diff --git a/PKGBUILD b/PKGBUILD
index ec83c41..8f0a69a 100644
--- a/PKGBUILD
+++ b/PKGBUILD
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Maintainer: hoornet <hoornet@users.noreply.github.com>
 pkgname=wrystr
-pkgver=0.8.0
+pkgver=0.8.1
 pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc="Cross-platform Nostr desktop client with Lightning integration"
 arch=('x86_64')
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 96dd106..e3ce928 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "wrystr",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.8.0",
+  "version": "0.8.1",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
diff --git a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 7ce056f..117860a 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "wrystr"
-version = "0.8.0"
+version = "0.8.1"
 description = "Cross-platform Nostr desktop client with Lightning integration"
 authors = ["hoornet"]
 edition = "2021"
diff --git a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 2255c36..76b5daa 100644
--- a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://schema.tauri.app/config/2",
   "productName": "Wrystr",
-  "version": "0.8.0",
+  "version": "0.8.1",
   "identifier": "com.hoornet.wrystr",
   "build": {
     "beforeDevCommand": "npm run dev",
diff --git a/src/components/profile/ProfileView.tsx b/src/components/profile/ProfileView.tsx
index 81ca346..aefdf78 100644
--- a/src/components/profile/ProfileView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/profile/ProfileView.tsx
@@ -352,14 +352,14 @@ export function ProfileView() {
           <div className="border-b border-border">
             {/* Banner */}
             {profile?.banner ? (
-              <div className="relative h-36 bg-bg-raised overflow-hidden">
+              <div className="relative h-44 bg-bg-raised overflow-hidden">
                 {!bannerLoaded && (
                   <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-bg-raised animate-pulse" />
                 )}
                 <img
                   src={profile.banner}
                   alt=""
-                  className="w-full h-full object-cover cursor-pointer hover:opacity-90 transition-opacity"
+                  className="w-full h-full object-cover object-[center_30%] cursor-pointer hover:opacity-90 transition-opacity"
                   onClick={() => setBannerLightbox(true)}
                   onLoad={() => setBannerLoaded(true)}
                   onError={(e) => { (e.target as HTMLImageElement).style.display = "none"; }}
diff --git a/src/lib/nostr/client.ts b/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
index cfc168c..8e1ad09 100644
--- a/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
+++ b/src/lib/nostr/client.ts
@@ -950,14 +950,22 @@ export async function advancedSearch(parsed: ParsedSearch, limit = 50): Promise<
 
   const opts = { cacheUsage: NDKSubscriptionCacheUsage.ONLY_RELAY };
 
+  // Wrap fetchEvents with a timeout — NDK can hang forever if no relay supports the filter
+  const fetchWithTimeout = (filter: NDKFilter & { search?: string }, timeoutMs = 8000): Promise<Set<NDKEvent>> => {
+    return Promise.race([
+      instance.fetchEvents(filter, opts),
+      new Promise<Set<NDKEvent>>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve(new Set()), timeoutMs)),
+    ]);
+  };
+
   const noteFilter = noteKinds.length > 0 ? buildFilter(noteKinds) : null;
   const articleFilter = articleKinds.length > 0 ? buildFilter(articleKinds) : null;
   const shouldSearchUsers = (!hasKindFilter || parsed.kinds.includes(0)) && hasSearch && !hasHashtags;
 
   const [noteEvents, articleEvents, userEvents] = await Promise.all([
-    noteFilter ? instance.fetchEvents(noteFilter, opts) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
-    articleFilter ? instance.fetchEvents(articleFilter, opts) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
-    shouldSearchUsers ? instance.fetchEvents({ kinds: [NDKKind.Metadata], search: searchText, limit: 20 } as NDKFilter & { search: string }, opts) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
+    noteFilter ? fetchWithTimeout(noteFilter) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
+    articleFilter ? fetchWithTimeout(articleFilter) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
+    shouldSearchUsers ? fetchWithTimeout({ kinds: [NDKKind.Metadata], search: searchText, limit: 20 } as NDKFilter & { search: string }) : Promise.resolve(new Set<NDKEvent>()),
   ]);
 
   let notes = Array.from(noteEvents);