diff --git a/bitchat/BitchatApp.swift b/bitchat/BitchatApp.swift
index 0bf9012d..0fe1c4fd 100644
--- a/bitchat/BitchatApp.swift
+++ b/bitchat/BitchatApp.swift
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ final class NotificationDelegate: NSObject, UNUserNotificationCenterDelegate {
             // Get peer ID from userInfo
             if let peerID = userInfo["peerID"] as? String {
                 // Don't show notification if the private chat is already open
-                if chatViewModel?.selectedPrivateChatPeer == peerID {
+                if chatViewModel?.selectedPrivateChatPeer == PeerID(str: peerID) {
                     completionHandler([])
                     return
                 }
diff --git a/bitchat/Models/PeerID.swift b/bitchat/Models/PeerID.swift
index 1248a520..d31e2275 100644
--- a/bitchat/Models/PeerID.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Models/PeerID.swift
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ extension PeerID {
     init(hexData: Data) {
         self.init(str: hexData.hexEncodedString())
     }
+    
+    /// Convenience init to "hide" hex-encoding implementation detail
+    init?(hexData: Data?) {
+        guard let hexData else { return nil }
+        self.init(hexData: hexData)
+    }
 }
 
 // MARK: - Noise Public Key Helpers
@@ -191,9 +197,7 @@ extension PeerID: Comparable {
     }
 }
 
-// MARK: - String Interop Helpers
-
-// MARK: CustomStringConvertible
+// MARK: - CustomStringConvertible
 
 extension PeerID: CustomStringConvertible {
     /// So it returns the actual `id` like before even inside another String
@@ -201,17 +205,3 @@ extension PeerID: CustomStringConvertible {
         id
     }
 }
-
-// MARK: Custom Equatable w/ String & Optionality
-
-// PeerID <> String
-extension Optional where Wrapped == PeerID {
-    static func ==(lhs: Optional<Wrapped>, rhs: Optional<String>) -> Bool   { lhs?.id == rhs }
-    static func !=(lhs: Optional<Wrapped>, rhs: Optional<String>) -> Bool   { lhs?.id != rhs }
-}
-
-// String <> PeerID
-extension Optional where Wrapped == String {
-    static func ==(lhs: Optional<Wrapped>, rhs: Optional<PeerID>) -> Bool   { lhs == rhs?.id }
-    static func !=(lhs: Optional<Wrapped>, rhs: Optional<PeerID>) -> Bool   { lhs != rhs?.id }
-}
diff --git a/bitchat/Services/BLEService.swift b/bitchat/Services/BLEService.swift
index 76c24636..67cbb0c3 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/BLEService.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/BLEService.swift
@@ -734,8 +734,7 @@ final class BLEService: NSObject {
     }
 
     private func sendEncrypted(_ packet: BitchatPacket, data: Data, pad: Bool) {
-        guard let recipientID = packet.recipientID else { return }
-        let recipientPeerID = PeerID(hexData: recipientID)
+        guard let recipientPeerID = PeerID(hexData: packet.recipientID) else { return }
         var sentEncrypted = false
 
         // Per-link limits for the specific peer
@@ -1039,8 +1038,7 @@ final class BLEService: NSObject {
 
         // Skip directed packets that are not intended for us
         if let recipient = packet.recipientID {
-            let recipientHex = recipient.hexEncodedString()
-            if recipientHex != myPeerID && !recipient.allSatisfy({ $0 == 0xFF }) {
+            if PeerID(hexData: recipient) != myPeerID && !recipient.allSatisfy({ $0 == 0xFF }) {
                 return
             }
         }
@@ -1122,10 +1120,7 @@ final class BLEService: NSObject {
             marker = "[file] \(fileName)"
         }
 
-        let isPrivateMessage: Bool = {
-            guard let recipient = packet.recipientID else { return false }
-            return recipient.hexEncodedString() == myPeerID
-        }()
+        let isPrivateMessage = PeerID(hexData: packet.recipientID) == myPeerID
 
         if isPrivateMessage {
             updatePeerLastSeen(peerID)
@@ -3078,9 +3073,9 @@ extension BLEService {
         
         // Verify that the sender's derived ID from the announced noise public key matches the packet senderID
         // This helps detect relayed or spoofed announces. Only warn in release; assert in debug.
-        let derivedFromKey = PeerID(publicKey: announcement.noisePublicKey).id
+        let derivedFromKey = PeerID(publicKey: announcement.noisePublicKey)
         if derivedFromKey != peerID {
-            SecureLogger.warning("⚠️ Announce sender mismatch: derived \(derivedFromKey.prefix(8))… vs packet \(peerID.id.prefix(8))…", category: .security)
+            SecureLogger.warning("⚠️ Announce sender mismatch: derived \(derivedFromKey.id.prefix(8))… vs packet \(peerID.id.prefix(8))…", category: .security)
 
         }
         
@@ -3366,8 +3361,7 @@ extension BLEService {
     
     private func handleNoiseHandshake(_ packet: BitchatPacket, from peerID: PeerID) {
         // Use NoiseEncryptionService for handshake processing
-        if let recipientID = packet.recipientID,
-           recipientID.hexEncodedString() == myPeerID {
+        if PeerID(hexData: packet.recipientID) == myPeerID {
             // Handshake is for us
             do {
                 if let response = try noiseService.processHandshakeMessage(from: peerID, message: packet.payload) {
@@ -3400,14 +3394,13 @@ extension BLEService {
     private func handleNoiseEncrypted(_ packet: BitchatPacket, from peerID: PeerID) {
         SecureLogger.debug("🔐 handleNoiseEncrypted called for packet from \(peerID)")
         
-        guard let recipientID = packet.recipientID else {
+        guard let recipientID = PeerID(hexData: packet.recipientID) else {
             SecureLogger.warning("⚠️ Encrypted message has no recipient ID", category: .session)
             return
         }
         
-        let recipientHex = recipientID.hexEncodedString()
-        if recipientHex != myPeerID {
-            SecureLogger.debug("🔐 Encrypted message not for me (for \(recipientHex), I am \(myPeerID))", category: .session)
+        if recipientID != myPeerID {
+            SecureLogger.debug("🔐 Encrypted message not for me (for \(recipientID), I am \(myPeerID))", category: .session)
             return
         }
         
diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
index 6984baa9..91764a1f 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
                 nickname = trimmed
             }
             // Update mesh service nickname if it's initialized
-            if meshService.myPeerID != "" {
+            if !meshService.myPeerID.isEmpty {
                 meshService.setNickname(nickname)
             }
         }
@@ -4103,7 +4103,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
             if let spid = message.senderPeerID {
                 if case .location(let ch) = activeChannel, spid.id.hasPrefix("nostr:") {
                     if let myGeo = try? idBridge.deriveIdentity(forGeohash: ch.geohash) {
-                        return spid == "nostr:\(myGeo.publicKeyHex.prefix(TransportConfig.nostrShortKeyDisplayLength))"
+                        return spid == PeerID(nostr: myGeo.publicKeyHex)
                     }
                 }
                 return spid == meshService.myPeerID
@@ -5623,7 +5623,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
             }
 
             // Validate recipient
-            if let rid = packet.recipientID, rid.hexEncodedString() != meshService.myPeerID {
+            if PeerID(hexData: packet.recipientID) != meshService.myPeerID {
                 return
             }
 
diff --git a/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PrivateChatE2ETests.swift b/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PrivateChatE2ETests.swift
index 2f0d45c3..ca4ff1f7 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PrivateChatE2ETests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PrivateChatE2ETests.swift
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@ struct PrivateChatE2ETests {
             // Bob relays private messages for Charlie
             bob.packetDeliveryHandler = { packet in
                 if let recipientID = packet.recipientID,
-                   String(data: recipientID, encoding: .utf8) == charlie.peerID {
+                   PeerID(data: recipientID) == charlie.peerID {
                     // Relay to Charlie
                     var relayPacket = packet
                     relayPacket.ttl = packet.ttl - 1
-                    self.charlie.simulateIncomingPacket(relayPacket)
+                    charlie.simulateIncomingPacket(relayPacket)
                 }
             }
             
diff --git a/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PublicChatE2ETests.swift b/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PublicChatE2ETests.swift
index 8a7f678e..a8c65af1 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PublicChatE2ETests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/EndToEnd/PublicChatE2ETests.swift
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ struct PublicChatE2ETests {
 
             if let message = BitchatMessage(packet.payload) {
                 // Don't relay own messages
-                guard message.senderPeerID?.id != node.peerID else { return }
+                guard message.senderPeerID != node.peerID else { return }
                 
                 // Create relay message
                 let relayMessage = BitchatMessage(
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Mocks/MockBLEService.swift b/bitchatTests/Mocks/MockBLEService.swift
index c9002ff6..5aace0ab 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Mocks/MockBLEService.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Mocks/MockBLEService.swift
@@ -203,10 +203,7 @@ final class MockBLEService: NSObject {
                let target = bus.service(for: recipientPeerID) {
                 target.simulateIncomingPacket(packet)
             } else {
-                // Not directly connected: deliver to neighbors for relay; also deliver directly if target is known
-                if let target = bus.service(for: recipientPeerID) {
-                    target.simulateIncomingPacket(packet)
-                }
+                // Not directly connected: deliver to neighbors for relay
                 for neighbor in neighbors() where neighbor.peerID != recipientPeerID {
                     neighbor.simulateIncomingPacket(packet)
                 }
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Utils/PeerIDTests.swift b/bitchatTests/Utils/PeerIDTests.swift
index 9df7e83a..41726572 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Utils/PeerIDTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Utils/PeerIDTests.swift
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ struct PeerIDTests {
     @Test func comparable_sorting_and_equality() {
         let p1 = PeerID(str: "aaa")
         let p2 = PeerID(str: "bbb")
-        let p3 = PeerID(str: "bbb")
+        let p3 = PeerID(str: "BBB")
         
         #expect(p1 < p2)
         #expect(p2 >= p1)
@@ -284,44 +284,18 @@ struct PeerIDTests {
     }
     
     @Test func equality() {
-        let string = "aaa"
-        let peerID = PeerID(str: string)
-        let badString = "bbb"
-        
-        // PeerID == String
-        #expect(peerID == string)
-        #expect(peerID == Optional(string))
-        #expect(Optional(peerID) == string)
-        #expect(Optional(peerID) == Optional(string))
-
-        // PeerID != String
-        #expect(peerID != badString)
-        #expect(peerID != Optional(badString))
-        #expect(Optional(peerID) != badString)
-        #expect(Optional(peerID) != Optional(badString))
-        
-        // String == PeerID
-        #expect(string == peerID)
-        #expect(Optional(string) == peerID)
-        #expect(string == Optional(peerID))
-        #expect(Optional(string) == Optional(peerID))
-
-        // String != PeerID
-        #expect(badString != peerID)
-        #expect(Optional(badString) != peerID)
-        #expect(badString != Optional(peerID))
-        #expect(Optional(badString) != Optional(peerID))
+        let peerID = PeerID(str: "aaa")
         
         // Regular PeerID <> PeerID
-        #expect(peerID == PeerID(str: "aaa"))
-        #expect(peerID == Optional(PeerID(str: "aaa")))
-        #expect(PeerID(str: "aaa") == peerID)
-        #expect(Optional(PeerID(str: "aaa")) == Optional(peerID))
+        #expect(peerID == PeerID(str: "AAA"))
+        #expect(peerID == Optional(PeerID(str: "AAA")))
+        #expect(PeerID(str: "AAA") == peerID)
+        #expect(Optional(PeerID(str: "AAA")) == Optional(peerID))
         
-        #expect(peerID != PeerID(str: "bbb"))
-        #expect(peerID != Optional(PeerID(str: "bbb")))
-        #expect(PeerID(str: "bbb") != peerID)
-        #expect(Optional(PeerID(str: "bbb")) != Optional(peerID))
+        #expect(peerID != PeerID(str: "BBB"))
+        #expect(peerID != Optional(PeerID(str: "BBB")))
+        #expect(PeerID(str: "BBB") != peerID)
+        #expect(Optional(PeerID(str: "BBB")) != Optional(peerID))
     }
     
     // MARK: - Computed properties