diff --git a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/bucket_entry.rs b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/bucket_entry.rs
index 8f3d0155..39f7e9f4 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/bucket_entry.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/bucket_entry.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,6 @@ impl BucketEntryInner {
         *opt_current_sni = None;
     }
 
-    // Retuns true if the node info changed
     pub fn update_signed_node_info(
         &mut self,
         routing_domain: RoutingDomain,
@@ -289,6 +288,13 @@ impl BucketEntryInner {
         self.set_envelope_support(envelope_support);
         self.updated_since_last_network_change = true;
         self.touch_last_seen(get_aligned_timestamp());
+
+        // If we're updating an entry's node info, purge all 
+        // but the last connection in our last connections list
+        // because the dial info could have changed and its safer to just reconnect.
+        // The latest connection would have been the once we got the new node info
+        // over so that connection is still valid.
+        self.clear_last_connections_except_latest();
     }
 
     pub fn has_node_info(&self, routing_domain_set: RoutingDomainSet) -> bool {
@@ -410,6 +416,35 @@ impl BucketEntryInner {
         self.last_connections.clear();
     }
 
+    // Clears the table of last connections except the most recent one
+    pub fn clear_last_connections_except_latest(&mut self) {
+        if self.last_connections.len() == 0 {
+            // No last_connections
+            return;
+        }
+        let mut dead_keys = Vec::with_capacity(self.last_connections.len()-1);
+        let mut most_recent_connection = None;
+        let mut most_recent_connection_time = 0u64;
+        for (k, v) in &self.last_connections {
+            let lct = v.1.as_u64();
+            if lct > most_recent_connection_time {
+                most_recent_connection = Some(k);
+                most_recent_connection_time = lct;
+            }
+        }
+        let Some(most_recent_connection) = most_recent_connection else {
+            return;
+        };
+        for (k, _) in &self.last_connections {
+            if k != most_recent_connection {
+                dead_keys.push(k.clone());
+            }
+        }
+        for dk in dead_keys {
+            self.last_connections.remove(&dk);
+        }
+    }
+
     // Gets all the 'last connections' that match a particular filter, and their accompanying timestamps of last use
     pub(super) fn last_connections(
         &self,
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/ping_validator.rs b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/ping_validator.rs
index 54f84dae..7f47fbc0 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/ping_validator.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/routing_table/tasks/ping_validator.rs
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ impl RoutingTable {
             let relay_nr_filtered =
                 relay_nr.filtered_clone(NodeRefFilter::new().with_dial_info_filter(dif));
 
-            #[cfg(feature = "network-result-extra")]
-            log_rtab!(debug "--> Keepalive ping to {:?}", relay_nr_filtered);
+            //#[cfg(feature = "network-result-extra")]
+            log_rtab!("--> Keepalive ping to {:?}", relay_nr_filtered);
 
             unord.push(
                 async move {
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ impl RoutingTable {
         // Just do a single ping with the best protocol for all the other nodes to check for liveness
         for nr in node_refs {
             let rpc = rpc.clone();
+            log_rtab!("--> Validator ping to {:?}", nr);
             unord.push(
                 async move { rpc.rpc_call_status(Destination::direct(nr)).await }
                     .instrument(Span::current())
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/veilid_api/debug.rs b/veilid-core/src/veilid_api/debug.rs
index 01f02043..ebe633d5 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/veilid_api/debug.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/veilid_api/debug.rs
@@ -526,6 +526,37 @@ impl VeilidAPI {
         Ok(routing_table.debug_info_entry(node_ref))
     }
 
+    async fn debug_relay(&self, args: String) -> VeilidAPIResult<String> {
+        let args: Vec<String> = args.split_whitespace().map(|s| s.to_owned()).collect();
+        let routing_table = self.network_manager()?.routing_table();
+
+        let relay_node = get_debug_argument_at(
+            &args,
+            0,
+            "debug_relay",
+            "node_id",
+            get_node_ref(routing_table),
+        )?;
+
+        let routing_domain = get_debug_argument_at(
+            &args,
+            0,
+            "debug_relay",
+            "routing_domain",
+            get_routing_domain,
+        )
+        .ok()
+        .unwrap_or(RoutingDomain::PublicInternet);
+
+        // Dump routing table entry
+        let routing_table = self.network_manager()?.routing_table();
+        routing_table
+            .edit_routing_domain(routing_domain)
+            .set_relay_node(relay_node)
+            .commit();
+        Ok("Relay changed".to_owned())
+    }
+
     async fn debug_nodeinfo(&self, _args: String) -> VeilidAPIResult<String> {
         // Dump routing table entry
         let routing_table = self.network_manager()?.routing_table();
@@ -1306,6 +1337,7 @@ detach
 restart network
 contact <node>[<modifiers>]
 ping <destination>
+relay <relay> [public|local]
 route allocate [ord|*ord] [rel] [<count>] [in|out]
       release <route>
       publish <route> [full]
@@ -1374,6 +1406,8 @@ record list <local|remote>
                 self.debug_entries(rest).await
             } else if arg == "entry" {
                 self.debug_entry(rest).await
+            } else if arg == "relay" {
+                self.debug_relay(rest).await
             } else if arg == "ping" {
                 self.debug_ping(rest).await
             } else if arg == "contact" {