diff --git a/js/search/searchFilters.js b/js/search/searchFilters.js
index d0dc4474..e75a9bc5 100644
--- a/js/search/searchFilters.js
+++ b/js/search/searchFilters.js
@@ -1,3 +1,32 @@
+import { safeDecodeNpub } from "../utils/nostrHelpers.js";
+
+const HEX64 = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/;
+
+// Authors arrive as npubs (what users actually have) or hex, but videos carry
+// HEX pubkeys — without decoding, npub authors silently matched nothing.
+// Undecodable values are dropped (returned in `dropped` for error surfaces).
+export function normalizeAuthorValues(values, { decodeNpub = safeDecodeNpub } = {}) {
+  const normalized = [];
+  const dropped = [];
+  for (const raw of Array.isArray(values) ? values : []) {
+    const value = typeof raw === "string" ? raw.trim() : "";
+    if (!value) continue;
+    if (HEX64.test(value.toLowerCase())) {
+      normalized.push(value.toLowerCase());
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (value.toLowerCase().startsWith("npub1")) {
+      const hex = typeof decodeNpub === "function" ? decodeNpub(value) : null;
+      if (hex && HEX64.test(hex.toLowerCase())) {
+        normalized.push(hex.toLowerCase());
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+    dropped.push(value);
+  }
+  return { normalized, dropped };
+}
+
 const DATE_FORMAT_OPTIONS = {
   year: "numeric",
   month: "2-digit",
@@ -176,7 +205,13 @@ export function parseFilterQuery(inputString = "") {
           errors.push({ token, message: "Author value is empty." });
           break;
         }
-        filters.authorPubkeys.push(...values);
+        {
+          const { normalized, dropped } = normalizeAuthorValues(values);
+          filters.authorPubkeys.push(...normalized);
+          for (const value of dropped) {
+            errors.push({ token, message: `Could not decode author "${value}".` });
+          }
+        }
         break;
       }
       case "tag": {
diff --git a/js/ui/components/SearchFilterModal.js b/js/ui/components/SearchFilterModal.js
index 5320a072..ccf0163a 100644
--- a/js/ui/components/SearchFilterModal.js
+++ b/js/ui/components/SearchFilterModal.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   buildSearchHashFromState,
   resetSearchFilters,
 } from "../../search/searchFilterState.js";
-import { DEFAULT_FILTERS } from "../../search/searchFilters.js";
+import { DEFAULT_FILTERS, normalizeAuthorValues } from "../../search/searchFilters.js";
 import { setHashView } from "../../hashView.js";
 import { ALLOW_NSFW_CONTENT } from "../../config.js";
 
@@ -349,8 +349,9 @@ function applyFilters() {
   filters.sort = sortSelect.value;
 
   // Author
-  const authors = authorInput.value.split(/[, ]+/).map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
-  filters.authorPubkeys = authors;
+  const rawAuthors = authorInput.value.split(/[, ]+/).map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  // Decode npubs to hex — videos carry hex pubkeys, so raw npubs matched nothing.
+  filters.authorPubkeys = normalizeAuthorValues(rawAuthors).normalized;
 
   // Tags
   const selectedTags = new Set();
diff --git a/tests/search-filters.test.mjs b/tests/search-filters.test.mjs
index d11cb34d..586d114d 100644
--- a/tests/search-filters.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/search-filters.test.mjs
@@ -116,3 +116,45 @@ test("sort: trending weights views by recency", () => {
   );
   assert.deepEqual(ranked, ["fresh-riser", "old-hit"]);
 });
+
+// Author values arrive as npubs but videos carry hex pubkeys — without decoding,
+// npub authors silently matched nothing (the "wired but wrong" filter).
+//
+// test_integrity_note:
+//   change_type: ["new_tests"]
+//   scenarios:
+//     - id: SCN-search-author-npub
+//       given: "author values as npub / hex / garbage"
+//       when: "normalizeAuthorValues runs (with an injected decoder)"
+//       then: "npubs decode to hex, hex passes through lowercased, garbage is dropped with errors"
+//   observable_outcomes:
+//     - "npub -> decoded hex; HEX passthrough lowercased; undecodable -> dropped"
+//     - "parser author: token emits decode errors for garbage"
+//   determinism_controls:
+//     - "injected decodeNpub stub (no window.NostrTools dependency)"
+//   anti_cheat_rationale:
+//     prevents: ["hard-coded return value"]
+//   relaxation:
+//     did_relax_any_assertion: false
+
+test("normalizeAuthorValues decodes npubs, passes hex, drops garbage", async () => {
+  const { normalizeAuthorValues } = await import("../js/search/searchFilters.js");
+  const HEX = "a".repeat(64);
+  const decodeNpub = (v) => (v === "npub1good" ? HEX : null);
+
+  const { normalized, dropped } = normalizeAuthorValues(
+    ["npub1good", "B".repeat(64), "npub1bad", "garbage"],
+    { decodeNpub },
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(normalized, [HEX, "b".repeat(64)]);
+  assert.deepEqual(dropped, ["npub1bad", "garbage"]);
+});
+
+test("author: token with hex passes into filters; garbage surfaces as an error", () => {
+  const HEX = "c".repeat(64);
+  const good = parseFilterQuery(`author:${HEX}`);
+  assert.deepEqual(good.filters.authorPubkeys, [HEX]);
+  const bad = parseFilterQuery("author:not-a-key");
+  assert.equal(bad.filters.authorPubkeys.length, 0);
+  assert.ok(bad.errors.some((e) => /decode author/i.test(e.message)));
+});