diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
index fc06c186c..a1ea1a96e 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use reqwest::Method;
+use serde_json::{Map, Value};
 use sprout_core::PresenceStatus;
 use tauri::State;
 
@@ -16,13 +17,14 @@ use crate::{
 
 #[tauri::command]
 pub async fn get_profile(state: State<'_, AppState>) -> Result<ProfileInfo, String> {
+    let fallback_pubkey = current_pubkey_hex(&state)?;
     let request = build_authed_request(
         &state.http_client,
         Method::GET,
         "/api/users/me/profile",
         &state,
     )?;
-    send_json_request(request).await
+    fetch_profile_info(request, &fallback_pubkey, true).await
 }
 
 #[tauri::command]
@@ -48,29 +50,30 @@ pub async fn update_profile(
 
     let dn = display_name
         .as_deref()
-        .or_else(|| current.get("display_name").and_then(|v| v.as_str()));
-    let name = current.get("name").and_then(|v| v.as_str());
+        .or_else(|| profile_field_str(&current, "display_name"));
+    let name = profile_field_str(&current, "name");
     let picture = avatar_url
         .as_deref()
-        .or_else(|| current.get("avatar_url").and_then(|v| v.as_str()));
+        .or_else(|| profile_field_str(&current, "avatar_url"));
     let ab = about
         .as_deref()
-        .or_else(|| current.get("about").and_then(|v| v.as_str()));
+        .or_else(|| profile_field_str(&current, "about"));
     let nip05 = nip05_handle
         .as_deref()
-        .or_else(|| current.get("nip05_handle").and_then(|v| v.as_str()));
+        .or_else(|| profile_field_str(&current, "nip05_handle"));
 
     let builder = events::build_profile(dn, name, picture, ab, nip05)?;
     submit_event(builder, &state).await?;
 
     // Re-fetch to return the canonical profile the frontend expects.
+    let fallback_pubkey = current_pubkey_hex(&state)?;
     let request = build_authed_request(
         &state.http_client,
         Method::GET,
         "/api/users/me/profile",
         &state,
     )?;
-    send_json_request(request).await
+    fetch_profile_info(request, &fallback_pubkey, true).await
 }
 
 // ── Unchanged reads below ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -80,12 +83,16 @@ pub async fn get_user_profile(
     pubkey: Option<String>,
     state: State<'_, AppState>,
 ) -> Result<ProfileInfo, String> {
-    let path = match pubkey {
-        Some(pubkey) => api_path(&["users", &pubkey, "profile"]),
+    let path = match pubkey.as_deref() {
+        Some(pubkey) => api_path(&["users", pubkey, "profile"]),
         None => "/api/users/me/profile".to_string(),
     };
+    let fallback_pubkey = match pubkey {
+        Some(pubkey) => pubkey,
+        None => current_pubkey_hex(&state)?,
+    };
     let request = build_authed_request(&state.http_client, Method::GET, &path, &state)?;
-    send_json_request(request).await
+    fetch_profile_info(request, &fallback_pubkey, false).await
 }
 
 #[tauri::command]
@@ -160,3 +167,169 @@ pub async fn set_presence(
         .json(&SetPresenceBody { status });
     send_json_request(request).await
 }
+
+fn current_pubkey_hex(state: &AppState) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let keys = state.keys.lock().map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+    Ok(keys.public_key().to_hex())
+}
+
+fn empty_profile_info(pubkey: &str) -> ProfileInfo {
+    ProfileInfo {
+        pubkey: pubkey.to_string(),
+        display_name: None,
+        avatar_url: None,
+        about: None,
+        nip05_handle: None,
+    }
+}
+
+fn is_missing_profile_error(error: &str) -> bool {
+    error.starts_with("relay returned 404") && error.contains("user not found")
+}
+
+fn profile_object(value: &Value) -> Option<&Map<String, Value>> {
+    value
+        .get("profile")
+        .and_then(Value::as_object)
+        .or_else(|| value.as_object())
+}
+
+fn profile_field_str<'a>(value: &'a Value, key: &str) -> Option<&'a str> {
+    profile_object(value)
+        .and_then(|object| object.get(key))
+        .and_then(Value::as_str)
+}
+
+fn optional_profile_string(
+    object: &Map<String, Value>,
+    key: &str,
+) -> Result<Option<String>, String> {
+    match object.get(key) {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => Ok(None),
+        Some(Value::String(value)) => Ok(Some(value.clone())),
+        Some(_) => Err(format!("parse failed: invalid profile field `{key}`")),
+    }
+}
+
+fn profile_info_from_value(value: Value, fallback_pubkey: &str) -> Result<ProfileInfo, String> {
+    let object = profile_object(&value)
+        .ok_or_else(|| "parse failed: expected profile object".to_string())?;
+
+    let pubkey = match object.get("pubkey") {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => fallback_pubkey.to_string(),
+        Some(Value::String(value)) => value.clone(),
+        Some(_) => return Err("parse failed: invalid profile field `pubkey`".to_string()),
+    };
+
+    Ok(ProfileInfo {
+        pubkey,
+        display_name: optional_profile_string(object, "display_name")?,
+        avatar_url: optional_profile_string(object, "avatar_url")?,
+        about: optional_profile_string(object, "about")?,
+        nip05_handle: optional_profile_string(object, "nip05_handle")?,
+    })
+}
+
+async fn fetch_profile_info(
+    request: reqwest::RequestBuilder,
+    fallback_pubkey: &str,
+    missing_profile_ok: bool,
+) -> Result<ProfileInfo, String> {
+    match send_json_request::<Value>(request).await {
+        Ok(value) => profile_info_from_value(value, fallback_pubkey),
+        Err(error) if missing_profile_ok && is_missing_profile_error(&error) => {
+            Ok(empty_profile_info(fallback_pubkey))
+        }
+        Err(error) => Err(error),
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::{
+        empty_profile_info, is_missing_profile_error, profile_field_str, profile_info_from_value,
+    };
+
+    #[test]
+    fn profile_info_from_value_accepts_top_level_shape() {
+        let value = serde_json::json!({
+            "pubkey": "abc123",
+            "display_name": "Sprout User",
+            "avatar_url": "https://example.com/avatar.png",
+            "about": "Hello",
+            "nip05_handle": "sprout@example.com"
+        });
+
+        let profile = profile_info_from_value(value, "fallback").expect("profile");
+
+        assert_eq!(profile.pubkey, "abc123");
+        assert_eq!(profile.display_name.as_deref(), Some("Sprout User"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            profile.avatar_url.as_deref(),
+            Some("https://example.com/avatar.png")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(profile.about.as_deref(), Some("Hello"));
+        assert_eq!(profile.nip05_handle.as_deref(), Some("sprout@example.com"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn profile_info_from_value_accepts_nested_profile_shape() {
+        let value = serde_json::json!({
+            "profile": {
+                "display_name": "Nested User",
+                "avatar_url": null,
+                "about": null,
+                "nip05_handle": null
+            }
+        });
+
+        let profile = profile_info_from_value(value, "fallback-pubkey").expect("profile");
+
+        assert_eq!(profile.pubkey, "fallback-pubkey");
+        assert_eq!(profile.display_name.as_deref(), Some("Nested User"));
+        assert_eq!(profile.avatar_url, None);
+        assert_eq!(profile.about, None);
+        assert_eq!(profile.nip05_handle, None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_profile_errors_are_detected() {
+        assert!(is_missing_profile_error(
+            "relay returned 404: user not found"
+        ));
+        assert!(is_missing_profile_error(
+            "relay returned 404 Not Found: user not found"
+        ));
+        assert!(!is_missing_profile_error(
+            "relay returned 401: authentication failed"
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn profile_field_str_accepts_nested_profile_shape() {
+        let value = serde_json::json!({
+            "profile": {
+                "display_name": "Nested User",
+                "about": "Nested about"
+            }
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            profile_field_str(&value, "display_name"),
+            Some("Nested User")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(profile_field_str(&value, "about"), Some("Nested about"));
+        assert_eq!(profile_field_str(&value, "avatar_url"), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_profile_info_preserves_pubkey() {
+        let profile = empty_profile_info("fallback-pubkey");
+
+        assert_eq!(profile.pubkey, "fallback-pubkey");
+        assert_eq!(profile.display_name, None);
+        assert_eq!(profile.avatar_url, None);
+        assert_eq!(profile.about, None);
+        assert_eq!(profile.nip05_handle, None);
+    }
+}