diff --git a/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/omny/omny.py b/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/omny/omny.py
index c40e74b1..231194a4 100644
--- a/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/omny/omny.py
+++ b/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/omny/omny.py
@@ -1066,17 +1066,36 @@ class OMNY(
     def sample_name(self):
         return dev.omny_samples.get_sample_name_in_samplestage()
 
-    def write_to_scilog(self, content, tags: list = None):
+    def write_to_scilog(self, content, tags: list = None) -> bool:
+        """Write a text entry to scilog, tolerating scilog being disabled or
+        unreachable. Mirrors flomni's _scilog_write(): checks
+        scilog._enabled before attempting a send, rather than trying and
+        catching whatever exception (or hang) an unconfigured/unreachable
+        scilog produces -- the old bec.logbook/client.logbook.
+        send_logbook_message() API used here previously had no such check,
+        so a session without scilog credentials configured would block
+        indefinitely on send() instead of failing fast (confirmed live: a
+        real tomo_scan() hung inside _write_subtomo_to_scilog() on a
+        session with no /etc/bec/secrets/.scilog.env at all).
+
+        Returns True if the entry was sent, False if it was skipped/failed
+        (already logged as a warning either way -- callers that don't care
+        about the outcome can ignore the return value).
+        """
+        scilog = getattr(bec.messaging, "scilog", None)
+        if scilog is None or not getattr(scilog, "_enabled", False):
+            logger.warning("scilog is not enabled; skipping scilog entry.")
+            return False
+        if tags is not None:
+            tags.append("BEC")
+        else:
+            tags = ["BEC"]
         try:
-            if tags is not None:
-                tags.append("BEC")
-            else:
-                tags = ["BEC"]
-            msg = bec.logbook.LogbookMessage()
-            msg.add_text(content).add_tag(tags)
-            self.client.logbook.send_logbook_message(msg)
-        except Exception:
-            logger.warning("Failed to write to scilog.")
+            scilog.new().add_text(content.replace("\n", "<br>")).add_tags(tags).send()
+            return True
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.warning(f"Failed to write to scilog: {exc}")
+            return False
 
     def tomo_alignment_scan(self):
         """
@@ -1885,19 +1904,27 @@ class OMNY(
             "xterm /work/sls/spec/local/XOMNY/bin/upload/upload_last_pon.sh &", shell=True
         )
         # status = subprocess.run(f"cp /tmp/spec-e20131-specES1.pdf {user_target}", shell=True)
-        # Same tolerance as write_to_scilog(): a session without scilog/
-        # logbook configured (e.g. a dev/sim session) must not crash report
-        # generation over the logbook upload -- the PDF itself is already
-        # written above.
-        try:
-            msg = bec.logbook.LogbookMessage()
+        # bec.logbook/client.logbook.send_logbook_message() was the old,
+        # pre-migration scilog API -- it has no "is scilog even configured"
+        # check, so on a session without scilog credentials (e.g. this dev
+        # sandbox has no /etc/bec/secrets/.scilog.env at all) the send()
+        # call blocks indefinitely instead of failing fast, hanging the
+        # whole tomo scan. flomni's write_pdf_report() uses
+        # bec.messaging.scilog instead, which is enabled/disabled based on
+        # the deployment's actual published scilog config -- mirrored here.
+        scilog = getattr(bec.messaging, "scilog", None)
+        if scilog is None or not getattr(scilog, "_enabled", False):
+            logger.warning("scilog is not enabled; skipping PDF report entry.")
+        else:
             logo_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "OMNY.png")
-            msg.add_file(logo_path).add_text("".join(content).replace("\n", "</p><p>")).add_tag(
-                ["BEC", "tomo_parameters", f"dataset_id_{dataset_id}", "OMNY", self.sample_name]
-            )
-            self.client.logbook.send_logbook_message(msg)
-        except Exception:
-            logger.warning("Failed to write PDF report to scilog.")
+            try:
+                scilog.new().add_attachment(logo_path, width=200).add_text(
+                    content.replace("\n", "<br>")
+                ).add_tags(
+                    ["BEC", "tomo_parameters", f"dataset_id_{dataset_id}", "OMNY", self.sample_name]
+                ).send()
+            except Exception as exc:
+                logger.warning(f"Failed to write PDF report to scilog: {exc}")
 
     def vcs_show_all():
         dev.omny_vcs.show_all()
diff --git a/tests/tests_bec_ipython_client/test_omny_tomo_scan.py b/tests/tests_bec_ipython_client/test_omny_tomo_scan.py
index ade871ba..202d3a20 100644
--- a/tests/tests_bec_ipython_client/test_omny_tomo_scan.py
+++ b/tests/tests_bec_ipython_client/test_omny_tomo_scan.py
@@ -181,3 +181,77 @@ def test_tomo_scan_sets_timing_fields_on_new_scan(monkeypatch):
     assert omny.progress["estimated_remaining_time"] is None
     assert omny.progress["estimated_finish_time"] is None
     assert omny.progress["accumulated_idle_time"] == 0.0
+
+
+# --- write_to_scilog(): checks scilog._enabled before attempting a send -----
+#
+# The old bec.logbook/client.logbook.send_logbook_message() API had no such
+# check -- on a session without scilog credentials configured (e.g. no
+# /etc/bec/secrets/.scilog.env at all) its send() call blocked indefinitely
+# instead of failing fast, hanging a real tomo_scan() inside
+# _write_subtomo_to_scilog() (confirmed live). Mirrors flomni's
+# _scilog_write(), which gates on bec.messaging.scilog._enabled instead.
+
+
+class _FakeSciLogMessage:
+    def __init__(self, calls):
+        self._calls = calls
+
+    def add_text(self, text):
+        self._calls.append(("add_text", text))
+        return self
+
+    def add_tags(self, tags):
+        self._calls.append(("add_tags", tags))
+        return self
+
+    def send(self):
+        self._calls.append(("send",))
+
+
+def _make_omny_with_scilog(monkeypatch, enabled: bool, raise_on_send: bool = False):
+    omny = object.__new__(OMNY)
+    calls = []
+
+    def _new():
+        if raise_on_send:
+
+            class _Boom(_FakeSciLogMessage):
+                def send(self):
+                    raise RuntimeError("scilog unreachable")
+
+            return _Boom(calls)
+        return _FakeSciLogMessage(calls)
+
+    fake_scilog = types.SimpleNamespace(_enabled=enabled, new=_new)
+    fake_bec = types.SimpleNamespace(messaging=types.SimpleNamespace(scilog=fake_scilog))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(omny_module, "bec", fake_bec, raising=False)
+    return omny, calls
+
+
+def test_write_to_scilog_skips_when_scilog_disabled(monkeypatch):
+    omny, calls = _make_omny_with_scilog(monkeypatch, enabled=False)
+
+    result = omny.write_to_scilog("hello")
+
+    assert result is False
+    assert calls == []
+
+
+def test_write_to_scilog_sends_when_scilog_enabled(monkeypatch):
+    omny, calls = _make_omny_with_scilog(monkeypatch, enabled=True)
+
+    result = omny.write_to_scilog("hello", tags=["mytag"])
+
+    assert result is True
+    assert ("add_text", "hello") in calls
+    assert ("add_tags", ["mytag", "BEC"]) in calls
+    assert ("send",) in calls
+
+
+def test_write_to_scilog_tolerates_send_exception(monkeypatch):
+    omny, calls = _make_omny_with_scilog(monkeypatch, enabled=True, raise_on_send=True)
+
+    result = omny.write_to_scilog("hello")
+
+    assert result is False