diff --git a/activation/nipost.go b/activation/nipost.go
index 556643a641..399e07c9e5 100644
--- a/activation/nipost.go
+++ b/activation/nipost.go
@@ -406,16 +406,16 @@ func (nb *NIPostBuilder) submitPoetChallenges(
 		}
 	}
 
-	misconfiguredRegistrations := make(map[string]nipost.PoETRegistration)
+	misconfiguredRegistrations := make(map[string]struct{})
 	for addr := range registrationsMap {
-		if reg, ok := existingRegistrationsMap[addr]; !ok {
-			misconfiguredRegistrations[addr] = reg
+		if _, ok := existingRegistrationsMap[addr]; !ok {
+			misconfiguredRegistrations[addr] = struct{}{}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if len(misconfiguredRegistrations) != 0 {
 		nb.logger.Warn(
-			"Invalid PoET registrations found. Local state contains PoETs not in node config",
+			"Found existing registrations for poets not listed in the config. Will not fetch proof from them.",
 			zap.Strings("registrations_addresses", maps.Keys(misconfiguredRegistrations)),
 			log.ZShortStringer("smesherID", nodeID),
 		)
@@ -441,7 +441,8 @@ func (nb *NIPostBuilder) submitPoetChallenges(
 		case len(existingRegistrations) == 0:
 			// no existing registration for given poets set
 			nb.logger.Panic(
-				"Invalid PoET registrations found. Local state only contains PoETs not in node config",
+				"None of the poets listed in the config matches the existing registrations. "+
+					"Verify your config and local database state.",
 				zap.Strings("registrations", maps.Keys(registrationsMap)),
 				zap.Strings("configured_poets", maps.Keys(nb.poetProvers)),
 				log.ZShortStringer("smesherID", nodeID),
diff --git a/activation/nipost_test.go b/activation/nipost_test.go
index be8c9ae0c4..cc368c9c44 100644
--- a/activation/nipost_test.go
+++ b/activation/nipost_test.go
@@ -1077,6 +1077,7 @@ func TestNIPoSTBuilder_PoETConfigChange(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
 			logger := zaptest.NewLogger(t)
+
 			nb, err := NewNIPostBuilder(
 				db,
 				nil,
diff --git a/activation/poet.go b/activation/poet.go
index ea0e3dc35f..f7b8a3cc31 100644
--- a/activation/poet.go
+++ b/activation/poet.go
@@ -155,10 +155,8 @@ func NewHTTPPoetClient(server types.PoetServer, cfg PoetConfig, opts ...PoetClie
 
 	resp, err := poetClient.info(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	if resp.PhaseShift.AsDuration() != cfg.PhaseShift {
+		poetClient.logger.Error("getting info about poet service configuration", zap.Error(err))
+	} else if resp.PhaseShift.AsDuration() != cfg.PhaseShift {
 		poetClient.logger.Warn("getting info about poet service configuration",
 			zap.Duration("server: phase shift", resp.PhaseShift.AsDuration()),
 			zap.Duration("config: cycle gap", cfg.PhaseShift),
@@ -497,7 +495,6 @@ func (c *poetService) reauthorize(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	id types.NodeID,
 	challenge []byte,
-	logger *zap.Logger,
 ) (*PoetAuth, error) {
 	if c.certifier != nil {
 		if _, pubkey, err := c.getCertifierInfo(ctx); err == nil {
@@ -538,7 +535,7 @@ func (c *poetService) Submit(
 		return round, nil
 	case errors.Is(err, ErrUnauthorized):
 		logger.Warn("failed to submit challenge as unauthorized - authorizing again", zap.Error(err))
-		auth, err := c.reauthorize(ctx, nodeID, challenge, logger)
+		auth, err := c.reauthorize(ctx, nodeID, challenge)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("authorizing: %w", err)
 		}