diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 4b59482..653587b 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ set -euo pipefail
 PATCH_DIR="/data/truecloud-patch"
 REPO_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
+if [ ! -f "$REPO_DIR/patch/sitecustomize.py" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: patch files not found at $REPO_DIR/patch/" >&2
+    echo "Run install.sh from the cloned repository, not via pipe:" >&2
+    echo "  git clone https://github.com/sudolulo/truenas-truecloud-patch" >&2
+    echo "  cd truenas-truecloud-patch && bash install.sh" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 echo "=== TrueNAS TrueCloud Provider Patch — Install ==="
 echo ""
 
@@ -98,7 +106,15 @@ fi
 # ── Restart middlewared ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 echo "Restarting middlewared so the backend patch takes effect ..."
-systemctl restart middlewared
+if ! systemctl restart middlewared; then
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "ERROR: middlewared failed to restart. The patch files are installed but" >&2
+    echo "the hook is not yet active. Check the system log for the root cause:" >&2
+    echo "  journalctl -u middlewared -n 50" >&2
+    echo "If the problem is unrelated to this patch, recover with:" >&2
+    echo "  bash $PATCH_DIR/recover.sh" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 echo "Done."
 echo ""
 echo "Refresh your browser to pick up the UI change."
diff --git a/patch/apply.sh b/patch/apply.sh
index d63287e..9fd9fa8 100755
--- a/patch/apply.sh
+++ b/patch/apply.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ PATCH_DIR="/data/truecloud-patch"
 LOG="$PATCH_DIR/apply.log"
 
 # Rotate log at 512 KB to avoid unbounded growth on a system volume.
-# Keep one prior generation (.1) so the last two boots are always available.
+# Keep two prior generations (.1 and .2) so the last three boots are always available.
 if [ -f "$LOG" ] && [ "$(wc -c < "$LOG")" -gt 524288 ]; then
     [ -f "${LOG}.1" ] && mv "${LOG}.1" "${LOG}.2"
     mv "$LOG" "${LOG}.1"
@@ -85,17 +85,24 @@ if [ -z "$SITE_PKG" ]; then
     echo "  Run: $PYTHON -c \"import site; print(site.getsitepackages())\""
 else
     # Back up any pre-existing sitecustomize.py that isn't ours.
+    _can_install=true
     if [ -f "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" ] && \
        ! grep -q "truecloud-patch" "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" 2>/dev/null; then
-        cp "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" \
-           "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py.pre-truecloud-patch"
-        echo "OK: Backed up existing sitecustomize.py"
+        if cp "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" \
+              "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py.pre-truecloud-patch"; then
+            echo "OK: Backed up existing sitecustomize.py"
+        else
+            echo "WARNING: Could not back up existing sitecustomize.py; skipping install to avoid data loss."
+            _can_install=false
+        fi
     fi
 
-    if cp "$PATCH_DIR/sitecustomize.py" "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" 2>/dev/null; then
-        echo "OK: Installed sitecustomize.py → $SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py"
-    else
-        echo "WARNING: Failed to write $SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py (permission error?)"
+    if $_can_install; then
+        if cp "$PATCH_DIR/sitecustomize.py" "$SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py" 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "OK: Installed sitecustomize.py → $SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py"
+        else
+            echo "WARNING: Failed to write $SITE_PKG/sitecustomize.py (permission error?)"
+        fi
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/patch/create_task.py b/patch/create_task.py
index 7cb8116..cd3dfcd 100755
--- a/patch/create_task.py
+++ b/patch/create_task.py
@@ -179,7 +179,10 @@ def cmd_create(client, args):
     }
 
     result = client("POST", "/cloud_backup", body)
-    print(f"Created task id={result['id']}  name={result['description']!r}")
+    try:
+        print(f"Created task id={result['id']}  name={result['description']!r}")
+    except (KeyError, TypeError):
+        print(f"Task created but response schema was unexpected: {result}")
 
 
 # ── CLI ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -195,7 +198,9 @@ def main():
     p.add_argument("--api-key", default=None, metavar="KEY",
                    help="TrueNAS API key — System → API Keys (required except for verify)")
     p.add_argument("--insecure", action="store_true",
-                   help="Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed certs)")
+                   help="Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed certs). "
+                        "WARNING: exposes your API key to network interception. "
+                        "Prefer adding your cert to the trust store instead.")
 
     sub = p.add_subparsers(dest="cmd", required=True)
 
diff --git a/patch/patch_ui.py b/patch/patch_ui.py
index b93f73b..cc65625 100644
--- a/patch/patch_ui.py
+++ b/patch/patch_ui.py
@@ -90,7 +90,11 @@ def main():
 
     backup = path + ".pre-truecloud-patch"
     if not os.path.exists(backup):
-        shutil.copy2(path, backup)
+        try:
+            shutil.copy2(path, backup)
+        except OSError as exc:
+            print(f"[truecloud-patch] ERROR: Could not create backup {backup}: {exc}")
+            return
 
     patched, count = FIND.subn(REPLACE, content)
     if count != 1:
diff --git a/uninstall.sh b/uninstall.sh
index b7a0426..41ac44d 100755
--- a/uninstall.sh
+++ b/uninstall.sh
@@ -104,9 +104,13 @@ echo "Restoring UI bundle backup ..."
 RESTORED=0
 while IFS= read -r backup; do
     original="${backup%.pre-truecloud-patch}"
-    mv "$backup" "$original"
-    echo "  Restored: $original"
-    RESTORED=1
+    if mv "$backup" "$original"; then
+        echo "  Restored: $original"
+        RESTORED=1
+    else
+        echo "  WARNING: Could not restore $original — backup left at $backup"
+    fi
+# Keep these paths in sync with WEBUI_CANDIDATES in patch/patch_ui.py
 done < <(find /usr/share/truenas /usr/share/truenas-ui /var/www/truenas \
               -name "*.js.pre-truecloud-patch" 2>/dev/null)