diff --git a/src/Command/CacheLatestArticlesCommand.php b/src/Command/CacheLatestArticlesCommand.php
index 3983060..95ff542 100644
--- a/src/Command/CacheLatestArticlesCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/CacheLatestArticlesCommand.php
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace App\Command;
 
+use App\Service\RedisCacheService;
+use App\Util\NostrKeyUtil;
 use FOS\ElasticaBundle\Finder\FinderInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Attribute\AsCommand;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command;
@@ -23,13 +25,20 @@ class CacheLatestArticlesCommand extends Command
     private FinderInterface $finder;
     private CacheItemPoolInterface $articlesCache;
     private ParameterBagInterface $params;
+    private RedisCacheService $redisCacheService;
 
-    public function __construct(FinderInterface $finder, CacheItemPoolInterface $articlesCache, ParameterBagInterface $params)
+    public function __construct(
+        FinderInterface $finder,
+        CacheItemPoolInterface $articlesCache,
+        ParameterBagInterface $params,
+        RedisCacheService $redisCacheService
+    )
     {
         parent::__construct();
         $this->finder = $finder;
         $this->articlesCache = $articlesCache;
         $this->params = $params;
+        $this->redisCacheService = $redisCacheService;
     }
 
     protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int
@@ -70,10 +79,34 @@ class CacheLatestArticlesCommand extends Command
 
             $articles = $this->finder->find($query);
 
+            // Pre-fetch and cache author metadata for all articles
+            $authorPubkeys = [];
+            foreach ($articles as $article) {
+                // Debug: check what type of object we have
+                if ($article instanceof \App\Entity\Article) {
+                    $pubkey = $article->getPubkey();
+                    if ($pubkey && NostrKeyUtil::isHexPubkey($pubkey)) {
+                        $authorPubkeys[] = $pubkey;
+                    }
+                } elseif (is_object($article)) {
+                    // Elastica result object
+                    if (isset($article->pubkey) && NostrKeyUtil::isHexPubkey($article->pubkey)) {
+                        $authorPubkeys[] = $article->pubkey;
+                    } elseif (isset($article->npub) && NostrKeyUtil::isNpub($article->npub)) {
+                        $authorPubkeys[] = NostrKeyUtil::npubToHex($article->npub);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            $authorPubkeys = array_unique($authorPubkeys);
+
+            $output->writeln('<comment>Pre-fetching metadata for ' . count($authorPubkeys) . ' authors...</comment>');
+            $authorsMetadata = $this->redisCacheService->getMultipleMetadata($authorPubkeys);
+            $output->writeln('<comment>Fetched ' . count($authorsMetadata) . ' author profiles.</comment>');
+
             $cacheItem->set($articles);
             $cacheItem->expiresAfter(3600); // Cache for 1 hour
             $this->articlesCache->save($cacheItem);
-            $output->writeln('<info>Cached ' . count($articles) . ' articles.</info>');
+            $output->writeln('<info>Cached ' . count($articles) . ' articles with author metadata.</info>');
 //        } else {
 //            $output->writeln('<comment>Cache already exists for key: ' . $cacheKey . '</comment>');
 //        }
diff --git a/src/Command/NostrRelayPoolStatsCommand.php b/src/Command/NostrRelayPoolStatsCommand.php
index ad060a6..ba9d870 100644
--- a/src/Command/NostrRelayPoolStatsCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/NostrRelayPoolStatsCommand.php
@@ -26,10 +26,35 @@ class NostrRelayPoolStatsCommand extends Command
         $io = new SymfonyStyle($input, $output);
 
         $stats = $this->relayPool->getStats();
+        $localRelay = $this->relayPool->getLocalRelay();
+        $defaultRelays = $this->relayPool->getDefaultRelays();
 
         $io->title('Nostr Relay Pool Statistics');
 
-        $io->section('Overview');
+        $io->section('Configuration');
+        $io->table(
+            ['Setting', 'Value'],
+            [
+                ['Local Relay', $localRelay ?: '(not configured)'],
+                ['Default Relays', count($defaultRelays)],
+            ]
+        );
+
+        if (!empty($defaultRelays)) {
+            $io->section('Default Relay List (Priority Order)');
+            $rows = [];
+            foreach ($defaultRelays as $index => $relay) {
+                $isLocal = $localRelay && $relay === $localRelay;
+                $rows[] = [
+                    $index + 1,
+                    $relay,
+                    $isLocal ? '✓ Local' : 'Public'
+                ];
+            }
+            $io->table(['Priority', 'Relay URL', 'Type'], $rows);
+        }
+
+        $io->section('Connection Pool');
         $io->table(
             ['Metric', 'Value'],
             [
diff --git a/src/Controller/DefaultController.php b/src/Controller/DefaultController.php
index 7105450..9d93b49 100644
--- a/src/Controller/DefaultController.php
+++ b/src/Controller/DefaultController.php
@@ -61,28 +61,28 @@ class DefaultController extends AbstractController
         CacheItemPoolInterface $articlesCache
     ): Response
     {
-        set_time_limit(300);
-        ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');
-
         $env = $this->getParameter('kernel.environment');
         // Reuse previous latest list cache key to show same set as old 'latest'
         $cacheKey = 'latest_articles_list_' . $env;
         $cacheItem = $articlesCache->getItem($cacheKey);
 
-        $key = new Key();
-        $excludedPubkeys = [
-            $key->convertToHex('npub1etsrcjz24fqewg4zmjze7t5q8c6rcwde5zdtdt4v3t3dz2navecscjjz94'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub1m7szwpud3jh2k3cqe73v0fd769uzsj6rzmddh4dw67y92sw22r3sk5m3ys'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub13wke9s6njrmugzpg6mqtvy2d49g4d6t390ng76dhxxgs9jn3f2jsmq82pk'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub10akm29ejpdns52ca082skmc3hr75wmv3ajv4987c9lgyrfynrmdqduqwlx'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub13uvnw9qehqkds68ds76c4nfcn3y99c2rl9z8tr0p34v7ntzsmmzspwhh99'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub1fls5au5fxj6qj0t36sage857cs4tgfpla0ll8prshlhstagejtkqc9s2yl'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub1t5d8kcn0hu8zmt6dpkgatd5hwhx76956g7qmdzwnca6fzgprzlhqnqks86'),
-            $key->convertToHex('npub14l5xklll5vxzrf6hfkv8m6n2gqevythn5pqc6ezluespah0e8ars4279ss'),
-        ];
-
         if (!$cacheItem->isHit()) {
             // Fallback: run query now if command hasn't populated cache yet
+            set_time_limit(300);
+            ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');
+
+            $key = new Key();
+            $excludedPubkeys = [
+                $key->convertToHex('npub1etsrcjz24fqewg4zmjze7t5q8c6rcwde5zdtdt4v3t3dz2navecscjjz94'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub1m7szwpud3jh2k3cqe73v0fd769uzsj6rzmddh4dw67y92sw22r3sk5m3ys'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub13wke9s6njrmugzpg6mqtvy2d49g4d6t390ng76dhxxgs9jn3f2jsmq82pk'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub10akm29ejpdns52ca082skmc3hr75wmv3ajv4987c9lgyrfynrmdqduqwlx'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub13uvnw9qehqkds68ds76c4nfcn3y99c2rl9z8tr0p34v7ntzsmmzspwhh99'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub1fls5au5fxj6qj0t36sage857cs4tgfpla0ll8prshlhstagejtkqc9s2yl'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub1t5d8kcn0hu8zmt6dpkgatd5hwhx76956g7qmdzwnca6fzgprzlhqnqks86'),
+                $key->convertToHex('npub14l5xklll5vxzrf6hfkv8m6n2gqevythn5pqc6ezluespah0e8ars4279ss'),
+            ];
+
             $boolQuery = new BoolQuery();
             $boolQuery->addMustNot(new Query\Terms('pubkey', $excludedPubkeys));
             $query = new Query($boolQuery);
@@ -99,12 +99,22 @@ class DefaultController extends AbstractController
 
         $articles = $cacheItem->get();
 
+        // Fetch author metadata - this is now much faster because
+        // metadata is pre-cached by the CacheLatestArticlesCommand
         $authorPubkeys = [];
         foreach ($articles as $article) {
-            if (isset($article->pubkey) && NostrKeyUtil::isHexPubkey($article->pubkey)) {
-                $authorPubkeys[] = $article->pubkey;
-            } elseif (isset($article->npub) && NostrKeyUtil::isNpub($article->npub)) {
-                $authorPubkeys[] = NostrKeyUtil::npubToHex($article->npub);
+            if ($article instanceof \App\Entity\Article) {
+                $pubkey = $article->getPubkey();
+                if ($pubkey && NostrKeyUtil::isHexPubkey($pubkey)) {
+                    $authorPubkeys[] = $pubkey;
+                }
+            } elseif (is_object($article)) {
+                // Elastica result object fallback
+                if (isset($article->pubkey) && NostrKeyUtil::isHexPubkey($article->pubkey)) {
+                    $authorPubkeys[] = $article->pubkey;
+                } elseif (isset($article->npub) && NostrKeyUtil::isNpub($article->npub)) {
+                    $authorPubkeys[] = NostrKeyUtil::npubToHex($article->npub);
+                }
             }
         }
         $authorPubkeys = array_unique($authorPubkeys);
diff --git a/src/Service/NostrClient.php b/src/Service/NostrClient.php
index dc3d944..ee0e0c3 100644
--- a/src/Service/NostrClient.php
+++ b/src/Service/NostrClient.php
@@ -129,13 +129,13 @@ class NostrClient
      */
     public function getPubkeyMetadata($pubkey): \stdClass
     {
-        // Use relay pool for all relays including purplepag.es
-        $relayUrls = [
+        // Use relay pool for all relays including purplepag.es, with local relay prioritized
+        $relayUrls = $this->relayPool->ensureLocalRelayInList([
             'wss://theforest.nostr1.com',
             'wss://nostr.land',
             'wss://relay.primal.net',
             'wss://purplepag.es'
-        ];
+        ]);
         $relaySet = $this->createRelaySet($relayUrls);
 
         $this->logger->info('Getting metadata for pubkey ' . $pubkey );
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ class NostrClient
         if (empty($relays)) {
             $key = new Key();
             $relays = $this->getTopReputableRelaysForAuthor($key->convertPublicKeyToBech32($event->getPublicKey()), 5);
+        } else {
+            // Ensure local relay is included when publishing
+            $relays = $this->relayPool->ensureLocalRelayInList($relays);
         }
 
         // Use relay pool instead of creating new Relay instances
@@ -206,8 +209,9 @@ class NostrClient
         }
         $requestMessage = new RequestMessage($subscriptionId, [$filter]);
 
-        // Create relay set from all reputable relays on record
-        $relaySet = $this->createRelaySet(self::REPUTABLE_RELAYS);
+        // Create relay set from all reputable relays on record, with local relay prioritized
+        $relayUrls = $this->relayPool->ensureLocalRelayInList(self::REPUTABLE_RELAYS);
+        $relaySet = $this->createRelaySet($relayUrls);
 
         $request = new Request($relaySet, $requestMessage);
 
@@ -281,6 +285,9 @@ class NostrClient
     {
         $this->logger->info('Getting event by ID', ['event_id' => $eventId, 'relays' => $relays]);
 
+        // Ensure local relay is included in the relay list
+        $relays = $this->relayPool->ensureLocalRelayInList($relays);
+
         // Merge relays with reputable ones
         $allRelays = array_unique(array_merge($relays, self::REPUTABLE_RELAYS));
         // Loop over reputable relays and bail as soon as you get a valid event back
@@ -341,6 +348,11 @@ class NostrClient
 
         $this->logger->info('Getting events by IDs', ['event_ids' => $eventIds, 'relays' => $relays]);
 
+        // Ensure local relay is included
+        if (!empty($relays)) {
+            $relays = $this->relayPool->ensureLocalRelayInList($relays);
+        }
+
         // Use provided relays or default if empty
         $relaySet = empty($relays) ? $this->defaultRelaySet : $this->createRelaySet($relays);
 
@@ -578,7 +590,7 @@ class NostrClient
         $parts = explode(':', $coordinate, 3);
         $pubkey = $parts[1];
 
-        // Get author's relays for better chances of finding zaps
+        // Get author's relays for better chances of finding zaps (includes local relay)
         $authorRelays = $this->getTopReputableRelaysForAuthor($pubkey);
         $relaySet = $this->createRelaySet($authorRelays);
 
diff --git a/src/Service/NostrRelayPool.php b/src/Service/NostrRelayPool.php
index 900e48e..de4559a 100644
--- a/src/Service/NostrRelayPool.php
+++ b/src/Service/NostrRelayPool.php
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ class NostrRelayPool
     private array $lastConnected = [];
 
     /** @var array<string> */
-    private array $defaultRelays = [
+    private array $defaultRelays = [];
+
+    /** @var array<string> Default public relays to fall back to */
+    private const PUBLIC_RELAYS = [
         'wss://theforest.nostr1.com',
         'wss://nostr.land',
         'wss://relay.primal.net',
@@ -39,11 +42,39 @@ class NostrRelayPool
         private readonly string $nostrDefaultRelay,
         array $defaultRelays = []
     ) {
-        $relayList = $defaultRelays ?: $this->defaultRelays;
-        if ($this->nostrDefaultRelay && !in_array($this->nostrDefaultRelay, $relayList, true)) {
-            array_unshift($relayList, $this->nostrDefaultRelay);
+        // Build relay list: prioritize local relay, then custom relays, then public relays
+        $relayList = [];
+
+        // Add local relay first if configured
+        if ($this->nostrDefaultRelay) {
+            $relayList[] = $this->nostrDefaultRelay;
+            $this->logger->info('NostrRelayPool: Local relay configured as primary', [
+                'relay' => $this->nostrDefaultRelay
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        // Add custom relays (excluding local relay if already added)
+        if (!empty($defaultRelays)) {
+            foreach ($defaultRelays as $relay) {
+                if (!in_array($relay, $relayList, true)) {
+                    $relayList[] = $relay;
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            // Use public relays as fallback
+            foreach (self::PUBLIC_RELAYS as $relay) {
+                if (!in_array($relay, $relayList, true)) {
+                    $relayList[] = $relay;
+                }
+            }
         }
+
         $this->defaultRelays = $relayList;
+
+        $this->logger->info('NostrRelayPool initialized with relay priority', [
+            'relay_count' => count($this->defaultRelays),
+            'relays' => $this->defaultRelays
+        ]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -88,7 +119,7 @@ class NostrRelayPool
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get multiple relay connections, prioritizing default relay
+     * Get multiple relay connections, prioritizing local relay (primary default relay)
      *
      * @param array $relayUrls
      * @return array<Relay>
@@ -96,26 +127,26 @@ class NostrRelayPool
     public function getRelays(array $relayUrls): array
     {
         $relays = [];
-        $defaultRelay = $this->defaultRelays[0] ?? null;
+        $localRelay = $this->nostrDefaultRelay ? $this->normalizeRelayUrl($this->nostrDefaultRelay) : null;
         $relayUrlsNormalized = array_map([$this, 'normalizeRelayUrl'], $relayUrls);
-        $defaultRelayNormalized = $defaultRelay ? $this->normalizeRelayUrl($defaultRelay) : null;
 
-        // Try default relay first if present in requested URLs
-        if ($defaultRelayNormalized && in_array($defaultRelayNormalized, $relayUrlsNormalized, true)) {
+        // Always try local relay first if configured, regardless of whether it's in the requested URLs
+        if ($localRelay) {
             try {
-                $relays[] = $this->getRelay($defaultRelayNormalized);
+                $relays[] = $this->getRelay($localRelay);
+                $this->logger->debug('Using local relay (priority)', ['relay' => $localRelay]);
             } catch (\Throwable $e) {
-                $this->logger->warning('Default relay unavailable, falling back to others', [
-                    'relay' => $defaultRelayNormalized,
+                $this->logger->warning('Local relay unavailable, falling back to others', [
+                    'relay' => $localRelay,
                     'error' => $e->getMessage()
                 ]);
             }
         }
 
-        // Add other relays except the default
+        // Add other relays except the local relay
         foreach ($relayUrlsNormalized as $url) {
-            if ($url === $defaultRelayNormalized) {
-                continue;
+            if ($url === $localRelay) {
+                continue; // Skip local relay as we already added it
             }
             try {
                 $relays[] = $this->getRelay($url);
@@ -126,6 +157,7 @@ class NostrRelayPool
                 ]);
             }
         }
+
         return $relays;
     }
 
@@ -340,4 +372,37 @@ class NostrRelayPool
     {
         return $this->defaultRelays;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get local relay URL if configured
+     */
+    public function getLocalRelay(): ?string
+    {
+        return $this->nostrDefaultRelay ?: null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensure local relay is included in a list of relay URLs
+     * Adds local relay at the beginning if configured and not already in the list
+     */
+    public function ensureLocalRelayInList(array $relayUrls): array
+    {
+        if (!$this->nostrDefaultRelay) {
+            return $relayUrls;
+        }
+
+        $normalizedLocal = $this->normalizeRelayUrl($this->nostrDefaultRelay);
+        $normalizedUrls = array_map([$this, 'normalizeRelayUrl'], $relayUrls);
+
+        // If local relay not in list, add it at the beginning
+        if (!in_array($normalizedLocal, $normalizedUrls, true)) {
+            array_unshift($relayUrls, $this->nostrDefaultRelay);
+            $this->logger->debug('Added local relay to relay list', [
+                'local_relay' => $this->nostrDefaultRelay,
+                'total_relays' => count($relayUrls)
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        return $relayUrls;
+    }
 }