diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/src/api/bridge.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/src/api/bridge.rs
index 86e0feac0..951874a68 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-relay/src/api/bridge.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/src/api/bridge.rs
@@ -49,8 +49,20 @@ fn verify_bridge_auth(
             .map_err(|_| api_error(StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED, "invalid NIP-98 event JSON"))?;
         let event_id_bytes = event.id.to_bytes();
 
-        let pubkey = buzz_auth::verify_nip98_event(&event_json, url, method, body)
-            .map_err(|e| api_error(StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED, &format!("NIP-98: {e}")))?;
+        let pubkey =
+            buzz_auth::verify_nip98_event(&event_json, url, method, body).map_err(|e| {
+                // Existence-oracle policy P1+P2 (audit/auth-error-payload-policy):
+                // do NOT stringify the AuthError chain — Internal variants can
+                // carry community-prefixed Redis keys, and a distinguishable
+                // Nip98Replay reply would be a presence oracle on community-
+                // scoped activity. Log detail, return category-only.
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    auth_error = %e,
+                    "NIP-98 verification failed at HTTP bridge",
+                );
+                let (status, body) = crate::auth_wire::auth_error_wire(&e).http_response();
+                (status, body)
+            })?;
 
         return Ok((pubkey, event_id_bytes));
     }
diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/src/auth_wire.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/src/auth_wire.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed71149f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/src/auth_wire.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,286 @@
+//! Wire-side mapping for [`buzz_auth::AuthError`] → user-visible response.
+//!
+//! ## Why this exists
+//!
+//! `AuthError` is a rich operational enum — variants like `Internal(String)`
+//! and `Nip98Invalid(String)` carry detail that is useful in server logs and
+//! ruinous on the wire. Two specific risks the multi-tenant rewrite added:
+//!
+//! 1. **Key-prefix leak via `Internal(_)`.** The pubsub adapters wrap raw
+//!    `redis::RedisError` values into `AuthError::Internal(format!("Redis ...: {e}"))`
+//!    after touching community-prefixed keys (`buzz:{community}:nip98:{id}`,
+//!    `buzz:{community}:ratelimit:{hex}:{kind}`). `RedisError::Display` is not
+//!    guaranteed key-free across variants — `ResponseError`, `MOVED`/`ASK`,
+//!    cluster redirects routinely include command/key context. Forwarding the
+//!    chain to a client turns it into a cross-tenant existence oracle on Redis
+//!    keys.
+//! 2. **Variant-distinguishable replay reply.** Returning a distinct error for
+//!    `Nip98Replay` tells the attacker the event id has been seen in *this*
+//!    community (the seen-set is community-scoped per the S1 isolation fence).
+//!    Even with zero key text leaked, a distinguishable reply is a presence
+//!    oracle on community-scoped activity for any guessed/sniffed event id.
+//!
+//! See `RESEARCH/RELAY_REWRITE_AUTH_ERROR_ORACLE_AUDIT.md` for the full
+//! payload-policy decisions (P1–P5).
+//!
+//! ## Contract
+//!
+//! All wire-side conversions of an `AuthError` go through
+//! [`auth_error_wire`]. The returned [`AuthErrorWireCategory`] is the only
+//! shape that may reach a client. The mapper deliberately collapses
+//! `Nip98Invalid` and `Nip98Replay` to the same category (P2) and maps
+//! `Internal(_)` to `InternalRedacted` (P1) — the original detail is logged
+//! at the construction site, not re-emitted here.
+
+use axum::{http::StatusCode, response::Json};
+use buzz_auth::AuthError;
+use serde_json::json;
+
+/// User-visible category for an [`AuthError`] on the wire.
+///
+/// The discriminants are user-visible. Each maps to a fixed byte sequence on
+/// each protocol surface (HTTP body, WS NOTICE). Adding a variant means
+/// adding a new oracle-channel decision; do not add a variant without a
+/// matching audit note.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum AuthErrorWireCategory {
+    /// NIP-42 / NIP-98 verification failed for ANY reason (signature, replay,
+    /// timestamp, pubkey, malformed event). Collapsed to one category to
+    /// avoid a replay-vs-invalid oracle.
+    AuthFailed,
+    /// The authenticated identity lacks the required scope.
+    InsufficientScope,
+    /// The authenticated identity is not a member of the requested channel.
+    ChannelAccessDenied,
+    /// A server-side error occurred. No detail is exposed (P1).
+    InternalRedacted,
+}
+
+impl AuthErrorWireCategory {
+    /// Stable HTTP status code for this category.
+    pub fn status_code(self) -> StatusCode {
+        match self {
+            Self::AuthFailed => StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
+            Self::InsufficientScope => StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
+            Self::ChannelAccessDenied => StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
+            Self::InternalRedacted => StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Stable, byte-identical user-visible message for this category.
+    ///
+    /// Two `AuthError` values that map to the same category MUST produce the
+    /// same bytes here — that's the property-test invariant in
+    /// `tests/auth_error_payload_oracle.rs`.
+    pub fn message(self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            // Coalesces Nip98Invalid, Nip98Replay, InvalidSignature,
+            // ChallengeMismatch, RelayUrlMismatch, EventExpired,
+            // PubkeyMismatch — all "the auth artifact didn't verify."
+            Self::AuthFailed => "authentication failed",
+            Self::InsufficientScope => "insufficient scope",
+            Self::ChannelAccessDenied => "channel access denied",
+            Self::InternalRedacted => "internal error",
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Render this category as a standard JSON HTTP error response.
+    pub fn http_response(self) -> (StatusCode, Json<serde_json::Value>) {
+        (self.status_code(), Json(json!({ "error": self.message() })))
+    }
+
+    /// Render this category as a Nostr-protocol NOTICE message body.
+    ///
+    /// Returns the bare string (without the `["NOTICE", ...]` envelope) so
+    /// the caller can decide whether to wrap with `RelayMessage::notice` or
+    /// embed in an OK/CLOSED frame.
+    pub fn notice_body(self) -> String {
+        format!("error: {}", self.message())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Map an [`AuthError`] to its wire category.
+///
+/// **Do not stringify `AuthError` for the wire by any other path.** This
+/// function is the only sanctioned conversion; the CI grep-lint enforces
+/// that no other call site uses `auth_err.to_string()` or `format!("{}", auth_err)`
+/// in a response-construction chain (P5).
+pub fn auth_error_wire(err: &AuthError) -> AuthErrorWireCategory {
+    match err {
+        // Verification class — coalesce.
+        AuthError::InvalidSignature
+        | AuthError::ChallengeMismatch
+        | AuthError::RelayUrlMismatch
+        | AuthError::EventExpired
+        | AuthError::Nip98Invalid(_)
+        | AuthError::Nip98Replay
+        | AuthError::PubkeyMismatch => AuthErrorWireCategory::AuthFailed,
+
+        AuthError::InsufficientScope { .. } => AuthErrorWireCategory::InsufficientScope,
+        AuthError::ChannelAccessDenied => AuthErrorWireCategory::ChannelAccessDenied,
+
+        // Internal class — never leak detail. The construction site logs the
+        // detail; the wire only sees the category.
+        AuthError::Internal(_) => AuthErrorWireCategory::InternalRedacted,
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use axum::body::to_bytes;
+    use axum::response::IntoResponse;
+    use buzz_auth::AuthError;
+
+    /// Render a wire category as the exact bytes a client would observe on
+    /// the HTTP path. Used for byte-identity assertions across variants.
+    async fn http_bytes(cat: AuthErrorWireCategory) -> (u16, Vec<u8>) {
+        let (status, json) = cat.http_response();
+        let resp = (status, json).into_response();
+        let status = resp.status().as_u16();
+        let body = to_bytes(resp.into_body(), 64 * 1024)
+            .await
+            .expect("body")
+            .to_vec();
+        (status, body)
+    }
+
+    /// P2: Nip98Invalid and Nip98Replay collapse to one wire category.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn replay_indistinguishable_from_invalid_on_wire() {
+        let invalid = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Nip98Invalid("garbage".into()));
+        let replay = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Nip98Replay);
+        assert_eq!(invalid, replay);
+
+        let (invalid_status, invalid_body) = http_bytes(invalid).await;
+        let (replay_status, replay_body) = http_bytes(replay).await;
+        assert_eq!(invalid_status, replay_status);
+        assert_eq!(
+            invalid_body, replay_body,
+            "Nip98Invalid and Nip98Replay MUST produce byte-identical responses (P2)"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// P2 extended: all verification-class errors coalesce to one category.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn verification_class_all_coalesce() {
+        let errs = [
+            AuthError::InvalidSignature,
+            AuthError::ChallengeMismatch,
+            AuthError::RelayUrlMismatch,
+            AuthError::EventExpired,
+            AuthError::Nip98Invalid("any detail".into()),
+            AuthError::Nip98Replay,
+            AuthError::PubkeyMismatch,
+        ];
+        let cats: Vec<_> = errs.iter().map(auth_error_wire).collect();
+        for c in &cats {
+            assert_eq!(*c, AuthErrorWireCategory::AuthFailed);
+        }
+        // Body+status all identical.
+        let first = http_bytes(cats[0]).await;
+        for c in cats {
+            assert_eq!(http_bytes(c).await, first);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// P1: Internal(_) NEVER carries detail to the wire, regardless of the
+    /// string. Synthesizes a worst-case payload that mimics a leaked Redis
+    /// error containing a community-prefixed key, and asserts the wire body
+    /// does not echo any byte of it.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn internal_redacted_does_not_leak_inner_string() {
+        let leaky =
+            "Redis SET NX EX: ResponseError: WRONGTYPE on key buzz:00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff:nip98:deadbeef";
+        let err = AuthError::Internal(leaky.into());
+        let cat = auth_error_wire(&err);
+        assert_eq!(cat, AuthErrorWireCategory::InternalRedacted);
+
+        let (status, body) = http_bytes(cat).await;
+        assert_eq!(status, 500);
+        let body_str = std::str::from_utf8(&body).expect("body utf8");
+        // The category-only response must NOT contain any byte of the inner
+        // detail — not the key prefix, not the community UUID, not "Redis".
+        assert!(
+            !body_str.contains("buzz:"),
+            "wire body leaks community key prefix: {body_str}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !body_str.contains("nip98"),
+            "wire body leaks Redis key shape: {body_str}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !body_str.contains("Redis"),
+            "wire body leaks Redis driver string: {body_str}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !body_str.contains("00112233"),
+            "wire body leaks community UUID: {body_str}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// P1: two distinct Internal(_) values for two distinct communities
+    /// produce byte-identical wire responses. Proves the wire shape is
+    /// independent of the inner detail (closes the cross-tenant oracle).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn internal_two_communities_byte_identical() {
+        let community_a = "Redis pool: SET buzz:aaaaaaaa-1111-2222-3333-444444444444:nip98:cafe";
+        let community_b = "Redis pool: SET buzz:bbbbbbbb-5555-6666-7777-888888888888:nip98:beef";
+        let cat_a = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Internal(community_a.into()));
+        let cat_b = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Internal(community_b.into()));
+        assert_eq!(cat_a, cat_b);
+        assert_eq!(http_bytes(cat_a).await, http_bytes(cat_b).await);
+    }
+
+    /// Scope and channel errors are distinct from auth-failed — they are
+    /// authorization-class outcomes that the client must distinguish (different
+    /// remediation: re-auth vs re-request access vs join channel). These do
+    /// NOT carry tenant-scoped detail in the variant, so they're safe to
+    /// distinguish. (If that ever changes, this test fails by design.)
+    #[test]
+    fn authorization_class_distinguishable() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            auth_error_wire(&AuthError::InsufficientScope {
+                required: "write".into(),
+                have: vec![]
+            }),
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::InsufficientScope
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            auth_error_wire(&AuthError::ChannelAccessDenied),
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::ChannelAccessDenied
+        );
+        assert_ne!(
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::AuthFailed,
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::InsufficientScope
+        );
+        assert_ne!(
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::AuthFailed,
+            AuthErrorWireCategory::ChannelAccessDenied
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// NOTICE body parity: every category produces a NOTICE that does not
+    /// leak inner detail, and verification-class NOTICEs are byte-identical.
+    #[test]
+    fn ws_notice_redacts_internal_and_coalesces_verification() {
+        let leaky =
+            AuthError::Internal("buzz:abcd:nip98:dead — should never appear on wire".into());
+        let notice = auth_error_wire(&leaky).notice_body();
+        assert!(
+            !notice.contains("buzz:"),
+            "NOTICE leaks key prefix: {notice}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !notice.contains("nip98"),
+            "NOTICE leaks Redis key: {notice}"
+        );
+
+        let invalid = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Nip98Invalid("x".into())).notice_body();
+        let replay = auth_error_wire(&AuthError::Nip98Replay).notice_body();
+        assert_eq!(
+            invalid, replay,
+            "WS NOTICE for invalid and replay MUST be byte-identical"
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/src/lib.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/src/lib.rs
index 57becfc5d..ee5b7291b 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-relay/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 pub mod api;
 /// WebSocket audio relay for huddle voice channels.
 pub mod audio;
+pub mod auth_wire;
 /// Relay configuration from environment variables.
 pub mod config;
 /// WebSocket connection lifecycle and state.