diff --git a/backend/internal/app/database.go b/backend/internal/app/database.go
index fc04354e..431d3e8b 100644
--- a/backend/internal/app/database.go
+++ b/backend/internal/app/database.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"gorm.io/driver/postgres"
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 // Pattern follows Chatwoot's ActiveRecord PostgreSQL setup in config/database.yml
 func NewDatabase(cfg *config.DatabaseConfig, logLevel string) (*gorm.DB, error) {
 	dsn := cfg.DSN
-	
+
 	// Map log level to GORM logger level
 	var gormLogLevel gormlogger.LogLevel
 	switch logLevel {
@@ -33,8 +35,8 @@ func NewDatabase(cfg *config.DatabaseConfig, logLevel string) (*gorm.DB, error)
 	}
 
 	db, err := gorm.Open(postgres.Open(dsn), &gorm.Config{
-		Logger:                 gormlogger.Default.LogMode(gormLogLevel),
-		PrepareStmt:            true,
+		Logger:                                   newDatabaseLogger(gormLogLevel),
+		PrepareStmt:                              true,
 		DisableForeignKeyConstraintWhenMigrating: true, // migrate first, add FK constraints later
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -58,3 +60,12 @@ func NewDatabase(cfg *config.DatabaseConfig, logLevel string) (*gorm.DB, error)
 
 	return db, nil
 }
+
+func newDatabaseLogger(level gormlogger.LogLevel) gormlogger.Interface {
+	return gormlogger.New(log.New(os.Stdout, "\r\n", log.LstdFlags), gormlogger.Config{
+		SlowThreshold:             200 * time.Millisecond,
+		LogLevel:                  level,
+		IgnoreRecordNotFoundError: true,
+		ParameterizedQueries:      true,
+	})
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/app/database_test.go b/backend/internal/app/database_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ded0d82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/app/database_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package app
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gorm.io/gorm"
+	gormlogger "gorm.io/gorm/logger"
+)
+
+func TestDatabaseLoggerRedactsQueryParameters(t *testing.T) {
+	filter, ok := newDatabaseLogger(gormlogger.Info).(gorm.ParamsFilter)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+	sql, params := filter.ParamsFilter(context.Background(), "SELECT * FROM contact_inboxes WHERE pubsub_token = ?", "secret-token")
+	require.Equal(t, "SELECT * FROM contact_inboxes WHERE pubsub_token = ?", sql)
+	require.Empty(t, params)
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/handler/ws/handler.go b/backend/internal/handler/ws/handler.go
index 1e58252f..9767b399 100644
--- a/backend/internal/handler/ws/handler.go
+++ b/backend/internal/handler/ws/handler.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (h *Handler) ServeWS(c *gin.Context) {
 	// Step 1: Authenticate (JWT or pubsub_token)
 	claims, err := h.authenticator.Authenticate(c)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.L().Errorf("ws: authentication failed: %v", err)
+		logger.L().Warnf("ws: authentication rejected: %v", err)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/ws/auth.go b/backend/internal/ws/auth.go
index 47558941..e56df357 100644
--- a/backend/internal/ws/auth.go
+++ b/backend/internal/ws/auth.go
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func (a *WSAuthenticator) AuthenticateAndServeWS(c *gin.Context) {
 	// Step 1: Authenticate
 	claims, err := a.Authenticate(c)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.L().Errorf("ws: authentication failed: %v", err)
+		logger.L().Warnf("ws: authentication rejected: %v", err)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}