diff --git a/internal/protocol/protocol.go b/internal/protocol/protocol.go
index 093f7dc..535d6f9 100644
--- a/internal/protocol/protocol.go
+++ b/internal/protocol/protocol.go
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ type Metadata struct {
 // ChannelInfo describes a single feed channel.
 type ChannelInfo struct {
 	Name        string
+	DisplayName string   // human-readable title; empty means fall back to Name
 	Blocks      uint16
 	LastMsgID   uint32
 	ContentHash uint32   // CRC32 of serialized message data; changes on edits
@@ -104,12 +105,16 @@ func ContentHashOf(msgs []Message) uint32 {
 
 // SerializeMetadata encodes metadata into bytes for channel 0 blocks.
 // Format: marker(3) + timestamp(4) + nextFetch(4) + flags(1) + channelCount(2) + per-channel data
-// Per-channel: nameLen(1) + name + blocks(2) + lastMsgID(4) + contentHash(4) + chatType(1) + flags(1)
+// Per-channel: nameLen(1) + name + blocks(2) + lastMsgID(4) + contentHash(4) + chatType(1) + flags(1) + displayNameLen(1) + displayName
 func SerializeMetadata(m *Metadata) []byte {
 	// 3 marker + 4 timestamp + 4 nextFetch + 1 flags + 2 channel count + per-channel data
 	size := MarkerSize + 4 + 4 + 1 + 2
 	for _, ch := range m.Channels {
-		size += 1 + len(ch.Name) + 2 + 4 + 4 + 1 + 1 // +4 for contentHash
+		dn := ch.DisplayName
+		if len(dn) > 255 {
+			dn = dn[:255]
+		}
+		size += 1 + len(ch.Name) + 2 + 4 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + len(dn)
 	}
 	buf := make([]byte, size)
 	off := 0
@@ -156,6 +161,14 @@ func SerializeMetadata(m *Metadata) []byte {
 		}
 		buf[off] = chFlags
 		off++
+		dnBytes := []byte(ch.DisplayName)
+		if len(dnBytes) > 255 {
+			dnBytes = dnBytes[:255]
+		}
+		buf[off] = byte(len(dnBytes))
+		off++
+		copy(buf[off:], dnBytes)
+		off += len(dnBytes)
 	}
 
 	return buf
@@ -213,8 +226,19 @@ func ParseMetadata(data []byte) (*Metadata, error) {
 		chFlags := data[off]
 		off++
 
+		var displayName string
+		if off < len(data) {
+			dnLen := int(data[off])
+			off++
+			if off+dnLen <= len(data) {
+				displayName = string(data[off : off+dnLen])
+				off += dnLen
+			}
+		}
+
 		m.Channels = append(m.Channels, ChannelInfo{
 			Name:        name,
+			DisplayName: displayName,
 			Blocks:      blocks,
 			LastMsgID:   lastID,
 			ContentHash: contentHash,
diff --git a/internal/server/feed.go b/internal/server/feed.go
index 614f634..74a8449 100644
--- a/internal/server/feed.go
+++ b/internal/server/feed.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type Feed struct {
 	mu               sync.RWMutex
 	marker           [protocol.MarkerSize]byte
 	channels         []string
+	displayNames     map[int]string
 	blocks           map[int][][]byte
 	lastIDs          map[int]uint32
 	contentHashes    map[int]uint32
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ type Feed struct {
 func NewFeed(channels []string) *Feed {
 	f := &Feed{
 		channels:      channels,
+		displayNames:  make(map[int]string),
 		blocks:        make(map[int][][]byte),
 		lastIDs:       make(map[int]uint32),
 		contentHashes: make(map[int]uint32),
@@ -135,6 +137,7 @@ func (f *Feed) rebuildMetaBlocks() {
 		}
 		meta.Channels = append(meta.Channels, protocol.ChannelInfo{
 			Name:        name,
+			DisplayName: f.displayNames[chNum],
 			Blocks:      blockCount,
 			LastMsgID:   f.lastIDs[chNum],
 			ContentHash: f.contentHashes[chNum],
@@ -211,19 +214,20 @@ func (f *Feed) SetChannels(channels []string) {
 	f.rebuildMetaBlocks()
 }
 
-// SetChannelDisplayName updates the display name for a specific channel number (1-indexed).
-// This allows replacing the raw handle (e.g. "networkti") with the channel's
-// actual title (e.g. "Sarto") after it has been fetched.
+// SetChannelDisplayName stores a human-readable title for a channel (1-indexed).
+// It never mutates the handle in f.channels, which remains the stable identifier.
 func (f *Feed) SetChannelDisplayName(channelNum int, displayName string) {
+	if displayName == "" {
+		return
+	}
 	f.mu.Lock()
 	defer f.mu.Unlock()
-	idx := channelNum - 1
-	if idx < 0 || idx >= len(f.channels) {
+	if channelNum < 1 || channelNum > len(f.channels) {
 		return
 	}
-	if displayName == "" || f.channels[idx] == displayName {
+	if f.displayNames[channelNum] == displayName {
 		return
 	}
-	f.channels[idx] = displayName
+	f.displayNames[channelNum] = displayName
 	f.rebuildMetaBlocks()
 }
diff --git a/internal/server/public.go b/internal/server/public.go
index 0b79810..413bcc9 100644
--- a/internal/server/public.go
+++ b/internal/server/public.go
@@ -144,9 +144,7 @@ func (pr *PublicReader) fetchAll(ctx context.Context) {
 
 		pr.feed.UpdateChannel(chNum, msgs)
 		pr.feed.SetChatInfo(chNum, protocol.ChatTypeChannel, false)
-		if title != "" {
-			pr.feed.SetChannelDisplayName(chNum, title)
-		}
+		pr.feed.SetChannelDisplayName(chNum, title)
 		fetched++
 		log.Printf("[public] updated %s (%s): %d messages", username, title, len(msgs))
 	}
@@ -178,12 +176,10 @@ func (pr *PublicReader) fetchChannel(ctx context.Context, username string) ([]pr
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
-	title := extractChannelTitle(body)
-	return msgs, title, nil
+	return msgs, extractChannelTitle(body), nil
 }
 
 // extractChannelTitle parses the channel display name from the Telegram public page.
-// It looks for <div class="tgme_channel_info_header_title"><span>Title</span></div>.
 func extractChannelTitle(body []byte) string {
 	doc, err := html.Parse(strings.NewReader(string(body)))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/server/telegram.go b/internal/server/telegram.go
index ed1d476..48b793d 100644
--- a/internal/server/telegram.go
+++ b/internal/server/telegram.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ type resolvedPeer struct {
 	peer     tg.InputPeerClass
 	chatType protocol.ChatType
 	canSend  bool
+	title    string
 }
 
 type cachedMessages struct {
@@ -267,8 +268,9 @@ func (tr *TelegramReader) fetchAll(ctx context.Context, api *tg.Client) {
 		// Update feed with messages and chat type info
 		tr.feed.UpdateChannel(chNum, msgs)
 		tr.feed.SetChatInfo(chNum, rp.chatType, rp.canSend)
+		tr.feed.SetChannelDisplayName(chNum, rp.title)
 		fetched++
-		log.Printf("[telegram] updated %s: %d messages (type=%d, canSend=%v)", username, len(msgs), rp.chatType, rp.canSend)
+		log.Printf("[telegram] updated %s (%s): %d messages (type=%d, canSend=%v)", username, rp.title, len(msgs), rp.chatType, rp.canSend)
 	}
 	log.Printf("[telegram] fetch cycle done in %s: %d fetched, %d failed, %d total", time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), fetched, failed, len(tr.channels))
 }
@@ -294,6 +296,7 @@ func (tr *TelegramReader) resolvePeer(ctx context.Context, api *tg.Client, usern
 				},
 				chatType: protocol.ChatTypeChannel,
 				canSend:  canSend,
+				title:    ch.Title,
 			}, nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -308,6 +311,7 @@ func (tr *TelegramReader) resolvePeer(ctx context.Context, api *tg.Client, usern
 				},
 				chatType: protocol.ChatTypePrivate,
 				canSend:  true,
+				title:    user.FirstName,
 			}, nil
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/web/static/index.html b/internal/web/static/index.html
index 2a07cce..4ef35a0 100644
--- a/internal/web/static/index.html
+++ b/internal/web/static/index.html
@@ -3085,7 +3085,8 @@
         var needsFullRebuild = false;
         for (var ci = 0; ci < channels.length; ci++) {
           var ch = channels[ci], nm = ch.Name || ch.name || 'Channel ' + (ci + 1);
-          if (existingItems[ci].dataset.name !== nm) { needsFullRebuild = true; break }
+          var lbl = ch.DisplayName || ch.displayName || nm;
+          if (existingItems[ci].dataset.name !== nm || existingItems[ci].dataset.label !== lbl) { needsFullRebuild = true; break }
         }
         if (!needsFullRebuild) {
           for (var ui = 0; ui < channels.length; ui++) {
@@ -3113,21 +3114,22 @@
         if (title) h += '<div class="channel-section-title">' + esc(title) + '</div>';
         for (var j = 0; j < items.length; j++) {
           var e = items[j], num2 = e.idx + 1;
-          var name = e.ch.Name || e.ch.name || 'Channel ' + num2;
+          var handle = e.ch.Name || e.ch.name || 'Channel ' + num2;
+          var label = e.ch.DisplayName || e.ch.displayName || handle;
           var ct2 = e.ch.ChatType || e.ch.chatType || 0;
           var isPriv = e.ch.ChatType === 1 || e.ch.chatType === 1;
           var isX = ct2 === 2;
-          var avatarName = name;
-          if (isX && avatarName.toLowerCase().indexOf('x/') === 0) avatarName = avatarName.substring(2);
+          var avatarName = label;
+          if (isX && handle.toLowerCase().indexOf('x/') === 0) avatarName = handle.substring(2);
           if (avatarName.charAt(0) === '@') avatarName = avatarName.substring(1);
           var avatarText = (avatarName || '?').charAt(0).toUpperCase();
           var active = num2 === selectedChannel ? ' active' : '';
           var lastID = e.ch.LastMsgID || e.ch.lastMsgID || 0;
           var chNm2 = e.ch.Name || e.ch.name || '';
           var badge = (previousMsgIDs[chNm2] > 0 && lastID > previousMsgIDs[chNm2] && num2 !== selectedChannel) ? '<span class="ch-badge">NEW</span>' : '';
-          h += '<div class="ch-item' + active + '" data-name="' + escAttr(name) + '" onclick="selectChannel(' + num2 + ')">';
+          h += '<div class="ch-item' + active + '" data-name="' + escAttr(handle) + '" data-label="' + escAttr(label) + '" onclick="selectChannel(' + num2 + ')">';
           h += '<div class="ch-avatar">' + esc(avatarText) + '</div>';
-          h += '<div class="ch-info"><div class="ch-name">' + esc(name) + (isPriv ? '<span class="ch-type-tag">' + t('private') + '</span>' : (isX ? '<span class="ch-type-tag x-tag">' + t('x_label') + '</span>' : '')) + '</div>';
+          h += '<div class="ch-info"><div class="ch-name">' + esc(label) + (isPriv ? '<span class="ch-type-tag">' + t('private') + '</span>' : (isX ? '<span class="ch-type-tag x-tag">' + t('x_label') + '</span>' : '')) + '</div>';
           h += '<div class="ch-preview">' + badge + '</div></div></div>';
         }
         return h;
@@ -3154,7 +3156,7 @@
       currentMaxTimestamp = 0;
       newMsgScrollDone = false;
       openChat();
-      var ch = channels[num - 1]; var name = (ch && (ch.Name || ch.name)) || 'Channel ' + num;
+      var ch = channels[num - 1]; var name = (ch && (ch.DisplayName || ch.displayName || ch.Name || ch.name)) || 'Channel ' + num;
       document.getElementById('chatName').textContent = name;
       renderChannels(); updateSendPanel();
       document.getElementById('messages').innerHTML = '<div class="empty-state"><p>' + t('loading') + '</p></div>';