diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index bf9b82111..f2eeb22a3 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -7,5 +7,58 @@
   "cmake.configureOnOpen": false,
   "[cpp]": {
     "editor.defaultFormatter": "trunk.io"
+  },
+  "files.associations": {
+    "array": "cpp",
+    "atomic": "cpp",
+    "*.tcc": "cpp",
+    "cctype": "cpp",
+    "clocale": "cpp",
+    "cmath": "cpp",
+    "csignal": "cpp",
+    "cstdarg": "cpp",
+    "cstddef": "cpp",
+    "cstdint": "cpp",
+    "cstdio": "cpp",
+    "cstdlib": "cpp",
+    "cstring": "cpp",
+    "ctime": "cpp",
+    "cwchar": "cpp",
+    "cwctype": "cpp",
+    "deque": "cpp",
+    "list": "cpp",
+    "unordered_map": "cpp",
+    "unordered_set": "cpp",
+    "vector": "cpp",
+    "exception": "cpp",
+    "algorithm": "cpp",
+    "functional": "cpp",
+    "iterator": "cpp",
+    "map": "cpp",
+    "memory": "cpp",
+    "memory_resource": "cpp",
+    "numeric": "cpp",
+    "optional": "cpp",
+    "random": "cpp",
+    "string": "cpp",
+    "string_view": "cpp",
+    "system_error": "cpp",
+    "tuple": "cpp",
+    "type_traits": "cpp",
+    "utility": "cpp",
+    "fstream": "cpp",
+    "initializer_list": "cpp",
+    "iomanip": "cpp",
+    "iosfwd": "cpp",
+    "iostream": "cpp",
+    "istream": "cpp",
+    "limits": "cpp",
+    "new": "cpp",
+    "ostream": "cpp",
+    "sstream": "cpp",
+    "stdexcept": "cpp",
+    "streambuf": "cpp",
+    "cinttypes": "cpp",
+    "typeinfo": "cpp"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/mesh/FloodingRouter.cpp b/src/mesh/FloodingRouter.cpp
index fa23802c2..38ec151bf 100644
--- a/src/mesh/FloodingRouter.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/FloodingRouter.cpp
@@ -173,18 +173,15 @@ float FloodingRouter::calculateForwardProbability(const CoverageFilter &incoming
         return 1.0f;
     }
 
-    // If we haven't heard from any other nodes directly within the stale coverage time, fall back to always forward
-    if (nodeDB->secondsSinceLastDirectNeighborHeard() >= STALE_COVERAGE_SECONDS) {
-        return UNKNOWN_COVERAGE_FORWARD_PROB;
-    }
-
     // Retrieve recent direct neighbors within the time window
     std::vector<NodeNum> recentNeighbors = nodeDB->getCoveredNodes(RECENCY_THRESHOLD_MINUTES * 60);
 
     if (recentNeighbors.empty()) {
-        // No neighbors to add coverage for
+        // Having no direct neighbors is a sign that our coverage is
+        // inconclusive, so we should forward the packet using UNKNOWN_COVERAGE_FORWARD_PROB
+        // And if we truly have no neighbors, there is no harm in emitting another packet
         LOG_DEBUG("No recent direct neighbors to add coverage for.");
-        return 0.0f;
+        return UNKNOWN_COVERAGE_FORWARD_PROB;
     }
 
     // Count how many neighbors are NOT yet in the coverage
diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
index 34192df78..3c84a4424 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
@@ -930,22 +930,6 @@ std::vector<NodeNum> NodeDB::getCoveredNodes(uint32_t timeWindowSecs)
     return recentNeighbors;
 }
 
-uint32_t NodeDB::secondsSinceLastDirectNeighborHeard()
-{
-    // If maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_ == 0, we have not heard from any direct neighbors
-    if (maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_ == 0) {
-        return UINT32_MAX;
-    }
-
-    uint32_t now = getTime();
-    // If the clock isn’t set or has jumped backwards, clamp to 0
-    if (now < maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    return (now - maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_);
-}
-
 void NodeDB::cleanupMeshDB()
 {
     int newPos = 0, removed = 0;
@@ -954,9 +938,6 @@ void NodeDB::cleanupMeshDB()
 
     for (int i = 0; i < numMeshNodes; i++) {
         if (meshNodes->at(i).has_user) {
-            if (meshNodes->at(i).last_heard > maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_) {
-                maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_ = meshNodes->at(i).last_heard;
-            }
             if (meshNodes->at(i).user.public_key.size > 0) {
                 if (memfll(meshNodes->at(i).user.public_key.bytes, 0, meshNodes->at(i).user.public_key.size)) {
                     meshNodes->at(i).user.public_key.size = 0;
@@ -1559,9 +1540,6 @@ void NodeDB::updateFrom(const meshtastic_MeshPacket &mp)
         if (mp.hop_start != 0 && mp.hop_limit <= mp.hop_start) {
             info->has_hops_away = true;
             info->hops_away = mp.hop_start - mp.hop_limit;
-            if (info->hops_away == 0 && info->last_heard && info->last_heard > maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_) {
-                maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_ = info->last_heard;
-            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.h b/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
index d23f759c1..6f9f1c3f0 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
@@ -177,11 +177,8 @@ class NodeDB
      */
     std::vector<NodeNum> getCoveredNodes(uint32_t timeWindowSecs);
 
-    uint32_t secondsSinceLastDirectNeighborHeard();
-
   private:
-    uint32_t lastNodeDbSave = 0;              // when we last saved our db to flash
-    uint32_t maxLastHeardDirectNeighbor_ = 0; // the most recent last_heard value we've seen
+    uint32_t lastNodeDbSave = 0; // when we last saved our db to flash
 
     /// Find a node in our DB, create an empty NodeInfoLite if missing
     meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *getOrCreateMeshNode(NodeNum n);