diff --git a/package/secubox/luci-app-tor-shield/root/usr/libexec/rpcd/luci.tor-shield b/package/secubox/luci-app-tor-shield/root/usr/libexec/rpcd/luci.tor-shield
index 2960ae7..3a14c36 100644
--- a/package/secubox/luci-app-tor-shield/root/usr/libexec/rpcd/luci.tor-shield
+++ b/package/secubox/luci-app-tor-shield/root/usr/libexec/rpcd/luci.tor-shield
@@ -7,22 +7,47 @@
 . /usr/share/libubox/jshn.sh
 
 CONFIG="tor-shield"
-TOR_CONTROL="/var/run/tor/control"
+TOR_RUN="/var/run/tor"
+TOR_CONTROL="$TOR_RUN/control"
 TOR_DATA="/var/lib/tor"
 
-# Send command to Tor control socket
+# Send command to Tor control socket with cookie auth
 tor_control() {
 	if [ ! -S "$TOR_CONTROL" ]; then
 		return 1
 	fi
-	echo -e "$1" | nc -U "$TOR_CONTROL" 2>/dev/null
+
+	# Read cookie for authentication
+	local cookie=""
+	local cookie_file="$TOR_RUN/control_auth_cookie"
+	if [ -f "$cookie_file" ]; then
+		cookie=$(hexdump -e '32/1 "%02x"' "$cookie_file" 2>/dev/null)
+	fi
+
+	# Use socat for Unix socket (BusyBox nc doesn't support -U)
+	# Send AUTHENTICATE first, then the actual command
+	{
+		[ -n "$cookie" ] && echo "AUTHENTICATE $cookie"
+		echo "$1"
+	} | socat - UNIX-CONNECT:"$TOR_CONTROL" 2>/dev/null
 }
 
-# Check if Tor is running
+# Check if Tor is running (via tor-shield, not just any tor process)
 is_running() {
+	# Check for tor-shield's pid file first
+	if [ -f "$TOR_RUN/tor.pid" ]; then
+		local pid=$(cat "$TOR_RUN/tor.pid" 2>/dev/null)
+		[ -n "$pid" ] && [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && return 0
+	fi
+	# Fallback to checking any tor process
 	pgrep tor >/dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
+# Check if tor-shield control socket is available
+has_control() {
+	[ -S "$TOR_CONTROL" ]
+}
+
 # Get bootstrap percentage
 get_bootstrap() {
 	local status=$(tor_control "GETINFO status/bootstrap-phase")
@@ -49,35 +74,47 @@ get_status() {
 	# Running state
 	if is_running; then
 		json_add_boolean "running" 1
+		json_add_boolean "has_control" "$(has_control && echo 1 || echo 0)"
 
-		# Bootstrap percentage
-		local bootstrap=$(get_bootstrap)
+		# Bootstrap percentage (only if control socket available)
+		local bootstrap=0
+		if has_control; then
+			bootstrap=$(get_bootstrap)
+		fi
 		json_add_int "bootstrap" "${bootstrap:-0}"
 
 		# Get exit IP if bootstrapped
 		if [ "$bootstrap" -ge 100 ]; then
 			local socks_port
 			config_get socks_port socks port '9050'
-			local exit_ip=$(curl -s --max-time 10 --socks5-hostname 127.0.0.1:$socks_port https://check.torproject.org/api/ip 2>/dev/null | jsonfilter -e '@.IP' 2>/dev/null)
+			# Single curl call for both IP and IsTor
+			local tor_check=$(curl -s --max-time 10 --socks5-hostname 127.0.0.1:$socks_port https://check.torproject.org/api/ip 2>/dev/null)
+			local exit_ip=$(echo "$tor_check" | jsonfilter -e '@.IP' 2>/dev/null)
 			json_add_string "exit_ip" "${exit_ip:-unknown}"
 
 			# Check if using Tor
-			local is_tor=$(curl -s --max-time 10 --socks5-hostname 127.0.0.1:$socks_port https://check.torproject.org/api/ip 2>/dev/null | jsonfilter -e '@.IsTor' 2>/dev/null)
+			local is_tor=$(echo "$tor_check" | jsonfilter -e '@.IsTor' 2>/dev/null)
 			json_add_boolean "is_tor" "$([ "$is_tor" = "true" ] && echo 1 || echo 0)"
 
-			# Get circuit count
-			local circuits=$(tor_control "GETINFO circuit-status" | grep -c "BUILT" 2>/dev/null)
-			json_add_int "circuit_count" "${circuits:-0}"
+			# Get circuit count (only if control available)
+			if has_control; then
+				local circuits=$(tor_control "GETINFO circuit-status" | grep -c "BUILT" 2>/dev/null)
+				json_add_int "circuit_count" "${circuits:-0}"
 
-			# Get bandwidth
-			local bw_read=$(tor_control "GETINFO traffic/read" | grep "250" | awk '{print $2}')
-			local bw_written=$(tor_control "GETINFO traffic/written" | grep "250" | awk '{print $2}')
-			json_add_int "bytes_read" "${bw_read:-0}"
-			json_add_int "bytes_written" "${bw_written:-0}"
+				# Get bandwidth
+				local bw_read=$(tor_control "GETINFO traffic/read" | grep "250" | awk '{print $2}')
+				local bw_written=$(tor_control "GETINFO traffic/written" | grep "250" | awk '{print $2}')
+				json_add_int "bytes_read" "${bw_read:-0}"
+				json_add_int "bytes_written" "${bw_written:-0}"
+			else
+				json_add_int "circuit_count" 0
+				json_add_int "bytes_read" 0
+				json_add_int "bytes_written" 0
+			fi
 		fi
 
 		# Uptime from pid file
-		local pidfile="/var/run/tor/tor.pid"
+		local pidfile="$TOR_RUN/tor.pid"
 		if [ -f "$pidfile" ]; then
 			local pid=$(cat "$pidfile")
 			if [ -d "/proc/$pid" ]; then
@@ -88,6 +125,7 @@ get_status() {
 		fi
 	else
 		json_add_boolean "running" 0
+		json_add_boolean "has_control" 0
 		json_add_int "bootstrap" 0
 	fi
 
@@ -98,9 +136,11 @@ get_status() {
 	json_add_boolean "bridges_enabled" "$bridges_enabled"
 	json_add_string "bridge_type" "$bridge_type"
 
-	# Get real IP
-	local real_ip=$(curl -s --max-time 5 https://ipinfo.io/ip 2>/dev/null)
-	json_add_string "real_ip" "${real_ip:-unknown}"
+	# Get real IP (try multiple services as fallback)
+	local real_ip=$(curl -s --max-time 5 https://api.ipify.org 2>/dev/null)
+	[ -z "$real_ip" ] && real_ip=$(curl -s --max-time 5 https://ifconfig.me/ip 2>/dev/null)
+	[ -z "$real_ip" ] && real_ip="unknown"
+	json_add_string "real_ip" "$real_ip"
 
 	json_dump
 }
@@ -172,9 +212,18 @@ get_circuits() {
 		return
 	fi
 
-	local circuits=$(tor_control "GETINFO circuit-status")
+	# Check if control socket exists
+	if [ ! -S "$TOR_CONTROL" ]; then
+		json_close_array
+		json_dump
+		return
+	fi
 
-	echo "$circuits" | grep "BUILT" | while read line; do
+	# Use temp file to avoid subshell issue with pipe
+	local TMP_CIRCUITS="/tmp/tor_circuits_$$"
+	tor_control "GETINFO circuit-status" | grep "BUILT" > "$TMP_CIRCUITS" 2>/dev/null
+
+	while read line; do
 		local id=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $1}')
 		local status=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $2}')
 		local path=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $3}')
@@ -189,7 +238,8 @@ get_circuits() {
 
 			# Parse path into nodes
 			json_add_array "nodes"
-			local IFS=','
+			local OLD_IFS="$IFS"
+			IFS=','
 			for node in $path; do
 				local fingerprint=$(echo "$node" | cut -d'~' -f1 | tr -d '$')
 				local name=$(echo "$node" | cut -d'~' -f2)
@@ -199,12 +249,14 @@ get_circuits() {
 				json_add_string "name" "${name:-$fingerprint}"
 				json_close_object
 			done
+			IFS="$OLD_IFS"
 			json_close_array
 
 			json_close_object
 		fi
-	done
+	done < "$TMP_CIRCUITS"
 
+	rm -f "$TMP_CIRCUITS"
 	json_close_array
 	json_dump
 }
diff --git a/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/Makefile b/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/Makefile
index 96e437a..f801dc7 100644
--- a/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/Makefile
+++ b/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ define Package/secubox-app-tor
   PKGARCH:=all
   SUBMENU:=SecuBox Apps
   TITLE:=SecuBox Tor Shield
-  DEPENDS:=+tor +tor-geoip +iptables +curl +jsonfilter
+  DEPENDS:=+tor +tor-geoip +iptables +curl +jsonfilter +socat
 endef
 
 define Package/secubox-app-tor/description
diff --git a/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/files/etc/init.d/tor-shield b/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/files/etc/init.d/tor-shield
index 48b1a99..7fc0461 100644
--- a/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/files/etc/init.d/tor-shield
+++ b/package/secubox/secubox-app-tor/files/etc/init.d/tor-shield
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ generate_torrc() {
 	config_get strict_nodes security strict_nodes '0'
 
 	mkdir -p "$TOR_RUN" "$TOR_DATA"
-	chmod 700 "$TOR_DATA"
+	chown tor:tor "$TOR_RUN" "$TOR_DATA"
+	chmod 700 "$TOR_RUN" "$TOR_DATA"
 
 	cat > "$TORRC" << EOF
 # SecuBox Tor Shield - Auto-generated config
@@ -46,9 +47,12 @@ generate_torrc() {
 User tor
 DataDirectory $TOR_DATA
 PidFile $TOR_RUN/tor.pid
-Log notice file /var/log/tor.log
+Log notice syslog
 ControlSocket $TOR_RUN/control
 ControlSocketsGroupWritable 1
+CookieAuthentication 1
+CookieAuthFile $TOR_RUN/control_auth_cookie
+CookieAuthFileGroupReadable 1
 
 # SOCKS proxy
 SocksPort $socks_addr:$socks_port
@@ -79,15 +83,23 @@ VirtualAddrNetworkIPv4 10.192.0.0/10
 EOF
 	fi
 
-	# Bridge configuration
+	# Bridge configuration - only enable if bridges are configured
 	if [ "$bridges_enabled" = "1" ]; then
-		cat >> "$TORRC" << EOF
+		# Count bridge lines first
+		BRIDGE_COUNT=0
+		count_bridge() { BRIDGE_COUNT=$((BRIDGE_COUNT + 1)); }
+		config_list_foreach bridges bridge_lines count_bridge
+
+		# Only add UseBridges if there are actual bridges configured
+		if [ "$BRIDGE_COUNT" -gt 0 ]; then
+			cat >> "$TORRC" << EOF
 
 # Bridge mode
 UseBridges 1
 EOF
-		# Add bridge lines from config
-		config_list_foreach bridges bridge_lines add_bridge_line
+			# Add bridge lines from config
+			config_list_foreach bridges bridge_lines add_bridge_line
+		fi
 	fi
 
 	# Exit node restrictions
@@ -130,6 +142,7 @@ add_hidden_service() {
 
 	local hs_dir="$TOR_DATA/hidden_service_$name"
 	mkdir -p "$hs_dir"
+	chown tor:tor "$hs_dir"
 	chmod 700 "$hs_dir"
 
 	cat >> "$TORRC" << EOF