diff --git a/js/services/hashtagPreferencesService.js b/js/services/hashtagPreferencesService.js
index 202336b7..5ebbbba1 100644
--- a/js/services/hashtagPreferencesService.js
+++ b/js/services/hashtagPreferencesService.js
@@ -1298,7 +1298,20 @@ class HashtagPreferencesService {
       s === "nip44" || s === "nip44_v2" ? "nip44" : s;
     const seenFamilies = new Set();
     const attemptSchemes = [];
-    const attempts = order
+    // Route by ciphertext format: only the family matching the payload can
+    // decrypt it (NIP-04 carries "?iv="; otherwise NIP-44). Racing the other
+    // family is wasted work — and under a NIP-46 remote signer it's a wasted
+    // PUBLISHED relay RPC that floods the relay ("rate-limited") and stalls
+    // decryption. Restrict the probe to the matching family.
+    const formatFamily =
+      typeof ciphertext === "string" && ciphertext.includes("?iv=")
+        ? "nip04"
+        : "nip44";
+    const matchingOrder = order.filter(
+      (scheme) => getSchemeFamily(scheme) === formatFamily,
+    );
+    const probeOrder = matchingOrder.length ? matchingOrder : order;
+    const attempts = probeOrder
       .map((scheme) => {
         const family = getSchemeFamily(scheme);
         if (seenFamilies.has(family)) return null;
diff --git a/js/subscriptions.js b/js/subscriptions.js
index b4f1b4a6..5007883d 100644
--- a/js/subscriptions.js
+++ b/js/subscriptions.js
@@ -1386,7 +1386,20 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
       s === "nip44" || s === "nip44_v2" ? "nip44" : s;
     const seenFamilies = new Set();
     const attemptSchemes = [];
-    const attempts = order
+    // Route by ciphertext format: only the family matching the payload can
+    // decrypt it (NIP-04 carries "?iv="; otherwise NIP-44). Racing the other
+    // family is wasted work — and under a NIP-46 remote signer it's a wasted
+    // PUBLISHED relay RPC that floods the relay ("rate-limited") and stalls
+    // decryption. Restrict the probe to the matching family.
+    const formatFamily =
+      typeof ciphertext === "string" && ciphertext.includes("?iv=")
+        ? "nip04"
+        : "nip44";
+    const matchingOrder = order.filter(
+      (scheme) => getSchemeFamily(scheme) === formatFamily,
+    );
+    const probeOrder = matchingOrder.length ? matchingOrder : order;
+    const attempts = probeOrder
       .map((scheme) => {
         const family = getSchemeFamily(scheme);
         if (seenFamilies.has(family)) return null;
diff --git a/js/userBlocks.js b/js/userBlocks.js
index 80dc11f1..35cbbbfc 100644
--- a/js/userBlocks.js
+++ b/js/userBlocks.js
@@ -1473,8 +1473,23 @@ class UserBlockListManager {
             try {
               const getSchemeFamily = (s) =>
                 s === "nip44" || s === "nip44_v2" ? "nip44" : s;
+              // Route by ciphertext format: a NIP-04 payload carries the "?iv="
+              // marker and can ONLY be decrypted by nip04; everything else is
+              // nip44. Racing the non-matching family is wasted work — and under
+              // a NIP-46 remote signer each attempt is a separately PUBLISHED
+              // relay RPC, so racing both families floods the relay
+              // ("rate-limited: noting too much") and stalls decryption. Restrict
+              // the probe to the matching family (fall back to all if unknown).
+              const formatFamily =
+                typeof ev.content === "string" && ev.content.includes("?iv=")
+                  ? "nip04"
+                  : "nip44";
+              const matchingOrder = order.filter(
+                (scheme) => getSchemeFamily(scheme) === formatFamily,
+              );
+              const probeOrder = matchingOrder.length ? matchingOrder : order;
               const seenFamilies = new Set();
-              const attempts = order
+              const attempts = probeOrder
                 .map((scheme) => {
                   const family = getSchemeFamily(scheme);
                   if (seenFamilies.has(family)) return null;
diff --git a/tests/hashtag-preferences.test.mjs b/tests/hashtag-preferences.test.mjs
index e1a12dee..0158911c 100644
--- a/tests/hashtag-preferences.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/hashtag-preferences.test.mjs
@@ -180,8 +180,17 @@ test(
   },
 );
 
+// Spec correction (was "load retries decryptors when hinted scheme fails"):
+// the old test stubbed an impossible scenario — the SAME ciphertext decrypting
+// under nip04 after nip44 "failed". A real NIP-04 payload (carrying "?iv=") can
+// only be decrypted by nip04, and a NIP-44 payload only by nip44, so the other
+// family never succeeds on a given ciphertext. Decryption now routes by the
+// ciphertext format and does NOT race the non-matching family — which also
+// avoids a wasted published RPC under a NIP-46 remote signer. This asserts the
+// real contract: the ciphertext format wins even over a misleading `encrypted`
+// tag, and only the matching decryptor is invoked.
 test(
-  "load retries decryptors when hinted scheme fails",
+  "load routes decryption by ciphertext format (ignores a misleading tag)",
   { concurrency: false },
   async () => {
     const pubkey = "d".repeat(64);
@@ -190,7 +199,7 @@ test(
     setActiveSigner({
       nip44Decrypt: async () => {
         attempts.push("nip44");
-        throw new Error("nip44 failed");
+        throw new Error("nip44 must not be attempted for a nip04 (?iv=) payload");
       },
       nip04Decrypt: async () => {
         attempts.push("nip04");
@@ -209,8 +218,9 @@ test(
             id: "evt-retry",
             created_at: 300,
             pubkey,
-            content: "cipher", // never decrypted successfully by nip44
-            tags: [["encrypted", "nip44 nip04"]],
+            // NIP-04 ciphertext format ("?iv=") but a misleading "nip44" tag.
+            content: "deadbeefdeadbeef?iv=cafebabecafebabe",
+            tags: [["encrypted", "nip44"]],
           },
         ];
       },
@@ -221,7 +231,9 @@ test(
 
     await hashtagPreferences.load(pubkey);
 
-    assert.deepEqual(attempts, ["nip44", "nip04"]);
+    // Only nip04 is tried — the "?iv=" format overrides the misleading tag, and
+    // nip44 is never invoked (no wasted attempt / wasted NIP-46 RPC).
+    assert.deepEqual(attempts, ["nip04"]);
     assert.deepEqual(hashtagPreferences.getInterests(), ["retry"]);
     assert.deepEqual(hashtagPreferences.getDisinterests(), []);
   },