diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 23aee0e..f6a33ec 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v1.1.5-dev
+v1.1.6-dev
diff --git a/logger/logger.go b/logger/logger.go
index e9654c7..d9c69bf 100644
--- a/logger/logger.go
+++ b/logger/logger.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
@@ -140,24 +141,18 @@ func Middleware(logger *slog.Logger, shouldPrint bool) func(next http.Handler) h
 			defer func() {
 				metrics.InFlightGauge.Dec()
 
-				path := r.URL.Path
-				status := ww.Status()
-				// ww.Status() returns 0 when WriteHeader was never explicitly called (chi unmatched routes).
-				// Treat 0 the same as 404 to prevent path scanners from polluting metric cardinality.
-				if status == http.StatusNotFound || status == 0 {
-					// prevent path scanners from polluting logs and messing up path / endpoint cardinality.
-					// use a separate, dedicated key that we are not aggregating against. Keeps memory down.
-					logger = logger.With("path_high_cardinality", path)
-					path = "redacted for cardinality protection"
+				endpoint := chiRoutePattern(r)
+				if endpoint == "other" {
+					logger = logger.With("path_high_cardinality", r.URL.Path)
 				}
 				duration := time.Since(start)
 
-				metrics.RequestCount.With(prometheus.Labels{"method": r.Method, "endpoint": path}).Inc()
-				metrics.RequestDuration.With(prometheus.Labels{"method": r.Method, "endpoint": path}).Observe(duration.Seconds())
+				metrics.RequestCount.With(prometheus.Labels{"method": r.Method, "endpoint": endpoint}).Inc()
+				metrics.RequestDuration.With(prometheus.Labels{"method": r.Method, "endpoint": endpoint}).Observe(duration.Seconds())
 
 				if shouldPrint {
 					logger.Info("route",
-						"path", path,
+						"path", endpoint,
 						"verb", r.Method,
 						"status", http.StatusText(ww.Status()),
 						"code", ww.Status(),
@@ -172,3 +167,15 @@ func Middleware(logger *slog.Logger, shouldPrint bool) func(next http.Handler) h
 		return http.HandlerFunc(fn)
 	}
 }
+
+func chiRoutePattern(r *http.Request) string {
+	rctx := chi.RouteContext(r.Context())
+	if rctx == nil {
+		return "other"
+	}
+	pattern := rctx.RoutePattern()
+	if pattern == "" || pattern == "/*" {
+		return "other"
+	}
+	return pattern
+}
diff --git a/logger/logger_test.go b/logger/logger_test.go
index d239afe..62c0883 100644
--- a/logger/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger/logger_test.go
@@ -7,40 +7,32 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 )
 
-// TestMiddlewareCardinalityProtection verifies that unmatched routes — whether they
-// produce an explicit 404 or no WriteHeader call at all (chi returns status 0 for
-// unmatched routes) — have their paths redacted in logs and metrics to prevent
-// scanner traffic from causing a cardinality explosion.
+// TestMiddlewareCardinalityProtection verifies that requests matched to a registered
+// chi route use the route pattern as the metric label, while unregistered routes
+// (scanner traffic, typos, catch-alls) are bucketed as "other" with the real path
+// logged separately to prevent cardinality explosion.
 func TestMiddlewareCardinalityProtection(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name         string
-		handler      http.HandlerFunc
 		path         string
 		wantRedacted bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "known path passes through unchanged",
-			handler: func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-			},
+			name:         "registered route uses pattern, no redaction",
 			path:         "/api/users",
 			wantRedacted: false,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "explicit 404 triggers redaction",
-			handler: func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
-			},
+			name:         "scanner path not in router triggers redaction",
 			path:         "/wp-admin/login.php",
 			wantRedacted: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "status 0 (unmatched chi route, WriteHeader never called) triggers redaction",
-			handler: func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-				// intentionally write nothing — chi returns 0 for unmatched routes
-			},
+			name:         "dot-env probe triggers redaction",
 			path:         "/.env",
 			wantRedacted: true,
 		},
@@ -52,18 +44,21 @@ func TestMiddlewareCardinalityProtection(t *testing.T) {
 			log := slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(&buf, nil))
 			mw := Middleware(log, true)
 
+			router := chi.NewRouter()
+			router.Use(mw)
+			router.Get("/api/users", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+			})
+
 			req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, tt.path, nil)
 			rr := httptest.NewRecorder()
-			mw(http.HandlerFunc(tt.handler)).ServeHTTP(rr, req)
+			router.ServeHTTP(rr, req)
 
 			output := buf.String()
 			if tt.wantRedacted {
 				if !strings.Contains(output, "path_high_cardinality") {
 					t.Errorf("expected path_high_cardinality in log output, got: %s", output)
 				}
-				if !strings.Contains(output, "redacted for cardinality protection") {
-					t.Errorf("expected redacted path in log output, got: %s", output)
-				}
 			} else {
 				if strings.Contains(output, "path_high_cardinality") {
 					t.Errorf("did not expect path_high_cardinality in log output, got: %s", output)