diff --git a/js/nostr.js b/js/nostr.js
index 419a989e..9f5827a3 100644
--- a/js/nostr.js
+++ b/js/nostr.js
@@ -2315,6 +2315,22 @@ class NostrClient {
       return key && !skippedKeys.has(key);
     });
 
+    const baselineEntry =
+      existingEntry || this.watchHistoryCache.get(normalizedActor) || null;
+
+    const persistSnapshotToCache = () => {
+      const pointerForCache = baselineEntry?.pointerEvent || null;
+      const entry = this.createWatchHistoryEntry(
+        pointerForCache,
+        persistedItems,
+        Date.now(),
+        baselineEntry
+      );
+      this.watchHistoryCache.set(normalizedActor, entry);
+      this.persistWatchHistoryEntry(normalizedActor, entry);
+      return entry;
+    };
+
     if (chunkInfo.skipped?.length && isDevMode) {
       console.warn(
         `[nostr] Skipped ${chunkInfo.skipped.length} oversized watch history entries while chunking.`
@@ -2333,6 +2349,24 @@ class NostrClient {
       typeof window.nostr.signEvent === "function";
 
     if (!useExtension) {
+      if (
+        normalizedActorLower === normalizedLogged &&
+        (!window?.nostr || typeof window.nostr.signEvent !== "function")
+      ) {
+        const cachedEntry = persistSnapshotToCache();
+        if (allowRetry && persistedItems.length) {
+          this.scheduleWatchHistoryRepublish(normalizedActor, persistedItems);
+        }
+        return {
+          ok: false,
+          error: "signing-unavailable",
+          snapshot: snapshotId,
+          items: cachedEntry.items
+            .map((item) => clonePointerItem(item))
+            .filter(Boolean),
+        };
+      }
+
       try {
         if (!this.sessionActor || this.sessionActor.pubkey !== normalizedActor) {
           await this.ensureSessionActor(true);
@@ -2549,9 +2583,6 @@ class NostrClient {
       this.scheduleWatchHistoryRepublish(normalizedActor, persistedItems);
     }
 
-    const baselineEntry =
-      existingEntry || this.watchHistoryCache.get(normalizedActor) || null;
-
     const pointerEvent =
       signedIndexEvent ||
       chunkResults.find((chunk) => chunk.success)?.event ||
diff --git a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
index 7198d55f..77f0f3ce 100644
--- a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
@@ -507,6 +507,96 @@ assert.deepEqual(
   "republish scheduler should receive the remaining items"
 );
 
+const LOGGED_ACTOR = `${ACTOR}-logged`;
+const {
+  client: noSignerClient,
+  publishedEvents: noSignerPublishedEvents,
+  scheduledRepublishes: noSignerRepublishes,
+  persistedEntries: noSignerPersistedEntries,
+} = createPublishingClient(LOGGED_ACTOR);
+
+noSignerClient.pubkey = LOGGED_ACTOR;
+
+const noSignerItems = [
+  {
+    type: "e",
+    value: `${LOGGED_ACTOR}-event`,
+    watchedAt: baseWatchedAt + 123,
+  },
+  {
+    type: "a",
+    value: `30078:${LOGGED_ACTOR}:history`,
+    watchedAt: baseWatchedAt + 456,
+  },
+];
+
+const noSignerResult = await noSignerClient.publishWatchHistorySnapshot(
+  LOGGED_ACTOR,
+  noSignerItems
+);
+
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerResult.ok,
+  false,
+  "logged actor without signer should report failure"
+);
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerResult.error,
+  "signing-unavailable",
+  "missing signer failure should flag availability"
+);
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerPublishedEvents.length,
+  0,
+  "no events should publish when signer unavailable"
+);
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerRepublishes.length,
+  1,
+  "missing signer should schedule a retry"
+);
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerRepublishes[0].actor,
+  LOGGED_ACTOR,
+  "retry should target the logged actor"
+);
+
+const cachedLoggedEntry = noSignerClient.watchHistoryCache.get(LOGGED_ACTOR);
+assert(cachedLoggedEntry, "missing signer should keep snapshot cached");
+assert.equal(
+  cachedLoggedEntry.items.length,
+  noSignerItems.length,
+  "cached entry should retain merged items"
+);
+assert.equal(
+  noSignerPersistedEntries.length,
+  1,
+  "missing signer should persist cached payload"
+);
+assert.deepEqual(
+  cachedLoggedEntry.items.map((item) => ({
+    type: item.type,
+    value: item.value,
+  })),
+  noSignerResult.items.map((item) => ({
+    type: item.type,
+    value: item.value,
+  })),
+  "returned items should mirror cached payload"
+);
+
+const scheduledLoggedKeys = new Set(
+  noSignerRepublishes[0].items.map((item) => `${item.type}:${item.value}`)
+);
+const cachedLoggedKeys = new Set(
+  cachedLoggedEntry.items.map((item) => `${item.type}:${item.value}`)
+);
+assert.deepEqual(
+  scheduledLoggedKeys,
+  cachedLoggedKeys,
+  "scheduled retry should include cached items"
+);
+
 const NO_SEEN_ACTOR = `${ACTOR}-no-seen`;
 const {
   client: noSeenClient,