diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8af9a306..c07b9064 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
   "description": "",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "postinstall": "node scripts/patch-lightningcss.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-scope.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-route.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-homepage-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-federation-unlisted-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-micropub-where-note-visibility.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-serviceworker-file.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-collection-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-mastodon-disconnect.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-routes-rate-limits.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-error-production-stack.mjs && node scripts/patch-indieauth-devmode-guard.mjs && node scripts/patch-listening-endpoint-runtime-guards.mjs",
-    "serve": "export NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-production} INDIEKIT_DEBUG=${INDIEKIT_DEBUG:-0} && node scripts/preflight-production-security.mjs && node scripts/preflight-mongo-connection.mjs && node scripts/preflight-activitypub-rsa-key.mjs && node scripts/preflight-activitypub-profile-urls.mjs && node scripts/patch-lightningcss.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-scope.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-route.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-homepage-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-federation-unlisted-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-micropub-where-note-visibility.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-serviceworker-file.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-collection-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-mastodon-disconnect.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-routes-rate-limits.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-error-production-stack.mjs && node scripts/patch-indieauth-devmode-guard.mjs && node scripts/patch-listening-endpoint-runtime-guards.mjs && node node_modules/@indiekit/indiekit/bin/cli.js serve --config indiekit.config.mjs",
+    "postinstall": "node scripts/patch-lightningcss.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-scope.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-route.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-homepage-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-federation-unlisted-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-micropub-where-note-visibility.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-serviceworker-file.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-collection-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-mastodon-disconnect.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-routes-rate-limits.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-error-production-stack.mjs && node scripts/patch-indieauth-devmode-guard.mjs && node scripts/patch-listening-endpoint-runtime-guards.mjs",
+    "serve": "export NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-production} INDIEKIT_DEBUG=${INDIEKIT_DEBUG:-0} && node scripts/preflight-production-security.mjs && node scripts/preflight-mongo-connection.mjs && node scripts/preflight-activitypub-rsa-key.mjs && node scripts/preflight-activitypub-profile-urls.mjs && node scripts/patch-lightningcss.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-scope.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-media-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-sharp-runtime.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-route.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-homepage-locales.mjs && node scripts/patch-federation-unlisted-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-endpoint-micropub-where-note-visibility.mjs && node scripts/patch-frontend-serviceworker-file.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-collection-guards.mjs && node scripts/patch-conversations-mastodon-disconnect.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-routes-rate-limits.mjs && node scripts/patch-indiekit-error-production-stack.mjs && node scripts/patch-indieauth-devmode-guard.mjs && node scripts/patch-listening-endpoint-runtime-guards.mjs && node node_modules/@indiekit/indiekit/bin/cli.js serve --config indiekit.config.mjs",
     "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
   },
   "keywords": [],
diff --git a/scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs b/scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a89c7f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { access, readFile, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+
+const candidates = [
+  "node_modules/@rmdes/indiekit-endpoint-activitypub/lib/federation-setup.js",
+  "node_modules/@indiekit/indiekit/node_modules/@rmdes/indiekit-endpoint-activitypub/lib/federation-setup.js",
+];
+
+const oldSnippet = `      loggers: [
+        {
+          // All Fedify logs — federation, vocab, delivery, HTTP signatures
+          category: ["fedify"],
+          sinks: ["console"],
+          lowestLevel: resolvedLevel,
+        },
+      ],`;
+
+const newSnippet = `      loggers: [
+        {
+          // Noise guard: remote deleted actors often return 404/410 on fetch.
+          // Keep only fatal events for the docloader category.
+          category: ["fedify", "runtime", "docloader"],
+          sinks: ["console"],
+          lowestLevel: "fatal",
+        },
+        {
+          // All remaining Fedify logs - federation, vocab, delivery, signatures.
+          category: ["fedify"],
+          sinks: ["console"],
+          lowestLevel: resolvedLevel,
+        },
+      ],`;
+
+async function exists(filePath) {
+  try {
+    await access(filePath);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+let filesChecked = 0;
+let filesPatched = 0;
+
+for (const filePath of candidates) {
+  if (!(await exists(filePath))) {
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  filesChecked += 1;
+
+  const source = await readFile(filePath, "utf8");
+
+  if (source.includes(newSnippet)) {
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  if (!source.includes(oldSnippet)) {
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  const updated = source.replace(oldSnippet, newSnippet);
+
+  if (updated === source) {
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  await writeFile(filePath, updated, "utf8");
+  filesPatched += 1;
+}
+
+if (filesChecked === 0) {
+  console.log("[postinstall] No activitypub federation setup files found");
+} else if (filesPatched === 0) {
+  console.log("[postinstall] activitypub docloader loglevel patch already applied");
+} else {
+  console.log(
+    `[postinstall] Patched activitypub docloader loglevel in ${filesPatched}/${filesChecked} file(s)`,
+  );
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/start.example.sh b/start.example.sh
index f77a5903..630d0bd7 100644
--- a/start.example.sh
+++ b/start.example.sh
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ unset DEBUG
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-route.mjs
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-endpoint-files-upload-locales.mjs
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-locales.mjs
+/usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-endpoint-activitypub-docloader-loglevel.mjs
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-endpoint-homepage-locales.mjs
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-frontend-serviceworker-file.mjs
 /usr/local/bin/node scripts/patch-conversations-collection-guards.mjs