diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
index d695c50a..65760e87 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
             if spid.isGeoChat || spid.isGeoDM {
                 let full = (nostrKeyMapping[spid] ?? spid.bare).lowercased()
                 return "nostr:" + full
-            } else if spid.id.count == 16, let full = getNoiseKeyForShortID(spid)?.lowercased() {
+            } else if spid.id.count == 16, let full = getNoiseKeyForShortID(spid)?.id.lowercased() {
                 return "noise:" + full
             } else {
                 return "mesh:" + spid.id.lowercased()
@@ -328,16 +328,16 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
     private var peerIDToPublicKeyFingerprint: [PeerID: String] = [:]
     private var selectedPrivateChatFingerprint: String? = nil
     // Map stable short peer IDs (16-hex) to full Noise public key hex (64-hex) for session continuity
-    private var shortIDToNoiseKey: [PeerID: String] = [:]
+    private var shortIDToNoiseKey: [PeerID: PeerID] = [:]
 
     // Resolve full Noise key for a peer's short ID (used by UI header rendering)
     @MainActor
-    private func getNoiseKeyForShortID(_ shortPeerID: PeerID) -> String? {
+    private func getNoiseKeyForShortID(_ shortPeerID: PeerID) -> PeerID? {
         if let mapped = shortIDToNoiseKey[shortPeerID] { return mapped }
         // Fallback: derive from active Noise session if available
         if shortPeerID.id.count == 16,
            let key = meshService.getNoiseService().getPeerPublicKeyData(shortPeerID) {
-            let stable = key.hexEncodedString()
+            let stable = PeerID(hexData: key)
             shortIDToNoiseKey[shortPeerID] = stable
             return stable
         }
@@ -346,16 +346,17 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
 
     // Resolve short mesh ID (16-hex) from a full Noise public key hex (64-hex)
     @MainActor
-    func getShortIDForNoiseKey(_ fullNoiseKeyHex: String) -> PeerID? {
+    func getShortIDForNoiseKey(_ fullNoiseKeyHex: PeerID) -> PeerID {
+        guard fullNoiseKeyHex.id.count == 64 else { return fullNoiseKeyHex }
         // Check known peers for a noise key match
-        if let match = allPeers.first(where: { $0.noisePublicKey.hexEncodedString() == fullNoiseKeyHex }) {
+        if let match = allPeers.first(where: { PeerID(hexData: $0.noisePublicKey) == fullNoiseKeyHex }) {
             return match.peerID
         }
         // Also search cache mapping
         if let pair = shortIDToNoiseKey.first(where: { $0.value == fullNoiseKeyHex }) {
             return pair.key
         }
-        return nil
+        return fullNoiseKeyHex
     }
     private var peerIndex: [PeerID: BitchatPeer] = [:]
     
@@ -4423,7 +4424,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
 
     @MainActor
     private func meshSeed(for peerID: PeerID) -> String {
-        if let full = getNoiseKeyForShortID(peerID)?.lowercased() {
+        if let full = getNoiseKeyForShortID(peerID)?.id.lowercased() {
             return "noise:" + full
         }
         return peerID.id.lowercased()
@@ -4899,9 +4900,9 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
                 // Cache shortID -> full Noise key mapping as soon as session authenticates
                 if self.shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID] == nil,
                    let keyData = self.meshService.getNoiseService().getPeerPublicKeyData(peerID) {
-                    let stable = keyData.hexEncodedString()
+                    let stable = PeerID(hexData: keyData)
                     self.shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID] = stable
-                    SecureLogger.debug("🗺️ Mapped short peerID to Noise key for header continuity: \(peerID) -> \(stable.prefix(8))…", category: .session)
+                    SecureLogger.debug("🗺️ Mapped short peerID to Noise key for header continuity: \(peerID) -> \(stable.id.prefix(8))…", category: .session)
                 }
 
                 // If a QR verification is pending but not sent yet, send it now that session is authenticated
@@ -5166,7 +5167,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
 
             // Cache mapping to full Noise key for session continuity on disconnect
             if let peer = unifiedPeerService.getPeer(by: peerID) {
-                let noiseKeyHex = peer.noisePublicKey.hexEncodedString()
+                let noiseKeyHex = PeerID(hexData: peer.noisePublicKey)
                 shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID] = noiseKeyHex
             }
 
@@ -5182,15 +5183,14 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate {
         identityManager.removeEphemeralSession(peerID: peerID)
 
         // If the open PM is tied to this short peer ID, switch UI context to the full Noise key (offline favorite)
-        var derivedStableKeyHex: String? = shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID]
+        var derivedStableKeyHex = shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID]
         if derivedStableKeyHex == nil,
            let key = meshService.getNoiseService().getPeerPublicKeyData(peerID) {
-            derivedStableKeyHex = key.hexEncodedString()
+            derivedStableKeyHex = PeerID(hexData: key)
             shortIDToNoiseKey[peerID] = derivedStableKeyHex
         }
 
-        if let current = selectedPrivateChatPeer, current == peerID,
-           let stableKeyHex = PeerID(str: derivedStableKeyHex) {
+        if let current = selectedPrivateChatPeer, current == peerID, let stableKeyHex = derivedStableKeyHex {
             // Migrate messages view context to stable key so header shows favorite + Nostr globe
             if let messages = privateChats[peerID] {
                 if privateChats[stableKeyHex] == nil { privateChats[stableKeyHex] = [] }
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift b/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
index 6d37bec1..250e41fe 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/ContentView.swift
@@ -1213,12 +1213,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                     .foregroundColor(textColor)
 
                 if !privatePeerID.isGeoDM {
-                    let statusPeerID: PeerID = {
-                        if privatePeerID.id.count == 64, let short = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(privatePeerID.id) {
-                            return short
-                        }
-                        return context.headerPeerID
-                    }()
+                    let statusPeerID = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(privatePeerID)
                     let encryptionStatus = viewModel.getEncryptionStatus(for: statusPeerID)
                     if let icon = encryptionStatus.icon {
                         Image(systemName: icon)
@@ -1252,13 +1247,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     }
 
     private func makePrivateHeaderContext(for privatePeerID: PeerID) -> PrivateHeaderContext {
-        let headerPeerID: PeerID = {
-            if privatePeerID.id.count == 64, let short = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(privatePeerID.id) {
-                return short
-            }
-            return privatePeerID
-        }()
-
+        let headerPeerID = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(privatePeerID)
         let peer = viewModel.getPeer(byID: headerPeerID)
 
         let displayName: String = {
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/FingerprintView.swift b/bitchat/Views/FingerprintView.swift
index 51555d77..fc099a16 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/FingerprintView.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/FingerprintView.swift
@@ -65,10 +65,7 @@ struct FingerprintView: View {
             
             VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
                 // Prefer short mesh ID for session/encryption status
-                let statusPeerID: PeerID = {
-                    if peerID.id.count == 64, let short = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(peerID.id) { return short }
-                    return peerID
-                }()
+                let statusPeerID = viewModel.getShortIDForNoiseKey(peerID)
                 // Resolve a friendly name
                 let peerNickname: String = {
                     if let p = viewModel.getPeer(byID: statusPeerID) { return p.displayName }