diff --git a/api/index.js b/api/index.js
index c12a323..1a86837 100644
--- a/api/index.js
+++ b/api/index.js
@@ -536,7 +536,15 @@ async function verifyAdminAccess() {
         console.log('Continuing to wait for admin response despite publish error...');
     }
 
-    // Set timeout for admin verification (30 seconds — relay may be under heavy load)
+    // Update status message after 5 seconds to indicate relay is under load
+    setTimeout(() => {
+        const statusEl = document.getElementById('admin-verify-status');
+        if (statusEl && pendingAdminVerification) {
+            statusEl.textContent = 'Relay is under heavy load — still waiting for response...';
+        }
+    }, 5000);
+
+    // Final timeout: 60 seconds — if no response by then, deny access
     adminVerificationTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
         if (pendingAdminVerification) {
             console.log('⛔ Admin verification timeout - user is not admin');
@@ -545,7 +553,7 @@ async function verifyAdminAccess() {
             hideAdminVerificationLoading();
             showAccessDeniedOverlay();
         }
-    }, 30000);
+    }, 60000);
 }
 
 // Show loading indicator while verifying admin access
@@ -560,7 +568,7 @@ function showAdminVerificationLoading() {
             <div class="admin-verification-content">
                 <div class="spinner"></div>
                 <h3>Verifying Administrator Access...</h3>
-                <p>Please wait while we verify your admin privileges.</p>
+                <p id="admin-verify-status">Waiting for response from relay...</p>
             </div>
         `;
         document.body.appendChild(loadingOverlay);
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 89c1b81..13f83ad 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 // 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 14
-#define CRELAY_VERSION "v1.2.14"
+#define CRELAY_VERSION_PATCH 15
+#define CRELAY_VERSION "v1.2.15"
 
 // Relay metadata (authoritative source for NIP-11 information)
 #define RELAY_NAME "C-Relay"