diff --git a/bitchat/Services/Groups/GroupStore.swift b/bitchat/Services/Groups/GroupStore.swift
index 3a45dcb7..0fd59a1c 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/Groups/GroupStore.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/Groups/GroupStore.swift
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ final class GroupStore: ObservableObject {
     }
 
     /// Inserts or replaces a group and its current key. Rejects rosters over
-    /// the hard cap or groups whose creator is missing from the roster.
+    /// the hard cap, groups whose creator is missing from the roster, and any
+    /// attempt to change the creator of a group we already hold.
     @discardableResult
     func upsert(_ group: BitchatGroup, key: Data) -> Bool {
         guard group.groupID.count == BitchatGroup.groupIDLength,
@@ -76,6 +77,19 @@ final class GroupStore: ObservableObject {
               !group.members.isEmpty,
               group.members.count <= BitchatGroup.maxMembers,
               group.creator != nil else { return false }
+        // A group keeps the creator it was created with. A peer naming
+        // themselves creator of a known groupID at a higher epoch would
+        // otherwise replace the roster and key wholesale. `applyGroupState`
+        // pins this before its removal branch; here is the one point every
+        // write goes through.
+        if let existing = groups.first(where: { $0.groupID == group.groupID }),
+           existing.creatorFingerprint != group.creatorFingerprint {
+            SecureLogger.warning(
+                "Refusing group state: creator \(group.creatorFingerprint.prefix(8))… does not match stored creator \(existing.creatorFingerprint.prefix(8))…",
+                category: .security
+            )
+            return false
+        }
         guard keychain.saveIdentityKey(key, forKey: Self.keychainKey(for: group.groupID)) else {
             SecureLogger.error("Failed to store group key in keychain", category: .security)
             return false
@@ -176,8 +190,11 @@ final class GroupStore: ObservableObject {
               let stored = try? JSONDecoder().decode([BitchatGroup].self, from: data) else {
             return
         }
-        // Only groups whose key survived in the keychain are usable.
-        groups = stored.filter { key(forGroupID: $0.groupID) != nil }
+        // Only groups whose key survived in the keychain are usable. Disk bypasses
+        // `upsert`, so re-check the creator invariant to avoid unmatchable creators.
+        groups = stored.filter {
+            !$0.creatorFingerprint.isEmpty && $0.creator != nil && key(forGroupID: $0.groupID) != nil
+        }
     }
 
     private static func defaultFileURL() -> URL? {
diff --git a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatGroupCoordinator.swift b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatGroupCoordinator.swift
index b8a2b2a6..131cbe94 100644
--- a/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatGroupCoordinator.swift
+++ b/bitchat/ViewModels/ChatGroupCoordinator.swift
@@ -558,6 +558,18 @@ private extension ChatGroupCoordinator {
         let myFingerprint = context.myNoiseFingerprint()
         let existing = context.groupStore.group(withID: state.groupID)
 
+        // A group keeps the creator it was created with. The checks above only
+        // prove the sender is the creator the state names, which an attacker
+        // satisfies by naming themselves. Checked before the removal branch,
+        // which drops the group without ever reaching `upsert`.
+        if let existing, existing.creatorFingerprint != state.creatorFingerprint {
+            SecureLogger.warning(
+                "Dropping group state claiming creator \(state.creatorFingerprint.prefix(8))… for a group created by \(existing.creatorFingerprint.prefix(8))…",
+                category: .security
+            )
+            return
+        }
+
         // A creator-signed roster that no longer includes us is a removal.
         guard state.members.contains(where: { $0.fingerprint == myFingerprint }) else {
             if let existing {
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Services/GroupStoreTests.swift b/bitchatTests/Services/GroupStoreTests.swift
index adf04806..2f426c49 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Services/GroupStoreTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Services/GroupStoreTests.swift
@@ -81,6 +81,53 @@ struct GroupStoreTests {
         #expect(store.group(withID: group.groupID)?.members == [creator])
     }
 
+    // MARK: - Creator pinning
+
+    @Test func upsertRefusesToChangeTheCreatorOfAnExistingGroup() throws {
+        let store = GroupStore(keychain: MockKeychain(), persistsToDisk: false)
+        let creator = makeMember(seed: 0xC1, nickname: "creator")
+        let me = makeMember(seed: 0x0E, nickname: "me")
+        let attacker = makeMember(seed: 0xEE, nickname: "attacker")
+        let group = try #require(store.createGroup(named: "trip", creator: creator))
+        #expect(store.updateRoster(groupID: group.groupID, members: [creator, me]) != nil)
+        let realKey = try #require(store.key(forGroupID: group.groupID))
+
+        // Same groupID, same name, higher epoch, attacker as creator. Every
+        // other check in applyGroupState passes for this.
+        let hijack = BitchatGroup(
+            groupID: group.groupID,
+            name: group.name,
+            epoch: group.epoch + 1,
+            members: [attacker, me],
+            creatorFingerprint: attacker.fingerprint
+        )
+
+        #expect(!store.upsert(hijack, key: Data(repeating: 0xAB, count: 32)))
+
+        let stored = try #require(store.group(withID: group.groupID))
+        #expect(stored.creatorFingerprint == creator.fingerprint)
+        #expect(stored.epoch == group.epoch)
+        #expect(store.key(forGroupID: group.groupID) == realKey)
+    }
+
+    @Test func upsertStillAcceptsANewEpochFromTheSameCreator() throws {
+        // The other side of the boundary: pinning the creator must not stop the
+        // real creator rotating the key, or removing a member breaks.
+        let store = GroupStore(keychain: MockKeychain(), persistsToDisk: false)
+        let creator = makeMember(seed: 0xC1, nickname: "creator")
+        let me = makeMember(seed: 0x0E, nickname: "me")
+        let group = try #require(store.createGroup(named: "trip", creator: creator))
+
+        var rotated = group
+        rotated.epoch = group.epoch + 1
+        rotated.members = [creator, me]
+        let newKey = Data(repeating: 0x5A, count: 32)
+
+        #expect(store.upsert(rotated, key: newKey))
+        #expect(store.group(withID: group.groupID)?.epoch == group.epoch + 1)
+        #expect(store.key(forGroupID: group.groupID) == newKey)
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Rotation
 
     @Test func rotateKeyBumpsEpochAndReplacesKey() throws {