diff --git a/web/src/lib/tinode/tinode-sdk.d.ts b/web/src/lib/tinode/tinode-sdk.d.ts
index 89544a37..c519d8e8 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/tinode/tinode-sdk.d.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/tinode/tinode-sdk.d.ts
@@ -246,6 +246,14 @@ declare module 'tinode-sdk' {
     onAllMessagesReceived?: (count: number) => void;
     onInfo?: (info: { what: 'read' | 'recv' | 'kp' | 'call'; seq?: number; from?: string; event?: string; payload?: Record<string, unknown> }) => void;
     onMetaDesc?: (desc: unknown) => void;
+    /** `me`-topic-only in practice (verified tinode.dev.js:4654-4657): fired with the just-subscribed
+     *  Topic itself the moment a brand-new contact's subscribe resolves -- notably including the
+     *  usr-alias -> real-topic-name rename case (Topic#subscribe, same code block that updates
+     *  `this.name`). Distinct from `onSubsUpdated` below (which the SDK ALSO fires in that same
+     *  block, with just the name/count) -- wired to the identical notify callback here since both
+     *  ultimately mean the same thing for this app's purposes: "the chat list's contact set changed,
+     *  recompute it." */
+    onMetaSub?: (topic: Topic) => void;
     onSubsUpdated?: (subs: string[], count?: number) => void;
     onPres?: (pres: unknown) => void;
     onAuxUpdated?: (aux: unknown) => void;
diff --git a/web/src/lib/tinode/topics.ts b/web/src/lib/tinode/topics.ts
index 190dc5a9..b958211b 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/tinode/topics.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/tinode/topics.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ function wireTopicCallbacks(topic: Topic) {
     if (info) infoListeners.forEach((cb) => cb(topic.name, info));
   };
   topic.onMetaDesc = notify;
+  // Only ever actually invoked on the `me` topic (the SDK reads `me.onMetaSub`/`me.onSubsUpdated`
+  // specifically, regardless of which topic's subscribe triggered it -- confirmed tinode.dev.js:
+  // 4654-4659) -- wiring it here on every topic is a no-op for anything else, same as onSubsUpdated
+  // right below, which already gets this same treatment. Without this, a brand-new P2P conversation
+  // reached by the other user's `usr...` id (no established topic yet) never tells the chat list a
+  // new contact exists the instant the server assigns its real `p2p...` name on first subscribe --
+  // the contact stays invisible in the sidebar, and ConversationView's own `contact` lookup (peer
+  // name, online status) keeps missing until some UNRELATED full resync happens to pick it up.
+  topic.onMetaSub = notify;
   topic.onSubsUpdated = notify;
   topic.onPres = notify;
   topic.onAuxUpdated = notify;