diff --git a/src/app/api/photos/route.ts b/src/app/api/photos/route.ts
index 9a419ef..ca1a449 100644
--- a/src/app/api/photos/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/photos/route.ts
@@ -5,19 +5,16 @@ import { fetchPhotosWithMetadata, getFolders, getTags } from "@/lib/photos";
 export const revalidate = 30;
 
 export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
-  console.log("[v0] /api/photos GET request received");
-  console.log("[v0] ENV CHECK - GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL:", process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL ? `SET (${process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL.length} chars)` : "MISSING");
-  console.log("[v0] ENV CHECK - GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY:", process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY ? `SET (${process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY.length} chars)` : "MISSING");
-  console.log("[v0] ENV CHECK - GOOGLE_API_KEY:", process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY ? `SET (${process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY.length} chars)` : "MISSING");
-  console.log("[v0] ENV CHECK - GOOGLE_DRIVE_FOLDER_ID:", process.env.GOOGLE_DRIVE_FOLDER_ID || "MISSING");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE 1: /api/photos request received");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE 2: ENV - email:", !!process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL, "key:", !!process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY, "apiKey:", !!process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY, "folder:", !!process.env.GOOGLE_DRIVE_FOLDER_ID);
   try {
     const { searchParams } = new URL(request.url);
     const limit = Number(searchParams.get("limit")) || 0;
     const offset = Number(searchParams.get("offset")) || 0;
 
-    console.log("[v0] Calling fetchPhotosWithMetadata...");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE 3: calling fetchPhotosWithMetadata");
     const allPhotos = await fetchPhotosWithMetadata();
-    console.log("[v0] fetchPhotosWithMetadata returned", allPhotos.length, "photos");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE 4: got", allPhotos.length, "photos");
     const folders = getFolders(allPhotos);
     const tags = getTags(allPhotos);
     const total = allPhotos.length;
@@ -35,7 +32,7 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
           }, allPhotos[0].processedAt)
         : "";
 
-    console.log("[v0] /api/photos responding with", photos.length, "photos,", folders.length, "folders,", tags.length, "tags");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE 5: responding with", photos.length, "photos");
     return NextResponse.json({
       photos,
       folders,
diff --git a/src/lib/drive-sa.ts b/src/lib/drive-sa.ts
index c79f87c..8f5ebe7 100644
--- a/src/lib/drive-sa.ts
+++ b/src/lib/drive-sa.ts
@@ -71,13 +71,13 @@ let cachedToken: { token: string; expiry: number } | null = null;
 async function getAccessToken(): Promise<string> {
   // Return cached token if still valid (with 5 min buffer)
   if (cachedToken && cachedToken.expiry > Date.now() + 5 * 60 * 1000) {
-    console.log("[v0] Using cached access token");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE T1: using cached token");
     return cachedToken.token;
   }
 
-  console.log("[v0] Creating new JWT for token exchange...");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE T2: creating JWT");
   const jwt = await createJWT();
-  console.log("[v0] JWT created, exchanging for access token...");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE T3: exchanging for token");
 
   const res = await fetch("https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token", {
     method: "POST",
@@ -90,12 +90,12 @@ async function getAccessToken(): Promise<string> {
 
   if (!res.ok) {
     const error = await res.text();
-    console.error("[v0] Token exchange FAILED:", res.status, error);
+    console.error("[v0] GATE T4: token FAILED", res.status);
     throw new Error(`Failed to get access token: ${error}`);
   }
 
   const data = await res.json();
-  console.log("[v0] Token exchange SUCCESS, expires in", data.expires_in, "seconds");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE T5: token SUCCESS");
   cachedToken = {
     token: data.access_token,
     expiry: Date.now() + data.expires_in * 1000,
@@ -105,18 +105,17 @@ async function getAccessToken(): Promise<string> {
 }
 
 export function isServiceAccountConfigured(): boolean {
-  const hasEmail = !!process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL;
-  const hasKey = !!process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY;
-  console.log("[v0] isServiceAccountConfigured - email:", hasEmail, "key:", hasKey);
-  return hasEmail && hasKey;
+  const configured = !!(process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL && process.env.GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY);
+  console.log("[v0] GATE SA:", configured);
+  return configured;
 }
 
 export async function listDriveImagesWithServiceAccount(
   folderId: string
 ): Promise<DriveFile[]> {
-  console.log("[v0] listDriveImagesWithServiceAccount - folderId:", folderId);
+  console.log("[v0] GATE L1: listImages start");
   const accessToken = await getAccessToken();
-  console.log("[v0] Got access token:", accessToken ? "YES" : "NO");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE L2: got token");
   const files: DriveFile[] = [];
   let pageToken: string | undefined;
 
@@ -140,12 +139,12 @@ export async function listDriveImagesWithServiceAccount(
 
     const data: { files?: DriveFile[]; nextPageToken?: string } =
       await res.json();
-    console.log("[v0] Drive API returned", data.files?.length || 0, "files");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE L3: got", data.files?.length || 0, "files");
     if (data.files) files.push(...data.files);
     pageToken = data.nextPageToken;
   } while (pageToken);
 
-  console.log("[v0] Total files from Service Account:", files.length);
+  console.log("[v0] GATE L4: total", files.length);
   return files;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/photos.ts b/src/lib/photos.ts
index 28f9c48..ff4096f 100644
--- a/src/lib/photos.ts
+++ b/src/lib/photos.ts
@@ -123,25 +123,14 @@ export async function fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder(): Promise<PhotoRecord[]> {
   const { driveFolderId, googleApiKey } = config;
   const useServiceAccount = isServiceAccountConfigured();
 
-  console.log("[v0] fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder START");
-  console.log("[v0] - driveFolderId:", driveFolderId || "MISSING");
-  console.log("[v0] - useServiceAccount:", useServiceAccount);
-  console.log("[v0] - googleApiKey:", googleApiKey ? "SET" : "MISSING");
+  console.log("[v0] GATE A: fetchPhotos - SA:", useServiceAccount, "folder:", !!driveFolderId, "apiKey:", !!googleApiKey);
 
-  if (!driveFolderId) {
-    console.log("[v0] No driveFolderId, returning empty");
-    return [];
-  }
-
-  // Must have either Service Account or API Key configured
-  if (!useServiceAccount && !googleApiKey) {
-    console.log("[v0] No auth method configured, returning empty");
-    return [];
-  }
+  if (!driveFolderId) return [];
+  if (!useServiceAccount && !googleApiKey) return [];
 
   try {
     const opts = { revalidate: 30 };
-    console.log("[v0] Fetching from Drive with", useServiceAccount ? "Service Account" : "API Key");
+    console.log("[v0] GATE B: fetching with", useServiceAccount ? "ServiceAccount" : "APIKey");
 
     // Use Service Account if configured, otherwise fall back to API Key
     const [rootFiles, subfolders] = useServiceAccount
@@ -154,8 +143,7 @@ export async function fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder(): Promise<PhotoRecord[]> {
           listDriveSubfolders(driveFolderId, googleApiKey, opts),
         ]);
 
-    console.log("[v0] Root files found:", rootFiles.length);
-    console.log("[v0] Subfolders found:", subfolders.length);
+    console.log("[v0] GATE C: root files:", rootFiles.length, "subfolders:", subfolders.length);
 
     const allPhotos = driveFilesToPhotos(rootFiles, "Root");
 
@@ -176,10 +164,10 @@ export async function fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder(): Promise<PhotoRecord[]> {
     );
     allPhotos.forEach((p, i) => { p.id = String(i + 1); });
 
-    console.log("[v0] fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder COMPLETE - total photos:", allPhotos.length);
+    console.log("[v0] GATE D: total photos:", allPhotos.length);
     return allPhotos;
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error("[v0] fetchPhotosFromDriveFolder ERROR:", error);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("[v0] GATE E: ERROR", err);
     return [];
   }
 }