diff --git a/lib/providers/app_provider.dart b/lib/providers/app_provider.dart
index 80ae80c..6166a5e 100644
--- a/lib/providers/app_provider.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/app_provider.dart
@@ -1134,16 +1134,31 @@ class AppProvider with ChangeNotifier {
         return;
       }
 
-      // Enrich message with sender name from contacts first
+      // Enrich message with sender name from contacts.
+      // For room-forwarded messages, resolve the original poster's name
+      // from roomPostAuthorPrefix instead of the room server's key.
       Message enrichedMessage = message;
       Contact? senderContact;
-      if (message.senderPublicKeyPrefix != null && message.senderName == null) {
-        final contact = contactsProvider.findContactByKey(
-          message.senderPublicKeyPrefix!,
-        );
-        if (contact != null) {
-          senderContact = contact;
-          enrichedMessage = message.copyWith(senderName: contact.advName);
+      if (message.senderName == null) {
+        // Try room post author first (the actual person who posted)
+        if (message.roomPostAuthorPrefix != null) {
+          final author = contactsProvider.findContactByPrefix(
+            message.roomPostAuthorPrefix!,
+          );
+          if (author != null) {
+            senderContact = author;
+            enrichedMessage = message.copyWith(senderName: author.advName);
+          }
+        }
+        // Fall back to sender key (direct messages, or room with unknown author)
+        if (senderContact == null && message.senderPublicKeyPrefix != null) {
+          final contact = contactsProvider.findContactByKey(
+            message.senderPublicKeyPrefix!,
+          );
+          if (contact != null) {
+            senderContact = contact;
+            enrichedMessage = message.copyWith(senderName: contact.advName);
+          }
         }
       }
       senderContact ??= message.senderPublicKeyPrefix != null
diff --git a/lib/providers/contacts_provider.dart b/lib/providers/contacts_provider.dart
index c43af78..7f3dcbf 100644
--- a/lib/providers/contacts_provider.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/contacts_provider.dart
@@ -1195,10 +1195,11 @@ class ContactsProvider with ChangeNotifier {
 
   /// Find contact by public key prefix (6 bytes)
   Contact? _findContactByPrefix(Uint8List prefix) {
-    if (prefix.length < 6) return null;
+    if (prefix.isEmpty) return null;
 
+    final takeLen = prefix.length < 6 ? prefix.length : 6;
     final prefixHex = prefix
-        .sublist(0, 6)
+        .sublist(0, takeLen)
         .map((b) => b.toRadixString(16).padLeft(2, '0'))
         .join('');
 
diff --git a/pubspec.lock b/pubspec.lock
index 751dba4..cd77622 100644
--- a/pubspec.lock
+++ b/pubspec.lock
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ packages:
     description:
       path: "."
       ref: main
-      resolved-ref: abff892fac0dd0e8004bfa1f415df74b44b8eb52
+      resolved-ref: "3dbc82170583f616b590e5204a307a02f2b8833d"
       url: "https://github.com/dz0ny/meshcore_client.git"
     source: git
     version: "0.1.0"