diff --git a/js/nostr.js b/js/nostr.js
index 9f5827a3..4165aeb1 100644
--- a/js/nostr.js
+++ b/js/nostr.js
@@ -1778,6 +1778,9 @@ class NostrClient {
       delivered: previousEntry?.delivered instanceof Set
         ? new Set(previousEntry.delivered)
         : new Set(),
+      chunkNeedsSigner: previousEntry?.chunkNeedsSigner instanceof Set
+        ? new Set(previousEntry.chunkNeedsSigner)
+        : new Set(),
     };
 
     const validKeys = new Set(entry.items.map((item) => pointerKey(item)));
@@ -1801,6 +1804,11 @@ class NostrClient {
         entry.delivered.delete(key);
       }
     }
+    for (const key of [...entry.chunkNeedsSigner]) {
+      if (!validKeys.has(key)) {
+        entry.chunkNeedsSigner.delete(key);
+      }
+    }
 
     const previousChunkPointers = previousEntry?.chunkPointers;
     const headPointer = previousChunkPointers?.head
@@ -2077,12 +2085,39 @@ class NostrClient {
     }
 
     const normalizedLogged =
-      typeof this.pubkey === "string" ? this.pubkey.toLowerCase() : "";
+      typeof this.pubkey === "string" && this.pubkey.trim()
+        ? this.pubkey.trim().toLowerCase()
+        : "";
+    const pointerAuthor =
+      typeof pointerEvent?.pubkey === "string" && pointerEvent.pubkey.trim()
+        ? pointerEvent.pubkey.trim().toLowerCase()
+        : "";
+    const hasExtensionDecrypt =
+      typeof window?.nostr?.nip04?.decrypt === "function";
+
+    const shouldDeferMissingSigner =
+      normalizedActor &&
+      normalizedActor === normalizedLogged &&
+      pointerAuthor &&
+      pointerAuthor === normalizedActor &&
+      !hasExtensionDecrypt;
+
+    if (shouldDeferMissingSigner) {
+      fallbackPayload.needsSignerRetry = true;
+      const warningMeta = {
+        actor: normalizedActor,
+      };
+      if (typeof pointerEvent?.id === "string" && pointerEvent.id) {
+        warningMeta.event = pointerEvent.id;
+      }
+      console.warn("[nostr] watch-history-decrypt-missing-signer", warningMeta);
+      return fallbackPayload;
+    }
 
     if (
       normalizedActor &&
       normalizedActor === normalizedLogged &&
-      window?.nostr?.nip04?.decrypt
+      hasExtensionDecrypt
     ) {
       try {
         const plaintext = await window.nostr.nip04.decrypt(
@@ -3932,7 +3967,11 @@ class NostrClient {
         indexEvent: null,
         chunkAddresses: new Set(),
         expectedChunkIdentifiers: new Set(),
+        needsSignerRetry: new Set(),
       };
+      if (!(bucket.needsSignerRetry instanceof Set)) {
+        bucket.needsSignerRetry = new Set();
+      }
 
       bucket.chunks.set(chunkIndex, {
         event,
@@ -3941,6 +3980,7 @@ class NostrClient {
           snapshot: snapshotId,
           chunkIndex,
           totalChunks,
+          needsSignerRetry: !!payload?.needsSignerRetry,
         },
         created_at: typeof event.created_at === "number" ? event.created_at : 0,
       });
@@ -3951,6 +3991,11 @@ class NostrClient {
         bucket.latestCreatedAt = createdAt;
       }
       bucket.version = Math.max(bucket.version, payload.version || 0);
+      if (payload?.needsSignerRetry) {
+        bucket.needsSignerRetry.add(chunkIndex);
+      } else {
+        bucket.needsSignerRetry.delete(chunkIndex);
+      }
       const chunkAddress = eventToAddressPointer(event);
       if (chunkAddress) {
         bucket.chunkAddresses.add(chunkAddress);
@@ -3971,7 +4016,11 @@ class NostrClient {
         indexEvent: null,
         chunkAddresses: new Set(),
         expectedChunkIdentifiers: new Set(),
+        needsSignerRetry: new Set(),
       };
+      if (!(bucket.needsSignerRetry instanceof Set)) {
+        bucket.needsSignerRetry = new Set();
+      }
 
       if (meta.event) {
         const createdAt =
@@ -4060,6 +4109,9 @@ class NostrClient {
         expectedChunkIdentifiers: bucket.expectedChunkIdentifiers instanceof Set
           ? new Set(bucket.expectedChunkIdentifiers)
           : new Set(),
+        needsSignerRetry: bucket.needsSignerRetry instanceof Set
+          ? new Set(bucket.needsSignerRetry)
+          : new Set(),
       };
 
       if (!fallbackSnapshot) {
@@ -4124,6 +4176,12 @@ class NostrClient {
       entry.chunkEvents.clear();
     }
 
+    if (!(entry.chunkNeedsSigner instanceof Set)) {
+      entry.chunkNeedsSigner = new Set();
+    } else {
+      entry.chunkNeedsSigner.clear();
+    }
+
     const chunkPointerItemsForEntry = [];
     const chunkPointerKeys = new Set();
     let indexPointerForEntry = null;
@@ -4178,8 +4236,22 @@ class NostrClient {
             continue;
           }
           const clonedChunkEvent = cloneEventForCache(chunk.event);
-          if (clonedChunkEvent) {
+          const chunkPayloadIndex = Number.isFinite(chunk.payload?.chunkIndex)
+            ? Math.max(0, Math.floor(chunk.payload.chunkIndex))
+            : null;
+          const flaggedBySnapshot =
+            chunkPayloadIndex !== null &&
+            effectiveSnapshot?.needsSignerRetry instanceof Set &&
+            effectiveSnapshot.needsSignerRetry.has(chunkPayloadIndex);
+          const needsSignerRetry =
+            !!chunk.payload?.needsSignerRetry || flaggedBySnapshot;
+          if (needsSignerRetry) {
+            entry.chunkNeedsSigner.add(key);
+            entry.resolved.delete(key);
+          } else if (clonedChunkEvent) {
             entry.chunkEvents.set(key, clonedChunkEvent);
+          } else {
+            entry.chunkEvents.set(key, chunk.event);
           }
           chunkPointerKeys.add(key);
           chunkPointerItemsForEntry.push(pointer);
diff --git a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
index 77f0f3ce..649abf1a 100644
--- a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
@@ -1381,6 +1381,79 @@ try {
   }
 }
 
+const missingSignerClient = createDecryptClient(LOGGED_ACTOR);
+missingSignerClient.pubkey = LOGGED_ACTOR;
+missingSignerClient.sessionActor = null;
+
+let missingSignerEnsureCalls = 0;
+missingSignerClient.ensureSessionActor = async () => {
+  missingSignerEnsureCalls += 1;
+  return LOGGED_ACTOR;
+};
+
+const priorMissingSignerNostr = globalThis.window.nostr;
+const priorMissingSignerSessionDecrypt = globalThis.window.NostrTools.nip04.decrypt;
+let missingSignerSessionDecryptCalls = 0;
+
+try {
+  delete globalThis.window.nostr;
+  globalThis.window.NostrTools.nip04.decrypt = async () => {
+    missingSignerSessionDecryptCalls += 1;
+    return JSON.stringify(encryptedPayload);
+  };
+
+  const missingSignerChunkEvent = {
+    ...encryptedChunkEvent,
+    pubkey: LOGGED_ACTOR,
+    id: "missing-signer-event",
+  };
+
+  const missingSignerResult = await missingSignerClient.decryptWatchHistoryEvent(
+    missingSignerChunkEvent,
+    LOGGED_ACTOR
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(
+    missingSignerEnsureCalls,
+    0,
+    "missing signer should not trigger session actor ensure"
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    missingSignerSessionDecryptCalls,
+    0,
+    "missing signer should skip session decrypt fallback"
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    missingSignerResult.needsSignerRetry,
+    true,
+    "missing signer fallback should mark retry flag"
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    missingSignerResult.items.map((item) => ({
+      type: item.type,
+      value: item.value,
+      relay: item.relay || null,
+    })),
+    encryptedPayload.items.map((item) => ({
+      type: item.type,
+      value: item.value,
+      relay: item.relay || null,
+    })),
+    "missing signer fallback should preserve pointer metadata"
+  );
+} finally {
+  if (priorMissingSignerNostr === undefined) {
+    delete globalThis.window.nostr;
+  } else {
+    globalThis.window.nostr = priorMissingSignerNostr;
+  }
+  if (priorMissingSignerSessionDecrypt === undefined) {
+    delete globalThis.window.NostrTools.nip04.decrypt;
+  } else {
+    globalThis.window.NostrTools.nip04.decrypt = priorMissingSignerSessionDecrypt;
+  }
+}
+
 const unsortedVideos = [
   { id: "alpha", watchHistory: { watchedAt: 1_700_000_000_500 } },
   { id: "bravo", watchHistory: { watchedAt: 1_700_000_010_000 } },