diff --git a/db/c_nostr_relay.db b/db/c_nostr_relay.db
index a42a536..74fe5b9 100644
Binary files a/db/c_nostr_relay.db and b/db/c_nostr_relay.db differ
diff --git a/relay.pid b/relay.pid
index 13e1251..eae82bf 100644
--- a/relay.pid
+++ b/relay.pid
@@ -1 +1 @@
-949770
+954022
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index a287d02..aa5fdad 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -3132,6 +3132,66 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         return 1;
     }
     
+    // Store metadata about actual paths used (for reference, not for configuration lookup)
+    if (database_path_override) {
+        // Convert to absolute path and normalize
+        char actual_db_path[1024];
+        if (database_path_override[0] == '/') {
+            // Already absolute
+            strncpy(actual_db_path, database_path_override, sizeof(actual_db_path) - 1);
+        } else {
+            // Make absolute by prepending current working directory
+            char cwd[1024];
+            if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd))) {
+                // Handle the case where path starts with ./
+                const char* clean_path = database_path_override;
+                if (strncmp(database_path_override, "./", 2) == 0) {
+                    clean_path = database_path_override + 2;
+                }
+                snprintf(actual_db_path, sizeof(actual_db_path), "%s/%s", cwd, clean_path);
+            } else {
+                strncpy(actual_db_path, database_path_override, sizeof(actual_db_path) - 1);
+            }
+        }
+        actual_db_path[sizeof(actual_db_path) - 1] = '\0';
+        
+        if (set_database_config("database_location", actual_db_path, "system") == 0) {
+            log_info("Stored database location metadata");
+        } else {
+            log_warning("Failed to store database location metadata");
+        }
+    }
+    
+    // Store metadata about configuration file path used
+    if (strlen(g_config_manager.config_file_path) > 0) {
+        // Convert to absolute path and normalize
+        char actual_config_path[1024];
+        if (g_config_manager.config_file_path[0] == '/') {
+            // Already absolute
+            strncpy(actual_config_path, g_config_manager.config_file_path, sizeof(actual_config_path) - 1);
+        } else {
+            // Make absolute by prepending current working directory
+            char cwd[1024];
+            if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd))) {
+                // Handle the case where path starts with ./
+                const char* clean_path = g_config_manager.config_file_path;
+                if (strncmp(g_config_manager.config_file_path, "./", 2) == 0) {
+                    clean_path = g_config_manager.config_file_path + 2;
+                }
+                snprintf(actual_config_path, sizeof(actual_config_path), "%s/%s", cwd, clean_path);
+            } else {
+                strncpy(actual_config_path, g_config_manager.config_file_path, sizeof(actual_config_path) - 1);
+            }
+        }
+        actual_config_path[sizeof(actual_config_path) - 1] = '\0';
+        
+        if (set_database_config("config_location", actual_config_path, "system") == 0) {
+            log_info("Stored configuration location metadata");
+        } else {
+            log_warning("Failed to store configuration location metadata");
+        }
+    }
+    
     // Apply command line overrides AFTER configuration system is initialized
     if (port != DEFAULT_PORT) {
         log_info("Applying port override from command line");
diff --git a/test_clean_paths.db b/test_clean_paths.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d62063d
Binary files /dev/null and b/test_clean_paths.db differ
diff --git a/test_metadata.db b/test_metadata.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e36afd
Binary files /dev/null and b/test_metadata.db differ