diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/BluetoothMeshService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/BluetoothMeshService.kt
index 55ee7089..314124c3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/BluetoothMeshService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/BluetoothMeshService.kt
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class BluetoothMeshService(private val context: Context) {
 
     // My peer identification - derived from persisted Noise identity fingerprint (first 16 hex chars)
     val myPeerID: String = encryptionService.getIdentityFingerprint().take(16)
-    private val peerManager = PeerManager()
+    private val peerManager = PeerManager().apply { myPeerID = this@BluetoothMeshService.myPeerID }
     private val fragmentManager = FragmentManager()
     private val securityManager = SecurityManager(encryptionService, myPeerID)
     private val storeForwardManager = StoreForwardManager()
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/PeerManager.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/PeerManager.kt
index a1962622..0fd51782 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/PeerManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/mesh/PeerManager.kt
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ class PeerManager {
     // Callback to check if a peer is directly connected (injected by BluetoothMeshService)
     var isPeerDirectlyConnected: ((String) -> Boolean)? = null
 
+    // My own Peer ID (to treat specially in disambiguation and cleanup)
+    var myPeerID: String? = null
+
     // Coroutines
     private val managerScope = CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.IO + SupervisorJob())
     
@@ -305,7 +308,9 @@ class PeerManager {
         val info = peers[peerID] ?: return peerID
         val nick = info.nickname.trim()
         val isAmbiguous = peers.values.count { it.nickname.trim().equals(nick, ignoreCase = true) } > 1
-        return if (isAmbiguous) "$nick#${peerID.takeLast(4)}" else nick
+        
+        // Suffix is appended if ambiguous, UNLESS this is our own Peer ID
+        return if (isAmbiguous && peerID != myPeerID) "$nick#${peerID.takeLast(4)}" else nick
     }
     
     /**
@@ -428,7 +433,9 @@ class PeerManager {
     private fun cleanupStalePeers() {
         val now = System.currentTimeMillis()
         
-        val peersToRemove = peers.filterValues { (now - it.lastSeen) > stalePeerTimeoutMs }
+        val peersToRemove = peers.filterValues { 
+            it.id != myPeerID && (now - it.lastSeen) > stalePeerTimeoutMs 
+        }
             .keys
             .toList()