diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d63c657..6ab5821 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1652,7 +1652,7 @@ checksum = "09edd9e8b54e49e587e4f6295a7d29c3ea94d469cb40ab8ca70b288248a81db2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_client"
-version = "0.16.14"
+version = "0.16.15"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-stream",
@@ -1686,7 +1686,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_common"
-version = "0.16.14"
+version = "0.16.15"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
@@ -1698,7 +1698,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_server"
-version = "0.16.14"
+version = "0.16.15"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
diff --git a/client/Cargo.toml b/client/Cargo.toml
index 622c9af..bad1d6e 100644
--- a/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ path                    = "src/main.rs"
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_client"
-version                 = "0.16.14"
+version                 = "0.16.15"
 edition                 = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
diff --git a/client/src/input/camera/capture_pipeline.rs b/client/src/input/camera/capture_pipeline.rs
index 3e8d268..b9da408 100644
--- a/client/src/input/camera/capture_pipeline.rs
+++ b/client/src/input/camera/capture_pipeline.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ impl CameraCapture {
                 true,
             ),
             Some(fragment) => {
-                let dev = Self::find_device(fragment).unwrap_or_else(|| "/dev/video0".into());
+                let dev = Self::find_device(fragment)
+                    .with_context(|| format!("requested camera '{fragment}' was not found"))?;
                 (format!("v4l2src device={dev} do-timestamp=true"), dev, true)
             }
             None => {
diff --git a/client/src/input/camera/device_selection.rs b/client/src/input/camera/device_selection.rs
index 1c95c05..9d2dfea 100644
--- a/client/src/input/camera/device_selection.rs
+++ b/client/src/input/camera/device_selection.rs
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ impl CameraCapture {
     /// Fuzzy‑match devices under `/dev/v4l/by-id`, preferring capture nodes
     #[cfg(not(coverage))]
     fn find_device(substr: &str) -> Option<String> {
-        let wanted = substr.to_ascii_lowercase();
+        let wanted = normalize_device_fragment(substr);
         let mut matches: Vec<_> = std::fs::read_dir("/dev/v4l/by-id")
             .ok()?
             .flatten()
             .filter_map(|e| {
                 let p = e.path();
-                let name = p.file_name()?.to_string_lossy().to_ascii_lowercase();
+                let name = normalize_device_fragment(&p.file_name()?.to_string_lossy());
                 if name.contains(&wanted) {
                     Some(p)
                 } else {
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ impl CameraCapture {
 
     #[cfg(coverage)]
     fn find_device(substr: &str) -> Option<String> {
-        let wanted = substr.to_ascii_lowercase();
+        let wanted = normalize_device_fragment(substr);
         let by_id_dir =
             std::env::var("LESAVKA_CAM_BY_ID_DIR").unwrap_or_else(|_| "/dev/v4l/by-id".to_string());
         let dev_root = std::env::var("LESAVKA_CAM_DEV_ROOT").unwrap_or_else(|_| "/dev".to_string());
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ impl CameraCapture {
             .flatten()
             .filter_map(|e| {
                 let p = e.path();
-                let name = p.file_name()?.to_string_lossy().to_ascii_lowercase();
+                let name = normalize_device_fragment(&p.file_name()?.to_string_lossy());
                 if name.contains(&wanted) {
                     Some(p)
                 } else {
@@ -100,3 +100,11 @@ impl CameraCapture {
     }
 
 }
+
+fn normalize_device_fragment(value: &str) -> String {
+    value
+        .chars()
+        .filter(|ch| ch.is_ascii_alphanumeric())
+        .flat_map(char::to_lowercase)
+        .collect()
+}
diff --git a/common/Cargo.toml b/common/Cargo.toml
index d83459e..75d8f34 100644
--- a/common/Cargo.toml
+++ b/common/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_common"
-version                 = "0.16.14"
+version                 = "0.16.15"
 edition                 = "2024"
 build                   = "build.rs"
 
diff --git a/scripts/manual/browser_consumer_probe.py b/scripts/manual/browser_consumer_probe.py
index f42e539..c45ec8d 100755
--- a/scripts/manual/browser_consumer_probe.py
+++ b/scripts/manual/browser_consumer_probe.py
@@ -293,8 +293,9 @@ class ProbeHandler(http.server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
         pass
 
 
-class ReusableTcpServer(socketserver.TCPServer):
+class ReusableTcpServer(socketserver.ThreadingMixIn, socketserver.TCPServer):
     allow_reuse_address = True
+    daemon_threads = True
 
 
 def main() -> None:
diff --git a/scripts/manual/local_av_stimulus.py b/scripts/manual/local_av_stimulus.py
index dfe2a3f..266a3b6 100755
--- a/scripts/manual/local_av_stimulus.py
+++ b/scripts/manual/local_av_stimulus.py
@@ -241,8 +241,9 @@ class StimulusHandler(http.server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
         pass
 
 
-class ReusableTcpServer(socketserver.TCPServer):
+class ReusableTcpServer(socketserver.ThreadingMixIn, socketserver.TCPServer):
     allow_reuse_address = True
+    daemon_threads = True
 
 
 def main() -> None:
diff --git a/scripts/manual/run_upstream_browser_av_sync.sh b/scripts/manual/run_upstream_browser_av_sync.sh
index a8b7e0d..c6c4cae 100755
--- a/scripts/manual/run_upstream_browser_av_sync.sh
+++ b/scripts/manual/run_upstream_browser_av_sync.sh
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ while true; do
 done
 
 echo "==> triggering browser recording"
-ssh ${SSH_OPTS} "${TETHYS_HOST}" "curl -fsS -X POST http://127.0.0.1:${BROWSER_PORT}/start >/dev/null"
+if ! ssh ${SSH_OPTS} "${TETHYS_HOST}" "curl --max-time 10 -fsS -X POST http://127.0.0.1:${BROWSER_PORT}/start >/dev/null"; then
+  status_json=$(ssh ${SSH_OPTS} "${TETHYS_HOST}" "test -f '${REMOTE_STATUS}' && cat '${REMOTE_STATUS}'" || true)
+  echo "browser consumer start request failed or timed out" >&2
+  [[ -n "${status_json:-}" ]] && echo "last status: ${status_json}" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 sleep 1
 
diff --git a/server/Cargo.toml b/server/Cargo.toml
index 6aff42b..3fb79f4 100644
--- a/server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/server/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ bench                   = false
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_server"
-version                 = "0.16.14"
+version                 = "0.16.15"
 edition                 = "2024"
 autobins                = false
 
diff --git a/testing/tests/client_camera_include_contract.rs b/testing/tests/client_camera_include_contract.rs
index ea54f77..4b3395b 100644
--- a/testing/tests/client_camera_include_contract.rs
+++ b/testing/tests/client_camera_include_contract.rs
@@ -128,6 +128,31 @@ mod camera_include_contract {
         ));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(coverage)]
+    #[serial]
+    fn find_device_normalizes_spaces_underscores_and_case() {
+        let dir = tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+        let by_id = dir.path().join("by-id");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&by_id).expect("create by-id");
+        symlink(
+            "../video42",
+            by_id.join("usb-046d_Logitech_BRIO-video-index0"),
+        )
+        .expect("create camera symlink");
+
+        with_var(
+            "LESAVKA_CAM_BY_ID_DIR",
+            Some(by_id.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
+            || {
+                with_var("LESAVKA_CAM_DEV_ROOT", Some("/dev".to_string()), || {
+                    let found = CameraCapture::find_device("Logitech BRIO");
+                    assert_eq!(found.as_deref(), Some("/dev/video42"));
+                });
+            },
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     #[serial]
     fn find_device_honors_override_roots_and_handles_non_capture_targets() {