diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index c6a2ab9..c1de3cf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -207,20 +207,36 @@ export function App() {
 
   const handleToggleFavorite = useCallback(
     async (type: 'channel' | 'contact', id: string) => {
+      const ts = performance.now().toFixed(2);
+      console.log(
+        `[fav-debug] handleToggleFavorite called t=${ts} type=${type} id=${id.slice(0, 12)}`
+      );
+
       // Optimistically toggle the favorite flag
       if (type === 'contact') {
-        setContacts((prev) =>
-          prev.map((c) => (c.public_key === id ? { ...c, favorite: !c.favorite } : c))
-        );
+        setContacts((prev) => {
+          const match = prev.find((c) => c.public_key === id);
+          console.log(
+            `[fav-debug] optimistic contact toggle t=${ts} current=${match?.favorite} → ${!match?.favorite}`
+          );
+          return prev.map((c) => (c.public_key === id ? { ...c, favorite: !c.favorite } : c));
+        });
       } else {
-        setChannels((prev) =>
-          prev.map((c) => (c.key === id ? { ...c, favorite: !c.favorite } : c))
-        );
+        setChannels((prev) => {
+          const match = prev.find((c) => c.key === id);
+          console.log(
+            `[fav-debug] optimistic channel toggle t=${ts} current=${match?.favorite} → ${!match?.favorite}`
+          );
+          return prev.map((c) => (c.key === id ? { ...c, favorite: !c.favorite } : c));
+        });
       }
 
       try {
-        await api.toggleFavorite(type, id);
-      } catch {
+        console.log(`[fav-debug] firing API request t=${ts}`);
+        const result = await api.toggleFavorite(type, id);
+        console.log(`[fav-debug] API response t=${ts}`, result);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`[fav-debug] API error t=${ts}`, err);
         // Revert on failure
         if (type === 'contact') {
           setContacts((prev) =>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChannelInfoPane.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ChannelInfoPane.tsx
index 8c63da6..07c2d11 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChannelInfoPane.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChannelInfoPane.tsx
@@ -120,7 +120,12 @@ export function ChannelInfoPane({
               <button
                 type="button"
                 className="text-sm flex items-center gap-2 hover:text-primary transition-colors"
-                onClick={() => onToggleFavorite('channel', channel.key)}
+                onClick={(e) => {
+                  console.log(
+                    `[fav-debug] ChannelInfoPane star clicked t=${performance.now().toFixed(2)} detail=${e.detail} isTrusted=${e.isTrusted}`
+                  );
+                  onToggleFavorite('channel', channel.key);
+                }}
               >
                 {channel.favorite ? (
                   <>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChatHeader.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ChatHeader.tsx
index 3d86a3a..8bdf101 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChatHeader.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChatHeader.tsx
@@ -351,9 +351,12 @@ export function ChatHeader({
         {(conversation.type === 'channel' || conversation.type === 'contact') && (
           <button
             className="p-1 rounded hover:bg-accent text-lg leading-none transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
-            onClick={() =>
-              onToggleFavorite(conversation.type as 'channel' | 'contact', conversation.id)
-            }
+            onClick={(e) => {
+              console.log(
+                `[fav-debug] star clicked t=${performance.now().toFixed(2)} detail=${e.detail} isTrusted=${e.isTrusted}`
+              );
+              onToggleFavorite(conversation.type as 'channel' | 'contact', conversation.id);
+            }}
             title={favoriteTitle}
             aria-label={isFav ? 'Remove from favorites' : 'Add to favorites'}
           >
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ContactInfoPane.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ContactInfoPane.tsx
index 448d20c..3ae1c61 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ContactInfoPane.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ContactInfoPane.tsx
@@ -377,7 +377,12 @@ export function ContactInfoPane({
               <button
                 type="button"
                 className="text-sm flex items-center gap-2 hover:text-primary transition-colors"
-                onClick={() => onToggleFavorite('contact', contact.public_key)}
+                onClick={(e) => {
+                  console.log(
+                    `[fav-debug] ContactInfoPane star clicked t=${performance.now().toFixed(2)} detail=${e.detail} isTrusted=${e.isTrusted}`
+                  );
+                  onToggleFavorite('contact', contact.public_key);
+                }}
                 title="Favorite contacts stay loaded on the radio for ACK support"
               >
                 {contact.favorite ? (
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/RepeaterDashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/RepeaterDashboard.tsx
index d1127ba..ef6372f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/RepeaterDashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/RepeaterDashboard.tsx
@@ -266,7 +266,12 @@ export function RepeaterDashboard({
           )}
           <button
             className="p-1 rounded hover:bg-accent text-lg leading-none transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
-            onClick={() => onToggleFavorite('contact', conversation.id)}
+            onClick={(e) => {
+              console.log(
+                `[fav-debug] RepeaterDashboard star clicked t=${performance.now().toFixed(2)} detail=${e.detail} isTrusted=${e.isTrusted}`
+              );
+              onToggleFavorite('contact', conversation.id);
+            }}
             title={
               isFav
                 ? 'Remove from favorites. Favorite contacts stay loaded on the radio for ACK support.'
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/contactMerge.ts b/frontend/src/utils/contactMerge.ts
index dc9130d..843be6b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/contactMerge.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/contactMerge.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,16 @@ export function mergeContactIntoList(contacts: Contact[], incoming: Contact): Co
   const idx = contacts.findIndex((c) => c.public_key === incoming.public_key);
   if (idx >= 0) {
     const existing = contacts[idx];
-    const merged = { ...existing, ...incoming };
+    // Preserve user-action-only fields that should not be overwritten by
+    // radio-event-driven WS updates (adverts, path updates, syncs).  These
+    // fields are only changed via explicit user actions (favorite toggle,
+    // mark-read) or full REST refetches, not via mesh/radio events.
+    const merged = {
+      ...existing,
+      ...incoming,
+      favorite: existing.favorite,
+      last_read_at: existing.last_read_at,
+    };
     const unchanged = (Object.keys(merged) as (keyof Contact)[]).every(
       (k) => existing[k] === merged[k]
     );