diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
index d1337a2c..f4fe9704 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
@@ -768,6 +768,47 @@ function mergedUnreadCount(mp: MergedPeer): number {
   return total
 }
 
+// Live contact_id -> friendly display name, rebuilt from the current peer
+// table. Received messages snapshot a `peer_name` at receive time, so a text
+// that arrived before its sender's NodeInfo is stuck showing a synthetic
+// "Meshtastic !xxxx" id forever. Resolving the name live here means the bubble
+// always shows the current archy identity (e.g. "Arch Optiplex") the moment it
+// is learned — in every view, without rewriting stored rows.
+const nameByContactId = computed<Map<number, string>>(() => {
+  const out = new Map<number, string>()
+  for (const mp of mergedPeers.value) {
+    for (const cid of mp.contact_ids) out.set(cid, mp.display_name)
+  }
+  return out
+})
+
+// A generic, non-identifying placeholder the backend stamps before the real
+// sender is known. We never want these to win over a live archy name.
+function isPlaceholderName(name: string | null | undefined): boolean {
+  if (!name) return true
+  return /^Meshtastic !?[0-9a-f]{1,8}$/i.test(name)
+    || /^Channel \d+$/.test(name)
+    || /^Node #/.test(name)
+    || name === 'dm-via-channel'
+    || name === 'Unknown'
+}
+
+// Sender label shown above a RECEIVED bubble. Only meaningful in multi-sender
+// views (mesh channels + the Archipelago channel) where the header alone can't
+// attribute each message; 1:1 DM threads already name the peer in the header.
+// Prefers the live archy identity over the snapshotted name.
+function senderLabelFor(msg: MeshMessage): string | null {
+  if (msg.direction !== 'received') return null
+  if (!activeChatChannel.value && !archChannelActive.value) return null
+  const live = nameByContactId.value.get(msg.peer_contact_id)
+  if (live && !isPlaceholderName(live)) return live
+  if (!isPlaceholderName(msg.peer_name)) return msg.peer_name ?? null
+  // Sender genuinely unknown (e.g. a meshcore channel broadcast, which drops
+  // the sender, or a text seen before its NodeInfo) — stay honest rather than
+  // echoing a "Channel N" / synthetic id as if it were a person.
+  return 'Unknown sender'
+}
+
 // Inline contact rename in the chat header. The pencil button toggles an
 // input bound to renameDraft; commit fires mesh.contacts-save keyed by
 // DID (or pubkey hex as fallback) so the alias propagates everywhere
@@ -1689,6 +1730,7 @@ function isImageMime(mime?: string): boolean {
                 :class="msg.direction"
               >
                 <div class="mesh-chat-bubble" :class="[msg.direction, msg.message_type ? 'typed-' + msg.message_type : '', { 'menu-open': actionMenuForId === msg.id }]">
+                  <div v-if="senderLabelFor(msg)" class="mesh-chat-bubble-sender">{{ senderLabelFor(msg) }}</div>
                   <div v-if="replyTargetPreview(msg)" class="mesh-chat-reply-quote">
                     ↳ {{ replyTargetPreview(msg) }}
                   </div>
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css b/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
index fea1568d..059c7fcb 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/mesh/mesh-styles.css
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@
 .mesh-chat-bubble { max-width: 75%; padding: 10px 14px; border-radius: 16px; word-break: break-word; }
 .mesh-chat-bubble.sent { background: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.15); border: 1px solid rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.2); border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; }
 .mesh-chat-bubble.received { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06); border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; }
+.mesh-chat-bubble-sender { font-size: 0.7rem; font-weight: 600; color: rgba(251, 146, 60, 0.85); margin-bottom: 3px; }
 .mesh-chat-bubble-text { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9); font-size: 0.9rem; line-height: 1.4; }
 .mesh-chat-bubble-meta { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px; margin-top: 4px; justify-content: flex-end; }
 .mesh-chat-bubble-time { font-size: 0.65rem; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3); }