diff --git a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/MessageRepository.kt b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/MessageRepository.kt
index a39bf22..c2b6d3a 100644
--- a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/MessageRepository.kt
+++ b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/MessageRepository.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package ru.fromchat.api.local.db.store
 
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
 import ru.fromchat.api.ApiClient
 import ru.fromchat.api.local.messages.ChatListPreviewState
 import ru.fromchat.api.local.messages.ChatListPreviewStrings
@@ -21,7 +22,9 @@ object MessageRepository {
         MessageCacheStore.observeMessages(activeInstance(), conversationId)
 
     fun observePublicMessages(): Flow<List<Message>> =
-        observeMessages(conversationIdForGroup(GENERAL_PUBLIC_GROUP_ID))
+        observeMessages(conversationIdForGroup(GENERAL_PUBLIC_GROUP_ID)).map { rows ->
+            ProfileCache.enrichPublicMessagesForDisplay(rows)
+        }
 
     fun observeDmMessages(otherUserId: Int): Flow<List<Message>> =
         observeMessages(conversationIdForDm(otherUserId))
diff --git a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/ProfileCache.kt b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/ProfileCache.kt
index 952ce96..050731d 100644
--- a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/ProfileCache.kt
+++ b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/api/local/db/store/ProfileCache.kt
@@ -454,30 +454,33 @@ object ProfileCache {
         val uid = message.user_id
         if (uid <= 0) return
         val existing = get(uid)
+        val incomingDisplay = message.displayName?.trim()?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() }
+        val incomingPic = message.profile_picture?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
         if (existing != null && !existing.isClientPreviewOnly) {
             val patched = existing.copy(
                 verified = message.verified ?: existing.verified,
                 verificationStatus = message.verificationStatus ?: existing.verificationStatus,
+                displayName = existing.displayName?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() } ?: incomingDisplay,
+                profilePicture = existing.profilePicture?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() } ?: incomingPic,
+                username = existing.username.trim().ifBlank { message.username.trim() },
             )
             if (patched != existing) put(patched)
             return
         }
 
         val uname = message.username.trim().ifBlank { existing?.username?.trim().orEmpty() }
-        val incomingDisplay = message.displayName?.trim()?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() }
-            ?: existing?.displayName?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
-        if (uname.isBlank() && incomingDisplay.isNullOrBlank()) return
-        if (uname.isBlank() || incomingDisplay.isNullOrBlank()) {
+        val displayName = incomingDisplay ?: existing?.displayName?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
+        if (uname.isBlank() && displayName.isNullOrBlank()) return
+        if (uname.isBlank() || displayName.isNullOrBlank()) {
             Logger.d(
                 "ProfileCache",
                 "mergePreviewFromPublicMessage missingIdentity id=$uid " +
-                    "hasUsername=${uname.isNotBlank()} hasDisplayName=${!incomingDisplay.isNullOrBlank()}",
+                    "hasUsername=${uname.isNotBlank()} hasDisplayName=${!displayName.isNullOrBlank()}",
             )
         }
         val isDeleted = isDeletedPlaceholderUsername(uname) || existing?.deleted == true
-        val display = if (isDeleted) null else incomingDisplay
-        val pic = if (isDeleted) null else message.profile_picture?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
-            ?: existing?.profilePicture
+        val display = if (isDeleted) null else displayName
+        val pic = if (isDeleted) null else incomingPic ?: existing?.profilePicture
 
         put(
             UserProfile(
diff --git a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/panels/publicchat/PublicChatPanel.kt b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/panels/publicchat/PublicChatPanel.kt
index fc4e8d0..591d6dc 100644
--- a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/panels/publicchat/PublicChatPanel.kt
+++ b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/panels/publicchat/PublicChatPanel.kt
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class PublicChatPanel(
             ProfileCache.enrichPublicMessageForDisplay(
                 mergeMessageUiFields(fresh, message).copy(
                     username = fresh.username,
+                    displayName = fresh.displayName,
                     profile_picture = fresh.profile_picture,
                     verified = fresh.verified,
                     verificationStatus = fresh.verificationStatus,
@@ -179,6 +180,8 @@ class PublicChatPanel(
     }
 
     suspend fun hydrateFromLocalCache() {
+        // Sender display names live in ProfileCache (message rows only store userId).
+        runCatching { ProfileCache.hydrateFromDisk() }
         hydrateMessagesFromLocalCache()
         runCatching { PublicChatProfileCache.hydrateFromDisk() }
         PublicChatProfileCache.profile?.let { applyPublicChatProfile(it) }
diff --git a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/utils/MessageUiMerge.kt b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/utils/MessageUiMerge.kt
index c820a44..03ac087 100644
--- a/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/utils/MessageUiMerge.kt
+++ b/app/shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/ru/fromchat/ui/chat/utils/MessageUiMerge.kt
@@ -129,7 +129,17 @@ internal fun mergeMessageUiFields(db: Message, panel: Message?): Message {
         ?: db.pendingFileAspectRatio?.takeIf { it > 0f }
         ?: panel.fileDimensions?.firstOrNull()?.let { (w, h) -> aspectRatioFromDimensionPair(w, h) }
         ?: db.fileDimensions?.firstOrNull()?.let { (w, h) -> aspectRatioFromDimensionPair(w, h) }
+    // DB rows only store userId; sender identity is reconstructed from ProfileCache and can
+    // briefly be blank. Keep non-blank panel fields (e.g. from a network payload) so text
+    // avatars / names are not wiped on every SQLDelight emission.
     val merged = db.copy(
+        username = db.username.trim().ifBlank { panel.username.trim() },
+        displayName = db.displayName?.trim()?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() }
+            ?: panel.displayName?.trim()?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() },
+        profile_picture = db.profile_picture?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
+            ?: panel.profile_picture?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() },
+        verified = db.verified ?: panel.verified,
+        verificationStatus = db.verificationStatus ?: panel.verificationStatus,
         pendingFileUri = when {
             confirmed -> localPreview
             else -> panel.pendingFileUri ?: db.pendingFileUri