diff --git a/backend/app/services/device_discovery.py b/backend/app/services/device_discovery.py
index c2c1604..63c3ba2 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/device_discovery.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/device_discovery.py
@@ -632,6 +632,7 @@ async def discover_via_ssh(
                 "config_path", config_path
             )
 
+        rack_hostname = external_id
         try:
             config_text = await _read_remote_config(
                 host=rack_host,
@@ -640,13 +641,11 @@ async def discover_via_ssh(
                 password=ssh_password,
                 config_path=effective_config_path,
             )
+            rack_ssh_ok = True
         except Exception as exc:
             result.errors.append(f"SSH to {rack_host} failed: {exc}")
-            continue
-
-        # Add the rack itself as a main_server device if it doesn't exist
-        # Use external_id (e.g., "lane-1-1") as the hostname
-        rack_hostname = external_id
+            rack_ssh_ok = False
+            config_text = None
         logger.info(f"[ssh_discovery] Processing rack {rack_host} ({rack_hostname})")
         try:
             existing_rack = (await db.execute(
@@ -665,27 +664,29 @@ async def discover_via_ssh(
                     role="other",
                     source="auto_ssh",
                     rack_id=rack_id_mapping.get(external_id),
-                    status="online",
-                    last_seen=now,
+                    status="online" if rack_ssh_ok else "unknown",
+                    last_seen=now if rack_ssh_ok else None,
                 ))
-                logger.info(f"[ssh_discovery] {rack_host} ({rack_hostname}) - ADDED: category=embedded, role=other, hostname={rack_hostname}, status=online, source=auto_ssh")
+                status_str = "online" if rack_ssh_ok else "unknown"
+                logger.info(f"[ssh_discovery] {rack_host} ({rack_hostname}) - ADDED: category=embedded, role=other, hostname={rack_hostname}, status={status_str}, source=auto_ssh")
                 result.created += 1
                 result.actions.append(DeviceAction(
                     ip=rack_host,
                     hostname=rack_hostname,
                     action="ADDED",
-                    reason="rack PC discovered via SSH connection",
+                    reason="rack PC from racks table" + (" (SSH ok)" if rack_ssh_ok else " (SSH failed, added as unknown)"),
                     category="embedded",
                     role="other",
                 ))
             else:
                 rack_changes = []
-                # SSH succeeded → always update status and last_seen
-                if existing_rack.status != "online":
-                    existing_rack.status = "online"
-                    rack_changes.append("status: →online")
-                existing_rack.last_seen = now
-                rack_changes.append(f"last_seen: →{now.isoformat()}")
+                if rack_ssh_ok:
+                    # SSH succeeded → update status and last_seen
+                    if existing_rack.status != "online":
+                        existing_rack.status = "online"
+                        rack_changes.append("status: →online")
+                    existing_rack.last_seen = now
+                    rack_changes.append(f"last_seen: →{now.isoformat()}")
                 if existing_rack.rack_id is None and rack_id_mapping.get(external_id) is not None:
                     existing_rack.rack_id = rack_id_mapping[external_id]
                     rack_changes.append(f"rack_id: None→{existing_rack.rack_id}")
@@ -722,6 +723,10 @@ async def discover_via_ssh(
                 category="embedded",
                 role="other",
             ))
+        if not rack_ssh_ok:
+            await db.flush()
+            continue  # no config to parse
+
         # Get all rack IPs to exclude them from device discovery
         all_rack_ips = [host for _, host, _ in rack_hosts]
         devices_found = _parse_config(config_text, rack_host, all_rack_ips)