diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fb57207b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "python.analysis.diagnosticSeverityOverrides": {
+    "reportUndefinedVariable": "none"
+  },
+  "files.associations": {
+    "*logconf*.json": "jsonc"
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/python/PiFinder/comets.py b/python/PiFinder/comets.py
index 9430094f..e8734fc3 100644
--- a/python/PiFinder/comets.py
+++ b/python/PiFinder/comets.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from skyfield.constants import GM_SUN_Pitjeva_2005_km3_s2 as GM_SUN
 from PiFinder.utils import Timer, comet_file
 from PiFinder.calc_utils import sf_utils
+import pandas as pd
 import requests
 import os
 import logging
@@ -198,6 +199,14 @@ def calc_comets(
             .set_index("designation", drop=False)
         )
 
+        # groupby/last can coerce numeric columns to strings when NaN values
+        # are present; ensure perihelion date fields are numeric before use
+        for col in ("perihelion_year", "perihelion_month", "perihelion_day"):
+            comets_df[col] = pd.to_numeric(comets_df[col], errors="coerce")
+        comets_df = comets_df.dropna(
+            subset=["perihelion_year", "perihelion_month", "perihelion_day"]
+        )
+
         # Report progress after pandas processing (roughly 66% of setup time)
         if progress_callback:
             progress_callback(2)
diff --git a/python/PiFinder/main.py b/python/PiFinder/main.py
index d447bf66..83577e52 100644
--- a/python/PiFinder/main.py
+++ b/python/PiFinder/main.py
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 
 from PiFinder.displays import DisplayBase, get_display
 
+import PiFinder.manager_patch as patch
+
 from typing import Any, TYPE_CHECKING
 
 # Mypy i8n fix
@@ -124,6 +126,9 @@ def setup_dirs():
     os.chmod(Path(utils.data_dir), 0o777)
 
 
+patch.apply()
+
+
 class StateManager(BaseManager):
     pass
 
@@ -348,10 +353,6 @@ def main(
     )
     langXX.install()
 
-    import PiFinder.manager_patch as patch
-
-    patch.apply()
-
     with StateManager() as manager:
         shared_state = manager.SharedState()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         location = shared_state.location()
diff --git a/python/PiFinder/multiproclogging.py b/python/PiFinder/multiproclogging.py
index 92d36dcc..83b7f437 100644
--- a/python/PiFinder/multiproclogging.py
+++ b/python/PiFinder/multiproclogging.py
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ def start(self, initial_queue: Optional[Queue] = None):
             len(self._queues) >= 1
         ), "No queues in use. You should have requested at least one queue."
 
+        # Create the main-process queue BEFORE starting the sink so the sink
+        # receives it in its queue list and monitors it.
+        queue = initial_queue if initial_queue is not None else self.get_queue()
+
         self._proc = Process(
             target=self._run_sink,
             args=(
@@ -97,7 +101,6 @@ def start(self, initial_queue: Optional[Queue] = None):
         # Start separate process that consumes from the queues.
         self._proc.start()
         # Now in this process we can divert logging to the newly created class
-        queue = self.get_queue()
         MultiprocLogging.configurer(queue)
 
     def join(self):
diff --git a/python/PiFinder/server.py b/python/PiFinder/server.py
index ff9db6d1..8fd622bb 100644
--- a/python/PiFinder/server.py
+++ b/python/PiFinder/server.py
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ def logs_page():
         def stream_logs():
             try:
                 position = int(request.query.get("position", 0))
-                log_file = "/home/pifinder/PiFinder_data/pifinder.log"
+                log_file = str(utils.data_dir / "pifinder.log") 
 
                 try:
                     file_size = os.path.getsize(log_file)
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 05a2b26e..b61f2782 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ indent-width = 4
 # Assume Python 3.9
 target-version = "py39"
 
+# _ is the i18n/gettext builtin injected at runtime
+builtins = ["_"]
+
 [tool.ruff.lint]
 # Enable preview mode, allow os.env changes before imports
 preview = true