diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.test.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.test.ts
index 2406973f..d3e154d1 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.test.ts
@@ -115,12 +115,6 @@ describe('syncPeerMutationLog', () => {
     sqlite = new Database(':memory:');
     testDb = drizzle(sqlite, { schema });
     applyMigrations(sqlite);
-    // Instance settings row is created by the baseline migration; defaults have
-    // federation_relay_enabled = 1, so no explicit update is needed. Confirm:
-    testDb.update(schema.instanceSettings)
-      .set({ federationRelayEnabled: 1 })
-      .where(eq(schema.instanceSettings.id, 1))
-      .run();
     vi.restoreAllMocks();
   });
 
@@ -198,4 +192,48 @@ describe('syncPeerMutationLog', () => {
     await syncPeerMutationLog('peer-4', 'health_check_recovery');
     expect(fetchSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('advances sinceTimestamp within a pass using data.checkpoint when hasMore is true', async () => {
+    const { syncPeerMutationLog } = await import('./federationPeerActivation.js');
+    testDb.insert(schema.federationPeers).values({
+      id: 'peer-5', origin: 'https://peer-5.example', hmacSecret: 'secret',
+      status: 'active', lastSyncedAt: 100, createdAt: Date.now(),
+    }).run();
+
+    let call = 0;
+    const fetchSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, 'fetch').mockImplementation(async () => {
+      call++;
+      // First DM call: one event, hasMore=true, checkpoint advances to 2500
+      // Second DM call: empty, hasMore=false, ends the DM pass
+      // Remaining calls (friend, profile): empty/done immediately
+      if (call === 1) {
+        return new Response(
+          JSON.stringify({
+            events: [{ eventType: 'create', messageId: 'm1', timestamp: 200, encryptionVersion: 0 }],
+            hasMore: true,
+            checkpoint: 2500,
+          }),
+          { status: 200 },
+        );
+      }
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify({ events: [], hasMore: false, checkpoint: call === 2 ? 2500 : 100 }), { status: 200 });
+    });
+
+    await syncPeerMutationLog('peer-5', 'health_check_recovery');
+
+    // Call 1: DM pass, since=100 (peer.lastSyncedAt)
+    // Call 2: DM pass continuation, since=2500 (advanced by previous checkpoint)
+    // Call 3: friend pass, since=100 (re-seeded from peer.lastSyncedAt)
+    // Call 4: profile pass, since=100 (re-seeded from peer.lastSyncedAt)
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4);
+    const bodies = fetchSpy.mock.calls.map(c => JSON.parse(c[1]?.body as string) as { sinceTimestamp: number; contextType?: string });
+    expect(bodies[0]?.sinceTimestamp).toBe(100);
+    expect(bodies[0]?.contextType).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(bodies[1]?.sinceTimestamp).toBe(2500);  // advanced by checkpoint from call 1
+    expect(bodies[1]?.contextType).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(bodies[2]?.sinceTimestamp).toBe(100);   // friend pass re-seeds from peer.lastSyncedAt
+    expect(bodies[2]?.contextType).toBe('friend');
+    expect(bodies[3]?.sinceTimestamp).toBe(100);   // profile pass re-seeds from peer.lastSyncedAt
+    expect(bodies[3]?.contextType).toBe('profile');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.ts
index 0d07ffdf..8a5da288 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/federationPeerActivation.ts
@@ -81,34 +81,42 @@ export async function syncPeerMutationLog(
     .where(eq(schema.federationPeers.id, peerId)).get();
   if (!peer || peer.status !== 'active') return;
 
-  const ourOrigin = getOurOrigin();
-  const signingSecret = (peer.pendingHmacSecret && peer.secretRotationAt)
-    ? peer.pendingHmacSecret
-    : peer.hmacSecret;
+  const activePeer = peer;  // narrowed by the guard above
 
-  console.log(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${peer.origin} (reason=${reason}, since=${peer.lastSyncedAt ?? 0})`);
+  const ourOrigin = getOurOrigin();
+  const signingSecret = (activePeer.pendingHmacSecret && activePeer.secretRotationAt)
+    ? activePeer.pendingHmacSecret
+    : activePeer.hmacSecret;
+
+  console.log(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${activePeer.origin} (reason=${reason}, since=${activePeer.lastSyncedAt ?? 0})`);
 
   let totalEvents = 0;
 
+  type SyncRequestBody = {
+    sinceTimestamp: number;
+    limit: number;
+    contextType?: 'friend' | 'profile';
+  };
+
   async function runPass(contextType?: 'friend' | 'profile'): Promise<boolean> {
-    let since = peer!.lastSyncedAt ?? 0;
+    let since = activePeer.lastSyncedAt ?? 0;
     while (true) {
-      const bodyObj: Record<string, unknown> = { sinceTimestamp: since, limit: 100 };
+      const bodyObj: SyncRequestBody = { sinceTimestamp: since, limit: 100 };
       if (contextType) bodyObj.contextType = contextType;
       const body = JSON.stringify(bodyObj);
       const headers = buildFederationHeaders(body, signingSecret, ourOrigin);
-      const resp = await fetch(`${peer!.origin}/api/federation/sync`, {
+      const resp = await fetch(`${activePeer.origin}/api/federation/sync`, {
         method: 'POST', headers, body,
         signal: AbortSignal.timeout(30_000),
       });
       if (!resp.ok) {
-        console.warn(`[federation] Sync-pull ${contextType ?? 'dm'} pass HTTP ${resp.status} for ${peer!.origin}`);
+        console.warn(`[federation] Sync-pull ${contextType ?? 'dm'} pass HTTP ${resp.status} for ${activePeer.origin}`);
         return false;
       }
       const data = await resp.json() as { events: FederationRelayEvent[]; hasMore: boolean; checkpoint: number };
       if (data.events.length === 0) return true;
       const { processRelayEvents } = await import('../routes/federation.js');
-      await processRelayEvents(data.events, peer!.origin, peer!.origin, db);
+      await processRelayEvents(data.events, activePeer.origin, activePeer.origin, db);
       totalEvents += data.events.length;
       since = data.checkpoint;
       if (!data.hasMore) return true;
@@ -122,14 +130,14 @@ export async function syncPeerMutationLog(
 
     db.update(schema.federationPeers)
       .set({ lastSyncedAt: Date.now() })
-      .where(eq(schema.federationPeers.id, peer.id))
+      .where(eq(schema.federationPeers.id, activePeer.id))
       .run();
 
     if (totalEvents > 0) {
-      console.log(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${peer.origin} replayed ${totalEvents} events`);
+      console.log(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${activePeer.origin} replayed ${totalEvents} events`);
     }
   } catch (err) {
-    console.error(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${peer.origin} failed:`, err);
+    console.error(`[federation] Sync-pull from ${activePeer.origin} failed:`, err);
   }
 }