diff --git a/docs/getting-started/configuration.md b/docs/getting-started/configuration.md
index c43efc6..6f9ee98 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started/configuration.md
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ nodes:                           # Node configuration map
 ```
 
 **Node Configuration Fields:**
-- `local_node`: Specifies which node in the `nodes` map represents the local node
+- `local_node`: Specifies which node in the `nodes` map represents the local node. Must match exactly what other nodes call this node.
 - `nodes`: Map of node configurations
   - `address`: HTTP/HTTPS URL of the remote node (empty for local node)
   - `api_key`: Management API key for authenticating with the remote node
diff --git a/docs/getting-started/installation.md b/docs/getting-started/installation.md
index 04e0dfd..413e1fc 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started/installation.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started/installation.md
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ go build -o llamactl ./cmd/server
 For deployments with remote nodes:
 - Install llamactl on each node using any of the methods above
 - Configure API keys for authentication between nodes
+- Ensure node names are consistent across all configurations
 
 ## Verification
 
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting.md b/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting.md
index 4b7a507..ca2b4df 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting.md
@@ -143,7 +143,11 @@ This helps determine if the issue is with llamactl or with the underlying llama.
        api_key: "secure-key"  # Must match worker1's management key
    ```
 
-2. **Test remote node connectivity:**
+2. **Check node name consistency:**
+   - `local_node` on each node must match what other nodes call it
+   - Node names are case-sensitive
+
+3. **Test remote node connectivity:**
    ```bash
    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer remote-node-key" \
      http://remote-node:8080/api/v1/instances