diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.test.mjs
index da0259a66..865290fb0 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.test.mjs
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
-import { formatOwnerLabel, profileLookupsEqual } from "./identity.ts";
+import {
+  formatOwnerLabel,
+  formatVerifiedUserLabel,
+  profileLookupsEqual,
+  resolveUserLabel,
+} from "./identity.ts";
 
 const OWNER_PUBKEY =
   "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb";
+const USER_PUBKEY = "11".repeat(32);
 
 const summary = (over = {}) => ({
   displayName: "Ada",
@@ -58,6 +64,7 @@ test("profileLookupsEqual: same count, different keys is not equal", () => {
 test("profileLookupsEqual: a changed field is not equal", () => {
   for (const field of [
     "displayName",
+    "verifiedName",
     "avatarUrl",
     "nip05Handle",
     "ownerPubkey",
@@ -120,3 +127,29 @@ test("stabiliser: a real profile change swaps the reference (re-render fires)",
   const held = stabilise({ p1: summary({ displayName: "Grace" }) });
   assert.equal(held, changed, "must re-stabilise around the new value");
 });
+
+test("formats a chosen name followed by the authoritative display name", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    formatVerifiedUserLabel("Franco", "fsola"),
+    "Franco (fsola)",
+  );
+});
+
+test("does not duplicate equal chosen and authoritative names", () => {
+  assert.equal(formatVerifiedUserLabel("fsola", "fsola"), "fsola");
+});
+
+test("resolved user labels keep the chosen name first", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    resolveUserLabel({
+      pubkey: USER_PUBKEY,
+      profiles: {
+        [USER_PUBKEY]: summary({
+          displayName: "Franco",
+          verifiedName: "fsola",
+        }),
+      },
+    }),
+    "Franco (fsola)",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.ts b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.ts
index 8294ae386..9bfad6a49 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/identity.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ export type UserProfileLookup = Record<string, UserProfileSummary>;
 
 export { truncatePubkey };
 
+export function formatVerifiedUserLabel(
+  chosenName: string | null | undefined,
+  verifiedName: string | null | undefined,
+): string | null {
+  const chosen = chosenName?.trim();
+  const verified = verifiedName?.trim();
+
+  if (chosen && verified && chosen !== verified) {
+    return `${chosen} (${verified})`;
+  }
+
+  return chosen || verified || null;
+}
+
 /**
  * Deep-equal two profile lookups by value. Used to stabilise the merged
  * `messageProfiles` reference at the ChannelScreen boundary: the underlying
@@ -120,21 +134,14 @@ export function resolveUserLabel(input: {
   const profile = getResolvedProfile(pubkey, profiles);
   const verifiedName = profile?.verifiedName?.trim();
   const displayName = profile?.displayName?.trim();
-  if (verifiedName) {
-    return verifiedName;
-  }
-  if (displayName) {
-    return displayName;
-  }
-
   const nip05Handle = profile?.nip05Handle?.trim();
-  if (nip05Handle) {
-    return nip05Handle;
-  }
-
   const safeFallback = fallbackName?.trim();
-  if (safeFallback) {
-    return safeFallback;
+  const label = formatVerifiedUserLabel(
+    displayName || nip05Handle || safeFallback,
+    verifiedName,
+  );
+  if (label) {
+    return label;
   }
 
   return truncatePubkey(pubkey);
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/UserProfilePopover.tsx b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/UserProfilePopover.tsx
index ad1e8ee41..cac63a1e6 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/UserProfilePopover.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/UserProfilePopover.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { useIsManagedAgent } from "@/features/agent-memory/hooks";
 import { useIdentityQuery } from "@/shared/api/hooks";
 import { useAgentWorking } from "@/features/agents/agentWorkingSignal";
 import {
+  formatVerifiedUserLabel,
   formatOwnerLabel,
   ownsAuthorAgent,
 } from "@/features/profile/lib/identity";
@@ -236,13 +237,8 @@ export function UserProfilePopover({
       managedAgentsQuery.isPending ||
       usersBatchQuery.isPending);
   const displayName =
-    profile?.verifiedName ?? profile?.displayName ?? truncatePubkey(pubkey);
-  const profileAlias =
-    profile?.verifiedName &&
-    profile.displayName &&
-    profile.verifiedName !== profile.displayName
-      ? profile.displayName
-      : null;
+    formatVerifiedUserLabel(profile?.displayName, profile?.verifiedName) ??
+    truncatePubkey(pubkey);
   // Owner signal mirrors UserProfilePanel: a declared NIP-OA owner whose agent
   // runs elsewhere holds no local seckey, so key custody (`isOwner`) alone
   // wrongly hides the affordance from them — and gating on bot-ness alone shows
@@ -539,11 +535,6 @@ export function UserProfilePopover({
             />
           ) : null}
         </div>
-        {profileAlias ? (
-          <p className="mt-0.5 truncate text-xs leading-4 text-muted-foreground">
-            {profileAlias}
-          </p>
-        ) : null}
         {isBotProfile && ownerLabel ? (
           <p
             className="mt-0.5 truncate text-xs leading-4 text-muted-foreground"
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebar.tsx b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebar.tsx
index 50b3015c6..52d946ae8 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebar.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import { CreateChannelDialog } from "@/features/sidebar/ui/CreateChannelDialog";
 import { SidebarProfileCard } from "@/features/sidebar/ui/SidebarProfileCard";
 import { SidebarRelayConnectionCard } from "@/features/sidebar/ui/SidebarRelayConnectionCard";
 import type { useSidebarRelayConnectionCard } from "@/features/sidebar/ui/useSidebarRelayConnectionCard";
+import { formatVerifiedUserLabel } from "@/features/profile/lib/identity";
 import {
   SidebarLoadingContent,
   useSidebarLoadingShape,
@@ -472,13 +473,17 @@ export function AppSidebar({
     immediate: isSelectedDirectMessage,
     timeoutMs: 400,
   });
+  const resolvedProfileDisplayName = formatVerifiedUserLabel(
+    profile?.displayName,
+    profile?.verifiedName,
+  );
   const { dmChannelLabels, dmParticipantsByChannelId, dmPresenceByChannelId } =
     useDmSidebarMetadata({
       currentPubkey,
       directMessages,
       enabled: shouldLoadDmMetadata,
       fallbackDisplayName,
-      profileDisplayName: profile?.verifiedName ?? profile?.displayName,
+      profileDisplayName: resolvedProfileDisplayName,
     });
   const sortedDirectMessages = React.useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -498,8 +503,7 @@ export function AppSidebar({
     streamChannels,
   });
   const resolvedDisplayName =
-    profile?.verifiedName?.trim() ||
-    profile?.displayName?.trim() ||
+    resolvedProfileDisplayName ||
     fallbackDisplayName?.trim() ||
     "Current identity";
   const {
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/VerifiedBadge.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VerifiedBadge.tsx
index e8996ffd0..b7653e3df 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/VerifiedBadge.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VerifiedBadge.tsx
@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@ export function VerifiedBadge({ verifiedName }: { verifiedName: string }) {
       <TooltipTrigger asChild>
         <span
           aria-label={`Verified corporate identity: ${verifiedName}`}
-          className="inline-flex shrink-0 items-center text-blue-500"
+          className="inline-flex shrink-0 items-center"
           data-testid="verified-corporate-identity"
         >
-          <BadgeCheck aria-hidden="true" className="h-4 w-4" fill="currentColor" />
+          <BadgeCheck
+            aria-hidden="true"
+            className="h-4 w-4 fill-blue-500 text-white"
+            strokeWidth={3}
+          />
         </span>
       </TooltipTrigger>
       <TooltipContent side="top">