diff --git a/crates/brightstaff/src/main.rs b/crates/brightstaff/src/main.rs
index bd077c2f..e350b486 100644
--- a/crates/brightstaff/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/brightstaff/src/main.rs
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ async fn run_server(state: Arc<AppState>) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Erro
 async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
     let config = load_config()?;
     let _tracer_provider = init_tracer(config.tracing.as_ref());
+    info!("loaded plano_config.yaml");
     let state = Arc::new(init_app_state(&config).await?);
     run_server(state).await
 }
diff --git a/crates/brightstaff/src/state/mod.rs b/crates/brightstaff/src/state/mod.rs
index aefebb3f..43454ee2 100644
--- a/crates/brightstaff/src/state/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/brightstaff/src/state/mod.rs
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ pub trait StateStorage: Send + Sync {
             prev_items = prev_count,
             current_items = current_count,
             total_items = combined_input.len(),
+            combined_json = %serde_json::to_string(&combined_input).unwrap_or_else(|_| "serialization_error".to_string()),
             "merged conversation state"
         );