diff --git a/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/main.rs b/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/main.rs
index c3337cc5..b29d376e 100644
--- a/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/main.rs
+++ b/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/main.rs
@@ -6209,9 +6209,12 @@ async fn main() {
                             };
                             let ts_ms = (v["timestamp"].as_f64().unwrap_or(0.0) * 1000.0) as i64;
                             for node in arr {
-                                let id = match node["node_id"].as_u64() {
-                                    Some(n) => n.to_string(),
-                                    None => continue,
+                                // node_id may arrive as a JSON number (REST shape)
+                                // or as a string; accept either, skip anything else.
+                                let id = match &node["node_id"] {
+                                    serde_json::Value::Number(n) => n.to_string(),
+                                    serde_json::Value::String(s) if !s.is_empty() => s.clone(),
+                                    _ => continue,
                                 };
                                 let motion = match node["motion_level"].as_str() {
                                     Some("absent") | Some("none") | Some("still")
@@ -6226,8 +6229,15 @@ async fn main() {
                                     presence,
                                     motion,
                                     presence_score: if presence { 1.0 } else { 0.0 },
-                                    n_persons: node["person_count"].as_u64().unwrap_or(0) as u32,
+                                    // person_count is u64 in the REST shape; clamp into u32.
+                                    n_persons: node["person_count"]
+                                        .as_u64()
+                                        .unwrap_or(0)
+                                        .min(u32::MAX as u64) as u32,
                                     rssi_dbm: node["rssi_dbm"].as_f64(),
+                                    // Remaining fields (motion_energy, breathing/heart rate,
+                                    // vital_confidence) are not part of the per-node summary
+                                    // emitted on this broadcast; Default (None/0.0) is correct.
                                     ..Default::default()
                                 };
                                 let _ = vtx.send(snap);
diff --git a/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/mqtt/publisher.rs b/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/mqtt/publisher.rs
index f99da615..319abe3a 100644
--- a/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/mqtt/publisher.rs
+++ b/v2/crates/wifi-densepose-sensing-server/src/mqtt/publisher.rs
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@ async fn run(
     // One discovery identity + availability + rate limiter PER node id seen on
     // the stream. Nodes are discovered lazily: the first snapshot from a new
     // node id triggers its retained discovery + availability publish.
+    //
+    // NOTE: entries are never evicted — a node that goes silent keeps its HA
+    // device marked `online` (the broadcast carries no per-node "gone" signal).
+    // Bounded in practice by the deployment's physical node count. A future
+    // improvement could track last-seen per node and flip availability to
+    // `offline` after a timeout; intentionally out of scope for this fix.
     let mut nodes: HashMap<String, NodeEntry> = HashMap::new();
     let mut last_heartbeat = Instant::now();
     let mut last_refresh = Instant::now();
@@ -248,20 +254,22 @@ async fn run(
                     Ok(snap) => {
                         let elapsed = start_instant.elapsed();
 
-                        // Lazily register a brand-new node: publish its retained
-                        // discovery + availability exactly once, when first seen.
+                        // Lazily register a brand-new node the first time its id is
+                        // seen: publish retained discovery + availability once, then
+                        // insert. `contains_key` guards a single insert; the publish
+                        // borrows `client`/`entities` (not `nodes`), so there is no
+                        // borrow conflict with the `get_mut` below.
                         if !nodes.contains_key(&snap.node_id) {
                             let nb = builder_owned.for_node(&snap.node_id, None);
-                            let borrowed = nb.as_borrowed();
+                            let entry = NodeEntry::new(nb, &entities);
                             if let Err(e) =
-                                publish_all_discovery(&client, &borrowed, &entities).await
+                                publish_all_discovery(&client, &entry.builder.as_borrowed(), &entities).await
                             {
                                 warn!(
                                     "[mqtt] discovery publish failed for node {}: {e}",
                                     snap.node_id
                                 );
                             }
-                            let entry = NodeEntry::new(nb, &entities);
                             if let Err(e) =
                                 publish_availability(&client, &entry.avail, "online").await
                             {
@@ -274,6 +282,8 @@ async fn run(
                             nodes.insert(snap.node_id.clone(), entry);
                         }
 
+                        // Route the snapshot to its node's builder + rate limiter.
+                        // Always present here (just inserted above if it was new).
                         if let Some(entry) = nodes.get_mut(&snap.node_id) {
                             let b = entry.builder.as_borrowed();
                             publish_snapshot(