gossip works

app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/BluetoothMeshService.kt

@@ -707,6 +707,11 @@ class BluetoothMeshService(private val context: Context) {
                     val gossip = com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.GossipTLV.encodeNeighbors(directPeers)
                     tlvPayload = tlvPayload + gossip
                 }
+                // Always update our own node in the mesh graph with the neighbor list we used
+                try {
+                    com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.MeshGraphService.getInstance()
+                        .updateFromAnnouncement(myPeerID, nickname, directPeers, System.currentTimeMillis().toULong())
+                } catch (_: Exception) { }
             } catch (_: Exception) { }
             
             val announcePacket = BitchatPacket(
@@ -763,6 +768,11 @@ class BluetoothMeshService(private val context: Context) {
                 val gossip = com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.GossipTLV.encodeNeighbors(directPeers)
                 tlvPayload = tlvPayload + gossip
             }
+            // Always update our own node in the mesh graph with the neighbor list we used
+            try {
+                com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.MeshGraphService.getInstance()
+                    .updateFromAnnouncement(myPeerID, nickname, directPeers, System.currentTimeMillis().toULong())
+            } catch (_: Exception) { }
         } catch (_: Exception) { }
         
         val packet = BitchatPacket(

app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/MessageHandler.kt

@@ -240,11 +240,11 @@ class MessageHandler(private val myPeerID: String) {
             previousPeerID = null
         )
         
-        // Update mesh graph from gossip neighbors (if present)
+        // Update mesh graph from gossip neighbors (only if TLV present)
         try {
-            val neighbors = com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.GossipTLV.decodeNeighborsFromAnnouncementPayload(packet.payload)
+            val neighborsOrNull = com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.GossipTLV.decodeNeighborsFromAnnouncementPayload(packet.payload)
             com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.MeshGraphService.getInstance()
-                .updateFromAnnouncement(peerID, nickname, neighbors, packet.timestamp)
+                .updateFromAnnouncement(peerID, nickname, neighborsOrNull, packet.timestamp)
         } catch (_: Exception) { }
 
         Log.d(TAG, "✅ Processed verified TLV announce: stored identity for $peerID")

app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/services/meshgraph/GossipTLV.kt

@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ object GossipTLV {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Scan a TLV-encoded announce payload and extract neighbor peerIDs if present.
+     * Scan a TLV-encoded announce payload and extract neighbor peerIDs.
+     * Returns null if the TLV is not present at all; returns an empty list if present with length 0.
      */
-    fun decodeNeighborsFromAnnouncementPayload(payload: ByteArray): List<String> {
+    fun decodeNeighborsFromAnnouncementPayload(payload: ByteArray): List<String>? {
         val result = mutableListOf<String>()
         var offset = 0
         while (offset + 2 <= payload.size) {
@@ -45,10 +46,11 @@ object GossipTLV {
                     result.add(bytesToPeerIdHex(idBytes))
                     pos += 8
                 }
-                break // only one neighbors TLV expected
+                return result // present (possibly empty)
             }
         }
-        return result
+        // Not present
+        return null
     }
 
     private fun hexStringPeerIdTo8Bytes(hexString: String): ByteArray {
@@ -73,4 +75,3 @@ object GossipTLV {
         return sb.toString()
     }
 }
-

app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/services/meshgraph/MeshGraphService.kt

@@ -28,33 +28,40 @@ class MeshGraphService private constructor() {
      * Update graph from a verified announcement.
      * Replaces previous neighbors for origin if this is newer (by timestamp).
      */
-    fun updateFromAnnouncement(originPeerID: String, originNickname: String?, neighbors: List<String>, timestamp: ULong) {
+    fun updateFromAnnouncement(originPeerID: String, originNickname: String?, neighborsOrNull: List<String>?, timestamp: ULong) {
-        // Newer-only replacement per origin
-        val prevTs = lastUpdate[originPeerID]
-        if (prevTs != null && prevTs >= timestamp) return
-        lastUpdate[originPeerID] = timestamp
-
         synchronized(this) {
-            // Update nickname
+            // Always update nickname if provided
             if (originNickname != null) nicknames[originPeerID] = originNickname
 
+            // If no neighbors TLV present, do not modify edges or timestamps
+            if (neighborsOrNull == null) {
+                publishSnapshot()
+                return
+            }
+
+            // Newer-only replacement per origin (based on TLV-bearing announcements only)
+            val prevTs = lastUpdate[originPeerID]
+            if (prevTs != null && prevTs >= timestamp) {
+                // Older or equal TLV-bearing update: ignore
+                return
+            }
+            lastUpdate[originPeerID] = timestamp
+
             // Remove old symmetric edges contributed by this origin
             val prevNeighbors = adjacency[originPeerID]?.toSet().orEmpty()
             prevNeighbors.forEach { n ->
                 adjacency[n]?.remove(originPeerID)
             }
 
-            // Replace origin's adjacency with new set
+            // Replace origin's adjacency with new set (may be empty)
-            val newSet = neighbors.distinct().take(10).filter { it != originPeerID }.toMutableSet()
+            val newSet = neighborsOrNull.distinct().take(10).filter { it != originPeerID }.toMutableSet()
             adjacency[originPeerID] = newSet
-            // Ensure nodes exist for neighbors
+            // Ensure undirected edges
             newSet.forEach { n ->
                 adjacency.putIfAbsent(n, mutableSetOf())
-                // Add symmetric edge for undirected graph visualization
                 adjacency[n]?.add(originPeerID)
             }
 
-            // Compute snapshot
             publishSnapshot()
         }
     }
@@ -93,4 +100,3 @@ class MeshGraphService private constructor() {
         }
     }
 }
-

app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/debug/DebugSettingsSheet.kt

@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.draw.rotate
 import com.bitchat.android.mesh.BluetoothMeshService
 import com.bitchat.android.services.meshgraph.MeshGraphService
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.toArgb
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.drawscope.drawIntoCanvas
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.nativeCanvas
 
 @Composable
 fun MeshTopologySection() {
@@ -78,6 +81,22 @@ fun MeshTopologySection() {
                             val pos = positions[node.peerID] ?: androidx.compose.ui.geometry.Offset(cx, cy)
                             drawCircle(color = Color(0xFF00C851), radius = 10f, center = pos)
                         }
+
+                        // Draw labels near nodes (nickname or short ID)
+                        val labelColor = colorScheme.onSurface.toArgb()
+                        val textSizePx = 10.sp.toPx()
+                        drawIntoCanvas { canvas ->
+                            val paint = android.graphics.Paint().apply {
+                                isAntiAlias = true
+                                color = labelColor
+                                textSize = textSizePx
+                            }
+                            nodes.forEach { node ->
+                                val pos = positions[node.peerID] ?: androidx.compose.ui.geometry.Offset(cx, cy)
+                                val label = (node.nickname?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() } ?: node.peerID.take(8))
+                                canvas.nativeCanvas.drawText(label, pos.x + 12f, pos.y - 12f, paint)
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 // Label list for clarity under the canvas
@@ -157,11 +176,6 @@ fun DebugSettingsSheet(
                 .padding(bottom = 24.dp),
             verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(16.dp)
         ) {
-            item {
-                // Mesh topology visualization
-                MeshTopologySection()
-            }
-
             item {
                 Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically, horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp)) {
                     Icon(Icons.Filled.BugReport, contentDescription = null, tint = Color(0xFFFF9500))
@@ -195,6 +209,11 @@ fun DebugSettingsSheet(
                 }
             }
 
+            // Mesh topology visualization (moved below verbose logging)
+            item {
+                MeshTopologySection()
+            }
+
             // GATT controls
             item {
                 Surface(shape = RoundedCornerShape(12.dp), color = colorScheme.surfaceVariant.copy(alpha = 0.2f)) {