diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
index 08d762a..d695e39 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     control_queue: "{{ lookup('env','CONTROLQUEUE') | default('queue_controls', true) }}"
 
     # NetBox API (delta compare; user may override)
-    netbox_url: "http://netbox.gt-tiso.ikeja.co.za/api/"
+    netbox_url: "http://netbox.gt-tiso.ikeja.co.za"
     netbox_token: "7648e4f5ee370cda7834682e61b47c2ee8e95623"
 
     # --- Retry attempt tracking (default 0 if missing) ---
@@ -288,6 +288,14 @@
         nb_custom_fields_current: {}
       changed_when: false
 
+    - name: NB baseline | Debug netbox_url used
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      debug:
+        msg:
+          - "netbox_url={{ netbox_url }}"
+          - "inventory_hostname={{ inventory_hostname }}"
+      changed_when: false
+
     - name: NB baseline | Read id and custom_fields (fields)
       delegate_to: localhost
       uri:
@@ -295,6 +303,7 @@
         method: GET
         headers:
           Authorization: "Token {{ netbox_token }}"
+          Accept: "application/json"
         return_content: true
         status_code: 200
         timeout: 10
@@ -302,25 +311,43 @@
       failed_when: false
       changed_when: false
 
-    # NOTE: this task must exist above (keep your existing one):
-    # - name: NB baseline | Read id and custom_fields (fields)
-    #   delegate_to: localhost
-    #   uri: ...
-
-    - name: NB baseline | Set baseline facts (best effort; do not fail play)
+    - name: NB baseline | Debug raw response if json not parsed
       delegate_to: localhost
-      vars:
-        nb_cf_json_local: >-
-          {{
-            (nb_cf_lookup.json is defined and nb_cf_lookup.json)
-            | ternary(nb_cf_lookup.json, (nb_cf_lookup.content | from_json))
-          }}
-      set_fact:
-        nb_baseline_ok: true
-        nb_device_id: "{{ (nb_cf_json_local.results | default([]) | first | default({})).id | default('') }}"
-        nb_custom_fields_current: "{{ (nb_cf_json_local.results | default([]) | first | default({})).custom_fields | default({}) }}"
+      debug:
+        msg:
+          - "nb_cf_lookup.status={{ nb_cf_lookup.status | default('NA') }}"
+          - "nb_cf_lookup.content_type={{ nb_cf_lookup.content_type | default('NA') }}"
+          - "nb_cf_lookup.json_defined={{ (nb_cf_lookup.json is defined) }}"
+          - "nb_cf_lookup.content_head={{ (nb_cf_lookup.content | default('') | regex_replace('\\n',' ') )[:200] }}"
+      when: nb_cf_lookup.json is not defined
       changed_when: false
-      failed_when: false
+
+    - name: NB baseline | Set baseline facts (best effort; never crash play)
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      block:
+        - name: NB baseline | Choose parsed payload (json or content)
+          set_fact:
+            nb_cf_json_local: >-
+              {{
+                (nb_cf_lookup.json is defined and nb_cf_lookup.json)
+                | ternary(nb_cf_lookup.json, (nb_cf_lookup.content | from_json))
+              }}
+          changed_when: false
+
+        - name: NB baseline | Set baseline facts from payload
+          set_fact:
+            nb_baseline_ok: true
+            nb_device_id: "{{ (nb_cf_json_local.results | default([]) | first | default({})).id | default('') }}"
+            nb_custom_fields_current: "{{ (nb_cf_json_local.results | default([]) | first | default({})).custom_fields | default({}) }}"
+          changed_when: false
+
+      rescue:
+        - name: NB baseline | Baseline parse failed (disable delta mode)
+          set_fact:
+            nb_baseline_ok: false
+            nb_device_id: ""
+            nb_custom_fields_current: {}
+          changed_when: false
 
     - name: NB baseline | Abort delta mode if baseline missing or unusable
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -339,7 +366,6 @@
           - "nb_device_id={{ nb_device_id }}"
           - "baseline fw_version={{ nb_custom_fields_current.get('fw_version','<missing>') }}"
       changed_when: false
-
     # ----------------------- Scan status tracking (journal finalization) -----------------------
     - name: Init scan status tracking
       delegate_to: localhost