Backfill channel sender identity when it's available

app/event_handlers.py

@@ -267,6 +267,13 @@ async def on_new_contact(event: "Event") -> None:
         await ContactNameHistoryRepository.record_name(
             public_key.lower(), adv_name, int(time.time())
         )
+        backfilled = await MessageRepository.backfill_channel_sender_key(public_key, adv_name)
+        if backfilled > 0:
+            logger.info(
+                "Backfilled sender_key on %d channel message(s) for %s",
+                backfilled,
+                adv_name,
+            )
 
     # Read back from DB so the broadcast includes all fields (last_contacted,
     # last_read_at, etc.) matching the REST Contact shape exactly.

app/packet_processor.py

@@ -763,6 +763,16 @@ async def _process_advertisement(
             claimed,
             advert.public_key[:12],
         )
+    if advert.name:
+        backfilled = await MessageRepository.backfill_channel_sender_key(
+            advert.public_key, advert.name
+        )
+        if backfilled > 0:
+            logger.info(
+                "Backfilled sender_key on %d channel message(s) for %s",
+                backfilled,
+                advert.name,
+            )
 
     # Read back from DB so the broadcast includes all fields (last_contacted,
     # last_read_at, flags, on_radio, etc.) matching the REST Contact shape exactly.

app/radio_sync.py

@@ -136,6 +136,17 @@ async def sync_and_offload_contacts(mc: MeshCore) -> dict:
                     claimed,
                     public_key[:12],
                 )
+            adv_name = contact_data.get("adv_name")
+            if adv_name:
+                backfilled = await MessageRepository.backfill_channel_sender_key(
+                    public_key, adv_name
+                )
+                if backfilled > 0:
+                    logger.info(
+                        "Backfilled sender_key on %d channel message(s) for %s",
+                        backfilled,
+                        adv_name,
+                    )
             synced += 1
 
             # Remove from radio

app/repository/messages.py

@@ -128,6 +128,22 @@ class MessageRepository:
         await db.conn.commit()
         return cursor.rowcount
 
+    @staticmethod
+    async def backfill_channel_sender_key(public_key: str, name: str) -> int:
+        """Backfill sender_key on channel messages that match a contact's name.
+
+        When a contact becomes known (via advert, sync, or manual creation),
+        any channel messages with a matching sender_name but no sender_key
+        are updated to associate them with this contact's public key.
+        """
+        cursor = await db.conn.execute(
+            """UPDATE messages SET sender_key = ?
+               WHERE type = 'CHAN' AND sender_name = ? AND sender_key IS NULL""",
+            (public_key.lower(), name),
+        )
+        await db.conn.commit()
+        return cursor.rowcount
+
     @staticmethod
     def _normalize_conversation_key(conversation_key: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
         """Normalize a conversation key and return (sql_clause, normalized_key).

app/routers/contacts.py

@@ -154,6 +154,14 @@ async def create_contact(
     if claimed > 0:
         logger.info("Claimed %d prefix messages for contact %s", claimed, lower_key[:12])
 
+    # Backfill sender_key on channel messages that match this contact's name
+    if request.name:
+        backfilled = await MessageRepository.backfill_channel_sender_key(lower_key, request.name)
+        if backfilled > 0:
+            logger.info(
+                "Backfilled sender_key on %d channel message(s) for %s", backfilled, request.name
+            )
+
     # Trigger historical decryption if requested
     if request.try_historical:
         await start_historical_dm_decryption(background_tasks, lower_key, request.name)
@@ -281,6 +289,15 @@ async def sync_contacts_from_radio() -> dict:
         claimed = await MessageRepository.claim_prefix_messages(lower_key)
         if claimed > 0:
             logger.info("Claimed %d prefix DM message(s) for contact %s", claimed, public_key[:12])
+        adv_name = contact_data.get("adv_name")
+        if adv_name:
+            backfilled = await MessageRepository.backfill_channel_sender_key(lower_key, adv_name)
+            if backfilled > 0:
+                logger.info(
+                    "Backfilled sender_key on %d channel message(s) for %s",
+                    backfilled,
+                    adv_name,
+                )
         count += 1
 
     # Clear on_radio for contacts not found on the radio