diff --git a/js/app.js b/js/app.js
index adf62dd1..08d52500 100644
--- a/js/app.js
+++ b/js/app.js
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ import ProfileModalController from "./ui/profileModalController.js";
 import ZapController from "./ui/zapController.js";
 import { MediaLoader } from "./utils/mediaLoader.js";
 import { pointerArrayToKey } from "./utils/pointer.js";
+import { resolveVideoPointer } from "./utils/videoPointer.js";
 import { isValidMagnetUri } from "./utils/magnetValidators.js";
 import { dedupeToNewestByRoot } from "./utils/videoDeduper.js";
 import {
@@ -1309,34 +1310,14 @@ class Application {
     }
 
     const dTagValue = (this.extractDTagValue(video.tags) || "").trim();
-    const normalizedPubkey =
-      typeof video.pubkey === "string" ? video.pubkey.trim() : "";
-    const kind =
-      typeof video.kind === "number" && Number.isFinite(video.kind)
-        ? video.kind
-        : VIDEO_EVENT_KIND;
 
-    if (dTagValue && normalizedPubkey) {
-      const pointer = ["a", `${kind}:${normalizedPubkey}:${dTagValue}`];
-      const key = pointerArrayToKey(pointer);
-      if (key) {
-        return { pointer, key };
-      }
-    }
-
-    const fallbackId =
-      typeof video.id === "string" && video.id.trim()
-        ? video.id.trim()
-        : "";
-    if (fallbackId) {
-      const pointer = ["e", fallbackId];
-      const key = pointerArrayToKey(pointer);
-      if (key) {
-        return { pointer, key };
-      }
-    }
-
-    return null;
+    return resolveVideoPointer({
+      kind: video.kind,
+      pubkey: video.pubkey,
+      videoRootId: video.videoRootId,
+      dTag: dTagValue,
+      fallbackEventId: video.id,
+    });
   }
 
   formatViewCountLabel(total) {
@@ -6257,50 +6238,16 @@ class Application {
     };
 
     const dTagValue = (this.extractDTagValue(video.tags) || "").trim();
-    const normalizedPubkey =
-      typeof video.pubkey === "string" ? video.pubkey.trim() : "";
-    const primaryPointer =
-      dTagValue && normalizedPubkey
-        ? [
-            "a",
-            `${
-              typeof video.kind === "number" && Number.isFinite(video.kind)
-                ? video.kind
-                : 30078
-            }:${normalizedPubkey}:${dTagValue}`,
-          ]
-        : null;
-    const fallbackId =
-      typeof (video.id || eventId) === "string"
-        ? (video.id || eventId).trim()
-        : "";
-    const fallbackPointer = fallbackId ? ["e", fallbackId] : null;
+    const pointerInfo = resolveVideoPointer({
+      kind: video.kind,
+      pubkey: video.pubkey,
+      videoRootId: video.videoRootId,
+      dTag: dTagValue,
+      fallbackEventId: video.id || eventId,
+    });
 
-    let resolvedPointer = null;
-    let resolvedPointerKey = "";
-    const pointerCandidates = [];
-    if (primaryPointer) {
-      pointerCandidates.push(primaryPointer);
-    }
-    if (fallbackPointer) {
-      pointerCandidates.push(fallbackPointer);
-    }
-
-    for (const candidate of pointerCandidates) {
-      const key = pointerArrayToKey(candidate);
-      if (key) {
-        resolvedPointer = candidate;
-        resolvedPointerKey = key;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-
-    this.currentVideoPointer = resolvedPointer && resolvedPointerKey
-      ? resolvedPointer
-      : null;
-    this.currentVideoPointerKey = this.currentVideoPointer
-      ? resolvedPointerKey
-      : null;
+    this.currentVideoPointer = pointerInfo?.pointer || null;
+    this.currentVideoPointerKey = pointerInfo?.key || null;
 
     if (this.currentVideo) {
       this.currentVideo.pointer = this.currentVideoPointer;
diff --git a/js/utils/videoPointer.js b/js/utils/videoPointer.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35193e92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/utils/videoPointer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// js/utils/videoPointer.js
+
+import { pointerArrayToKey } from "./pointer.js";
+
+const DEFAULT_VIDEO_KIND = 30078;
+
+function normalizeString(value) {
+  return typeof value === "string" ? value.trim() : "";
+}
+
+export function resolveVideoPointer({
+  kind,
+  pubkey,
+  videoRootId,
+  dTag,
+  fallbackEventId,
+} = {}) {
+  const normalizedPubkey = normalizeString(pubkey).toLowerCase();
+  const normalizedKind =
+    typeof kind === "number" && Number.isFinite(kind) ? kind : DEFAULT_VIDEO_KIND;
+  const pointerCandidates = [];
+
+  const rootId = normalizeString(videoRootId);
+  if (rootId && normalizedPubkey) {
+    pointerCandidates.push(["a", `${normalizedKind}:${normalizedPubkey}:${rootId}`]);
+  }
+
+  const normalizedDTag = normalizeString(dTag);
+  if (normalizedDTag && normalizedPubkey) {
+    pointerCandidates.push([
+      "a",
+      `${normalizedKind}:${normalizedPubkey}:${normalizedDTag}`,
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  const fallbackId = normalizeString(fallbackEventId);
+  if (fallbackId) {
+    pointerCandidates.push(["e", fallbackId]);
+  }
+
+  for (const pointer of pointerCandidates) {
+    const key = pointerArrayToKey(pointer);
+    if (key) {
+      return { pointer, key };
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+export default resolveVideoPointer;
diff --git a/tests/view-counter.test.mjs b/tests/view-counter.test.mjs
index ac78e4a4..a797e44d 100644
--- a/tests/view-counter.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/view-counter.test.mjs
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ if (!globalThis.window.NostrTools) {
   globalThis.window.NostrTools = {};
 }
 
+if (typeof globalThis.window.NostrTools.getEventHash !== "function") {
+  globalThis.window.NostrTools.getEventHash = () => "test-event-hash";
+}
+
+if (typeof globalThis.window.NostrTools.signEvent !== "function") {
+  globalThis.window.NostrTools.signEvent = () => "test-event-sig";
+}
+
 setNostrEventSchemaOverrides({});
 
 const canonicalViewEvent = buildViewEvent({
@@ -275,11 +283,79 @@ const {
   unsubscribeFromVideoViewCount,
   ingestLocalViewEvent,
 } = await import("../js/viewCounter.js");
+const { resolveVideoPointer } = await import("../js/utils/videoPointer.js");
 
 initViewCounter({ nostrClient });
 
 const flushPromises = () => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
 
+function testPointerPrefersVideoRootId() {
+  const info = resolveVideoPointer({
+    pubkey: "ABCDEF1234",
+    videoRootId: "ROOT-POINTER",
+    dTag: "legacy-d-tag",
+    fallbackEventId: "event-fallback",
+    kind: 30078,
+  });
+
+  assert.ok(info, "expected pointer info for root-backed video");
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    info.pointer,
+    ["a", "30078:abcdef1234:ROOT-POINTER"],
+    "videos with a videoRootId should resolve to the root pointer"
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    info.key,
+    "a:30078:abcdef1234:root-pointer",
+    "root pointer key should be normalized for view counter lookups"
+  );
+}
+
+function testPointerFallsBackToDTag() {
+  const info = resolveVideoPointer({
+    pubkey: "ABCDEF1234",
+    dTag: "legacy-pointer",
+    fallbackEventId: "event-fallback",
+    kind: 30078,
+  });
+
+  assert.ok(info, "expected pointer info when only d-tag is present");
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    info.pointer,
+    ["a", "30078:abcdef1234:legacy-pointer"],
+    "videos without a root should fall back to the d-tag pointer"
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    info.key,
+    "a:30078:abcdef1234:legacy-pointer",
+    "d-tag pointer key should match the normalized value"
+  );
+}
+
+function testPointerFallsBackToEventId() {
+  const info = resolveVideoPointer({
+    pubkey: "ABCDEF1234",
+    fallbackEventId: "legacy-event-id",
+    kind: 30078,
+  });
+
+  assert.ok(info, "expected pointer info when only event id is present");
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    info.pointer,
+    ["e", "legacy-event-id"],
+    "videos without root or d-tag should fall back to the event pointer"
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    info.key,
+    "e:legacy-event-id",
+    "event pointer key should normalize correctly"
+  );
+}
+
+testPointerPrefersVideoRootId();
+testPointerFallsBackToDTag();
+testPointerFallsBackToEventId();
+
 async function testDedupesWithinWindow() {
   localStorage.clear();
   harness.reset();