diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatHeader.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatHeader.kt
index f8820e91..6b76a2bf 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatHeader.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatHeader.kt
@@ -475,6 +475,19 @@ fun ConversationHeaderAction(
     content = content
 )
 
+/** A read-only status slot matching the footprint of [ConversationHeaderAction]. */
+@Composable
+fun ConversationHeaderStatus(
+    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
+    content: @Composable () -> Unit
+) {
+    Box(
+        modifier = modifier.size(HeaderTapTarget),
+        contentAlignment = Alignment.Center,
+        content = { content() }
+    )
+}
+
 @Composable
 fun NicknameEditor(
     value: String,
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityState.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityState.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5bbdbfe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityState.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package com.bitchat.android.ui
+
+/**
+ * Resolves the Noise session shown for a private conversation.
+ *
+ * Persistent conversations use a canonical contact ID, while live Noise sessions are keyed by
+ * the currently connected mesh peer ID. Prefer that live identity and retain the conversation ID
+ * as a fallback for peers whose IDs are already identical.
+ */
+internal fun resolveConversationSessionState(
+    conversationID: String,
+    activeMeshPeerID: String?,
+    peerSessionStates: Map<String, String>
+): String? {
+    return activeMeshPeerID?.let(peerSessionStates::get)
+        ?: peerSessionStates[conversationID]
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/MeshPeerListSheet.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/MeshPeerListSheet.kt
index 89746a56..88ec6b6f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/MeshPeerListSheet.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/MeshPeerListSheet.kt
@@ -1806,7 +1806,11 @@ fun PrivateChatSheet(
 
     val conversationID = contactResolution.conversationID
     val messages = privateChats[conversationID] ?: privateChats[peerID] ?: emptyList()
-    val sessionState = activeMeshPeerID?.let { peerSessionStates[it] } ?: peerSessionStates[peerID]
+    val sessionState = resolveConversationSessionState(
+        conversationID = peerID,
+        activeMeshPeerID = activeMeshPeerID,
+        peerSessionStates = peerSessionStates
+    )
     val fingerprint = activeMeshPeerID?.let { peerFingerprints[it] }
         ?: peerFingerprints[peerID]
         ?: ContactIdentityResolver.fingerprintFromContactConversationId(peerID)
@@ -1998,8 +2002,21 @@ fun PrivateChatSheet(
                             )
                         }
 
-                        // Encryption state, and the verification badge that qualifies it. Both are
-                        // read-only for Nostr peers, which have no Noise session at all.
+                        if (isVerified) {
+                            ConversationHeaderStatus {
+                                Icon(
+                                    imageVector = Icons.Filled.Verified,
+                                    contentDescription = stringResource(
+                                        R.string.fingerprint_verified_label
+                                    ),
+                                    modifier = Modifier.size(HeaderIconSize),
+                                    tint = colorScheme.primary
+                                )
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        // Keep the lock nearest the close action: from right to left the security
+                        // cluster reads close, encryption, verification, then favorite.
                         if (!isNostrPeer && !isNostrReachableFavorite) {
                             ConversationHeaderAction(
                                 onClick = { viewModel.showSecurityVerificationSheet() },
@@ -2014,20 +2031,6 @@ fun PrivateChatSheet(
                             }
                         }
 
-                        if (isVerified) {
-                            Box(
-                                modifier = Modifier.size(HeaderIconSize),
-                                contentAlignment = Alignment.Center
-                            ) {
-                                Icon(
-                                    painter = painterResource(R.drawable.ic_spec_check),
-                                    contentDescription = stringResource(R.string.verify_title),
-                                    modifier = Modifier.size(HeaderIconSize),
-                                    tint = colorScheme.primary
-                                )
-                            }
-                        }
-
                         val dismiss = LocalSheetDismiss.current
                         CloseButton(onClick = { dismiss?.invoke() ?: onDismiss() })
                     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/SecurityVerificationSheet.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/SecurityVerificationSheet.kt
index 40da30be..71e59f0d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/SecurityVerificationSheet.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/SecurityVerificationSheet.kt
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import com.bitchat.android.R
 import com.bitchat.android.core.ui.component.button.CloseButton
 import com.bitchat.android.core.ui.component.sheet.LocalSheetDismiss
 import com.bitchat.android.core.ui.component.sheet.BitchatBottomSheet
+import com.bitchat.android.services.ContactDirectory
 
 private data class SecurityStatusInfo(
     val text: String,
@@ -100,7 +101,12 @@ fun SecurityVerificationSheet(
                 val displayName = viewModel.resolvePeerDisplayNameForFingerprint(selectedPeerID)
                 val fingerprint = viewModel.getPeerFingerprintForDisplay(selectedPeerID)
                 val isVerified = fingerprint != null && verifiedFingerprints.contains(fingerprint)
-                val sessionState = peerSessionStates[selectedPeerID]
+                val activeMeshPeerID = ContactDirectory.resolve(selectedPeerID).meshPeerID
+                val sessionState = resolveConversationSessionState(
+                    conversationID = selectedPeerID,
+                    activeMeshPeerID = activeMeshPeerID,
+                    peerSessionStates = peerSessionStates
+                )
                 val statusInfo = buildStatusInfo(
                     isVerified = isVerified,
                     sessionState = sessionState,
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityStateTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityStateTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c7de0885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ConversationSecurityStateTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package com.bitchat.android.ui
+
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Test
+
+class ConversationSecurityStateTest {
+    @Test
+    fun `active mesh peer session wins for canonical conversation`() {
+        val result = resolveConversationSessionState(
+            conversationID = "contact-alice",
+            activeMeshPeerID = "mesh-alice",
+            peerSessionStates = mapOf(
+                "contact-alice" to "uninitialized",
+                "mesh-alice" to "established"
+            )
+        )
+
+        assertEquals("established", result)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `conversation session is fallback when live identity has no state`() {
+        val result = resolveConversationSessionState(
+            conversationID = "contact-alice",
+            activeMeshPeerID = "mesh-alice",
+            peerSessionStates = mapOf("contact-alice" to "handshaking")
+        )
+
+        assertEquals("handshaking", result)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `conversation session resolves when mesh and conversation IDs are identical`() {
+        val result = resolveConversationSessionState(
+            conversationID = "mesh-alice",
+            activeMeshPeerID = "mesh-alice",
+            peerSessionStates = mapOf("mesh-alice" to "established")
+        )
+
+        assertEquals("established", result)
+    }
+}