diff --git a/packages/system/src/NostrSystem.ts b/packages/system/src/NostrSystem.ts
index 58d084d4..dbcfc34f 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/NostrSystem.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/NostrSystem.ts
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ export class NostrSystem extends ExternalStore<SystemSnapshot> implements System
       }
     } else {
       const ret = [];
-      for (const [, s] of this.#sockets) {
+      for (const [a, s] of this.#sockets) {
         if (!s.Ephemeral) {
+          this.#log("Sending query to %s %O", a, qSend);
           const qt = q.sendToRelay(s, qSend);
           if (qt) {
             ret.push(qt);
diff --git a/packages/system/src/RequestBuilder.ts b/packages/system/src/RequestBuilder.ts
index 088acf1c..8e6af5f9 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/RequestBuilder.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/RequestBuilder.ts
@@ -222,7 +222,9 @@ export class RequestFilterBuilder {
   build(relays: RelayCache, id: string): Array<BuiltRawReqFilter> {
     // use the explicit relay list first
     if (this.#relays.size > 0) {
-      return [...this.#relays].map(r => {
+      // always query our default relay lists too when using explicit relays
+      // these explicit relays may not always be available
+      return [...this.#relays, ""].map(r => {
         return {
           filters: [this.#filter],
           relay: r,