diff --git a/src/ipc.rs b/src/ipc.rs
index db5081d..dc0789c 100644
--- a/src/ipc.rs
+++ b/src/ipc.rs
@@ -423,12 +423,7 @@ pub async fn serve() -> Result<(), AppError> {
                             row.nip05 = meta.nip05.clone();
                             changed = true;
                         }
-                        let real_name = meta
-                            .display_name
-                            .as_deref()
-                            .or(meta.name.as_deref())
-                            .map(str::trim)
-                            .filter(|name| !name.is_empty());
+                        let real_name = profiles::network_display_name(&meta);
                         if let Some(name) = real_name {
                             if profiles::is_generic_pairing_label(&row.label) {
                                 row.label = name.to_string();
diff --git a/src/profiles.rs b/src/profiles.rs
index ce36161..6dda70e 100644
--- a/src/profiles.rs
+++ b/src/profiles.rs
@@ -87,8 +87,14 @@ pub fn create_profile(
 
     // Publish kind 0 metadata event so other clients can see the username/display name.
     // Best-effort: relay failures here never block profile creation.
+    //
+    // Generic placeholders are never published: an early build auto-published
+    // the empty-label default "My Profile" as the account's kind-0, and that
+    // poisoned metadata then became the "real" name every client (including
+    // this app's own backfill) resolved forever. A placeholder stays local
+    // until the user names the profile, and only then goes on the network.
     let relay_urls = relays::enabled_urls(settings);
-    if !relay_urls.is_empty() {
+    if !relay_urls.is_empty() && !is_generic_pairing_label(&label) {
         publish_metadata_blocking(&keys, &label, None, None, relay_urls);
     }
 
@@ -142,6 +148,9 @@ pub fn import_profile(
             .as_ref()
             .and_then(|m| m.display_name.as_deref().or(m.name.as_deref()))
             .filter(|name| !name.trim().is_empty())
+            // Placeholder kind-0 (see create_profile) is not a name; fall
+            // back to the shortened npub instead of importing "My Profile".
+            .filter(|name| !is_generic_pairing_label(name.trim()))
             .map(str::to_string)
             .unwrap_or_else(|| shorten_npub(&keys.public_key()))
     } else {
@@ -162,7 +171,7 @@ pub fn import_profile(
     });
 
     let relay_urls = relays::enabled_urls(settings);
-    if !relay_urls.is_empty() {
+    if !relay_urls.is_empty() && !is_generic_pairing_label(&label) {
         publish_metadata_blocking(
             &keys,
             &label,
@@ -566,6 +575,23 @@ pub fn is_generic_pairing_label(label: &str) -> bool {
     GENERIC_PAIRING_LABELS.contains(&label)
 }
 
+/// The real display name carried by fetched kind-0 metadata, if any.
+///
+/// Prefers `display_name` over `name`, rejects blanks, and rejects generic
+/// placeholders: early builds published the empty-label default "My Profile"
+/// as kind-0, so a placeholder arriving FROM the network is pollution, not a
+/// name, and must never be copied over a profile row's label.
+pub fn network_display_name(metadata: &Metadata) -> Option<String> {
+    metadata
+        .display_name
+        .as_deref()
+        .or(metadata.name.as_deref())
+        .map(str::trim)
+        .filter(|name| !name.is_empty())
+        .filter(|name| !is_generic_pairing_label(name))
+        .map(str::to_string)
+}
+
 /// Create or refresh the vault profile for a remote (NIP-46) identity.
 ///
 /// When a NIP-46 client connection is established the identity lives on the
@@ -959,6 +985,26 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!is_generic_pairing_label("amber"));
         assert!(!is_generic_pairing_label(""));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn network_display_name_rejects_placeholder_kind0() {
+        // The exact pollution case: an early build published "My Profile" as
+        // the account's kind-0. Resolution must treat it as "no name found",
+        // never as the profile's display name.
+        let polluted = Metadata::new()
+            .name("My Profile")
+            .display_name("My Profile");
+        assert_eq!(network_display_name(&polluted), None);
+
+        let blank = Metadata::new().name("   ").display_name("");
+        assert_eq!(network_display_name(&blank), None);
+
+        let real = Metadata::new().name("satoshi").display_name("Satoshi ✦");
+        assert_eq!(network_display_name(&real).as_deref(), Some("Satoshi ✦"));
+
+        let name_only = Metadata::new().name("satoshi");
+        assert_eq!(network_display_name(&name_only).as_deref(), Some("satoshi"));
+    }
     use crate::vault::{KdfParams, Vault, VaultCrypto};
 
     fn populated_vault() -> Vault {
diff --git a/src/signer/nip46_client.rs b/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
index cc85cb8..9b220f1 100644
--- a/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
+++ b/src/signer/nip46_client.rs
@@ -2583,13 +2583,13 @@ impl Nip46ClientSigner {
                     }
                     // 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());
+                    // during pairing — a user rename always wins. A
+                    // placeholder coming FROM the network is never a name
+                    // (network_display_name rejects it): early builds
+                    // published the empty-label default "My Profile" as
+                    // kind-0, and copying that over the name the user typed
+                    // at pairing is how display names got lost.
+                    let real_name = profiles::network_display_name(&meta);
                     if let Some(name) = real_name {
                         if row.label == pairing_label {
                             row.label = name.to_string();