diff --git a/bgs/bgs.go b/bgs/bgs.go
index 336876a3e..20cc82583 100644
--- a/bgs/bgs.go
+++ b/bgs/bgs.go
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ func NewBGS(db *gorm.DB, ix *indexer.Indexer, repoman *repomgr.RepoManager, evtm
 	compactor.Start(bgs)
 	bgs.compactor = compactor
 
+	bgs.nextCrawlers = config.NextCrawlers
 	bgs.httpClient.Timeout = time.Second * 5
 
 	return bgs, nil
diff --git a/bgs/handlers.go b/bgs/handlers.go
index 28699fe55..7975380fc 100644
--- a/bgs/handlers.go
+++ b/bgs/handlers.go
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ func (s *BGS) handleComAtprotoSyncRequestCrawl(ctx context.Context, body *comatp
 					} else if response.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 						log.Warnw("requestCrawl forward failed", "status", response.Status)
 					}
+					log.Infow("requestCrawl forward successful", "host", rpu, "status", response.Status)
 				}
 			}(blob)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/bigsky/main.go b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
index bb7654b87..7d1d8d58c 100644
--- a/cmd/bigsky/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bigsky/main.go
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ func runBigsky(cctx *cli.Context) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse next-crawler url: %w", err)
 			}
+			log.Infow("configuring relay for requestCrawl", "host", nextCrawlerUrls[i])
 		}
 		bgsConfig.NextCrawlers = nextCrawlerUrls
 	}