diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 5f18833ae..44d6fb995 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 # [optional] App environment selector: production | staging.
 # Defaults to 'production' when unset. Uncomment and set to 'staging' to point
 # at the staging backend, use the ~/.openhuman-staging workspace, etc.
+# WARNING: staging uses a SEPARATE data directory (~/.openhuman-staging) from
+# production (~/.openhuman). Credentials, config, and auth profiles do NOT
+# carry over between environments. If you log in via the Tauri app in one
+# environment, the CLI running in the other will not see those credentials.
 # OPENHUMAN_APP_ENV=staging
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -84,7 +88,8 @@ OPENHUMAN_MAX_ACTIONS_PER_HOUR=20
 # [optional] Default model to use
 OPENHUMAN_MODEL=
 # [optional] Workspace directory (default: ~/.openhuman or ~/.openhuman-staging when OPENHUMAN_APP_ENV=staging)
-OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE=
+# Leave commented out to use the default. Setting to empty string is treated as unset.
+# OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE=
 # [optional] Default: 0.7
 OPENHUMAN_TEMPERATURE=0.7
 # [optional] Language for background LLM artifacts such as memory-tree summaries,
diff --git a/src/core/jsonrpc.rs b/src/core/jsonrpc.rs
index 8ca882bb9..0021fba35 100644
--- a/src/core/jsonrpc.rs
+++ b/src/core/jsonrpc.rs
@@ -1493,6 +1493,15 @@ async fn run_server_inner(
         // sets OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE to a writable path, then restarts.
         match crate::openhuman::config::Config::load_or_init().await {
             Ok(cfg) => {
+                let keyring_dir =
+                    crate::openhuman::keyring::store::workspace_dir_for_file_backend();
+                log::info!(
+                    "[boot] paths: config={} workspace={} keyring_dir={} keyring_backend={}",
+                    cfg.config_path.display(),
+                    cfg.workspace_dir.display(),
+                    keyring_dir.display(),
+                    crate::openhuman::keyring::backend_name(),
+                );
                 match crate::openhuman::memory::global::init(cfg.workspace_dir.clone()) {
                     Ok(_) => log::info!(
                         "[boot] memory::global initialized (workspace={})",
@@ -1919,13 +1928,19 @@ fn register_domain_subscribers(
             }
             Ok(None) => {
                 log::info!(
-                    "[auth] no session token at startup — scheduler gate set to signed_out"
+                    "[auth] no session token at startup — scheduler gate set to signed_out \
+                     (config_path={}, keyring_backend={})",
+                    config.config_path.display(),
+                    crate::openhuman::keyring::backend_name(),
                 );
                 crate::openhuman::scheduler_gate::set_signed_out(true);
             }
             Err(err) => {
                 log::warn!(
-                    "[auth] failed to read session token at startup ({err}) — assuming signed_out"
+                    "[auth] failed to read session token at startup ({err}) — assuming signed_out \
+                     (config_path={}, keyring_backend={})",
+                    config.config_path.display(),
+                    crate::openhuman::keyring::backend_name(),
                 );
                 crate::openhuman::scheduler_gate::set_signed_out(true);
             }
diff --git a/src/openhuman/keyring/encrypted_file_backend.rs b/src/openhuman/keyring/encrypted_file_backend.rs
index f788dcb65..dbbdd8e66 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/keyring/encrypted_file_backend.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/keyring/encrypted_file_backend.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ static MASTER_KEY: OnceLock<Option<[u8; KEY_LEN]>> = OnceLock::new();
 pub fn init_master_key() {
     // Ensure workspace dir is set for the backend before anything else.
     let dir = crate::openhuman::keyring::store::workspace_dir_for_file_backend();
+    log::info!(
+        "[keyring] init_master_key: resolved workspace_dir={}",
+        dir.display()
+    );
     crate::openhuman::keyring::init_workspace(&dir);
 
     MASTER_KEY.get_or_init(|| {
diff --git a/src/openhuman/keyring/store.rs b/src/openhuman/keyring/store.rs
index 8fcc835b8..6592ceecb 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/keyring/store.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/keyring/store.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ pub(super) fn build_backend() -> Box<dyn KeyringBackend> {
             Some(BackendKind::File) => {
                 let path = workspace_dir_for_file_backend();
                 log::info!(
-                    "[keyring] backend=file path={} (OPENHUMAN_KEYRING_BACKEND override)",
+                    "[keyring] backend=file dir={} file={}/dev-keychain.json (OPENHUMAN_KEYRING_BACKEND override)",
+                    path.display(),
                     path.display()
                 );
                 return Box::new(backend::FileBackend::new(&path));
@@ -98,7 +99,8 @@ pub(super) fn build_backend() -> Box<dyn KeyringBackend> {
         ))
     } else {
         log::info!(
-            "[keyring] backend=file path={} (dev environment)",
+            "[keyring] backend=file dir={} file={}/dev-keychain.json (dev environment)",
+            path.display(),
             path.display()
         );
         Box::new(backend::FileBackend::new(&path))
@@ -159,7 +161,9 @@ pub fn workspace_dir_for_file_backend() -> PathBuf {
     }
 
     if let Ok(custom) = std::env::var("OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE") {
-        return PathBuf::from(custom);
+        if !custom.trim().is_empty() {
+            return PathBuf::from(custom);
+        }
     }
 
     let home = dirs::home_dir().unwrap_or_else(|| {