diff --git a/include/fgc/sensors/I2cBus.h b/include/fgc/sensors/I2cBus.h
index 1427fd0..88db68e 100644
--- a/include/fgc/sensors/I2cBus.h
+++ b/include/fgc/sensors/I2cBus.h
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ public:
     bool writeRead(const std::vector<uint8_t>& tx, std::vector<uint8_t>& rx);
     bool write(const std::vector<uint8_t>& tx);
 
+    // For diagnostics: what this bus is actually pointed at. A silent sensor is
+    // almost always the wrong bus or address, so error messages should name both.
+    const std::string& device() const { return device_; }
+    uint8_t            address() const { return addr_; }
+
 private:
     std::string device_;
     uint8_t     addr_;
diff --git a/src/sensors/Sht41EnvSensor.cpp b/src/sensors/Sht41EnvSensor.cpp
index 2927e39..024e44d 100644
--- a/src/sensors/Sht41EnvSensor.cpp
+++ b/src/sensors/Sht41EnvSensor.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "fgc/sensors/Sht41Protocol.h"
 
 #include <atomic>
+#include <ios>
 #include <chrono>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <thread>
@@ -36,11 +37,37 @@ struct Sht41EnvSensor::Impl {
     EnvSample          latest;
     clock::time_point   last_ok{};
 
+    // Consecutive failed reads. The transfers run every `period` forever, so the
+    // failure is logged on the FIRST one only: a wrong bus would otherwise print
+    // the same line every couple of seconds for the life of the process. Reset on
+    // a good read, which also gives us a recovery message.
+    long long fail_streak = 0;
+
+    // A silent sensor is nearly always the wrong bus or address, and neither
+    // open() nor the I2C_SLAVE ioctl can tell you that - the ioctl only records
+    // the target address, it never probes. This is the first point where the
+    // absence of a device is actually observable, so it is where it gets said.
+    void reportFailure(const char* what) {
+        if (fail_streak++ > 0) return;
+        LOG_ERROR << "SHT41: " << what << " at address 0x" << std::hex
+                  << static_cast<int>(bus.address()) << std::dec << " on " << bus.device()
+                  << " - check [Env] i2c_device/i2c_addr and the wiring"
+                  << " (probe with: i2cdetect -l, then i2ctransfer -y <bus> w1@0x"
+                  << std::hex << static_cast<int>(bus.address()) << std::dec << " 0x89)";
+        LOG_ERROR << "SHT41: further read failures will not be logged until it responds";
+    }
+
     void readOnce() {
-        if (!bus.write({kSht41CmdMeasureHighPrec})) return;
+        if (!bus.write({kSht41CmdMeasureHighPrec})) {
+            reportFailure("no response to the measure command");
+            return;
+        }
         std::this_thread::sleep_for(kConversionDelay);
         std::vector<uint8_t> rx(kSht41ResponseBytes);
-        if (!bus.writeRead({}, rx)) return;
+        if (!bus.writeRead({}, rx)) {
+            reportFailure("command acknowledged but no measurement came back");
+            return;
+        }
 
         auto reading = decodeSht41Measurement(rx);
         if (!reading) {
@@ -48,6 +75,11 @@ struct Sht41EnvSensor::Impl {
             return;
         }
 
+        if (fail_streak > 0) {
+            LOG_INFO << "SHT41: responding again after " << fail_streak << " failed read(s)";
+            fail_streak = 0;
+        }
+
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex);
         latest.valid        = true;
         latest.temp_c       = reading->temp_c;
@@ -81,7 +113,11 @@ void Sht41EnvSensor::start() {
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(kSoftResetSettle);
     impl_->running = true;
     impl_->worker  = std::thread([this] { impl_->run(); });
-    LOG_INFO << "SHT41 env sensor started";
+    // Deliberately not "started OK": opening the node proves nothing about the
+    // sensor being there. The first read either succeeds quietly or logs why not.
+    LOG_INFO << "SHT41 env sensor polling 0x" << std::hex << static_cast<int>(impl_->bus.address())
+             << std::dec << " on " << impl_->bus.device() << " every "
+             << impl_->period.count() << " ms";
 }
 
 void Sht41EnvSensor::stop() {