diff --git a/client/iface/configurer/usp.go b/client/iface/configurer/usp.go
index 171458e38..945f1a162 100644
--- a/client/iface/configurer/usp.go
+++ b/client/iface/configurer/usp.go
@@ -394,6 +394,13 @@ func toLastHandshake(stringVar string) (time.Time, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("parse handshake sec: %w", err)
 	}
+
+	// If sec is 0 (Unix epoch), return zero time instead
+	// This indicates no handshake has occurred
+	if sec == 0 {
+		return time.Time{}, nil
+	}
+
 	return time.Unix(sec, 0), nil
 }
 
diff --git a/client/internal/peer/wg_watcher.go b/client/internal/peer/wg_watcher.go
index 218872c15..b6c5817f8 100644
--- a/client/internal/peer/wg_watcher.go
+++ b/client/internal/peer/wg_watcher.go
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ func (w *WGWatcher) periodicHandshakeCheck(ctx context.Context, ctxCancel contex
 				onDisconnectedFn()
 				return
 			}
+			if lastHandshake.IsZero() {
+				w.log.Infof("first wg handshake detected at: %s", handshake)
+			}
+
 			lastHandshake = *handshake
 
 			resetTime := time.Until(handshake.Add(checkPeriod))