diff --git a/llarp/link/connection.cpp b/llarp/link/connection.cpp
index d5fa0abf9..ca994e99c 100644
--- a/llarp/link/connection.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/connection.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ namespace llarp::link
   Connection::Connection(
       const std::shared_ptr<oxen::quic::connection_interface>& c,
       std::shared_ptr<oxen::quic::BTRequestStream>& s)
-      : conn{c}, control_stream{s} /* , remote_rc{std::move(rc)} */
+      : conn{c}, control_stream{s}, inbound{conn->is_inbound()}
   {}
 
 }  // namespace llarp::link
diff --git a/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp b/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
index 5297e34b0..5343b1341 100644
--- a/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,22 @@ namespace llarp
       return active_conns.count(remote) or pending_conns.count(remote);
     }
 
+    std::pair<size_t, size_t>
+    Endpoint::num_in_out() const
+    {
+      size_t in{0}, out{0};
+
+      for (const auto& c : active_conns)
+      {
+        if (c.second->inbound)
+          ++in;
+        else
+          ++out;
+      }
+
+      return {in, out};
+    }
+
     size_t
     Endpoint::num_connected(bool clients_only) const
     {
@@ -494,16 +510,17 @@ namespace llarp
   void
   LinkManager::connect_to(const RemoteRC& rc, conn_open_hook on_open, conn_closed_hook on_close)
   {
-    if (auto conn = ep.get_conn(rc.router_id()); conn)
+    const auto& rid = rc.router_id();
+
+    if (ep.have_conn(rid))
     {
-      log::error(logcat, "We should not be here!");
+      log::warning(logcat, "We already have a connection to {}!", rid);
       // TODO: should implement some connection failed logic, but not the same logic that
       // would be executed for another failure case
       return;
     }
 
     const auto& remote_addr = rc.addr();
-    const auto& rid = rc.router_id();
 
     // TODO: confirm remote end is using the expected pubkey (RouterID).
     // TODO: ALPN for "client" vs "relay" (could just be set on endpoint creation)
@@ -560,6 +577,12 @@ namespace llarp
     }
   }
 
+  std::pair<size_t, size_t>
+  LinkManager::num_in_out() const
+  {
+    return ep.num_in_out();
+  }
+
   size_t
   LinkManager::get_num_connected(bool clients_only) const
   {
@@ -613,7 +636,7 @@ namespace llarp
       auto res =
           client_only ? not ep.have_client_conn(rc.router_id()) : not ep.have_conn(rc.router_id());
 
-      log::critical(logcat, "RID:{} {}", rc.router_id(), res ? "ACCEPTED" : "REJECTED");
+      log::debug(logcat, "RID:{} {}", rc.router_id(), res ? "ACCEPTED" : "REJECTED");
 
       return res;
     };
@@ -640,6 +663,8 @@ namespace llarp
   LinkManager::gossip_rc(
       const RouterID& gossip_src, const RouterID& last_sender, std::string serialized_rc)
   {
+    int count = 0;
+
     for (auto& [rid, conn] : ep.active_conns)
     {
       // don't send back to the gossip source or the last sender
@@ -650,8 +675,6 @@ namespace llarp
       if (not conn->remote_is_relay)
         continue;
 
-      log::critical(logcat, "Dispatching gossip_rc to {}", rid);
-
       send_control_message(
           rid,
           "gossip_rc"s,
@@ -659,7 +682,10 @@ namespace llarp
           [](oxen::quic::message) mutable {
             log::critical(logcat, "PLACEHOLDER FOR GOSSIP RC RESPONSE HANDLER");
           });
+      ++count;
     }
+
+    log::critical(logcat, "Dispatched {} GossipRC requests!", count);
   }
 
   void
diff --git a/llarp/link/link_manager.hpp b/llarp/link/link_manager.hpp
index 54d06eb1e..a24190956 100644
--- a/llarp/link/link_manager.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link/link_manager.hpp
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ namespace llarp
       bool
       have_conn(const RouterID& remote) const;
 
+      std::pair<size_t, size_t>
+      num_in_out() const;
+
       size_t
       num_connected(bool clients_only) const;
 
@@ -291,6 +294,9 @@ namespace llarp
     void
     set_conn_persist(const RouterID& remote, llarp_time_t until);
 
+    std::pair<size_t, size_t>
+    num_in_out() const;
+
     size_t
     get_num_connected(bool clients_only = false) const;
 
diff --git a/llarp/nodedb.cpp b/llarp/nodedb.cpp
index 91e8d4ed2..b459b91a9 100644
--- a/llarp/nodedb.cpp
+++ b/llarp/nodedb.cpp
@@ -915,15 +915,6 @@ namespace llarp
     return rc_lookup.count(pk);
   }
 
-  std::optional<RemoteRC>
-  NodeDB::get_rc(const RemoteRC& pk) const
-  {
-    if (auto itr = known_rcs.find(pk); itr != known_rcs.end())
-      return *itr;
-
-    return std::nullopt;
-  }
-
   std::optional<RemoteRC>
   NodeDB::get_rc(const RouterID& pk) const
   {
@@ -997,7 +988,7 @@ namespace llarp
   bool
   NodeDB::verify_store_gossip_rc(const RemoteRC& rc)
   {
-    if (not registered_routers().count(rc.router_id()))
+    if (registered_routers().count(rc.router_id()))
       return put_rc_if_newer(rc);
 
     return false;
@@ -1006,13 +997,15 @@ namespace llarp
   bool
   NodeDB::put_rc_if_newer(RemoteRC rc)
   {
-    if (auto maybe = get_rc(rc))
+    if (auto maybe = get_rc(rc.router_id()))
     {
       if (maybe->other_is_newer(rc))
         return put_rc(rc);
+
+      return false;
     }
 
-    return false;
+    return put_rc(rc);
   }
 
   void
diff --git a/llarp/nodedb.hpp b/llarp/nodedb.hpp
index 57a835915..7b8a3b4ea 100644
--- a/llarp/nodedb.hpp
+++ b/llarp/nodedb.hpp
@@ -423,9 +423,6 @@ namespace llarp
     std::optional<RemoteRC>
     get_rc(const RouterID& pk) const;
 
-    std::optional<RemoteRC>
-    get_rc(const RemoteRC& pk) const;
-
     std::optional<RemoteRC>
     get_random_rc() const;
 
@@ -450,7 +447,8 @@ namespace llarp
     get_random_rc_conditional(std::function<bool(RemoteRC)> hook) const;
 
     std::optional<std::vector<RemoteRC>>
-    get_n_random_rcs_conditional(size_t n, std::function<bool(RemoteRC)> hook, bool exact = false) const;
+    get_n_random_rcs_conditional(
+        size_t n, std::function<bool(RemoteRC)> hook, bool exact = false) const;
 
     // Updates `current` to not contain any of the elements of `replace` and resamples (up to
     // `target_size`) from population to refill it.
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.cpp b/llarp/router/router.cpp
index a530c6712..2d7fe5e66 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.cpp
@@ -750,14 +750,18 @@ namespace llarp
 
     if (is_service_node())
     {
+      auto [in, out] = _link_manager->num_in_out();
+
       log::critical(
           logcat,
-          "Local Service Node has {} RCs, {} RIDs, {} bootstrap peers, {} router "
+          "Local Service Node has {} RCs, {} RIDs, {} bootstrap peers, {}:{} (inbound:outbound) "
+          "router "
           "connections, and {} client connections since last RC update ({} to expiry)",
           _node_db->num_rcs(),
           _node_db->num_rids(),
           _node_db->num_bootstraps(),
-          num_router_connections(),
+          in,
+          out,
           num_client_connections(),
           router_contact.time_to_expiry(now));
     }
@@ -874,7 +878,7 @@ namespace llarp
 
         last_rc_gossip = now_timepoint;
 
-        // TESTNET: 1 to 2 minutes before testnet gossip interval
+        // TESTNET: 1 to 4 minutes before testnet gossip interval
         auto random_delta =
             std::chrono::seconds{std::uniform_int_distribution<size_t>{60, 300}(llarp::csrng)};
         // 1min to 5min before "stale time" is next gossip time
diff --git a/llarp/router/router.hpp b/llarp/router/router.hpp
index 39d0c8693..9434d2ad4 100644
--- a/llarp/router/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router/router.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace llarp
       (INTROSET_RELAY_REDUNDANCY * INTROSET_REQS_PER_RELAY)};
 
   // TESTNET: these constants are shortened for testing purposes
-  inline constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds TESTNET_GOSSIP_INTERVAL{4min};
+  inline constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds TESTNET_GOSSIP_INTERVAL{10min};
   inline constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds RC_UPDATE_INTERVAL{4min};
   // as we advance towards full mesh, we try to connect to this number per tick
   inline constexpr int FULL_MESH_ITERATION{1};