diff --git a/src/signer/nip46_client.rs b/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
index f9a9fa8..18b48fc 100644
--- a/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
+++ b/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
@@ -1450,58 +1450,22 @@ impl Nip46ClientSigner {
             .to_bech32()
             .map_err(|e| format!("Could not encode identity npub: {e}"))?;
 
-        // Best-effort: look up the identity's kind-0 metadata so the profile
-        // row carries the real display name / picture / nip05 instead of a
-        // bare npub or the generic pairing label. Relay hiccups fall back to
-        // the pairing label — the connection must not depend on them.
-        let relays_for_meta = {
-            let app = self.app.lock().await;
-            crate::relays::enabled_urls(&app.settings)
-        };
-        let meta_npub = identity;
-        let metadata = match tokio::time::timeout(
-            Duration::from_secs(3),
-            tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
-                profiles::fetch_profile_metadata(&meta_npub, &relays_for_meta)
-            }),
-        )
-        .await
-        {
-            Ok(joined) => joined.ok().flatten(),
-            Err(_elapsed) => None,
-        };
-        let display_label = metadata
-            .as_ref()
-            .and_then(|m| m.display_name.as_deref().or(m.name.as_deref()))
-            .map(str::trim)
-            .filter(|name| !name.is_empty())
-            .map(str::to_string)
-            .unwrap_or(label);
+        // NOTE: kind-0 metadata (display name / picture / nip05) is fetched
+        // AFTER the session flips to Connected, as a background enrichment
+        // (see below). A slow or silent relay must never delay the connection
+        // becoming usable — this used to block here and made pairing look
+        // dead in the UI for many seconds after the signer had already
+        // approved.
+        let pairing_label = label;
+        let display_label = pairing_label.clone();
 
         // Persist: profile row for the identity, connection + secret store
         // re-keyed under it. Refuses (fails the handshake) if the identity
         // collides with a local profile.
         {
             let mut app = self.app.lock().await;
-            profiles::store_remote_profile(&mut app.vault, &identity_npub, display_label)
+            profiles::store_remote_profile(&mut app.vault, &identity_npub, display_label.clone())
                 .map_err(|e| e.message().to_string())?;
-            // Carry the looked-up metadata (picture / nip05) onto the row so
-            // the profile shows its real identity, not just a name.
-            if let Some(meta) = &metadata {
-                if let Some(row) = app
-                    .vault
-                    .profiles
-                    .iter_mut()
-                    .find(|p| p.public_key == identity_npub)
-                {
-                    if row.picture.is_none() {
-                        row.picture = meta.picture.clone();
-                    }
-                    if row.nip05.is_none() {
-                        row.nip05 = meta.nip05.clone();
-                    }
-                }
-            }
             // Re-key the stored secret under the identity npub so the
             // connection row, VaultRef, and secret store all agree.
             let connect_ref = crate::signer::VaultRef::from_connection(&connection);
@@ -1541,9 +1505,71 @@ impl Nip46ClientSigner {
         // so later teardown (disconnect) deletes the secret under the ref it
         // was actually stored at.
         if let Some(conn) = inner.connection.as_mut() {
-            conn.profile_npub = Some(identity_npub);
+            conn.profile_npub = Some(identity_npub.clone());
         }
         inner.phase = Nip46Phase::Connected;
+        drop(inner);
+
+        // Background enrichment (post-Connected by design): look up the
+        // identity's kind-0 metadata so the profile row carries the real
+        // display name / picture / nip05 instead of the generic pairing
+        // label. A slow or silent relay must never gate the session — the
+        // UI polls status and vault, so the row fills in a moment later.
+        {
+            let app = self.app.clone();
+            tokio::spawn(async move {
+                let relays_for_meta = {
+                    let app = app.lock().await;
+                    crate::relays::enabled_urls(&app.settings)
+                };
+                let meta = match tokio::time::timeout(
+                    Duration::from_secs(10),
+                    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+                        profiles::fetch_profile_metadata(&identity, &relays_for_meta)
+                    }),
+                )
+                .await
+                {
+                    Ok(Ok(Some(meta))) => meta,
+                    _ => return,
+                };
+                let mut app = app.lock().await;
+                let mut changed = false;
+                if let Some(row) = app
+                    .vault
+                    .profiles
+                    .iter_mut()
+                    .find(|p| p.public_key == identity_npub)
+                {
+                    if row.picture.is_none() {
+                        row.picture = meta.picture.clone();
+                        changed = true;
+                    }
+                    if row.nip05.is_none() {
+                        row.nip05 = meta.nip05.clone();
+                        changed = true;
+                    }
+                    // Upgrade the generic pairing label to the real display
+                    // name only while the row still carries the label we set
+                    // during pairing — a user rename always wins.
+                    let real_name = meta
+                        .display_name
+                        .as_deref()
+                        .or(meta.name.as_deref())
+                        .map(str::trim)
+                        .filter(|name| !name.is_empty());
+                    if let Some(name) = real_name {
+                        if row.label == pairing_label {
+                            row.label = name.to_string();
+                            changed = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                if changed {
+                    let _ = app.save_vault();
+                }
+            });
+        }
         Ok(())
     }