diff --git a/src/app_network.cpp b/src/app_network.cpp
index 087a11e..fb4ccbc 100644
--- a/src/app_network.cpp
+++ b/src/app_network.cpp
@@ -2772,7 +2772,14 @@ void App::maybeProvisionChatIdentity()
                     unavailable = true;
                 } else {
                     try {
-                        secret = rpc_->call("z_exportkey", {fallbackZaddr}).get<std::string>();
+                        // Mirror the mnemonic path: take our copy, then scrub the json's own copy of the
+                        // spending key so it isn't left in freed heap (B4). z_exportkey returns a bare string.
+                        auto keyResp = rpc_->call("z_exportkey", {fallbackZaddr});
+                        if (keyResp.is_string()) {
+                            auto& key = keyResp.get_ref<std::string&>();
+                            secret = key;
+                            if (!key.empty()) sodium_memzero(&key[0], key.size());
+                        }
                     } catch (const rpc::RpcError&) {
                         unavailable = true;  // no spending key either (view-only?) — give up
                     } catch (const std::exception&) {
@@ -2921,12 +2928,17 @@ void App::sendChatMessage(const std::string& conversationId, const std::string&
     if (!chat::hushChatFeatureEnabledAtBuild() || !chat_service_.hasIdentity()) return;
     if (text.empty() || conversationId.empty()) return;
 
-    // The peer's z-address + public key come from a message we already have in this conversation.
+    // The peer's z-address + public key come from a message we already have in this conversation. Pin to
+    // the EARLIEST (establishing) values, not the latest: the memo header's `z`/`cid` ride outside the
+    // AEAD, so trusting the newest would let a later message redirect our replies to an attacker-chosen
+    // address / splice threads (B2). A full fix binds z+cid into the secretstream additional-data, but
+    // that's a coordinated HushChat/SDXLite wire-format change; pinning hardens the reply target without it.
     std::string peerZaddr;
     std::string peerPubKey;
     for (const auto& m : chat_service_.store().conversation(conversationId)) {
-        if (!m.peer_zaddr.empty()) peerZaddr = m.peer_zaddr;
-        if (!m.peer_public_key_hex.empty()) peerPubKey = m.peer_public_key_hex;
+        if (peerZaddr.empty() && !m.peer_zaddr.empty()) peerZaddr = m.peer_zaddr;
+        if (peerPubKey.empty() && !m.peer_public_key_hex.empty()) peerPubKey = m.peer_public_key_hex;
+        if (!peerZaddr.empty() && !peerPubKey.empty()) break;
     }
     if (peerPubKey.empty()) {
         ui::Notifications::instance().info(TR("chat_toast_waiting_reply"));
diff --git a/src/chat/chat_store.cpp b/src/chat/chat_store.cpp
index e43218d..3dbb0bd 100644
--- a/src/chat/chat_store.cpp
+++ b/src/chat/chat_store.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include "chat_store.h"
 
+#include <algorithm>
+
 namespace dragonx::chat {
 
 std::string ChatStore::dedupKey(const ChatMessage& message) {
@@ -19,6 +21,16 @@ std::vector<ChatMessage> ChatStore::conversation(const std::string& conversation
     for (const auto& message : messages_) {
         if (message.conversation_id == conversationId) out.push_back(message);
     }
+    // Return chronological (oldest→newest). messages_ is in scan/insertion order, which is NOT
+    // time-ordered (a full scan harvests txids in std::set/unordered_map order) — that would mis-order the
+    // rendered thread AND let the reply-target pin (first-seen peer address) latch onto a non-establishing
+    // message (B2). timestamp is the block/tx time (peer can't set it); tie-break txid + payload_position
+    // for determinism.
+    std::stable_sort(out.begin(), out.end(), [](const ChatMessage& a, const ChatMessage& b) {
+        if (a.timestamp != b.timestamp) return a.timestamp < b.timestamp;
+        if (a.txid != b.txid) return a.txid < b.txid;
+        return a.payload_position < b.payload_position;
+    });
     return out;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/windows/chat_tab.cpp b/src/ui/windows/chat_tab.cpp
index e6f95ef..f110b7b 100644
--- a/src/ui/windows/chat_tab.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/windows/chat_tab.cpp
@@ -144,9 +144,9 @@ void RenderChatTab(App* app)
         ConvSummary c;
         c.cid = cid;
         c.count = static_cast<int>(messages.size());
-        for (const auto& m : messages) {  // last non-empty peer z-addr / key across the thread
-            if (!m.peer_zaddr.empty()) c.peerZaddr = m.peer_zaddr;
-            if (!m.peer_public_key_hex.empty()) c.peerPubKey = m.peer_public_key_hex;
+        for (const auto& m : messages) {  // pin to the EARLIEST (establishing) peer z-addr / key (B2 — the
+            if (c.peerZaddr.empty() && !m.peer_zaddr.empty()) c.peerZaddr = m.peer_zaddr;   // memo header rides
+            if (c.peerPubKey.empty() && !m.peer_public_key_hex.empty()) c.peerPubKey = m.peer_public_key_hex; // outside the AEAD)
         }
         const auto& last = messages.back();
         c.lastBody = last.body;