diff --git a/packages/server/src/routes/federation.ts b/packages/server/src/routes/federation.ts
index 3d3e9079..60357276 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/routes/federation.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/routes/federation.ts
@@ -2330,6 +2330,7 @@ export async function federationRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
             avatarColor: user.avatarColor,
             banner: user.banner,
             bio: user.bio,
+            status: user.status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null,
           },
         },
       });
@@ -2416,6 +2417,7 @@ export async function federationRoutes(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
             displayName: user.displayName,
             avatar: user.avatar,
             avatarColor: user.avatarColor,
+            status: user.status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null,
             banner: user.banner,
             bio: user.bio,
           },
@@ -3253,7 +3255,7 @@ export function resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(
   homeUserId: string,
   homeInstance: string,
   db: ReturnType<typeof getDb>,
-  hints?: { username?: string | null },
+  hints?: { username?: string | null; status?: 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null },
 ): typeof schema.users.$inferSelect | null {
   const existing = findFederatedUser(homeUserId, homeInstance, db, hints);
   if (existing) return backfillHomeUserId(existing, homeUserId, db);
@@ -3299,12 +3301,18 @@ export function resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(
   const userId = generateSnowflake();
   const now = Date.now();
 
+  // Seed status from the wire snapshot when available — without this, a
+  // freshly-created stub for an already-online remote sticks at 'offline'
+  // until the home next emits a presence transition (presence_update only
+  // fires on changes, not on stub creation). Falls back to 'offline'.
+  const initialStatus = hints?.status ?? 'offline';
+
   db.insert(schema.users).values({
     id: userId,
     username,
     displayName: null,
     passwordHash: '!federation-replicated',  // Cannot be used to log in (bcrypt never produces this)
-    status: 'offline',
+    status: initialStatus,
     isAdmin: 0,
     homeInstance: domain,  // Normalized to bare domain
     homeUserId,
@@ -3490,7 +3498,7 @@ async function processCreateEvent(
   }> = [];
 
   for (const p of event.participants) {
-    let localUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(p.homeUserId, p.homeInstance, db, { username: p.profile?.username });
+    let localUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(p.homeUserId, p.homeInstance, db, { username: p.profile?.username, status: p.profile?.status });
     // Skip deleted identities — don't include tombstoned users in the DM
     if (!localUser) continue;
     // Hydrate with profile data from the relay event (displayName, avatar, etc.)
@@ -4085,7 +4093,7 @@ function processMemberAddEvent(
     // Resolve owner — create a replicated stub if unknown
     let ownerId: string | null = null;
     if (event.group.owner) {
-      const ownerLocal = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(event.group.owner.homeUserId, event.group.owner.homeInstance, db, { username: event.group.owner.profile?.username });
+      const ownerLocal = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(event.group.owner.homeUserId, event.group.owner.homeInstance, db, { username: event.group.owner.profile?.username, status: event.group.owner.profile?.status });
       ownerId = ownerLocal?.id ?? null;
     }
 
@@ -4103,7 +4111,7 @@ function processMemberAddEvent(
     // Add all roster members — create replicated user stubs for any
     // participants from remote instances that haven't been seen before.
     for (const member of event.group.members) {
-      const rosterUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(member.homeUserId, member.homeInstance, db, { username: member.profile?.username });
+      const rosterUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(member.homeUserId, member.homeInstance, db, { username: member.profile?.username, status: member.profile?.status });
       // Skip deleted identities — tombstoned users can't be added to a DM
       if (!rosterUser) continue;
       const existing = db.select().from(schema.dmMembers)
@@ -4157,7 +4165,7 @@ function processMemberAddEvent(
     event.membership.user.homeUserId,
     event.membership.user.homeInstance,
     db,
-    { username: event.membership.user.profile?.username },
+    { username: event.membership.user.profile?.username, status: event.membership.user.profile?.status },
   );
   if (!localUser) {
     // The user's identity has been deleted — don't add a tombstoned user to the DM
@@ -4196,7 +4204,7 @@ function processMemberAddEvent(
   // would otherwise find the channel already present and fall through to the incremental path,
   // creating spurious system messages (the exact bug this fixes).
   const actorUser = event.membership.addedBy
-    ? resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(event.membership.addedBy.homeUserId, event.membership.addedBy.homeInstance, db, { username: event.membership.addedBy.profile?.username })
+    ? resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(event.membership.addedBy.homeUserId, event.membership.addedBy.homeInstance, db, { username: event.membership.addedBy.profile?.username, status: event.membership.addedBy.profile?.status })
     : null;
   const actorId = actorUser?.id ?? localUser.id;
   const addBaseName = localUser.username?.includes('@') ? localUser.username.split('@')[0] : (localUser.username ?? 'Unknown');
@@ -4487,7 +4495,7 @@ function processOwnershipTransferEvent(
     event.ownership.newOwner.homeUserId,
     event.ownership.newOwner.homeInstance,
     db,
-    { username: event.ownership.newOwner.profile?.username },
+    { username: event.ownership.newOwner.profile?.username, status: event.ownership.newOwner.profile?.status },
   );
   if (!newOwnerLocal) {
     rejected.push({ messageId: event.messageId, reason: 'participant_not_found' });
@@ -4646,7 +4654,7 @@ async function processFriendRequestCreateEvent(
   }
 
   // Resolve the sender (create stub if needed — they're on a remote instance)
-  const fromUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(from.homeUserId, from.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.fromProfile?.username });
+  const fromUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(from.homeUserId, from.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.fromProfile?.username, status: event.friendship.fromProfile?.status });
   if (!fromUserResolved) {
     // Sender's identity has been deleted — silently accept to drop the event
     accepted.push(event.messageId);
@@ -4764,7 +4772,7 @@ function processFriendRequestUpdateEvent(
   }
 
   // Resolve the recipient (create stub if needed — they're on the remote instance)
-  const toUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(to.homeUserId, to.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.toProfile?.username });
+  const toUser = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(to.homeUserId, to.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.toProfile?.username, status: event.friendship.toProfile?.status });
   if (!toUser) {
     // Recipient's identity has been deleted — accept idempotently to drop the event
     accepted.push(event.messageId);
@@ -4904,14 +4912,14 @@ async function processFriendAddEvent(
   }
 
   // Resolve both users (create stubs if needed) and hydrate with profile data
-  const fromUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(from.homeUserId, from.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.fromProfile?.username });
+  const fromUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(from.homeUserId, from.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.fromProfile?.username, status: event.friendship.fromProfile?.status });
   if (!fromUserResolved) {
     // One party's identity is deleted — accept idempotently to drop the event
     accepted.push(event.messageId);
     return;
   }
   let fromUser = await hydrateReplicatedUserProfile(fromUserResolved, event.friendship.fromProfile, db);
-  const toUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(to.homeUserId, to.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.toProfile?.username });
+  const toUserResolved = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(to.homeUserId, to.homeInstance, db, { username: event.friendship.toProfile?.username, status: event.friendship.toProfile?.status });
   if (!toUserResolved) {
     accepted.push(event.messageId);
     return;
diff --git a/packages/server/src/routes/social.ts b/packages/server/src/routes/social.ts
index 6244626d..39b07331 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/routes/social.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/routes/social.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ import type {
 import { sanitizeUser } from '../utils/sanitize.js';
 
 function buildProfileSnapshot(user: typeof schema.users.$inferSelect): FederationRelayProfileSnapshot {
+  // Only meaningful for native users (us). Replicated stubs carry stale status
+  // their home owns — emitting it would flap remote UIs on relay receipt.
+  const status = !user.homeInstance && user.status
+    ? (user.status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline')
+    : null;
   return {
     username: user.username ?? null,
     displayName: user.displayName ?? null,
@@ -28,6 +33,7 @@ function buildProfileSnapshot(user: typeof schema.users.$inferSelect): Federatio
     avatarColor: user.avatarColor ?? null,
     banner: user.banner ?? null,
     bio: user.bio ?? null,
+    status,
   };
 }
 
@@ -237,7 +243,7 @@ async function handleFederatedFriendRequest(
   }
 
   // 5. Resolve / hydrate stub
-  const stub = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(lookup.homeUserId, targetDomain, db, { username: lookup.username });
+  const stub = resolveOrCreateReplicatedUser(lookup.homeUserId, targetDomain, db, { username: lookup.username, status: lookup.profile.status });
   if (!stub) {
     // Tombstoned identity — refuse to resurrect.
     return reply.code(404).send({ error: 'user_not_found', statusCode: 404, domain: targetDomain, handle: baseName });
@@ -308,6 +314,7 @@ async function handleFederatedFriendRequest(
         avatarColor: lookup.profile.avatarColor,
         banner: lookup.profile.banner,
         bio: lookup.profile.bio,
+        status: lookup.profile.status ?? null,
       },
       status: 'pending',
       createdAt: now,
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/federationOutbox.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/federationOutbox.ts
index cac6f5cf..1b286b43 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/federationOutbox.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/federationOutbox.ts
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ export function getDmParticipants(dmChannelId: string): FederationRelayParticipa
       displayName: schema.users.displayName,
       avatar: schema.users.avatar,
       avatarColor: schema.users.avatarColor,
+      status: schema.users.status,
     })
     .from(schema.dmMembers)
     .innerJoin(schema.users, eq(schema.dmMembers.userId, schema.users.id))
@@ -362,6 +363,9 @@ export function getDmParticipants(dmChannelId: string): FederationRelayParticipa
       displayName: m.displayName ?? null,
       avatar: m.avatar ?? null,
       avatarColor: m.avatarColor ?? null,
+      // Only carry presence for native participants — replicated stubs hold
+      // stale status owned by their home; emitting it would flap remote UIs.
+      status: !m.homeInstance ? (m.status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null) : null,
     },
   }));
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/federationStubBackfill.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/federationStubBackfill.ts
index 288e864b..7d2c9466 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/federationStubBackfill.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/federationStubBackfill.ts
@@ -74,10 +74,17 @@ export async function backfillStubUsernamesForPeer(peerOrigin: string): Promise<
 
     // Fill displayName from result.profile if the stub has none, mirroring the
     // displayName ?? username fallback applied at hydrate / profile_update time.
-    const updates: { username: string; displayName?: string } = { username: newUsername };
+    const updates: { username: string; displayName?: string; status?: 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' } = { username: newUsername };
     if (!stub.displayName) {
       updates.displayName = result.profile.displayName ?? result.username;
     }
+    // Heal status too — same root issue (stub was seeded offline at creation
+    // because the wire snapshot pre-dated the status field). Only overwrite
+    // when the lookup tells us something specific; keep the stub's current
+    // value otherwise.
+    if (result.profile.status && result.profile.status !== stub.status) {
+      updates.status = result.profile.status;
+    }
 
     db.update(schema.users)
       .set(updates)
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types.ts b/packages/shared/src/types.ts
index 00e4666a..bb35d68d 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types.ts
@@ -967,6 +967,15 @@ export interface FederationRelayProfileSnapshot {
   avatarColor?: string | null;
   banner?: string | null;
   bio?: string | null;
+  // Current presence at the moment the snapshot was built. Optional for
+  // backwards compatibility with peers that pre-date the field. Receivers use
+  // this to seed the stub's status at creation time, so a freshly-friended
+  // remote user shows their actual current state instead of defaulting to
+  // 'offline' until the next presence_update arrives. presence_update is
+  // ephemeral and fires only on transitions, so without this field an
+  // already-online remote stays stuck at 'offline' on the receiver until they
+  // next change status.
+  status?: 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null;
 }
 
 export interface FederationProfileUpdatePayload {
@@ -1077,6 +1086,9 @@ export interface FederationUserLookupProfile {
   avatarColor: AvatarColor | null;
   banner: string | null;
   bio: string | null;
+  // Carried so the requester can seed the stub's status at creation time.
+  // Optional for backwards compat with peers that pre-date the field.
+  status?: 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' | null;
 }
 
 export type FederationUserLookupResponse =
diff --git a/packages/web/src/stores/spaceStore.ts b/packages/web/src/stores/spaceStore.ts
index cc66305d..2b6df0e2 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/stores/spaceStore.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/stores/spaceStore.ts
@@ -568,11 +568,29 @@ export const useSpaceStore = create<SpaceState>((set, get) => ({
   },
 
   updateMemberPresence: (userId: string, status: string) => {
-    set((state) => ({
-      members: state.members.map(m =>
-        m.userId === userId ? { ...m, user: { ...m.user, status: status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline' } } : m
-      ),
-    }));
+    set((state) => {
+      const typedStatus = status as 'online' | 'idle' | 'dnd' | 'offline';
+      // Mirror the status into the userViews cache so any component reading via
+      // useCanonicalUserView (e.g. the FriendItem avatar dot) re-renders with
+      // fresh status — not just spaceStore.members which only feeds space UIs.
+      // Match by user.id and user.homeUserId to catch both native rows and
+      // replicated stubs whose canonicalUserKey resolves to the canonical id.
+      let nextUserViews = state.userViews;
+      for (const [key, entry] of state.userViews) {
+        const u = entry.user;
+        if (u.id === userId || u.homeUserId === userId) {
+          if (nextUserViews === state.userViews) nextUserViews = new Map(state.userViews);
+          nextUserViews.set(key, { ...entry, user: { ...u, status: typedStatus } });
+        }
+      }
+
+      return {
+        members: state.members.map(m =>
+          m.userId === userId ? { ...m, user: { ...m.user, status: typedStatus } } : m
+        ),
+        userViews: nextUserViews,
+      };
+    });
   },
 
   updateUserEverywhere: (user: User) => {