diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
index 5fb4219c..48bf4922 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
@@ -782,6 +782,14 @@ impl MeshService {
     /// This does NOT use chunking and does NOT go through the mesh radio —
     /// it is a straight HTTP POST over Tor to the peer's
     /// `/archipelago/mesh-typed` endpoint.
+    ///
+    /// The POST itself is fire-and-forget: we record the Sent MeshMessage
+    /// synchronously (so the UI sees the bubble immediately) and spawn the
+    /// Tor HTTP in the background. Tor circuit setup is 1–5s per envelope
+    /// and blocking the RPC on it made `mesh.send` feel laggy — especially
+    /// over a held Enter key. Delivery failures still surface via the
+    /// absent read-receipt path: `delivered` stays `false` on the Sent
+    /// record if the peer never echoes back a receipt.
     pub async fn send_typed_wire_via_federation(
         &self,
         contact_id: u32,
@@ -814,25 +822,45 @@ impl MeshService {
             "signature": signature,
         });
 
-        let proxy = reqwest::Proxy::all(crate::constants::TOR_SOCKS_PROXY)
-            .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Invalid Tor proxy: {}", e))?;
-        let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
-            .proxy(proxy)
-            .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(120))
-            .build()
-            .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("HTTP client build failed: {}", e))?;
-        let resp = client
-            .post(&url)
-            .json(&body)
-            .send()
-            .await
-            .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Federation POST failed: {}", e))?;
-        if !resp.status().is_success() {
-            anyhow::bail!("Peer rejected typed envelope: HTTP {}", resp.status());
-        }
-        Ok(self
+        // Record Sent now so the UI bubble appears immediately.
+        let msg = self
             .record_sent_typed(contact_id, type_label, display_text, typed_payload, sender_seq)
-            .await)
+            .await;
+
+        // Fire the Tor POST in the background. Failures are logged but do
+        // not propagate — the caller has already been handed the Sent
+        // MeshMessage and the UI's delivery indicator tracks the receipt.
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let proxy = match reqwest::Proxy::all(crate::constants::TOR_SOCKS_PROXY) {
+                Ok(p) => p,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    warn!(contact_id, "Invalid Tor proxy: {}", e);
+                    return;
+                }
+            };
+            let client = match reqwest::Client::builder()
+                .proxy(proxy)
+                .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(120))
+                .build()
+            {
+                Ok(c) => c,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    warn!(contact_id, "HTTP client build failed: {}", e);
+                    return;
+                }
+            };
+            match client.post(&url).json(&body).send().await {
+                Ok(resp) if resp.status().is_success() => {}
+                Ok(resp) => warn!(
+                    contact_id,
+                    status = %resp.status(),
+                    "Peer rejected federation-routed envelope"
+                ),
+                Err(e) => warn!(contact_id, "Federation POST failed: {}", e),
+            }
+        });
+
+        Ok(msg)
     }
 
     /// Inject a typed envelope received over federation (Tor) into MeshState
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
index 275ca97c..c15324bd 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
@@ -723,6 +723,12 @@ function closeChat() {
 }
 
 async function handleSendMessage() {
+  // Single-flight guard: the input's `@keydown.enter` fires per keydown, so a
+  // repeating/held Enter or a rapid Enter→click before the button's disabled
+  // state flips queues a second mesh.send against the same text. That's how
+  // every bubble was showing up twice — sender transmitted the same envelope
+  // twice, receiver stored both. Bail if a send is already in flight.
+  if (mesh.sending || sendingArch.value) return
   if (archChannelActive.value) {
     await sendArchMessage()
     nextTick(() => scrollChatToBottom())
@@ -1711,7 +1717,8 @@ function isImageMime(mime?: string): boolean {
                   :disabled="(!messageText.trim() && !pendingAttachment) || mesh.sending || sendingArch"
                   @click="handleSendMessage"
                 >
-                  {{ (mesh.sending || sendingArch) ? '...' : (pendingReply ? 'Reply' : (pendingAttachment ? 'Share' : 'Send')) }}
+                  <span v-if="mesh.sending || sendingArch" class="mesh-send-spinner" aria-label="Sending"></span>
+                  <template v-else>{{ pendingReply ? 'Reply' : (pendingAttachment ? 'Share' : 'Send') }}</template>
                 </button>
               </div>
             </div>
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css b/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
index 250afd1f..55048724 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@
 .mesh-chat-input { flex: 1; background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06); border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); border-radius: 20px; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9); padding: 10px 16px; font-size: 0.9rem; font-family: inherit; outline: none; }
 .mesh-chat-input:focus { border-color: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.4); }
 .mesh-chat-input::placeholder { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25); }
-.mesh-chat-send-btn { padding: 10px 20px; border-radius: 20px; font-size: 0.85rem; background: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.15); border-color: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.25); }
+.mesh-chat-send-btn { padding: 10px 20px; border-radius: 20px; font-size: 0.85rem; background: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.15); border-color: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.25); min-width: 72px; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; }
 .mesh-chat-send-btn:hover:not(:disabled) { background: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.25); }
+.mesh-send-spinner { display: inline-block; width: 14px; height: 14px; border: 2px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2); border-top-color: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.9); border-radius: 50%; animation: mesh-send-spin 0.7s linear infinite; }
+@keyframes mesh-send-spin { to { transform: rotate(360deg); } }
 .mesh-mobile-back-btn { display: none; }
 
 @media (max-width: 1279px) {