diff --git a/src-tauri/Cargo.lock b/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
index 9fa6f4a..a9b8bc0 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
@@ -5824,7 +5824,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wrystr"
-version = "0.4.0"
+version = "0.4.1"
 dependencies = [
  "keyring",
  "rusqlite",
diff --git a/src/components/dm/DMView.tsx b/src/components/dm/DMView.tsx
index 220e466..2ac4525 100644
--- a/src/components/dm/DMView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/dm/DMView.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
-import { NDKEvent, nip19 } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
+import { NDKEvent, NDKKind, nip19 } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
 import { useUserStore } from "../../stores/user";
 import { useUIStore } from "../../stores/ui";
 import { useNotificationsStore } from "../../stores/notifications";
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ function ConvRow({
           <span className="text-text text-[12px] font-medium truncate">{name}</span>
           <span className="text-text-dim text-[10px] shrink-0">{time}</span>
         </div>
-        <div className="text-text-dim text-[11px] truncate">🔒 encrypted</div>
+        <div className="text-text-dim text-[11px] truncate">
+          {lastEvent.kind === NDKKind.PrivateDirectMessage ? "🔒 NIP-17" : "🔒 NIP-04"}
+        </div>
       </div>
     </button>
   );
@@ -139,6 +141,7 @@ function ThreadPanel({
     setMessages([]);
     fetchDMThread(myPubkey, partnerPubkey)
       .then(setMessages)
+      .catch((err) => console.error("Failed to fetch DM thread:", err))
       .finally(() => setLoading(false));
   }, [partnerPubkey, myPubkey]);
 
@@ -222,7 +225,7 @@ function ThreadPanel({
             {sending ? "…" : "send"}
           </button>
         </div>
-        <p className="text-text-dim text-[10px] mt-1">Ctrl+Enter to send · NIP-04 encrypted</p>
+        <p className="text-text-dim text-[10px] mt-1">Ctrl+Enter to send · gift-wrapped (NIP-17)</p>
       </div>
     </div>
   );
@@ -314,6 +317,7 @@ export function DMView() {
         }));
         useNotificationsStore.getState().computeDMUnread(convList);
       })
+      .catch((err) => console.error("Failed to fetch DM conversations:", err))
       .finally(() => setLoading(false));
   }, [pubkey, hasSigner]);
 
@@ -355,18 +359,34 @@ export function DMView() {
               No messages yet.
             </div>
           )}
-          {sortedPartners.map(([partner, events]) => (
-            <ConvRow
-              key={partner}
-              partnerPubkey={partner}
-              lastEvent={events[0]}
-              selected={selectedPubkey === partner}
-              onSelect={() => {
-                setSelectedPubkey(partner);
-                useNotificationsStore.getState().markDMRead(partner);
-              }}
-            />
-          ))}
+          {sortedPartners.map(([partner, events]) =>
+            events[0] ? (
+              <ConvRow
+                key={partner}
+                partnerPubkey={partner}
+                lastEvent={events[0]}
+                selected={selectedPubkey === partner}
+                onSelect={() => {
+                  setSelectedPubkey(partner);
+                  useNotificationsStore.getState().markDMRead(partner);
+                }}
+              />
+            ) : (
+              <button
+                key={partner}
+                onClick={() => setSelectedPubkey(partner)}
+                className={`w-full flex items-center gap-2.5 px-3 py-2.5 text-left transition-colors ${
+                  selectedPubkey === partner ? "bg-accent/10 border-l-2 border-accent" : "hover:bg-bg-hover border-l-2 border-transparent"
+                }`}
+              >
+                <div className="w-8 h-8 rounded-sm bg-bg-raised border border-border flex items-center justify-center text-text-dim text-xs shrink-0">?</div>
+                <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
+                  <span className="text-text text-[12px] font-medium truncate block">{shortenPubkey(partner)}</span>
+                  <span className="text-text-dim text-[11px]">New conversation</span>
+                </div>
+              </button>
+            )
+          )}
         </div>
 
         <NewConvInput
diff --git a/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx b/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
index 4e33f0b..bd3ff2d 100644
--- a/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export function NoteCard({ event, focused }: NoteCardProps) {
   const nip05 = profile?.nip05;
   const time = event.created_at ? timeAgo(event.created_at) : "";
 
-  const { loggedIn, pubkey: ownPubkey } = useUserStore();
+  const { loggedIn, pubkey: ownPubkey, follows, follow, unfollow } = useUserStore();
   const { mutedPubkeys, mute, unmute } = useMuteStore();
   const isMuted = mutedPubkeys.includes(event.pubkey);
   const { bookmarkedIds, addBookmark, removeBookmark } = useBookmarkStore();
@@ -175,6 +175,12 @@ export function NoteCard({ event, focused }: NoteCardProps) {
                   <>
                     <div className="fixed inset-0 z-[9]" onClick={() => setMenuOpen(false)} />
                     <div className="absolute right-0 top-5 bg-bg-raised border border-border shadow-lg z-10 w-32">
+                      <button
+                        onClick={() => { setMenuOpen(false); follows.includes(event.pubkey) ? unfollow(event.pubkey) : follow(event.pubkey); }}
+                        className="w-full text-left px-3 py-2 text-[11px] text-text-muted hover:text-accent hover:bg-bg-hover transition-colors"
+                      >
+                        {follows.includes(event.pubkey) ? `unfollow` : `follow`}
+                      </button>
                       <button
                         onClick={() => { setMenuOpen(false); isMuted ? unmute(event.pubkey) : mute(event.pubkey); }}
                         className="w-full text-left px-3 py-2 text-[11px] text-text-muted hover:text-danger hover:bg-bg-hover transition-colors"
diff --git a/src/lib/nostr/client.ts b/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
index 8c94d80..dc49f34 100644
--- a/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
+++ b/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import NDK, { NDKEvent, NDKFilter, NDKKind, NDKRelay, NDKRelaySet, NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage, nip19 } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
+import NDK, { NDKEvent, NDKFilter, NDKKind, NDKRelay, NDKRelaySet, NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage, nip19, giftWrap, giftUnwrap } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
 
 const RELAY_STORAGE_KEY = "wrystr_relays";
 
@@ -336,11 +336,30 @@ export async function publishContactList(pubkeys: string[]): Promise<void> {
   await event.publish();
 }
 
-// ── Direct Messages (NIP-04) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── Direct Messages (NIP-17 gift-wrap + NIP-04 legacy) ───────────────────────
+
+async function unwrapGiftWraps(events: NDKEvent[]): Promise<NDKEvent[]> {
+  const instance = getNDK();
+  if (!instance.signer) return [];
+  const rumors: NDKEvent[] = [];
+  for (const wrap of events) {
+    try {
+      const rumor = await giftUnwrap(wrap, undefined, instance.signer);
+      if (rumor && rumor.kind === NDKKind.PrivateDirectMessage) {
+        // Preserve wrapper ID for dedup, but use rumor's created_at for ordering
+        rumors.push(rumor);
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // Not for us or corrupted — skip silently
+    }
+  }
+  return rumors;
+}
 
 export async function fetchDMConversations(myPubkey: string): Promise<NDKEvent[]> {
   const instance = getNDK();
-  const [received, sent] = await Promise.all([
+  // Fetch NIP-04 (legacy) and NIP-17 (gift-wrap) in parallel
+  const [nip04Received, nip04Sent, giftWraps] = await Promise.all([
     instance.fetchEvents(
       { kinds: [NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage], "#p": [myPubkey], limit: 500 },
       { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
@@ -349,16 +368,24 @@ export async function fetchDMConversations(myPubkey: string): Promise<NDKEvent[]
       { kinds: [NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage], authors: [myPubkey], limit: 500 },
       { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
     ),
+    instance.fetchEvents(
+      { kinds: [NDKKind.GiftWrap], "#p": [myPubkey], limit: 500 },
+      { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
+    ),
   ]);
+
+  const nip17Rumors = await unwrapGiftWraps(Array.from(giftWraps));
+
   const seen = new Set<string>();
-  return [...Array.from(received), ...Array.from(sent)]
+  return [...Array.from(nip04Received), ...Array.from(nip04Sent), ...nip17Rumors]
     .filter((e) => { if (seen.has(e.id!)) return false; seen.add(e.id!); return true; })
     .sort((a, b) => (b.created_at ?? 0) - (a.created_at ?? 0));
 }
 
 export async function fetchDMThread(myPubkey: string, theirPubkey: string): Promise<NDKEvent[]> {
   const instance = getNDK();
-  const [fromThem, fromMe] = await Promise.all([
+  // Fetch NIP-04 and NIP-17 in parallel
+  const [fromThem, fromMe, giftWraps] = await Promise.all([
     instance.fetchEvents(
       { kinds: [NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage], "#p": [myPubkey], authors: [theirPubkey], limit: 200 },
       { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
@@ -367,27 +394,59 @@ export async function fetchDMThread(myPubkey: string, theirPubkey: string): Prom
       { kinds: [NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage], "#p": [theirPubkey], authors: [myPubkey], limit: 200 },
       { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
     ),
+    instance.fetchEvents(
+      { kinds: [NDKKind.GiftWrap], "#p": [myPubkey], limit: 200 },
+      { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY }
+    ),
   ]);
-  return [...Array.from(fromThem), ...Array.from(fromMe)]
+
+  // Unwrap NIP-17 and filter to only messages from/to this partner
+  const allRumors = await unwrapGiftWraps(Array.from(giftWraps));
+  const partnerRumors = allRumors.filter((r) => {
+    const pTag = r.tags.find((t) => t[0] === "p")?.[1];
+    return r.pubkey === theirPubkey || pTag === theirPubkey;
+  });
+
+  return [...Array.from(fromThem), ...Array.from(fromMe), ...partnerRumors]
     .sort((a, b) => (a.created_at ?? 0) - (b.created_at ?? 0));
 }
 
 export async function sendDM(recipientPubkey: string, content: string): Promise<void> {
   const instance = getNDK();
   if (!instance.signer) throw new Error("Not logged in");
+
+  const myUser = await instance.signer.user();
   const recipient = instance.getUser({ pubkey: recipientPubkey });
-  const encrypted = await instance.signer.encrypt(recipient, content, "nip04");
-  const event = new NDKEvent(instance);
-  event.kind = NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage;
-  event.content = encrypted;
-  event.tags = [["p", recipientPubkey]];
-  await event.publish();
+
+  // Create unsigned rumor (kind 14)
+  const rumor = new NDKEvent(instance);
+  rumor.kind = NDKKind.PrivateDirectMessage;
+  rumor.content = content;
+  rumor.tags = [["p", recipientPubkey]];
+  rumor.pubkey = myUser.pubkey;
+  rumor.created_at = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
+
+  // Gift-wrap to recipient and self (so sent messages appear in our inbox)
+  const [wrappedForRecipient, wrappedForSelf] = await Promise.all([
+    giftWrap(rumor, recipient, instance.signer),
+    giftWrap(rumor, myUser, instance.signer),
+  ]);
+
+  await Promise.all([
+    wrappedForRecipient.publish(),
+    wrappedForSelf.publish(),
+  ]);
 }
 
 export async function decryptDM(event: NDKEvent, myPubkey: string): Promise<string> {
+  // Kind 14 (NIP-17 rumor) — content is already plaintext after unwrapping
+  if (event.kind === NDKKind.PrivateDirectMessage) {
+    return event.content;
+  }
+
+  // Kind 4 (NIP-04 legacy) — decrypt as before
   const instance = getNDK();
   if (!instance.signer) throw new Error("No signer");
-  // ECDH shared secret is symmetric — always pass the OTHER party
   const otherPubkey =
     event.pubkey === myPubkey
       ? (event.tags.find((t) => t[0] === "p")?.[1] ?? "")