diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
index ef67fac570..8faf589240 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/profile.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use buzz_core_pkg::PresenceStatus;
+use nostr::PublicKey;
 use serde_json::Value;
 use tauri::State;
 
@@ -261,6 +262,17 @@ fn build_user_search_filter(query: &str, limit: usize, page: u32) -> serde_json:
     })
 }
 
+fn parse_exact_pubkey_query(query: &str) -> Option<PublicKey> {
+    let trimmed = query.trim();
+    let is_hex = trimmed.len() == 64 && trimmed.bytes().all(|byte| byte.is_ascii_hexdigit());
+    let is_npub = trimmed.to_ascii_lowercase().starts_with("npub1");
+    if !is_hex && !is_npub {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    PublicKey::parse(trimmed).ok()
+}
+
 #[tauri::command]
 pub async fn search_users(
     query: String,
@@ -306,6 +318,32 @@ pub async fn search_users(
         return Ok(response);
     }
 
+    if let Some(target) = parse_exact_pubkey_query(trimmed) {
+        let target_hex = target.to_hex();
+        let events = query_relay(
+            &state,
+            &[
+                serde_json::json!({
+                    "kinds": [0],
+                    "authors": [target_hex],
+                    "limit": 1
+                }),
+                serde_json::json!({
+                    "kinds": [13534],
+                    "limit": 1
+                }),
+            ],
+        )
+        .await?;
+        let users = nostr_convert::exact_user_search_result(&events, &target)
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect();
+        return Ok(SearchUsersResponse {
+            users,
+            next_cursor: None,
+        });
+    }
+
     // NIP-50 full-text search on kind:0 profiles. The relay's HTTP bridge
     // intercepts the `search` field on POST /query and routes to Postgres FTS
     // (see `crates/buzz-relay/src/api/bridge.rs::handle_bridge_search`),
@@ -417,6 +455,7 @@ fn empty_profile_info(pubkey: &str) -> ProfileInfo {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use nostr::ToBech32;
 
     #[test]
     fn deferred_profile_signer_is_captured_and_rejects_wrong_identity() {
@@ -481,4 +520,23 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(filter["limit"], serde_json::json!(25));
         assert_eq!(filter["page"], serde_json::json!(1));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_pubkey_query_accepts_hex_and_npub() {
+        let public_key = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key();
+        let hex = public_key.to_hex();
+        let npub = public_key.to_bech32().expect("encode npub");
+
+        assert_eq!(parse_exact_pubkey_query(&hex), Some(public_key));
+        assert_eq!(parse_exact_pubkey_query(&npub), Some(public_key));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_pubkey_query_rejects_prefixes_and_other_text() {
+        let public_key = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key().to_hex();
+
+        assert_eq!(parse_exact_pubkey_query(&public_key[..16]), None);
+        assert_eq!(parse_exact_pubkey_query("alice"), None);
+        assert_eq!(parse_exact_pubkey_query("note1invalid"), None);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert.rs
index ec4970e0c9..781b1216a5 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert.rs
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ use crate::models::*;
 
 mod user_search;
 pub use user_search::{
-    list_user_search_results, rank_user_search_results, search_users_from_events,
-    user_search_result_from_event,
+    exact_user_search_result, list_user_search_results, rank_user_search_results,
+    search_users_from_events, user_search_result_from_event,
 };
 
 // ── Tag helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert/user_search.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert/user_search.rs
index 43b4288abb..76bcd6a91c 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert/user_search.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/nostr_convert/user_search.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 
-use nostr::Event;
+use nostr::{Event, PublicKey};
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 use crate::models::{SearchUsersResponse, UserSearchResultInfo};
@@ -34,6 +34,53 @@ pub fn search_users_from_events(events: &[Event]) -> SearchUsersResponse {
     }
 }
 
+/// Resolve an exact pubkey query from profile and relay-membership events.
+///
+/// A NIP-43 community member may not have published kind:0 metadata yet. In
+/// that case the membership snapshot is still authoritative enough to expose a
+/// bare-key search result. When a snapshot exists, identities outside it fail
+/// closed; when no snapshot exists, the relay is treated as open.
+pub fn exact_user_search_result(
+    events: &[Event],
+    target: &PublicKey,
+) -> Option<UserSearchResultInfo> {
+    let target_hex = target.to_hex();
+    let membership_event = events
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|event| event.kind.as_u16() == 13534)
+        .max_by_key(|event| event.created_at);
+
+    if membership_event.is_some_and(|event| !relay_membership_contains(event, &target_hex)) {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    events
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|event| event.kind.as_u16() == 0 && event.pubkey == *target)
+        .max_by_key(|event| event.created_at)
+        .map(user_search_result_from_event)
+        .or(Some(UserSearchResultInfo {
+            pubkey: target_hex,
+            display_name: None,
+            avatar_url: None,
+            nip05_handle: None,
+            owner_pubkey: None,
+            is_agent: false,
+        }))
+}
+
+fn relay_membership_contains(event: &Event, target_hex: &str) -> bool {
+    event.tags.iter().any(|tag| {
+        let values = tag.as_slice();
+        matches!(
+            values.first().map(String::as_str),
+            Some("member") | Some("p")
+        ) && values
+            .get(1)
+            .is_some_and(|pubkey| pubkey.eq_ignore_ascii_case(target_hex))
+    })
+}
+
 /// Convert a default kind:0 page to user-search results for empty-query pickers.
 pub fn list_user_search_results(events: &[Event], limit: usize) -> SearchUsersResponse {
     if limit == 0 {
@@ -228,6 +275,24 @@ mod tests {
             .expect("sign")
     }
 
+    fn membership_event(members: &[&str]) -> Event {
+        let tags = members
+            .iter()
+            .map(|pubkey| {
+                Tag::parse(vec![
+                    "member".to_string(),
+                    (*pubkey).to_string(),
+                    "member".to_string(),
+                ])
+                .expect("membership tag")
+            })
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        EventBuilder::new(Kind::from_u16(13534), "")
+            .tags(tags)
+            .sign_with_keys(&nostr::Keys::generate())
+            .expect("sign membership")
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn search_users_maps_each_event() {
         let e1 = ev(0, r#"{"name":"a"}"#, vec![]);
@@ -238,6 +303,54 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(r.users[1].display_name.as_deref(), Some("B"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_search_returns_profileless_relay_member() {
+        let target = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key();
+        let membership = membership_event(&[&target.to_hex()]);
+
+        let result = exact_user_search_result(std::slice::from_ref(&membership), &target).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(result.pubkey, target.to_hex());
+        assert_eq!(result.display_name, None);
+        assert_eq!(result.avatar_url, None);
+        assert_eq!(result.nip05_handle, None);
+        assert!(!result.is_agent);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_search_preserves_profile_for_relay_member() {
+        let keys = nostr::Keys::generate();
+        let target = keys.public_key();
+        let profile = EventBuilder::metadata(&nostr::Metadata::new().name("Ada"))
+            .sign_with_keys(&keys)
+            .expect("sign profile");
+        let membership = membership_event(&[&target.to_hex()]);
+
+        let result = exact_user_search_result(&[profile, membership], &target).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(result.pubkey, target.to_hex());
+        assert_eq!(result.display_name.as_deref(), Some("Ada"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_search_rejects_non_member_when_snapshot_exists() {
+        let member = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key();
+        let outsider = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key();
+        let membership = membership_event(&[&member.to_hex()]);
+
+        assert!(exact_user_search_result(&[membership], &outsider).is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn exact_search_allows_bare_key_when_relay_has_no_membership_snapshot() {
+        let target = nostr::Keys::generate().public_key();
+
+        let result = exact_user_search_result(&[], &target).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(result.pubkey, target.to_hex());
+        assert_eq!(result.display_name, None);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn user_search_result_marks_valid_nip_oa_profile_as_agent() {
         let event = oa_profile_event(r#"{"display_name":"Mira"}"#);
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.test.mjs
index 210e92758b..cff9e0ff12 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.test.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   rankUserCandidatesBySearch,
   scoreUserCandidate,
 } from "./userCandidateSearch.ts";
+import { pubkeyToNpub } from "../../../shared/lib/nostrUtils.ts";
 
 function makeUser(overrides = {}) {
   return {
@@ -47,6 +48,15 @@ test("scoreUserCandidate ranks display labels before pubkeys", () => {
   );
 });
 
+test("scoreUserCandidate matches the canonical npub", () => {
+  const pubkey =
+    "50d0af578a29c245c08c9e2ad95be422ba6e3a9df938dcf6b8863ebcdec399db";
+  const npub = pubkeyToNpub(pubkey);
+  const user = makeUser({ pubkey });
+
+  assert.equal(scoreUserCandidate({ label: pubkey, query: npub, user }), 3);
+});
+
 test("scoreUserCandidate supports agent labels and empty-query defaults", () => {
   const agent = makeUser({ isAgent: true });
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.ts b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.ts
index 7447b01c4d..b41dd83678 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/lib/userCandidateSearch.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { UserSearchResult } from "@/shared/api/types";
+import { safeNpub } from "@/shared/lib/nostrUtils";
 import { normalizePubkey } from "@/shared/lib/pubkey";
 
 type ScoreUserCandidateInput = {
@@ -55,6 +56,10 @@ export function scoreUserCandidate({
   if (pubkey.startsWith(normalizedQuery)) return 3;
   if (pubkey.includes(normalizedQuery)) return 4;
 
+  const npub = safeNpub(pubkey)?.toLowerCase();
+  if (npub?.startsWith(normalizedQuery)) return 3;
+  if (npub?.includes(normalizedQuery)) return 4;
+
   return null;
 }