diff --git a/internal/app/api/v0/handlers/endpoint_config.go b/internal/app/api/v0/handlers/endpoint_config.go
index 1fe3afb..9936644 100644
--- a/internal/app/api/v0/handlers/endpoint_config.go
+++ b/internal/app/api/v0/handlers/endpoint_config.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (e ConfigEndpoint) handleSettingsGet() http.HandlerFunc {
 			names := make([]model.SettingsBackendNames, 0, len(controllers))
 
 			for _, controller := range controllers {
-				displayName := controller.DisplayName
+				displayName := controller.GetDisplayName()
 				if displayName == "" {
 					displayName = controller.Id // fallback to ID if no display name is set
 				}
diff --git a/internal/config/backend.go b/internal/config/backend.go
index 3ec7ff0..f81adad 100644
--- a/internal/config/backend.go
+++ b/internal/config/backend.go
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ type BackendBase struct {
 	DisplayName string `yaml:"display_name"` // A display name for the backend
 }
 
+// GetDisplayName returns the display name of the backend.
+// If no display name is set, it falls back to the ID.
+func (b BackendBase) GetDisplayName() string {
+	if b.DisplayName == "" {
+		return b.Id // Fallback to ID if no display name is set
+	}
+	return b.DisplayName
+}
+
 type BackendMikrotik struct {
 	BackendBase `yaml:",inline"` // Embed the base fields
 
@@ -71,3 +80,15 @@ func (b *BackendMikrotik) GetConcurrency() int {
 	}
 	return b.Concurrency
 }
+
+// GetApiTimeout returns the configured API timeout or a sane default (30 seconds)
+// when the configured value is zero or negative.
+func (b *BackendMikrotik) GetApiTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if b == nil {
+		return 30 * time.Second
+	}
+	if b.ApiTimeout <= 0 {
+		return 30 * time.Second
+	}
+	return b.ApiTimeout
+}
diff --git a/internal/lowlevel/mikrotik.go b/internal/lowlevel/mikrotik.go
index 79b53d0..49ef1d7 100644
--- a/internal/lowlevel/mikrotik.go
+++ b/internal/lowlevel/mikrotik.go
@@ -150,10 +150,6 @@ func NewMikrotikApiClient(coreCfg *config.Config, cfg *config.BackendMikrotik) (
 		cfg:     cfg,
 	}
 
-	if cfg.ApiTimeout == 0 {
-		cfg.ApiTimeout = 30 * time.Second // Default timeout for API requests
-	}
-
 	err := c.setup()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -171,7 +167,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) setup() error {
 				InsecureSkipVerify: !m.cfg.ApiVerifyTls,
 			},
 		},
-		Timeout: m.cfg.ApiTimeout,
+		Timeout: m.cfg.GetApiTimeout(),
 	}
 
 	if m.cfg.Debug {
@@ -304,7 +300,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) Query(
 	command string,
 	opts *MikrotikRequestOptions,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[[]GenericJsonObject] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := opts.GetPath(m.getFullPath(command))
@@ -327,7 +323,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) Get(
 	command string,
 	opts *MikrotikRequestOptions,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[GenericJsonObject] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := opts.GetPath(m.getFullPath(command))
@@ -350,7 +346,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) Create(
 	command string,
 	payload GenericJsonObject,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[GenericJsonObject] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := m.getFullPath(command)
@@ -373,7 +369,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) Update(
 	command string,
 	payload GenericJsonObject,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[GenericJsonObject] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := m.getFullPath(command)
@@ -395,7 +391,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) Delete(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	command string,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[EmptyResponse] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := m.getFullPath(command)
@@ -418,7 +414,7 @@ func (m *MikrotikApiClient) ExecList(
 	command string,
 	payload GenericJsonObject,
 ) MikrotikApiResponse[[]GenericJsonObject] {
-	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.ApiTimeout)
+	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, m.cfg.GetApiTimeout())
 	defer cancel()
 
 	fullUrl := m.getFullPath(command)