diff --git a/client/android/client.go b/client/android/client.go
index e47a1c13d..b870337d1 100644
--- a/client/android/client.go
+++ b/client/android/client.go
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ func (c *Client) Run(platformFiles PlatformFiles, urlOpener URLOpener, isAndroid
 	connectClient := internal.NewConnectClient(ctx, cfg, c.recorder,
 		internal.WithNetEvents(c.netMgr))
 	c.setState(cfg, cacheDir, cfgFile, connectClient)
+	connectClient.SetSyncResponsePersistence(true)
 	// This path runs the interactive SSO flow, so reaching here means the peer
 	// is authenticated again — release the latch Status() reports from. Clear
 	// only once the fresh connect client is installed: until then Status()
@@ -256,6 +257,7 @@ func (c *Client) RunWithoutLogin(platformFiles PlatformFiles, dns *DNSList, dnsR
 	connectClient := internal.NewConnectClient(ctx, cfg, c.recorder,
 		internal.WithNetEvents(c.netMgr))
 	c.setState(cfg, cacheDir, cfgFile, connectClient)
+	connectClient.SetSyncResponsePersistence(true)
 	return connectClient.RunOnAndroid(c.tunAdapter, c.iFaceDiscover, c.networkChangeListener, slices.Clone(dns.items), dnsReadyListener, stateFile, cacheDir)
 }
 
@@ -327,6 +329,19 @@ func (c *Client) NotifyNetworkChange() {
 // or "strict"; strict also anonymizes internal IP ranges, peer names, and
 // WireGuard public keys, and implies anonymize.
 func (c *Client) DebugBundle(platformFiles PlatformFiles, anonymize bool, anonymizeLevel string) (string, error) {
+	return c.debugBundle(platformFiles, anonymize, anonymizeLevel, true)
+}
+
+// DebugBundleFile generates a debug bundle and returns the path of the zip in
+// the cache directory instead of uploading it, so the app can hand the file to
+// the user for inspection. The caller owns the file and removes it once done;
+// the stale-bundle cleanup of later runs removes it only after a day.
+// anonymize and anonymizeLevel behave as in DebugBundle.
+func (c *Client) DebugBundleFile(platformFiles PlatformFiles, anonymize bool, anonymizeLevel string) (string, error) {
+	return c.debugBundle(platformFiles, anonymize, anonymizeLevel, false)
+}
+
+func (c *Client) debugBundle(platformFiles PlatformFiles, anonymize bool, anonymizeLevel string, upload bool) (string, error) {
 	cfg, cacheDir, cc := c.stateSnapshot()
 
 	// If the engine hasn't been started, load config from disk
@@ -342,6 +357,11 @@ func (c *Client) DebugBundle(platformFiles PlatformFiles, anonymize bool, anonym
 		cacheDir = platformFiles.CacheDir()
 	}
 
+	// Clear what an interrupted earlier run may have left in the cache before
+	// adding to it. Remote debug jobs write to the same directory, so anything
+	// younger than an hour is treated as possibly still in use.
+	debug.RemoveStaleBundles(cacheDir, time.Hour)
+
 	deps := debug.GeneratorDependencies{
 		InternalConfig: cfg,
 		StatusRecorder: c.recorder,
@@ -379,6 +399,9 @@ func (c *Client) DebugBundle(platformFiles PlatformFiles, anonymize bool, anonym
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("generate debug bundle: %w", err)
 	}
+	if !upload {
+		return debug.ExportBundle(path)
+	}
 	defer func() {
 		if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("failed to remove debug bundle file: %v", err)
diff --git a/client/internal/debug/debug.go b/client/internal/debug/debug.go
index b362ae293..f4d1c3598 100644
--- a/client/internal/debug/debug.go
+++ b/client/internal/debug/debug.go
@@ -379,9 +379,38 @@ func NewBundleGenerator(deps GeneratorDependencies, cfg BundleConfig) *BundleGen
 	}
 }
 
+// bundleFilePattern names the bundle zips Generate creates in tempDir; the
+// asterisk is filled in by os.CreateTemp.
+const bundleFilePattern = "netbird.debug.*.zip"
+
+const exportedBundlePrefix = "netbird.debug-file."
+
+const exportedBundleMaxAge = 24 * time.Hour
+
+// RemoveStaleBundles deletes bundle zips that an interrupted generation or
+// upload left behind in dir. Only files older than maxAge go, so a bundle that
+// another caller is still writing or uploading in the same directory survives.
+// Exported bundles are kept for exportedBundleMaxAge instead.
+func RemoveStaleBundles(dir string, maxAge time.Duration) {
+	removeStaleFiles(dir, bundleFilePattern, maxAge)
+	removeStaleFiles(dir, exportedBundlePrefix+"*.zip", exportedBundleMaxAge)
+}
+
+// ExportBundle renames a generated bundle out of the RemoveStaleBundles pattern
+// and returns the new path. The caller owns the file from then on; an export
+// abandoned for longer than exportedBundleMaxAge is removed by RemoveStaleBundles.
+func ExportBundle(path string) (string, error) {
+	base := strings.TrimPrefix(filepath.Base(path), strings.SplitN(bundleFilePattern, "*", 2)[0])
+	exported := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(path), exportedBundlePrefix+base)
+	if err := os.Rename(path, exported); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("export debug bundle: %w", err)
+	}
+	return exported, nil
+}
+
 // Generate creates a debug bundle and returns the location.
 func (g *BundleGenerator) Generate() (resp string, err error) {
-	bundlePath, err := os.CreateTemp(g.tempDir, "netbird.debug.*.zip")
+	bundlePath, err := os.CreateTemp(g.tempDir, bundleFilePattern)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("create zip file: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -1725,3 +1754,26 @@ func anonymizeSlice(v []any, anonymizer *anonymize.Anonymizer) []any {
 	}
 	return v
 }
+
+func removeStaleFiles(dir, pattern string, maxAge time.Duration) {
+	matches, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(dir, pattern))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Debugf("glob stale debug bundles in %s: %v", dir, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	cutoff := time.Now().Add(-maxAge)
+	for _, path := range matches {
+		info, err := os.Stat(path)
+		if err != nil || info.ModTime().After(cutoff) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
+			if !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+				log.Warnf("remove stale debug bundle %s: %v", path, err)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		log.Infof("removed stale debug bundle %s", path)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/client/internal/debug/debug_test.go b/client/internal/debug/debug_test.go
index 17d520358..6a810bccc 100644
--- a/client/internal/debug/debug_test.go
+++ b/client/internal/debug/debug_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"archive/zip"
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/netip"
 	"net/url"
@@ -969,3 +970,52 @@ func renderAddConfigSpecific(g *BundleGenerator) string {
 func newAnonymizerForTest() *anonymize.Anonymizer {
 	return anonymize.NewAnonymizer(anonymize.DefaultAddresses())
 }
+
+func TestRemoveStaleBundles(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	stale := filepath.Join(dir, "netbird.debug.111.zip")
+	fresh := filepath.Join(dir, "netbird.debug.222.zip")
+	other := filepath.Join(dir, "netbird.debug.333.txt")
+	owned := filepath.Join(dir, "netbird.debug.444.zip")
+	abandoned := filepath.Join(dir, "netbird.debug.555.zip")
+	for _, p := range []string{stale, fresh, other, owned, abandoned} {
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(p, []byte("x"), 0o600))
+	}
+	exported, err := ExportBundle(owned)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	exportedAbandoned, err := ExportBundle(abandoned)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	old := time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour)
+	for _, p := range []string{stale, other, exported} {
+		require.NoError(t, os.Chtimes(p, old, old))
+	}
+	ancient := time.Now().Add(-exportedBundleMaxAge - time.Hour)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Chtimes(exportedAbandoned, ancient, ancient))
+
+	RemoveStaleBundles(dir, time.Hour)
+
+	assert.NoFileExists(t, stale, "bundle older than maxAge should be removed")
+	assert.FileExists(t, fresh, "bundle younger than maxAge must survive, it may still be uploading")
+	assert.FileExists(t, other, "files outside the bundle pattern must not be touched")
+	assert.NoFileExists(t, owned)
+	assert.FileExists(t, exported, "exported bundle is caller-owned and must survive maxAge")
+	assert.NoFileExists(t, exportedAbandoned, "exported bundle older than exportedBundleMaxAge is abandoned")
+}
+
+func TestBundleIncludesNetworkMap(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, anonymize := range []bool{false, true} {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("anonymize=%t", anonymize), func(t *testing.T) {
+			g := NewBundleGenerator(GeneratorDependencies{
+				SyncResponse: &mgmProto.SyncResponse{NetworkMap: &mgmProto.NetworkMap{Serial: 1}},
+			}, BundleConfig{Anonymize: anonymize})
+
+			require.Contains(t, bundleEntries(t, g), "network_map.json")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBundleOmitsNetworkMapWithoutSyncResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	g := NewBundleGenerator(GeneratorDependencies{}, BundleConfig{})
+
+	require.NotContains(t, bundleEntries(t, g), "network_map.json")
+}
diff --git a/client/internal/engine_test.go b/client/internal/engine_test.go
index 3856cae22..14076c051 100644
--- a/client/internal/engine_test.go
+++ b/client/internal/engine_test.go
@@ -1493,3 +1493,21 @@ func TestOverlayAddrsFromAllowedIPs(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestEngine_SyncResponsePersistence(t *testing.T) {
+	e := &Engine{}
+
+	_, err := e.GetLatestSyncResponse()
+	require.Error(t, err, "persistence is disabled by default")
+
+	e.SetSyncResponsePersistence(true)
+	e.persistSyncResponse(&mgmtProto.SyncResponse{NetworkMap: &mgmtProto.NetworkMap{Serial: 7}})
+
+	got, err := e.GetLatestSyncResponse()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(7), got.GetNetworkMap().GetSerial())
+
+	e.SetSyncResponsePersistence(false)
+	_, err = e.GetLatestSyncResponse()
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}