UPDATE SET
+    value = EXCLUDED.value,
+    updated_at = EXCLUDED.updated_at;
+
+COMMIT;
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * C-Relay Request Validator - Integrated Authentication System
+ * C-Relay-PG Request Validator - Integrated Authentication System
 *
 * Provides complete request validation including:
 * - Protocol validation via nostr_core_lib (signatures, pubkey extraction,
@@ -17,17 +17,13 @@
 #include "../nostr_core_lib/nostr_core/utils.h"
 #include "debug.h"  // C-relay debug system
 #include "config.h"  // C-relay configuration system
-#include <sqlite3.h>
+#include "db_ops.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <time.h>

-// External references to C-relay global state
-extern sqlite3* g_db;
-extern char g_database_path[512];
-
 // Forward declaration for C-relay event storage function
 extern int store_event(cJSON* event);

@@ -133,6 +129,14 @@ typedef struct {
 static nip42_challenge_manager_t g_challenge_manager = {0};
 static int g_validator_initialized = 0;

+typedef struct {
+  int has_active_whitelist_rules;
+  time_t last_refresh;
+} auth_rules_fast_cache_t;
+
+static auth_rules_fast_cache_t g_auth_rules_fast_cache = {0};
+#define AUTH_RULES_CACHE_TTL_SEC 5
+
 // Last rule violation details for status code mapping
 struct {
  char violation_type[100]; // "pubkey_blacklist", "hash_blacklist",
@@ -252,13 +256,13 @@ int nostr_validate_unified_request(const char* json_string, size_t json_length)
  }

  // 4. Validate basic event structure
-  cJSON *id = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
-  cJSON *pubkey = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "pubkey");
-  cJSON *created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
-  cJSON *kind = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
-  cJSON *tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
-  cJSON *content = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "content");
-  cJSON *sig = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "sig");
+  cJSON *id = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "id");
+  cJSON *pubkey = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "pubkey");
+  cJSON *created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");
+  cJSON *kind = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
+  cJSON *tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
+  cJSON *content = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "content");
+  cJSON *sig = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "sig");

  if (!id || !cJSON_IsString(id) ||
      !pubkey || !cJSON_IsString(pubkey) ||
@@ -304,9 +308,11 @@ int nostr_validate_unified_request(const char* json_string, size_t json_length)
    const char* admin_pubkey = get_config_value("admin_pubkey");
    if (admin_pubkey && strcmp(event_pubkey, admin_pubkey) == 0) {
      // Valid admin event - bypass remaining validation
+      free((char*)admin_pubkey);
      cJSON_Delete(event);
      return NOSTR_SUCCESS;
    }
+    if (admin_pubkey) free((char*)admin_pubkey);
    // Not from admin - continue with normal validation
  }

@@ -380,7 +386,7 @@ int nostr_validate_unified_request(const char* json_string, size_t json_length)
  // Always check expiration tags if present (following NIP-40 specification)

  cJSON *expiration_tag = NULL;
-  cJSON *tags_array = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+  cJSON *tags_array = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");

  if (tags_array && cJSON_IsArray(tags_array)) {
    cJSON *tag = NULL;
@@ -504,10 +510,10 @@ void nostr_request_result_free_file_data(nostr_request_result_t *result) {


 /**
- * Force cache refresh - cache no longer exists, function kept for compatibility
+ * Force cache refresh for auth rule fast cache.
 */
 void nostr_request_validator_force_cache_refresh(void) {
-  // Cache no longer exists - direct database queries are used
+  g_auth_rules_fast_cache.last_refresh = 0;
 }

 /**
@@ -522,118 +528,57 @@ static int reload_auth_config(void) {

 // Note: Blossom protocol validation removed - C-relay uses standard Nostr events only

+static int has_active_whitelist_rules_cached(void) {
+  time_t now = time(NULL);
+  if (g_auth_rules_fast_cache.last_refresh == 0 ||
+      (now - g_auth_rules_fast_cache.last_refresh) >= AUTH_RULES_CACHE_TTL_SEC) {
+    g_auth_rules_fast_cache.has_active_whitelist_rules =
+        (db_count_active_whitelist_rules() > 0) ? 1 : 0;
+    g_auth_rules_fast_cache.last_refresh = now;
+  }
+  return g_auth_rules_fast_cache.has_active_whitelist_rules;
+}
+
 /**
 * Check database authentication rules for the request
 * Implements the 6-step rule evaluation engine from AUTH_API.md
 */
 int check_database_auth_rules(const char *pubkey, const char *operation __attribute__((unused)),
                              const char *resource_hash) {
-  sqlite3 *db = NULL;
-  sqlite3_stmt *stmt = NULL;
-  int rc;
-
  DEBUG_TRACE("Checking auth rules for pubkey: %s", pubkey);

  if (!pubkey) {
    return NOSTR_ERROR_INVALID_INPUT;
  }

-  // Open database using global database path
-  if (strlen(g_database_path) == 0) {
-    return NOSTR_SUCCESS; // Default allow on DB error
-  }
-
-  rc = sqlite3_open_v2(g_database_path, &db, SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY, NULL);
-  if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
-    return NOSTR_SUCCESS; // Default allow on DB error
-  }
-
  // Step 1: Check pubkey blacklist (highest priority)
-  const char *blacklist_sql =
-      "SELECT rule_type FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = "
-      "'blacklist' AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND pattern_value = ? AND active = 1 LIMIT 1";
-  DEBUG_TRACE("Blacklist SQL: %s", blacklist_sql);
-  rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, blacklist_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-  if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-    sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, pubkey, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-
-    int step_result = sqlite3_step(stmt);
-    DEBUG_TRACE("Blacklist query result: %s", step_result == SQLITE_ROW ? "FOUND" : "NOT_FOUND");
-
-    if (step_result == SQLITE_ROW) {
-      DEBUG_TRACE("BLACKLIST HIT: Denying access for pubkey: %s", pubkey);
-      // Set specific violation details for status code mapping
-      strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "pubkey_blacklist");
-      sprintf(g_last_rule_violation.reason, "Public key blacklisted");
-
-      sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-      sqlite3_close(db);
-      return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
-    }
-    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+  if (db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(pubkey)) {
+    DEBUG_TRACE("BLACKLIST HIT: Denying access for pubkey: %s", pubkey);
+    strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "pubkey_blacklist");
+    sprintf(g_last_rule_violation.reason, "Public key blacklisted");
+    return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
  }

  // Step 2: Check hash blacklist
-  if (resource_hash) {
-    const char *hash_blacklist_sql =
-        "SELECT rule_type FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = "
-        "'blacklist' AND pattern_type = 'hash' AND pattern_value = ? AND active = 1 LIMIT 1";
-    rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, hash_blacklist_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-      sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, resource_hash, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-
-      if (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
-        // Set specific violation details for status code mapping
-        strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "hash_blacklist");
-        sprintf(g_last_rule_violation.reason, "File hash blacklisted");
-
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-        sqlite3_close(db);
-        return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
-      }
-      sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-    }
+  if (resource_hash && db_is_hash_blacklisted(resource_hash)) {
+    strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "hash_blacklist");
+    sprintf(g_last_rule_violation.reason, "File hash blacklisted");
+    return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
  }

-  // Step 3: Check pubkey whitelist
-  const char *whitelist_sql =
-      "SELECT rule_type FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = "
-      "'whitelist' AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND pattern_value = ? AND active = 1 LIMIT 1";
-  rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, whitelist_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-  if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-    sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, pubkey, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-
-    if (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
-      sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-      sqlite3_close(db);
-      return NOSTR_SUCCESS; // Allow whitelisted pubkey
-    }
-    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+  // Step 3: Check pubkey whitelist (includes wot_whitelist)
+  if (db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(pubkey)) {
+    return NOSTR_SUCCESS; // Allow whitelisted pubkey
  }

-  // Step 4: Check if any whitelist rules exist - if yes, deny by default
-  const char *whitelist_exists_sql =
-      "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM auth_rules WHERE rule_type = 'whitelist' "
-      "AND pattern_type = 'pubkey' AND active = 1 LIMIT 1";
-  rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, whitelist_exists_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-  if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-    if (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
-      int whitelist_count = sqlite3_column_int(stmt, 0);
-      if (whitelist_count > 0) {
-        // Set specific violation details for status code mapping
-        strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "whitelist_violation");
-        strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.reason,
-               "Public key not whitelisted for this operation");
-
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-        sqlite3_close(db);
-        return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
-      }
-    }
-    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+  // Step 4: If any whitelist rules exist, deny by default
+  if (has_active_whitelist_rules_cached()) {
+    strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.violation_type, "whitelist_violation");
+    strcpy(g_last_rule_violation.reason,
+           "Public key not whitelisted for this operation");
+    return NOSTR_ERROR_AUTH_REQUIRED;
  }

-  sqlite3_close(db);
  return NOSTR_SUCCESS; // Default allow if no restrictive rules matched
 }

@@ -818,7 +763,7 @@ int nostr_nip42_verify_auth_event(cJSON *event, const char *challenge_id,
  }
  
  // Check if event has the required tags for NIP-42
-  cJSON *tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+  cJSON *tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
  if (!tags || !cJSON_IsArray(tags)) {
    return NOSTR_ERROR_NIP42_AUTH_EVENT_INVALID;
  }
@@ -896,7 +841,7 @@ int nostr_nip42_verify_auth_event(cJSON *event, const char *challenge_id,
  }
  
  // Check created_at timestamp for reasonable bounds
-  cJSON *created_at_json = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
+  cJSON *created_at_json = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");
  if (created_at_json && cJSON_IsNumber(created_at_json)) {
    time_t created_at = (time_t)cJSON_GetNumberValue(created_at_json);
    if (abs((int)(now - created_at)) > time_tolerance_seconds) {
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 /* Embedded SQL Schema for C Nostr Relay
- * Schema Version: 11
+ * Schema Version: 12
 */
 #ifndef SQL_SCHEMA_H
 #define SQL_SCHEMA_H

 /* Schema version constant */
-#define EMBEDDED_SCHEMA_VERSION "11"
+#define EMBEDDED_SCHEMA_VERSION "12"

 /* Embedded SQL schema as C string literal */
 static const char* const EMBEDDED_SCHEMA_SQL = 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ static const char* const EMBEDDED_SCHEMA_SQL =
 -- Configuration system using config table\n\
 \n\
 -- Schema version tracking\n\
-PRAGMA user_version = 11;\n\
+PRAGMA user_version = 12;\n\
 \n\
 -- Enable foreign key support\n\
 PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;\n\
@@ -49,6 +49,25 @@ CREATE INDEX idx_events_kind_created_at ON events(kind, created_at DESC);\n\
 CREATE INDEX idx_events_pubkey_created_at ON events(pubkey, created_at DESC);\n\
 CREATE INDEX idx_events_pubkey_kind ON events(pubkey, kind);\n\
 \n\
+-- Denormalized event tags for fast indexed lookups\n\
+-- Replaces json_each(json(tags)) queries which cause full JSON parsing per row\n\
+CREATE TABLE event_tags (\n\
+    event_id TEXT NOT NULL,\n\
+    tag_name TEXT NOT NULL,\n\
+    tag_value TEXT NOT NULL,\n\
+    tag_index INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,\n\
+    FOREIGN KEY (event_id) REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE\n\
+);\n\
+\n\
+-- Primary lookup index: find events by tag name + value\n\
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_lookup ON event_tags(tag_name, tag_value);\n\
+\n\
+-- Reverse lookup: find all tags for an event (for cleanup)\n\
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_event ON event_tags(event_id);\n\
+\n\
+-- Composite index for common query pattern: tag + kind (via join)\n\
+CREATE INDEX idx_event_tags_value_name ON event_tags(tag_value, tag_name);\n\
+\n\
 -- Schema information table\n\
 CREATE TABLE schema_info (\n\
    key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,\n\
@@ -58,8 +77,8 @@ CREATE TABLE schema_info (\n\
 \n\
 -- Insert schema metadata\n\
 INSERT INTO schema_info (key, value) VALUES\n\
-    ('version', '11'),\n\
-    ('description', 'Added event_json column for 2500x performance improvement in event retrieval'),\n\
+    ('version', '12'),\n\
+    ('description', 'Added event_tags table for fast indexed tag lookups, replacing json_each() correlated subqueries'),\n\
    ('created_at', strftime('%s', 'now'));\n\
 \n\
 -- Helper views for common queries\n\
@@ -129,7 +148,7 @@ CREATE TABLE relay_seckey (\n\
 -- Used by request_validator.c for unified validation\n\
 CREATE TABLE auth_rules (\n\
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,\n\
-    rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required')),\n\
+    rule_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (rule_type IN ('whitelist', 'blacklist', 'rate_limit', 'auth_required', 'wot_whitelist')),\n\
    pattern_type TEXT NOT NULL CHECK (pattern_type IN ('pubkey', 'kind', 'ip', 'global')),\n\
    pattern_value TEXT,\n\
    active INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,\n\
@@ -311,4 +330,4 @@ SELECT\n\
 FROM events\n\
 WHERE created_at >= (strftime('%s', 'now') - 2592000);";

-#endif /* SQL_SCHEMA_H */
+#endif /* SQL_SCHEMA_H */
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#ifndef SQLITE_DB_OPS_H
+#define SQLITE_DB_OPS_H
+
+#include "db_ops.h"
+
+typedef struct sqlite_db_stmt sqlite_db_stmt_t;
+
+int sqlite_db_init(const char* connection_string);
+void sqlite_db_close(void);
+int sqlite_db_is_available(void);
+const char* sqlite_db_last_error(void);
+const char* sqlite_db_get_database_path(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_set_thread_connection(void* connection);
+void sqlite_db_clear_thread_connection(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_open_worker_connection(const char* db_path, void** out_connection);
+void sqlite_db_close_worker_connection(void* connection);
+
+int sqlite_db_prepare(const char* sql, sqlite_db_stmt_t** out_stmt);
+int sqlite_db_bind_text_param(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, const char* value);
+int sqlite_db_bind_int_param(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, int value);
+int sqlite_db_bind_int64_param(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int index, long long value);
+int sqlite_db_step_stmt(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+int sqlite_db_reset_stmt(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+const char* sqlite_db_column_text_value(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+int sqlite_db_column_int_value(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+long long sqlite_db_column_int64_value(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+double sqlite_db_column_double_value(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt, int col);
+void sqlite_db_finalize_stmt(sqlite_db_stmt_t* stmt);
+
+int sqlite_db_log_subscription_created(const char* sub_id, const char* wsi_ptr,
+                                       const char* client_ip, const char* filter_json);
+int sqlite_db_log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip);
+int sqlite_db_log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip);
+int sqlite_db_update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent);
+int sqlite_db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_get_event_pubkey(const char* event_id, char* pubkey_out, size_t pubkey_out_size);
+int sqlite_db_delete_event_by_id(const char* event_id, const char* requester_pubkey);
+int sqlite_db_delete_events_by_address(const char* pubkey, int kind,
+                                       const char* d_tag, long before_timestamp);
+
+int sqlite_db_is_pubkey_blacklisted(const char* pubkey);
+int sqlite_db_is_hash_blacklisted(const char* resource_hash);
+int sqlite_db_is_pubkey_whitelisted(const char* pubkey);
+int sqlite_db_count_active_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_count_with_sql(const char* sql, const char** bind_params, int bind_param_count, int* out_count);
+char* sqlite_db_execute_readonly_query_json(const char* query, const char* request_id,
+                                            char* error_message, size_t error_size,
+                                            int max_rows, int timeout_ms);
+
+int sqlite_db_get_total_event_count_ll(long long* out_count);
+int sqlite_db_get_event_count_since(time_t cutoff, long long* out_count);
+cJSON* sqlite_db_get_event_kind_distribution_rows(long long* out_total_events);
+cJSON* sqlite_db_get_top_pubkeys_rows(int limit);
+cJSON* sqlite_db_get_subscription_details_rows(void);
+
+cJSON* sqlite_db_get_all_config_rows(void);
+char* sqlite_db_get_config_value_dup(const char* key);
+int sqlite_db_set_config_value_full(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type,
+                                    const char* description, const char* category, int requires_restart);
+int sqlite_db_update_config_value_only(const char* key, const char* value);
+int sqlite_db_upsert_config_value(const char* key, const char* value, const char* data_type);
+int sqlite_db_store_relay_private_key_hex(const char* relay_privkey_hex);
+char* sqlite_db_get_relay_private_key_hex_dup(void);
+int sqlite_db_store_config_event(const cJSON* event);
+
+int sqlite_db_insert_event_with_json(const char* id, const char* pubkey, long long created_at,
+                                     int kind, const char* event_type, const char* content,
+                                     const char* sig, const char* tags_json, const char* event_json,
+                                     int* out_step_rc, int* out_extended_errcode);
+int sqlite_db_get_event_time_bounds(long long* out_min_created_at, long long* out_max_created_at);
+int sqlite_db_event_id_exists(const char* event_id, int* out_exists);
+cJSON* sqlite_db_retrieve_event_by_id(const char* event_id);
+char* sqlite_db_get_latest_event_pubkey_for_kind_dup(int kind);
+
+int sqlite_db_get_config_row_count(int* out_count);
+
+int sqlite_db_store_event_tags_cjson(const char* event_id, const cJSON* tags);
+int sqlite_db_populate_event_tags_from_existing(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_add_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int sqlite_db_remove_auth_rule(const char* rule_type, const char* pattern_type, const char* pattern_value);
+int sqlite_db_delete_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+int sqlite_db_count_wot_whitelist_rules(void);
+
+int sqlite_db_table_exists(const char* table_name, int* out_exists);
+char* sqlite_db_get_schema_version_dup(void);
+int sqlite_db_exec_sql(const char* sql);
+int sqlite_db_wal_checkpoint_passive(void);
+int sqlite_db_wal_checkpoint_truncate(void);
+
+#endif // SQLITE_DB_OPS_H
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <cjson/cJSON.h>
 #include "debug.h"
-#include <sqlite3.h>
+#include "db_ops.h"
+#include "thread_pool.h"
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
@@ -10,6 +11,34 @@
 #include <libwebsockets.h>
 #include "subscriptions.h"

+static void free_sub_log_created_payload_local(thread_pool_sub_log_created_payload_t* payload) {
+    if (!payload) return;
+    free(payload->sub_id);
+    free(payload->wsi_ptr);
+    free(payload->client_ip);
+    free(payload->filter_json);
+    free(payload);
+}
+
+static void free_sub_log_closed_payload_local(thread_pool_sub_log_closed_payload_t* payload) {
+    if (!payload) return;
+    free(payload->sub_id);
+    free(payload->client_ip);
+    free(payload);
+}
+
+static void free_sub_log_disconnected_payload_local(thread_pool_sub_log_disconnected_payload_t* payload) {
+    if (!payload) return;
+    free(payload->client_ip);
+    free(payload);
+}
+
+static void free_sub_update_events_payload_local(thread_pool_sub_update_events_payload_t* payload) {
+    if (!payload) return;
+    free(payload->sub_id);
+    free(payload);
+}
+
 // Forward declarations for logging functions

 // Forward declarations for configuration functions
@@ -28,9 +57,6 @@ int validate_search_term(const char* search_term, char* error_message, size_t er
 // Forward declaration for monitoring function
 void monitoring_on_subscription_change(void);

-// Global database variable
-extern sqlite3* g_db;
-
 // Configuration functions from config.c
 extern int get_config_bool(const char* key, int default_value);

@@ -192,32 +218,32 @@ subscription_filter_t* create_subscription_filter(cJSON* filter_json) {
    }
    
    // Copy filter criteria
-    cJSON* kinds = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "kinds");
+    cJSON* kinds = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "kinds");
    if (kinds && cJSON_IsArray(kinds)) {
        filter->kinds = cJSON_Duplicate(kinds, 1);
    }
    
-    cJSON* authors = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "authors");
+    cJSON* authors = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "authors");
    if (authors && cJSON_IsArray(authors)) {
        filter->authors = cJSON_Duplicate(authors, 1);
    }
    
-    cJSON* ids = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "ids");
+    cJSON* ids = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "ids");
    if (ids && cJSON_IsArray(ids)) {
        filter->ids = cJSON_Duplicate(ids, 1);
    }
    
-    cJSON* since = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "since");
+    cJSON* since = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "since");
    if (since && cJSON_IsNumber(since)) {
        filter->since = (long)cJSON_GetNumberValue(since);
    }
    
-    cJSON* until = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "until");
+    cJSON* until = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "until");
    if (until && cJSON_IsNumber(until)) {
        filter->until = (long)cJSON_GetNumberValue(until);
    }
    
-    cJSON* limit = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "limit");
+    cJSON* limit = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "limit");
    if (limit && cJSON_IsNumber(limit)) {
        filter->limit = (int)cJSON_GetNumberValue(limit);
    }
@@ -265,11 +291,14 @@ int validate_subscription_id(const char* sub_id) {
        return 0; // Empty or too long
    }

-    // Check for valid characters (alphanumeric, underscore, hyphen, colon, comma)
+    // Check for valid characters (alphanumeric, underscore, hyphen, colon, comma, plus)
+    // Plus URL-safe special characters: ! $ % & ( ) * . = ? @ # ~
    for (size_t i = 0; i < len; i++) {
        char c = sub_id[i];
        if (!((c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') ||
-              (c >= '0' && c <= '9') || c == '_' || c == '-' || c == ':' || c == ',')) {
+              (c >= '0' && c <= '9') || c == '_' || c == '-' || c == ':' || c == ',' || c == '+' ||
+              c == '!' || c == '$' || c == '%' || c == '&' || c == '(' || c == ')' ||
+              c == '*' || c == '.' || c == '=' || c == '?' || c == '@' || c == '#' || c == '~')) {
            return 0; // Invalid character
        }
    }
@@ -529,9 +558,9 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    }

    // Debug: Log event details being tested
-    cJSON* event_kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
-    cJSON* event_id_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
-    cJSON* event_created_at_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
+    cJSON* event_kind_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
+    cJSON* event_id_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "id");
+    cJSON* event_created_at_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");

    DEBUG_TRACE("FILTER_MATCH: Testing event kind=%d id=%.8s created_at=%ld",
        event_kind_obj ? (int)cJSON_GetNumberValue(event_kind_obj) : -1,
@@ -542,7 +571,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    if (filter->kinds && cJSON_IsArray(filter->kinds)) {
        DEBUG_TRACE("FILTER_MATCH: Checking kinds filter with %d kinds", cJSON_GetArraySize(filter->kinds));

-        cJSON* event_kind = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
+        cJSON* event_kind = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
        if (!event_kind || !cJSON_IsNumber(event_kind)) {
            DEBUG_WARN("FILTER_MATCH: Event has no valid kind field");
            return 0;
@@ -574,7 +603,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    
    // Check authors filter
    if (filter->authors && cJSON_IsArray(filter->authors)) {
-        cJSON* event_pubkey = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "pubkey");
+        cJSON* event_pubkey = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "pubkey");
        if (!event_pubkey || !cJSON_IsString(event_pubkey)) {
            return 0;
        }
@@ -601,7 +630,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    
    // Check IDs filter
    if (filter->ids && cJSON_IsArray(filter->ids)) {
-        cJSON* event_id = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
+        cJSON* event_id = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "id");
        if (!event_id || !cJSON_IsString(event_id)) {
            return 0;
        }
@@ -628,7 +657,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    
    // Check since filter
    if (filter->since > 0) {
-        cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
+        cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");
        if (!event_created_at || !cJSON_IsNumber(event_created_at)) {
            DEBUG_WARN("FILTER_MATCH: Event has no valid created_at field");
            return 0;
@@ -647,7 +676,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    
    // Check until filter
    if (filter->until > 0) {
-        cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
+        cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");
        if (!event_created_at || !cJSON_IsNumber(event_created_at)) {
            return 0;
        }
@@ -660,7 +689,7 @@ int event_matches_filter(cJSON* event, subscription_filter_t* filter) {
    
    // Check tag filters (e.g., #e, #p tags)
    if (filter->tag_filters && cJSON_IsObject(filter->tag_filters)) {
-        cJSON* event_tags = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "tags");
+        cJSON* event_tags = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "tags");
        if (!event_tags || !cJSON_IsArray(event_tags)) {
            return 0; // Event has no tags but filter requires tags
        }
@@ -774,9 +803,9 @@ int broadcast_event_to_subscriptions(cJSON* event) {
    int broadcasts = 0;

    // Log event details
-    cJSON* event_kind = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "kind");
-    cJSON* event_id = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
-    cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "created_at");
+    cJSON* event_kind = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "kind");
+    cJSON* event_id = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "id");
+    cJSON* event_created_at = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "created_at");

    DEBUG_TRACE("BROADCAST: Event kind=%d id=%.8s created_at=%ld",
        event_kind ? (int)cJSON_GetNumberValue(event_kind) : -1,
@@ -870,30 +899,40 @@ int broadcast_event_to_subscriptions(cJSON* event) {
    // Second pass: send messages without holding lock
    temp_sub_t* current_temp = matching_subs;
    while (current_temp) {
-        // Create EVENT message for this subscription
-        cJSON* event_msg = cJSON_CreateArray();
-        cJSON_AddItemToArray(event_msg, cJSON_CreateString("EVENT"));
-        cJSON_AddItemToArray(event_msg, cJSON_CreateString(current_temp->id));
-        cJSON_AddItemToArray(event_msg, cJSON_Duplicate(event, 1));
-        
-        char* msg_str = cJSON_Print(event_msg);
-        if (msg_str) {
-            size_t msg_len = strlen(msg_str);
-            unsigned char* buf = malloc(LWS_PRE + msg_len);
+        // Serialize event once per subscription using pre-serialized event_json if available,
+        // otherwise fall back to cJSON serialization.
+        // Format: ["EVENT","<sub_id>",<event_json>]
+        const char* event_json_str = NULL;
+        char* event_json_allocated = NULL;
+
+        // Try to get pre-serialized event_json field first (fast path)
+        cJSON* event_json_field = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(event, "event_json");
+        if (event_json_field && cJSON_IsString(event_json_field)) {
+            event_json_str = cJSON_GetStringValue(event_json_field);
+        } else {
+            // Fall back to serializing the event
+            event_json_allocated = cJSON_PrintUnformatted(event);
+            event_json_str = event_json_allocated;
+        }
+
+        if (event_json_str) {
+            size_t sub_id_len = strlen(current_temp->id);
+            size_t event_json_len = strlen(event_json_str);
+            // ["EVENT","<sub_id>",<event_json>]
+            size_t msg_len = 10 + sub_id_len + 3 + event_json_len + 1;
+
+            // Zero-copy: allocate with LWS_PRE prefix, write directly, transfer ownership to queue
+            unsigned char* buf = malloc(LWS_PRE + msg_len + 1);
            if (buf) {
-                memcpy(buf + LWS_PRE, msg_str, msg_len);
-                
-                // DEBUG: Log WebSocket frame details before sending
-                DEBUG_TRACE("WS_FRAME_SEND: type=EVENT sub=%s len=%zu data=%.100s%s",
-                    current_temp->id,
-                    msg_len,
-                    msg_str,
-                    msg_len > 100 ? "..." : "");
-                
-                // Queue message for proper libwebsockets pattern
+                char* msg_ptr = (char*)(buf + LWS_PRE);
+                snprintf(msg_ptr, msg_len + 1, "[\"EVENT\",\"%s\",%s]", current_temp->id, event_json_str);
+                size_t actual_len = strlen(msg_ptr);
+
+                DEBUG_TRACE("WS_FRAME_SEND: type=EVENT sub=%s len=%zu", current_temp->id, actual_len);
+
                struct per_session_data* pss = (struct per_session_data*)lws_wsi_user(current_temp->wsi);
-                if (queue_message(current_temp->wsi, pss, msg_str, msg_len, LWS_WRITE_TEXT) == 0) {
-                    // Message queued successfully
+                // queue_message_take_ownership takes buf ownership — no memcpy, no free needed here
+                if (queue_message_take_ownership(current_temp->wsi, pss, buf, actual_len, LWS_WRITE_TEXT) == 0) {
                    broadcasts++;

                    // Update events sent counter for this subscription
@@ -902,30 +941,22 @@ int broadcast_event_to_subscriptions(cJSON* event) {
                    while (update_sub) {
                        if (update_sub->wsi == current_temp->wsi &&
                            strcmp(update_sub->id, current_temp->id) == 0 &&
-                            update_sub->active) {  // Add active check to prevent use-after-free
+                            update_sub->active) {
                            update_sub->events_sent++;
                            break;
                        }
                        update_sub = update_sub->next;
                    }
                    pthread_mutex_unlock(&g_subscription_manager.subscriptions_lock);
-
-                    // Log event broadcast to database (optional - can be disabled for performance)
-                    // NOTE: event_broadcasts table removed due to FOREIGN KEY constraint issues
-                    // cJSON* event_id_obj = cJSON_GetObjectItem(event, "id");
-                    // if (event_id_obj && cJSON_IsString(event_id_obj)) {
-                    //     log_event_broadcast(cJSON_GetStringValue(event_id_obj), current_temp->id, current_temp->client_ip);
-                    // }
                } else {
                    DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to queue EVENT message for sub=%s", current_temp->id);
+                    // buf already freed by queue_message_take_ownership on failure
                }
-                
-                free(buf);
            }
-            free(msg_str);
        }
-        
-        cJSON_Delete(event_msg);
+        if (event_json_allocated) {
+            free(event_json_allocated);
+        }
        current_temp = current_temp->next;
    }
    
@@ -986,21 +1017,21 @@ int has_subscriptions_for_kind(int event_kind) {

 // Log subscription creation to database
 void log_subscription_created(const subscription_t* sub) {
-    if (!g_db || !sub) return;
-    
+    if (!sub) return;
+
    // Convert wsi pointer to string
    char wsi_str[32];
    snprintf(wsi_str, sizeof(wsi_str), "%p", (void*)sub->wsi);
-    
+
    // Create filter JSON for logging
    char* filter_json = NULL;
    if (sub->filters) {
        cJSON* filters_array = cJSON_CreateArray();
        subscription_filter_t* filter = sub->filters;
-        
+
        while (filter) {
            cJSON* filter_obj = cJSON_CreateObject();
-            
+
            if (filter->kinds) {
                cJSON_AddItemToObject(filter_obj, "kinds", cJSON_Duplicate(filter->kinds, 1));
            }
@@ -1029,99 +1060,119 @@ void log_subscription_created(const subscription_t* sub) {
                }
                cJSON_Delete(tags_obj);
            }
-            
+
            cJSON_AddItemToArray(filters_array, filter_obj);
            filter = filter->next;
        }
-        
+
        filter_json = cJSON_Print(filters_array);
        cJSON_Delete(filters_array);
    }
-    
-    // Use INSERT OR REPLACE to handle duplicates automatically
-    const char* sql =
-        "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO subscriptions (subscription_id, wsi_pointer, client_ip, event_type, filter_json) "
-        "VALUES (?, ?, ?, 'created', ?)";
-    
-    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
-    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, sub->id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, wsi_str, -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 3, sub->client_ip, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 4, filter_json ? filter_json : "[]", -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-        
-        sqlite3_step(stmt);
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+
+    if (!thread_pool_is_running()) {
+        db_log_subscription_created(sub->id, wsi_str, sub->client_ip, filter_json ? filter_json : "[]");
+        if (filter_json) free(filter_json);
+        return;
    }
-    
+
+    thread_pool_sub_log_created_payload_t* payload = calloc(1, sizeof(*payload));
+    if (!payload) {
+        if (filter_json) free(filter_json);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    payload->sub_id = strdup(sub->id);
+    payload->wsi_ptr = strdup(wsi_str);
+    payload->client_ip = strdup(sub->client_ip);
+    payload->filter_json = strdup(filter_json ? filter_json : "[]");
+
+    if (!payload->sub_id || !payload->wsi_ptr || !payload->client_ip || !payload->filter_json) {
+        free(payload->sub_id);
+        free(payload->wsi_ptr);
+        free(payload->client_ip);
+        free(payload->filter_json);
+        free(payload);
+        if (filter_json) free(filter_json);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    thread_pool_job_t job;
+    memset(&job, 0, sizeof(job));
+    job.type = THREAD_POOL_JOB_LOG_SUB_CREATED;
+    job.payload = payload;
+    job.payload_free = (thread_pool_payload_free_cb)free_sub_log_created_payload_local;
+
+    thread_pool_status_t submit_rc = thread_pool_submit_write(&job, NULL);
+    if (submit_rc != THREAD_POOL_STATUS_OK) {
+        free_sub_log_created_payload_local(payload);
+    }
+
    if (filter_json) free(filter_json);
 }

 // Log subscription closure to database
 void log_subscription_closed(const char* sub_id, const char* client_ip, const char* reason) {
    (void)reason; // Mark as intentionally unused
-    if (!g_db || !sub_id) return;
-    
-    const char* sql =
-        "INSERT INTO subscriptions (subscription_id, wsi_pointer, client_ip, event_type) "
-        "VALUES (?, '', ?, 'closed')";
-    
-    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
-    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, sub_id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, client_ip ? client_ip : "unknown", -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        
-        sqlite3_step(stmt);
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    if (!sub_id) return;
+
+    if (!thread_pool_is_running()) {
+        db_log_subscription_closed(sub_id, client_ip);
+        return;
    }
-    
-    // Update the corresponding 'created' entry with end time and events sent
-    const char* update_sql =
-        "UPDATE subscriptions "
-        "SET ended_at = strftime('%s', 'now') "
-        "WHERE subscription_id = ? AND event_type = 'created' AND ended_at IS NULL";
-    
-    rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, update_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, sub_id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        sqlite3_step(stmt);
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+
+    thread_pool_sub_log_closed_payload_t* payload = calloc(1, sizeof(*payload));
+    if (!payload) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    payload->sub_id = strdup(sub_id);
+    payload->client_ip = strdup(client_ip ? client_ip : "unknown");
+    if (!payload->sub_id || !payload->client_ip) {
+        free_sub_log_closed_payload_local(payload);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    thread_pool_job_t job;
+    memset(&job, 0, sizeof(job));
+    job.type = THREAD_POOL_JOB_LOG_SUB_CLOSED;
+    job.payload = payload;
+    job.payload_free = (thread_pool_payload_free_cb)free_sub_log_closed_payload_local;
+
+    thread_pool_status_t submit_rc = thread_pool_submit_write(&job, NULL);
+    if (submit_rc != THREAD_POOL_STATUS_OK) {
+        free_sub_log_closed_payload_local(payload);
    }
 }

 // Log subscription disconnection to database
 void log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip) {
-    if (!g_db || !client_ip) return;
-    
-    // Mark all active subscriptions for this client as disconnected
-    const char* sql =
-        "UPDATE subscriptions "
-        "SET ended_at = strftime('%s', 'now') "
-        "WHERE client_ip = ? AND event_type = 'created' AND ended_at IS NULL";
-    
-    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
-    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, client_ip, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-        int changes = sqlite3_changes(g_db);
-        sqlite3_step(stmt);
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-        
-        if (changes > 0) {
-            // Log a disconnection event
-            const char* insert_sql =
-                "INSERT INTO subscriptions (subscription_id, wsi_pointer, client_ip, event_type) "
-                "VALUES ('disconnect', '', ?, 'disconnected')";
-            
-            rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, insert_sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-            if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-                sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, client_ip, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
-                sqlite3_step(stmt);
-                sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-            }
-        }
+    if (!client_ip) return;
+
+    if (!thread_pool_is_running()) {
+        db_log_subscription_disconnected(client_ip);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    thread_pool_sub_log_disconnected_payload_t* payload = calloc(1, sizeof(*payload));
+    if (!payload) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    payload->client_ip = strdup(client_ip);
+    if (!payload->client_ip) {
+        free_sub_log_disconnected_payload_local(payload);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    thread_pool_job_t job;
+    memset(&job, 0, sizeof(job));
+    job.type = THREAD_POOL_JOB_LOG_SUB_DISCONNECTED;
+    job.payload = payload;
+    job.payload_free = (thread_pool_payload_free_cb)free_sub_log_disconnected_payload_local;
+
+    thread_pool_status_t submit_rc = thread_pool_submit_write(&job, NULL);
+    if (submit_rc != THREAD_POOL_STATUS_OK) {
+        free_sub_log_disconnected_payload_local(payload);
    }
 }

@@ -1148,55 +1199,52 @@ void log_subscription_disconnected(const char* client_ip) {

 // Update events sent counter for a subscription
 void update_subscription_events_sent(const char* sub_id, int events_sent) {
-    if (!g_db || !sub_id) return;
+    if (!sub_id) return;

-    const char* sql =
-        "UPDATE subscriptions "
-        "SET events_sent = ? "
-        "WHERE subscription_id = ? AND event_type = 'created'";
+    if (!thread_pool_is_running()) {
+        db_update_subscription_events_sent(sub_id, events_sent);
+        return;
+    }

-    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
-    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc == SQLITE_OK) {
-        sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, events_sent);
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, sub_id, -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
+    thread_pool_sub_update_events_payload_t* payload = calloc(1, sizeof(*payload));
+    if (!payload) {
+        return;
+    }

-        sqlite3_step(stmt);
-        sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+    payload->sub_id = strdup(sub_id);
+    payload->events_sent = events_sent;
+    if (!payload->sub_id) {
+        free_sub_update_events_payload_local(payload);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    thread_pool_job_t job;
+    memset(&job, 0, sizeof(job));
+    job.type = THREAD_POOL_JOB_UPDATE_SUB_EVENTS_SENT;
+    job.payload = payload;
+    job.payload_free = (thread_pool_payload_free_cb)free_sub_update_events_payload_local;
+
+    thread_pool_status_t submit_rc = thread_pool_submit_write(&job, NULL);
+    if (submit_rc != THREAD_POOL_STATUS_OK) {
+        free_sub_update_events_payload_local(payload);
    }
 }

 // Cleanup all subscriptions on startup
 void cleanup_all_subscriptions_on_startup(void) {
-    if (!g_db) {
+    if (!db_is_available()) {
        DEBUG_ERROR("Database not available for startup cleanup");
        return;
    }
-    
+
    DEBUG_LOG("Performing startup subscription cleanup");
-    
-    // Mark all active subscriptions as disconnected
-    const char* sql =
-        "UPDATE subscriptions "
-        "SET ended_at = strftime('%s', 'now') "
-        "WHERE event_type = 'created' AND ended_at IS NULL";
-    
-    sqlite3_stmt* stmt;
-    int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_db, sql, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-    if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to prepare startup cleanup query");
-        return;
-    }
-    
-    rc = sqlite3_step(stmt);
-    int changes = sqlite3_changes(g_db);
-    sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
-    
-    if (rc != SQLITE_DONE) {
+
+    int changes = db_cleanup_orphaned_subscriptions();
+    if (changes < 0) {
        DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to execute startup cleanup");
        return;
    }
-    
+
    if (changes > 0) {
        DEBUG_LOG("Startup cleanup: marked %d orphaned subscriptions as disconnected", changes);
    } else {
@@ -1470,7 +1518,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    int has_kind_99999 = 0;  // Track if we encounter kind 99999 (NDK ping)

    // Validate kinds array
-    cJSON* kinds = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "kinds");
+    cJSON* kinds = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "kinds");
    if (kinds) {
        if (!cJSON_IsArray(kinds)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "kinds must be an array");
@@ -1513,7 +1561,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    }

    // Validate authors array
-    cJSON* authors = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "authors");
+    cJSON* authors = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "authors");
    if (authors) {
        if (!cJSON_IsArray(authors)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "authors must be an array");
@@ -1553,7 +1601,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    }

    // Validate ids array
-    cJSON* ids = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "ids");
+    cJSON* ids = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "ids");
    if (ids) {
        if (!cJSON_IsArray(ids)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "ids must be an array");
@@ -1595,7 +1643,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    // Validate since/until timestamps
    long since_val = 0, until_val = 0;

-    cJSON* since = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "since");
+    cJSON* since = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "since");
    if (since) {
        if (!cJSON_IsNumber(since)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "since must be a number");
@@ -1604,7 +1652,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
        since_val = (long)cJSON_GetNumberValue(since);
    }

-    cJSON* until = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "until");
+    cJSON* until = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "until");
    if (until) {
        if (!cJSON_IsNumber(until)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "until must be a number");
@@ -1618,7 +1666,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    }

    // Validate limit
-    cJSON* limit = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "limit");
+    cJSON* limit = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "limit");
    if (limit) {
        if (!cJSON_IsNumber(limit)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "limit must be a number");
@@ -1632,7 +1680,7 @@ int validate_filter_values(cJSON* filter_json, char* error_message, size_t error
    }

    // Validate search term
-    cJSON* search = cJSON_GetObjectItem(filter_json, "search");
+    cJSON* search = cJSON_GetObjectItemCaseSensitive(filter_json, "search");
    if (search) {
        if (!cJSON_IsString(search)) {
            snprintf(error_message, error_size, "search must be a string");
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Subscription system structures and functions for C-Relay
+// Subscription system structures and functions for C-Relay-PG
 // This header defines subscription management functionality

 #ifndef SUBSCRIPTIONS_H
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More
Author	SHA1	Message	Date
Laan Tungir	232f93c16f	v2.1.11 - Fix api-worker DB lifecycle and NIP test reliability: add dedicated worker DB connection, guard PG expiration cast in REQ path, correct NIP-45 baseline-aware expectation, and harden run_all_tests skip handling	2026-04-03 07:32:14 -04:00
Laan Tungir	9a9365dcfa	v2.1.10 - Fix NIP-50 PG search semantics and NIP-17 test compatibility	2026-04-02 13:00:34 -04:00
Laan Tungir	5577b57149	v2.1.9 - Rebrand repository, docs, scripts, and tooling from c-relay to c-relay-pg	2026-04-02 07:06:41 -04:00
Laan Tungir	22c943d495	v2.1.8 - Implement explicit WAL checkpoint scheduling and disable SQLite auto-checkpoint	2026-04-01 21:03:24 -04:00
Laan Tungir	7e3d9b6825	v2.1.7 - Refactor SQLite connection ownership into db_ops, remove direct sqlite usage from runtime modules, and document agent-browser admin testing flow	2026-04-01 19:48:29 -04:00
Laan Tungir	547d22d09f	v2.1.6 - Fix strict-mode admin API key access by prewarming config and relay private key caches	2026-04-01 19:08:42 -04:00
Laan Tungir	ce9ae5a488	v2.1.5 - Offload duplicate and COUNT paths, add config/NIP-11 caching, and reduce DB reader threads	2026-04-01 16:15:46 -04:00
Laan Tungir	9b248b740f	v2.1.4 - Harden async EVENT fallback handling and verify relay/nginx 503 behavior	2026-04-01 15:19:28 -04:00
Laan Tungir	0f77aeb72b	v2.1.3 - Fix async EVENT thread safety by splitting store core/post-actions and naming lws main thread	2026-04-01 11:29:14 -04:00
Laan Tungir	bb64651a0c	v2.1.2 - Fix async REQ callback leak and validate Phase 2+3 subscription offload path	2026-04-01 11:01:38 -04:00
Laan Tungir	17be9c2b03	v2.1.1 - Wire REQ/COUNT/EVENT paths through thread pool sync helpers and stabilize filter limit tests	2026-04-01 09:38:25 -04:00
Laan Tungir	f396c622b6	v2.1.0 - Bump to v2.1.0 as SQLite baseline for PostgreSQL fork handoff	2026-04-01 09:14:23 -04:00
Laan Tungir	cbd260c1ae	v2.0.4 - Complete Phase 1 DB abstraction: opaque db_stmt API, ip_ban migration, and SQLite leakage cleanup	2026-04-01 09:10:42 -04:00
Laan Tungir	bc9ac290ab	v2.0.3 - Complete Phase 1 SQLite abstraction cleanup across config/api/websockets and add db path accessor	2026-04-01 07:47:21 -04:00
Laan Tungir	192eeb248d	v2.0.2 - Stabilize websocket queue draining, add db config count helper, and align NIP-45/50 test expectations	2026-04-01 07:04:58 -04:00
Laan Tungir	da6c505420	v2.0.1 - Fix test-mode build/restart pipeline and NIP-11 root path handling; validate core NIP tests	2026-04-01 05:43:57 -04:00
Laan Tungir	c077c209e5	v2.0.0 - Major architecture refactor: db_ops abstraction, low-risk SQLite refactor, and thread-pool scaffolding	2026-04-01 05:25:03 -04:00
Laan Tungir	9bf02702c2	v1.2.56 - Update codebase and documentation	2026-04-01 04:51:44 -04:00
Your Name	0920cc092d	v1.2.55 - Preserve relay version metadata for API header/title and accept JSON NIP-11 content type	2026-03-23 09:09:50 -04:00
Your Name	a89460be5d	v1.2.54 - Sync relay_version to compiled CRELAY_VERSION on startup and show version in API header/title	2026-03-23 09:04:49 -04:00
Your Name	ff2a3aa335	v1.2.53 - Fix P0 config-value memory leaks in hot paths and add investigation plan	2026-03-19 07:59:40 -04:00
Your Name	94b61e8a7c	v1.2.52 - Update nostr_core_lib to v0.4.13 and route nostr logs through relay callback logger	2026-03-13 14:33:08 -04:00
Your Name	b0c0754e83	v1.2.51 - Fix NIP-01 non-compliance: limit:0 now correctly returns zero stored events instead of falling through to default_limit	2026-03-04 11:23:58 -04:00
Your Name	3265e3d114	v1.2.50 - Fix NIP-42 relay URL verification and add onauth to all publish flows	2026-03-01 12:20:44 -04:00
Your Name	927659ece1	v1.2.49 - Fix: MEM% bar format (bar then MB), move CPU Core row after CPU Usage	2026-02-25 07:37:50 -04:00
Your Name	b6ff4150b4	v1.2.48 - Add CPU% and MEM% ASCII bar graphs to API page stats	2026-02-25 07:33:06 -04:00
Your Name	63bc526163	v1.2.47 - Fix build: use getter function for g_connection_count (was static, can't extern)	2026-02-25 07:24:17 -04:00
Your Name	a1f712236a	v1.2.46 - Fix: move extern g_connection_count to file scope in api.c	2026-02-25 07:22:14 -04:00
Your Name	06e6c17b7b	v1.2.45 - Add WebSocket Connections to system status: api.c sends active_connections, HTML+JS display it	2026-02-25 07:18:42 -04:00
Your Name	0751a7c55c	v1.2.44 - IP Bans: show idle+auth bans in stats/status, fix filter buttons, add idle ban columns to query	2026-02-25 07:12:07 -04:00
Your Name	f1728932a9	v1.2.43 - IP Bans page: fix filter buttons, add whitelist management UI, compact table rows	2026-02-25 07:08:20 -04:00
Your Name	ef8bdef2a8	v1.2.42 - IP Bans page: fix filter buttons, add whitelist management UI, compact table rows	2026-02-25 07:08:12 -04:00
Your Name	c11a8ba292	v1.2.41 - Fix IP Bans page: route ip_bans SQL responses to handleIpBansResponse	2026-02-25 06:59:22 -04:00
Your Name	0f124fe575	v1.2.40 - IP Bans page: show whitelisted IPs with star icon, hide Unban button for whitelisted IPs	2026-02-25 06:54:35 -04:00
Your Name	6b20452fab	v1.2.39 - Fix IP Bans page: convert rows+columns SQL response format to objects for display	2026-02-25 06:53:50 -04:00
Your Name	10c19bc243	v1.2.38 - Add idle_ban_whitelist config: comma-separated IPs that are never idle-banned	2026-02-25 06:48:41 -04:00
Your Name	3d7aa2196f	v1.2.37 - Fix: executeSqlQueryRaw uses relayPool/sendAdminCommand instead of undefined pool variable	2026-02-25 06:43:29 -04:00
Your Name	a416c3f275	v1.2.36 - Fix: don't reset relay connection state when external relays time out in subscription onclose	2026-02-25 06:33:25 -04:00
Your Name	bba9baabc3	v1.2.35 - Fix: only record idle ban failures for WebSocket connections, not HTTP requests (NIP-11/embedded files)	2026-02-24 17:41:59 -04:00
Your Name	31187c4c4f	v1.2.34 - Fix: mark HTTP requests (NIP-11, embedded files) as session_active to prevent idle ban on legitimate HTTP clients	2026-02-24 17:07:33 -04:00
Your Name	55f862b879	v1.2.33 - Set default debug_level to 3 (INFO)	2026-02-24 16:06:19 -04:00
Your Name	76c9b3fcf0	v1.2.32 - Set idle_ban_threshold default to 1 and idle_ban_window_sec default to 30	2026-02-24 15:45:40 -04:00
Your Name	929bd09164	v1.2.31 - Fix idle connection timeout: use global connection list + periodic timer instead of lws_set_timeout which was not firing	2026-02-24 15:44:11 -04:00
Your Name	d17f1dd8d5	v1.2.30 - Temporarily bypass admin verification on API page (idle timeout fix pending)	2026-02-24 14:55:39 -04:00
Your Name	207a949835	v1.2.29 - Added idle connection ban system - bans IPs that connect but never send REQ/EVENT (idle timeout or early disconnect) with separate rate limiting from auth failures	2026-02-24 14:18:27 -04:00
Your Name	d08f4e4221	v1.2.28 - Add debug_level config setting: live update every 60s without restart, default 0	2026-02-24 08:56:32 -04:00
Your Name	c96736fa6a	v1.2.27 - Permanent ban escalation: ban_count never resets, IPs with history always get 24h ban on next failure	2026-02-23 18:18:55 -04:00
Your Name	f8ec4ae924	v1.2.26 - Persistent IP ban table: save/load to ip_bans DB, auth success tracking, lifetime stats per IP	2026-02-23 18:16:14 -04:00
Your Name	fe7304ac7f	v1.2.25 - Add NIP-42 AUTH support to web UI: onauth callback in subscribeMany and publish calls	2026-02-23 18:03:29 -04:00
Your Name	e5d39c984b	v1.2.24 - Fix: run ip_ban maintenance unconditionally every 60s regardless of max_connection_seconds setting	2026-02-23 17:57:20 -04:00
Your Name	5e45f21e35	v1.2.23 - ip_ban: retain ban_count for 24 hours after last ban expiry, then fully clean entry	2026-02-23 17:16:02 -04:00
Your Name	5321a238b8	v1.2.22 - Fix ip_ban cleanup: preserve ban_count on cleanup so exponential backoff persists across ban expiry	2026-02-23 17:12:15 -04:00
Your Name	083bc14972	v1.2.21 - Fix IP ban check: use pss->client_ip (proxy-aware) instead of raw socket IP to match failure recording	2026-02-23 16:26:23 -04:00
Your Name	11aaccba9b	v1.2.20 - Add IP auth failure ban system: track failures per IP, ban after threshold with exponential backoff, periodic log stats	2026-02-23 16:02:07 -04:00
Your Name	bd1bbd763d	v1.2.19 - Add IP auth failure ban system: track failures per IP, ban after threshold with exponential backoff, periodic log stats	2026-02-23 16:00:53 -04:00
Your Name	2bd7aa5a10	v1.2.18 - Proactive auth timeout via lws_set_timeout: close idle unauthenticated connections after nip42_auth_timeout_sec even without REQ	2026-02-23 15:37:45 -04:00
Your Name	361912ec85	v1.2.17 - Add nip42_auth_timeout_sec (default 10s): close unauthenticated connections after timeout to prevent connection accumulation	2026-02-23 15:22:18 -04:00
Your Name	0de491382e	v1.2.16 - Fix auth rules UI: change label/placeholder/errors from nsec to npub (public key, not private key)	2026-02-23 14:36:19 -04:00
Your Name	3148bbbee7	v1.2.15 - Admin verification: show 'Waiting for response' with status updates, 60s timeout, no premature access denied	2026-02-23 14:26:02 -04:00
Your Name	3965ba04d8	v1.2.14 - Handle late admin verification response: grant access even if timeout already fired and access-denied overlay was shown	2026-02-23 14:24:55 -04:00
Your Name	b96af938bd	v1.2.13 - Add WoT status to NIP-11 response: restricted_writes, auth_required, and web_of_trust object when WoT enabled	2026-02-23 14:22:08 -04:00
Your Name	89c8248013	v1.2.12 - Increase admin verification timeout from 5s to 30s; continue waiting after publish timeout under heavy load	2026-02-23 14:16:56 -04:00
Your Name	d8f477c6cf	v1.2.11 - Early duplicate check before secp256k1 signature verification — skip crypto for events already in DB	2026-02-23 14:01:23 -04:00
Your Name	040eeadb13	v1.2.10 - Zero-copy message queue: eliminate memcpy in broadcast and REQ paths via queue_message_take_ownership()	2026-02-23 13:45:56 -04:00
Your Name	83f8b0ab88	v1.2.9 - Replace cJSON_GetObjectItem with CaseSensitive variant (178 calls) — eliminates 14% CPU from tolower+linear scan in hot path	2026-02-23 13:25:50 -04:00
Your Name	b82f7eaaf3	v1.2.8 - Add debug build support: _debug suffix in build_static.sh, deploy_lt_debug.sh with perf profiling workflow	2026-02-23 13:07:53 -04:00
Your Name	0dc5b75d7c	v1.2.7 - Add configurable SQLite mmap_size (256MB) and cache_size (64MB) PRAGMAs for ~20% CPU reduction from DB read overhead	2026-02-23 09:48:01 -04:00
Your Name	e94b1a81e3	v1.2.6 - Add MAX_MESSAGE_QUEUE_SIZE=500 limit to prevent OOM from unbounded write queue; fix wasted buf allocation in broadcast	2026-02-23 09:12:09 -04:00
Your Name	1adabdbc4e	v1.2.5 - Add nip17_admin_enabled config toggle (default off) to prevent OOM from NIP-17 gift wrap decryption flood	2026-02-23 08:58:10 -04:00
Your Name	81d44c3d8c	v1.2.4 - Add more characters to valid subscription characters	2026-02-11 05:56:09 -04:00
Your Name	7acc0bdd90	v1.2.3 - Handle rate limiting properly on kind 99999 request	2026-02-09 07:49:43 -04:00
Your Name	c4ef71d673	v1.2.2 - Add + to allowed subscription characters	2026-02-07 13:32:00 -04:00
				`@@ -0,0 +1 @@`
				`key,value,data_type,description,category,requires_restart,created_at,updated_at`