diff --git a/timers/vrcTlReminder.js b/timers/vrcTlReminder.js
index 2f97fe1..1c86f68 100644
--- a/timers/vrcTlReminder.js
+++ b/timers/vrcTlReminder.js
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ module.exports = {
 
                 try {
                     const channel = await client.channels.fetch(reminder.channel_id);
-                    const message = await channel.messages.fetch(reminder.message_id);
+                    // force: true bypasses the client's message cache, which the reaction
+                    // sweeper (see main.js) periodically empties - a cached message here
+                    // would silently report zero reactions.
+                    const message = await channel.messages.fetch({ message: reminder.message_id, force: true });
                     const reaction = message.reactions.cache.get(REMINDER_EMOTE);
 
                     const users = reaction ? await reaction.users.fetch() : new Map();
@@ -41,6 +44,9 @@ module.exports = {
                             reply: { messageReference: reminder.message_id },
                             allowedMentions: { parse: [], users: mentions.map(m => m.slice(2, -1)) }
                         });
+                        console.log(`[TIMER] Sent vrc.tl reminder for "${reminder.event_name}" to ${mentions.length} user(s)`);
+                    } else {
+                        console.log(`[TIMER] No reactions found for vrc.tl reminder "${reminder.event_name}" (message ${reminder.message_id}), skipping ping`);
                     }
 
                     markSent.run(reminder.id);