diff --git a/bitchat/App/ConversationStore.swift b/bitchat/App/ConversationStore.swift
index df467075..8c669bcc 100644
--- a/bitchat/App/ConversationStore.swift
+++ b/bitchat/App/ConversationStore.swift
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ final class ConversationStore: ObservableObject {
     private let storage: UserDefaults
     private let lastActiveKey = "conversation.lastActive"
 
+    /// True for the duration of a panic wipe. Suppresses `persistLastActive()`
+    /// so the selection/channel resets the wipe performs cannot re-write the
+    /// pointer we are about to remove.
+    private var isPanicWiping = false
+
     /// Snapshot of the persisted value read once at init, before any launch
     /// writer (e.g. `GeoChannelCoordinator` re-applying the location channel)
     /// can overwrite the key. Restore decisions read this, never the disk.
@@ -404,6 +409,9 @@ final class ConversationStore: ObservableObject {
     /// single-writer selection paths on every switch; an open DM wins over
     /// the active channel.
     private func persistLastActive() {
+        // Panic wipe suppresses last-active persistence so the selection/channel
+        // resets that follow it can't re-write the pointer being cleared.
+        guard !isPanicWiping else { return }
         let record: LastActiveRecord
         if let peerID = selectedPrivatePeerID {
             record = LastActiveRecord(kind: .direct, peerID: peerID.id)
@@ -425,6 +433,17 @@ final class ConversationStore: ObservableObject {
         storage.removeObject(forKey: lastActiveKey)
     }
 
+    /// Begins a panic wipe: suppress last-active persistence so the selection/channel
+    /// resets that follow cannot re-write the pointer we're about to remove.
+    func beginPanicWipe() { isPanicWiping = true }
+
+    /// Finishes a panic wipe: remove the persisted pointer and re-enable persistence.
+    /// MUST be called AFTER all selection/channel state has been reset.
+    func finishPanicWipe() {
+        clearPersistedLastActive()
+        isPanicWiping = false
+    }
+
     /// Decides what to present at launch from the value persisted last
     /// session. Pure aside from reading the init snapshot: performs no
     /// selection mutation and never writes `activeChannel`, so it cannot race
diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
index 15088037..541509b2 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift
@@ -1177,9 +1177,11 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate, TransportEventDele
         // single-writer ConversationStore; the derived `messages` view and
         // the legacy mirror empty with it)
         conversations.clearAll()
-        // Also erase the persisted last-active pointer (#1064) so a wiped
-        // DM/channel cannot be restored on the next launch.
-        conversations.clearPersistedLastActive()
+        // Begin suppressing last-active persistence (#1064). The selection and
+        // channel resets below route through the store's setters, which would
+        // otherwise re-persist a `.mesh` pointer; the wipe is finished (and the
+        // pointer removed once) at the very end of this method.
+        conversations.beginPanicWipe()
         pendingGeohashSystemMessages.removeAll()
 
         // Delete all keychain data (including Noise and Nostr keys)
@@ -1307,6 +1309,13 @@ final class ChatViewModel: ObservableObject, BitchatDelegate, TransportEventDele
             #endif
         }
 
+        // Finish the panic wipe (#1064): must run AFTER `selectedPrivateChatPeer
+        // = nil` / `activeChannel = .mesh` above so no setter re-persists the
+        // pointer. Removes the last-active key once and re-enables persistence,
+        // leaving the key ABSENT so next launch hits the conversation-list
+        // first-launch fallback.
+        conversations.finishPanicWipe()
+
         // Force immediate UI update for panic mode
         // UI updates immediately - no flushing needed
 
diff --git a/bitchatTests/ConversationStoreLastActiveTests.swift b/bitchatTests/ConversationStoreLastActiveTests.swift
index faf5adc4..9f4523bd 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/ConversationStoreLastActiveTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/ConversationStoreLastActiveTests.swift
@@ -112,6 +112,48 @@ final class ConversationStoreLastActiveTests: XCTestCase {
         )
     }
 
+    func test_panicWipeOrderLeavesNoRestoreRecord() {
+        // #1064 panic wipe, FULL ORDER: `clearPersistedLastActive()` alone is
+        // insufficient because `panicClearAllData()` also runs
+        // `selectedPrivateChatPeer = nil` and `activeChannel = .mesh` AFTER it —
+        // both route through the store's setters, whose guarded `persistLastActive()`
+        // re-writes a `.mesh` record on a real state change, resurrecting the
+        // pointer. The begin/finish suppression window fixes that. This test
+        // mirrors panicClearAllData's exact order against a single store:
+        //   beginPanicWipe → setSelectedPrivatePeer(nil) → setActiveChannel(.mesh) → finishPanicWipe
+        // Without the fix (i.e. without begin/finish), those selection/channel
+        // resets re-persist a `.mesh` record — here `setSelectedPrivatePeer(nil)`
+        // is the real state change that writes it (the store's default channel
+        // is already `.mesh`, so `setActiveChannel(.mesh)` is the second trigger
+        // whenever panic runs from a non-mesh channel). Either way the pointer
+        // survives as `.mesh` and the next launch would `.deferToChannelRestore`
+        // instead of `.conversationList`.
+        let storage = makeStorage()
+
+        // The user is in a DM: a `.direct` record is persisted and would restore.
+        let session = ConversationStore(storage: storage)
+        session.setSelectedPrivatePeer(peerID)
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            ConversationStore(storage: storage)
+                .restoreLastActiveConversation(isPeerResolvable: { _ in true }),
+            .restoredDirectChat(peerID)
+        )
+
+        // Reproduce panicClearAllData's order on the SAME store.
+        session.beginPanicWipe()
+        session.setSelectedPrivatePeer(nil)   // re-persist trigger #1 (suppressed)
+        session.setActiveChannel(.mesh)       // re-persist trigger #2 (suppressed)
+        session.finishPanicWipe()             // removes the pointer once
+
+        // A fresh store on the SAME storage finds NO record and falls back to
+        // the conversation list — the pointer is truly absent, not `.mesh`.
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            ConversationStore(storage: storage)
+                .restoreLastActiveConversation(isPeerResolvable: { _ in true }),
+            .conversationList
+        )
+    }
+
     func test_firstLaunchPresentsConversationList() {
         let storage = makeStorage()