diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/app.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/app.rs
index 0bd35520df..5c8d740aa6 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/app.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/app.rs
@@ -40,10 +40,14 @@ impl Application {
         });
 
         let start: PathBuf = if cli.start_path.is_empty() {
-            std::env::current_dir().unwrap_or_else(|_| PathBuf::from("/"))
+            std::env::current_dir()
+                .inspect_err(|e| log::warn!("current_dir failed: {e} — using /"))
+                .unwrap_or_else(|_| PathBuf::from("/"))
         } else {
             let p = PathBuf::from(&cli.start_path);
-            p.canonicalize().unwrap_or(p)
+            p.canonicalize()
+                .inspect_err(|e| log::warn!("canonicalize({}) failed: {e}", p.display()))
+                .unwrap_or(p)
         };
 
         let mut fm = FileManager::new(&start, &cfg)?;
@@ -71,7 +75,12 @@ impl Application {
 
             let stdin_fd = raw_stdin();
             let mut poll_fds = [PollFd::new(&stdin_fd, PollFlags::IN)];
-            let _ = poll(&mut poll_fds, Some(&poll_timeout));
+            if let Err(e) = poll(&mut poll_fds, Some(&poll_timeout)) {
+                log::error!("poll() failed in main event loop: {e} — stdin may be dead");
+                // On EBADF or ENOMEM, the event loop is broken.
+                // Log and break; the user sees TLC exit cleanly.
+                break;
+            }
 
             let size = tui.size();
             if size.0 > 0 && size.1 > 0 && size != prev_size {
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/config.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/config.rs
index ef6f1846e0..b8cce692b7 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/config.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/config.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,17 @@ pub struct Config {
 
 impl Default for Config {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        toml::from_str(DEFAULT_CONFIG).expect("default.toml must be valid")
+        toml::from_str(DEFAULT_CONFIG).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            log::error!("embedded default.toml parse failed: {e} — falling back to empty config");
+            Config {
+                skin: SkinConfig::default(),
+                filemanager: FilemanagerConfig::default(),
+                editor: EditorConfig::default(),
+                viewer: ViewerConfig::default(),
+                runtime: RuntimeConfig::default(),
+                vfs: VfsConfig::default(),
+            }
+        })
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/filemanager/dialog_ops.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/filemanager/dialog_ops.rs
index 983cc51c10..9ca212dd6d 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/filemanager/dialog_ops.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/filemanager/dialog_ops.rs
@@ -826,40 +826,56 @@ Err(e) => self.status.set_error(format!("view: {e}")),
         let thread_sources = sources.clone();
         let thread_dest = destination.clone();
         std::thread::spawn(move || {
-            let result = match kind {
+            match kind {
                 crate::ops::OpKind::Copy => {
-                    let dst = thread_dest.expect("copy needs a destination");
-                    crate::ops::copy::copy_many(
+                    let Some(dst) = thread_dest else {
+                        let _ = tx.send(Err(crate::ops::OpsError::Other(
+                            "copy: missing destination".into(),
+                        )));
+                        return;
+                    };
+                    let r = crate::ops::copy::copy_many(
                         &thread_sources,
                         &dst,
                         &thread_handle,
                         false,
                         preserve_attributes,
                         follow_links,
-                    )
+                    );
+                    let _ = tx.send(r);
+                    return;
                 }
                 crate::ops::OpKind::Move => {
-                    let dst = thread_dest.expect("move needs a destination");
-                    crate::ops::move_op::move_many(
+                    let Some(dst) = thread_dest else {
+                        let _ = tx.send(Err(crate::ops::OpsError::Other(
+                            "move: missing destination".into(),
+                        )));
+                        return;
+                    };
+                    let r = crate::ops::move_op::move_many(
                         &thread_sources,
                         &dst,
                         &thread_handle,
                         false,
                         preserve_attributes,
                         follow_links,
-                    )
+                    );
+                    let _ = tx.send(r);
+                    return;
                 }
                 crate::ops::OpKind::Delete => {
-                    crate::ops::delete::delete_many(&thread_sources, &thread_handle)
+                    let r = crate::ops::delete::delete_many(&thread_sources, &thread_handle);
+                    let _ = tx.send(r);
+                    return;
                 }
                 crate::ops::OpKind::MkDir => {
                     // MkDir is instantaneous — it should never be
                     // spawned with a progress dialog. If it reaches
                     // this branch, treat it as a success (no work).
-                    Ok(())
+                    let _ = tx.send(Ok(()));
+                    return;
                 }
-            };
-            let _ = tx.send(result);
+            }
         });
 
         let title = match kind {
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/main.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/main.rs
index 2ef6472542..46e756ce36 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/main.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/main.rs
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ fn init_logging(verbosity: u8) {
         .format_timestamp_secs()
         .format_module_path(false)
         .format_level(true)
-        .try_init();
+        .try_init()
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| eprintln!("logger init failed: {e} (output lost)"));
 }
 
 fn run_editor(file: &str, line: Option<u64>) -> ExitCode {
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/terminal/mod.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/terminal/mod.rs
index 1f652499d5..d75d634454 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/terminal/mod.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/terminal/mod.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,13 @@ impl Tui {
         }
         let stdout = io::stdout();
         let _ = SAVED_TERMIOS.get_or_init(|| {
-            rustix::termios::tcgetattr(stdout.as_fd()).ok()
+            match rustix::termios::tcgetattr(stdout.as_fd()) {
+                Ok(t) => Some(t),
+                Err(e) => {
+                    log::warn!("tcgetattr failed: {e} — terminal restore on crash may be incomplete");
+                    None
+                }
+            }
         });
         let raw = stdout
             .into_raw_mode()
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
index d9bbc0c10b..d5e53e13a7 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
@@ -537,7 +537,9 @@ impl Viewer {
             line: self.current_line() as u32,
             column: 0,
         };
-        let _ = crate::editor::filepos::save(&self.path, pos);
+        if let Err(e) = crate::editor::filepos::save(&self.path, pos) {
+            log::debug!("filepos save failed for {}: {e}", self.path.display());
+        }
     }
 
     fn current_line(&self) -> u64 {