diff --git a/src/daemon/admin/commands/create_account.ts b/src/daemon/admin/commands/create_account.ts
index e4632d6..f3c026a 100644
--- a/src/daemon/admin/commands/create_account.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/admin/commands/create_account.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Hexpubkey, NDKKind, NDKPrivateKeySigner, NDKRpcRequest, NDKUserProfile } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
+import { Hexpubkey, NDKPrivateKeySigner, NDKRpcRequest, NDKUserProfile } from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
 import AdminInterface from "..";
 import { nip19 } from 'nostr-tools';
 import { setupSkeletonProfile } from "../../lib/profile";
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export default async function createAccount(admin: AdminInterface, req: NDKRpcRe
 }
 
 /**
- * This is where the real work of creating the private key, wallet, nip-05, granting access, etc happen
+ * This is where the real work of creating the private key, wallet, nip-05, granting access, etc happen — pragma: allowlist secret
  */
 export async function createAccountReal(
     admin: AdminInterface,
@@ -209,11 +209,18 @@ export async function createAccountReal(
         // access it without having to go through an approval flow
         await grantPermissions(req, keyName);
 
-        return admin.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, generatedUser.pubkey, NDKKind.NostrConnectAdmin);
+        // NDKKind.NostrConnectAdmin doesn't exist in NDK 2.8.1 — it resolves
+        // to `undefined` and sendResponse defaults to NDKKind.NostrConnect
+        // (24133), sending the response on the wrong channel. Mirror the
+        // request's kind so the response goes back on the same channel the
+        // client subscribed for. Filed as part of aiolabs/nsecbunkerd#7
+        // diagnosis 2026-05-27.
+        const originalKind = req.event.kind!;
+        return admin.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, generatedUser.pubkey, originalKind);
     } catch (e: any) {
         console.trace('error', e);
-        return admin.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, "error", NDKKind.NostrConnectAdmin,
-            e.message);
+        const originalKind = req.event.kind!;
+        return admin.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, "error", originalKind, e.message);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/daemon/admin/index.ts b/src/daemon/admin/index.ts
index 4684fcb..5adafe8 100644
--- a/src/daemon/admin/index.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/admin/index.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,15 @@ class AdminInterface {
             }
         } catch (err: any) {
             debug(`Error handling request ${req.method}: ${err?.message??err}`, req.params);
-            return this.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, "error", NDKKind.NostrConnectAdmin, err?.message);
+            // NDKKind.NostrConnectAdmin doesn't exist in NDK 2.8.1 — using it
+            // makes sendResponse fall through to its default of 24133, which
+            // sends the error on a different channel than the request came in
+            // on. Mirror req.event.kind so the response goes back where the
+            // client is listening. Filed as part of aiolabs/nsecbunkerd#7
+            // diagnosis 2026-05-27.
+            const originalKind = req.event.kind!;
+            console.log(`⚠️  HANDLE_REQUEST_ERROR method=${req.method} id=${req.id} kind=${originalKind} err=${err?.message ?? err}`);
+            return this.rpc.sendResponse(req.id, req.pubkey, "error", originalKind, err?.message);
         }
     }