diff --git a/bitchat/Services/MessageRouter.swift b/bitchat/Services/MessageRouter.swift
index 2837a6ea..234902d0 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/MessageRouter.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/MessageRouter.swift
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ final class MessageRouter {
     private let courierDirectory: CourierDirectory
     private let outboxStore: MessageOutboxStore?
     private let metrics: StoreAndForwardMetrics?
+    // Stamps our npub onto favorite notifications so the recipient can learn
+    // our Nostr identity. Optional so tests can omit it.
+    private let idBridge: NostrIdentityBridge?
 
     /// Invoked whenever a retained private message is dropped without a
     /// delivery ack (attempt cap, TTL expiry, or per-peer overflow eviction)
@@ -141,9 +144,11 @@ final class MessageRouter {
         now: @escaping () -> Date = Date.init,
         courierDirectory: CourierDirectory? = nil,
         outboxStore: MessageOutboxStore? = nil,
-        metrics: StoreAndForwardMetrics? = nil
+        metrics: StoreAndForwardMetrics? = nil,
+        idBridge: NostrIdentityBridge? = nil
     ) {
         self.transports = transports
+        self.idBridge = idBridge
         self.now = now
         self.courierDirectory = courierDirectory ?? .favoritesBacked()
         self.outboxStore = outboxStore
@@ -572,11 +577,19 @@ final class MessageRouter {
     }
 
     func sendFavoriteNotification(to peerID: PeerID, isFavorite: Bool) {
-        if let transport = connectedTransport(for: peerID) {
-            transport.sendFavoriteNotification(to: peerID, isFavorite: isFavorite)
-        } else if let transport = reachableTransport(for: peerID) {
-            transport.sendFavoriteNotification(to: peerID, isFavorite: isFavorite)
+        // Route favorites through the outbox instead of fire-and-forget: a
+        // toggle sent while the peer is offline or mid-handshake used to be
+        // silently dropped, which for mesh-only peers meant a missed npub
+        // exchange. The outbox retains until an ack, and the alias flush
+        // drains the queue on reconnect/authentication no matter which PeerID
+        // form the toggle was keyed under. The payload is the same
+        // [FAVORITED]:<npub> content the transports built internally — the
+        // receiver parses the prefix from PM content and never displays it.
+        var content = isFavorite ? "[FAVORITED]" : "[UNFAVORITED]"
+        if let identity = try? idBridge?.getCurrentNostrIdentity() {
+            content += ":" + identity.npub
         }
+        sendPrivate(content, to: peerID, recipientNickname: "", messageID: UUID().uuidString)
     }
 
     /// Retries only messages that the router previously transmitted through
diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModelBootstrapper.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModelBootstrapper.swift
index 99ca2886..3e2c7c78 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModelBootstrapper.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModelBootstrapper.swift
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ struct ChatViewModelServiceBundle {
         let messageRouter = MessageRouter(
             transports: [meshService, nostrTransport],
             outboxStore: outboxStore,
-            metrics: sfMetrics
+            metrics: sfMetrics,
+            idBridge: idBridge
         )
 
         self.commandProcessor = commandProcessor
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Services/MessageRouterTests.swift b/bitchatTests/Services/MessageRouterTests.swift
index 497040eb..b0e1d868 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Services/MessageRouterTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Services/MessageRouterTests.swift
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ struct MessageRouterTests {
     }
 
     @Test @MainActor
-    func sendFavoriteNotification_usesConnectedOrReachable() async {
+    func sendFavoriteNotification_routesThroughOutboxAsPrivateMessage() async {
         let peerID = PeerID(str: "0000000000000004")
         let transport = MockTransport()
         transport.reachablePeers.insert(peerID)
@@ -661,7 +661,28 @@ struct MessageRouterTests {
         let router = MessageRouter(transports: [transport])
         router.sendFavoriteNotification(to: peerID, isFavorite: true)
 
-        #expect(transport.sentFavoriteNotifications.count == 1)
+        // Favorites ride the outbox (sendPrivate) so they survive offline /
+        // handshake gaps; the recipient parses the [FAVORITED] prefix.
+        #expect(transport.sentFavoriteNotifications.isEmpty)
+        #expect(transport.sentPrivateMessages.count == 1)
+        #expect(transport.sentPrivateMessages.first?.content.hasPrefix("[FAVORITED]") == true)
+    }
+
+    @Test @MainActor
+    func sendFavoriteNotification_whileOffline_queuesAndFlushesOnReconnect() async {
+        let peerID = PeerID(str: "0000000000000009")
+        let transport = MockTransport()
+        // Peer is neither connected nor reachable: the favorite must be retained.
+        let router = MessageRouter(transports: [transport])
+        router.sendFavoriteNotification(to: peerID, isFavorite: false)
+        #expect(transport.sentPrivateMessages.isEmpty)
+
+        // Peer comes back: the queued favorite flushes.
+        transport.connectedPeers.insert(peerID)
+        router.flushOutbox(for: peerID)
+
+        #expect(transport.sentPrivateMessages.count == 1)
+        #expect(transport.sentPrivateMessages.first?.content.hasPrefix("[UNFAVORITED]") == true)
     }
 
     // MARK: - Courier deposits