diff --git a/src/app/components/DeviceVerification.tsx b/src/app/components/DeviceVerification.tsx
index c26bee3ee..91c8db0fd 100644
--- a/src/app/components/DeviceVerification.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/DeviceVerification.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import { useRefreshDeviceVerificationStatus } from '$hooks/useDeviceVerification
 import { AsyncStatus, useAsyncCallback } from '$hooks/useAsyncCallback';
 import { ContainerColor } from '$styles/ContainerColor.css';
 import { ModalOverlay } from '$components/modal-overlay/ModalOverlay';
+import { useMatrixClient } from '$hooks/useMatrixClient';
+import type { CryptoBackend } from '$types/matrix-sdk';
 import { Button } from '$components/button';
 
 const DialogHeaderStyles: CSSProperties = {
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ function VerificationWaitStart() {
   );
 }
 
+const PENDING_REQUEST_POLL_MS = 2000;
+
 type VerificationStartProps = {
   onStart: () => Promise<void>;
 };
@@ -309,10 +313,27 @@ export function DeviceVerification({ request, onExit }: DeviceVerificationProps)
 }
 
 export function ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification() {
+  const mx = useMatrixClient();
   const [request, setRequest] = useState<VerificationRequest>();
 
   useVerificationRequestReceived(setRequest);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (request) return undefined;
+    const crypto = mx.getCrypto() as CryptoBackend | undefined;
+    if (!crypto?.getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress) return undefined;
+
+    const adopt = () => {
+      const pending = crypto
+        .getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress(mx.getSafeUserId())
+        .find((candidate) => candidate.isSelfVerification && !candidate.initiatedByMe);
+      if (pending) setRequest(pending);
+    };
+    adopt();
+    const timer = setInterval(adopt, PENDING_REQUEST_POLL_MS);
+    return () => clearInterval(timer);
+  }, [mx, request]);
+
   const handleExit = useCallback(() => {
     setRequest(undefined);
   }, []);
diff --git a/src/app/components/ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification.test.tsx b/src/app/components/ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..799d122fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/components/ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification } from './DeviceVerification';
+
+const getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress = vi.hoisted(() =>
+  vi.fn<(userId: string) => unknown[]>()
+);
+const listeners = vi.hoisted(() => new Map<string, (request: unknown) => void>());
+
+vi.mock('$hooks/useMatrixClient', () => ({
+  useMatrixClient: () => ({
+    getSafeUserId: () => '@me:example.org',
+    getCrypto: () => ({ getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress }),
+    on: (event: string, handler: (request: unknown) => void) => listeners.set(event, handler),
+    removeListener: (event: string) => listeners.delete(event),
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('$components/modal-overlay/ModalOverlay', () => ({
+  ModalOverlay: ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => <div>{children}</div>,
+}));
+
+const pendingRequest = {
+  isSelfVerification: true,
+  initiatedByMe: false,
+  pending: true,
+  phase: 1,
+  on: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+  removeListener: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+};
+
+const renderReceiver = () =>
+  render(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={new QueryClient()}>
+      <ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification />
+    </QueryClientProvider>
+  );
+
+describe('ReceiveSelfDeviceVerification', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    listeners.clear();
+  });
+
+  it('shows a request that arrived before it was mounted', async () => {
+    getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress.mockReturnValue([pendingRequest]);
+
+    renderReceiver();
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText('Device Verification')).toBeInTheDocument());
+  });
+
+  it('ignores a request this device started', async () => {
+    getVerificationRequestsToDeviceInProgress.mockReturnValue([
+      { ...pendingRequest, initiatedByMe: true },
+    ]);
+
+    renderReceiver();
+
+    await new Promise((resolve) => {
+      setTimeout(resolve, 20);
+    });
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Device Verification')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/EngineCrypto.ts b/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/EngineCrypto.ts
index f49237c4d..d1a909e1e 100644
--- a/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/EngineCrypto.ts
+++ b/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/EngineCrypto.ts
@@ -240,6 +240,20 @@ type EngineDecryptedEvent = {
   forwarderDevice?: string | null;
 };
 
+const countRecipients = (body: string): number => {
+  try {
+    const messages = (JSON.parse(body) as { messages?: Record<string, Record<string, unknown>> })
+      .messages;
+    if (!messages) return 0;
+    return Object.values(messages).reduce(
+      (total, devices) => total + Object.keys(devices).length,
+      0
+    );
+  } catch {
+    return -1;
+  }
+};
+
 const isOutgoingRequest = (value: unknown): value is OutgoingRequest => {
   if (!value || typeof value !== 'object') return false;
   const candidate = value as Partial<OutgoingRequest>;
@@ -604,7 +618,33 @@ export class EngineCrypto
       outgoingRequest?: unknown;
     };
     if (isOutgoingRequest(started.outgoingRequest)) {
-      await sendOutgoingRequest(this.#mx, started.outgoingRequest);
+      const recipients = countRecipients(started.outgoingRequest.body);
+      traceVerification('Sending a verification request', {
+        method,
+        flowId: started.request.flowId,
+        recipientDevices: recipients,
+      });
+      if (recipients === 0) {
+        warnVerification('The verification request reaches no device', {
+          method,
+          flowId: started.request.flowId,
+        });
+      }
+      try {
+        await sendOutgoingRequest(this.#mx, started.outgoingRequest);
+      } catch (error) {
+        warnVerification('The verification request could not be sent', {
+          method,
+          flowId: started.request.flowId,
+          reason: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
+        });
+        throw error;
+      }
+    } else {
+      warnVerification('The engine returned no verification request to send', {
+        method,
+        flowId: started.request.flowId,
+      });
     }
     await this.#flushOutgoingRequests();
 
diff --git a/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/incomingVerificationRequest.test.ts b/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/incomingVerificationRequest.test.ts
index d7976081c..bfc43fd90 100644
--- a/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/incomingVerificationRequest.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/crypto/engineCrypto/incomingVerificationRequest.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { CryptoEvent, EventType, type MatrixClient } from '$types/matrix-sdk';
 import { engineInvoke } from '../olmMachine/engineInvoke';
+import { traceVerification, warnVerification } from '$utils/verificationTrace';
 import { EngineCrypto } from './EngineCrypto';
 
+vi.mock('$utils/verificationTrace', () => ({
+  traceVerification: vi.fn<(message: string, data?: unknown) => void>(),
+  warnVerification: vi.fn<(message: string, data?: unknown) => void>(),
+}));
+
 vi.mock('../olmMachine/engineInvoke', () => ({
   engineInvoke: vi.fn<(...args: never[]) => Promise<unknown>>(),
 }));
@@ -27,6 +33,75 @@ const requestState = {
   isSelfVerification: true,
 };
 
+describe('sending a verification request', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockInvoke.mockReset();
+    vi.mocked(traceVerification).mockClear();
+    vi.mocked(warnVerification).mockClear();
+  });
+
+  it('reports when the request reaches no device', async () => {
+    const { mx } = clientSpy();
+    mockInvoke.mockImplementation(async (_identity, method) => {
+      if (method === 'queryKeysForUsers') {
+        return { id: 'q1', type: 1, className: 'KeysQueryRequest', body: '{}' };
+      }
+      if (method === 'device.requestVerification') {
+        return {
+          request: requestState,
+          outgoingRequest: {
+            id: 'txn',
+            type: 3,
+            body: JSON.stringify({ messages: {} }),
+            event_type: 'm.key.verification.request',
+            txn_id: 'txn',
+          },
+        };
+      }
+      return [];
+    });
+
+    const crypto = new EngineCrypto(mx, { userId: '@me:e.org', deviceId: 'D' });
+    await crypto.requestDeviceVerification('@me:e.org', 'OTHER');
+
+    expect(warnVerification).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'The verification request reaches no device',
+      expect.objectContaining({ flowId: '$f' })
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('stays quiet when the request has a recipient', async () => {
+    const { mx } = clientSpy();
+    mockInvoke.mockImplementation(async (_identity, method) => {
+      if (method === 'queryKeysForUsers') {
+        return { id: 'q1', type: 1, className: 'KeysQueryRequest', body: '{}' };
+      }
+      if (method === 'device.requestVerification') {
+        return {
+          request: requestState,
+          outgoingRequest: {
+            id: 'txn',
+            type: 3,
+            body: JSON.stringify({ messages: { '@me:e.org': { OTHER: {} } } }),
+            event_type: 'm.key.verification.request',
+            txn_id: 'txn',
+          },
+        };
+      }
+      return [];
+    });
+
+    const crypto = new EngineCrypto(mx, { userId: '@me:e.org', deviceId: 'D' });
+    await crypto.requestDeviceVerification('@me:e.org', 'OTHER');
+
+    expect(warnVerification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(traceVerification).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Sending a verification request',
+      expect.objectContaining({ recipientDevices: 1 })
+    );
+  });
+});
+
 describe('pending verification request sweep', () => {
   beforeEach(() => mockInvoke.mockReset());
 
diff --git a/src/app/utils/debugLogger.ts b/src/app/utils/debugLogger.ts
index 5c0db8289..9c398ce57 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/debugLogger.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/debugLogger.ts
@@ -214,9 +214,22 @@ class DebugLoggerService {
       message,
       data,
     };
-    // Omit arbitrary data before serialization; it may be circular or contain BigInts.
+    // Arbitrary data may be circular or contain BigInts, so only primitives survive, and
+    // they go through the sanitizer with the rest of the entry.
+    const primitives: Record<string, string | number | boolean> = {};
+    if (data && typeof data === 'object' && !(data instanceof Error)) {
+      Object.entries(data as Record<string, unknown>).forEach(([key, value]) => {
+        if (typeof value === 'string' || typeof value === 'number' || typeof value === 'boolean') {
+          primitives[key] = value;
+        } else if (value instanceof Error) {
+          primitives[key] = value.message;
+        }
+      });
+    }
     const sanitized = sanitizeDiagnosticsLogs(
-      JSON.stringify({ logs: [{ ...rawEntry, data: undefined }] })
+      JSON.stringify({
+        logs: [{ ...rawEntry, data: Object.keys(primitives).length > 0 ? primitives : undefined }],
+      })
     );
     if (!sanitized) return;
     const parsed = JSON.parse(sanitized) as { logs?: LogEntry[] };