diff --git a/minimateplus/client.py b/minimateplus/client.py
index d1ae279..bc33bde 100644
--- a/minimateplus/client.py
+++ b/minimateplus/client.py
@@ -727,6 +727,24 @@ class MiniMateClient:
             notes=notes,
         )
 
+    def poll(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Perform just the POLL startup handshake — no config reads.
+
+        Opens the connection if not already open.  Used by the monitoring
+        endpoints which need to communicate with the device quickly without
+        spending 10-15 seconds reading compliance config and event index.
+
+        The POLL establishes the DLE-framed session with the device.
+        After poll(), the protocol is ready for any command (read_monitor_status,
+        start_monitoring, stop_monitoring, etc.).
+        """
+        if not self.is_open:
+            self.open()
+        proto = self._require_proto()
+        log.debug("poll: startup handshake")
+        proto.startup()
+
     # ── Monitoring ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     def get_monitor_status(self) -> MonitorStatus:
@@ -1748,6 +1766,14 @@ def _decode_monitor_status(data: bytes) -> MonitorStatus:
     """
     # The data section starts at offset 11 (after the S3 section header).
     section = data[11:] if len(data) > 11 else data
+
+    # Log the raw payload at WARNING level so we can see it in the server logs
+    # and confirm the field offsets and is_monitoring detection are correct.
+    log.warning(
+        "_decode_monitor_status: total data=%d bytes  section=%d bytes  hex=%s",
+        len(data), len(section), section.hex(),
+    )
+
     # Mode: idle payload is 44 bytes; monitoring is shorter (12 bytes observed)
     is_monitoring = len(section) < 20
 
diff --git a/sfm/server.py b/sfm/server.py
index c34b149..0ae36ba 100644
--- a/sfm/server.py
+++ b/sfm/server.py
@@ -626,15 +626,20 @@ def device_monitor_status(
     """
     Read monitoring status from the device.
 
-    Returns is_monitoring bool, battery voltage, and memory usage (total + free bytes).
-    Battery and memory are only present when the unit is idle (not monitoring).
+    Uses poll() (POLL handshake only — no config/compliance reads) so the
+    request completes in ~2 seconds instead of ~15.  The full connect() was
+    causing false "idle" readings because the compliance+event sequence was
+    interacting with the device state before the 0x1C read.
+
+    Returns is_monitoring bool, battery voltage, and memory usage (total + free
+    bytes).  Battery and memory are only present when the unit is idle.
     """
     with _build_client(port=port, baud=baud, host=host, tcp_port=tcp_port) as client:
         try:
-            client.connect()
+            client.poll()
         except Exception as exc:
-            log.warning("monitor status connect retry: %s", exc)
-            client.connect()
+            log.warning("monitor status poll retry: %s", exc)
+            client.poll()
         status = client.get_monitor_status()
 
     result: dict = {"is_monitoring": status.is_monitoring}
@@ -663,10 +668,10 @@ def device_monitor_start(
     """
     with _build_client(port=port, baud=baud, host=host, tcp_port=tcp_port) as client:
         try:
-            client.connect()
+            client.poll()
         except Exception as exc:
-            log.warning("start monitoring connect retry: %s", exc)
-            client.connect()
+            log.warning("start monitoring poll retry: %s", exc)
+            client.poll()
         client.start_monitoring()
     return {"status": "started"}
 
@@ -685,10 +690,10 @@ def device_monitor_stop(
     """
     with _build_client(port=port, baud=baud, host=host, tcp_port=tcp_port) as client:
         try:
-            client.connect()
+            client.poll()
         except Exception as exc:
-            log.warning("stop monitoring connect retry: %s", exc)
-            client.connect()
+            log.warning("stop monitoring poll retry: %s", exc)
+            client.poll()
         client.stop_monitoring()
     return {"status": "stopped"}