diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
index ed6874324b..286ae555c8 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
@@ -4209,10 +4209,10 @@ processChatCommand cxt nm = \case
             where
               knownLinkPlans = withFastStore $ \db ->
                 liftIO (getUserContactLinkViaTarget db user nameOrLink') >>= \case
-                  Just UserContactLink {connLinkContact = CCLink cReq _} -> pure $ Just (knownCon cReq, CPContactAddress CAPOwnLink)
+                  Just UserContactLink {connLinkContact} -> pure $ Just (ACCL SCMContact connLinkContact, CPContactAddress CAPOwnLink)
                   Nothing ->
                     getContactToConnect db cxt user nameOrLink' >>= \case
-                      Just (cReq, ct') -> pure $ if contactDeleted ct' then Nothing else Just (knownCon cReq, CPContactAddress (CAPKnown ct'))
+                      Just (ccl, ct') -> pure $ if contactDeleted ct' then Nothing else Just (ACCL SCMContact ccl, CPContactAddress (CAPKnown ct'))
                       Nothing -> (gPlan =<<) <$> getGroupToConnect db cxt user nameOrLink'
           CCTGroup -> groupShortLinkPlan
           CCTChannel -> groupShortLinkPlan
@@ -4229,10 +4229,7 @@ processChatCommand cxt nm = \case
             CTLink sl -> pure sl
             CTName ni -> serverShortLink <$> resolveNameLink user ni
           con sl cReq = ACCL SCMContact $ CCLink cReq (Just sl)
-          knownCon cReq = ACCL SCMContact $ CCLink cReq $ case nameOrLink' of
-            CTLink sl -> Just sl
-            CTName _ -> Nothing
-          gPlan (cReq, g) = if memberRemoved (membership g) then Nothing else Just (knownCon cReq, CPGroupLink (GLPKnown g (BoolDef False) Nothing (ListDef [])))
+          gPlan (ccl, g) = if memberRemoved (membership g) then Nothing else Just (ACCL SCMContact ccl, CPGroupLink (GLPKnown g (BoolDef False) Nothing (ListDef [])))
           verified r = case nameOrLink of
             CTName ni -> verifyConnectedName user ni (fst r) (snd r)
             CTLink _ -> pure r
@@ -4266,7 +4263,7 @@ processChatCommand cxt nm = \case
                 _ -> False
               knownLinkPlans = withFastStore $ \db ->
                 liftIO (getGroupInfoViaUserTarget db cxt user nameOrLink') >>= \case
-                  Just (cReq, g) -> pure $ Just (knownCon cReq, CPGroupLink (GLPOwnLink g))
+                  Just (ccl, g) -> pure $ Just (ACCL SCMContact ccl, CPGroupLink (GLPOwnLink g))
                   Nothing -> (gPlan =<<) <$> getGroupToConnect db cxt user nameOrLink'
               resolveKnownGroup g = do
                 sl <- resolveSLink
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Direct.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Direct.hs
index 72acb0da27..c8fc09c515 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Direct.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Direct.hs
@@ -798,19 +798,18 @@ getContactByName db cxt user localDisplayName = do
   cId <- getContactIdByName db user localDisplayName
   getContact db cxt user cId
 
--- a contact to connect to, found by the target: by its address short link, or by its verified name
-getContactToConnect :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> ExceptT StoreError IO (Maybe (ConnReqContact, Contact))
+getContactToConnect :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> ExceptT StoreError IO (Maybe (CreatedLinkContact, Contact))
 getContactToConnect db cxt user@User {userId} = \case
-  CTLink sl -> getContactViaShortLinkToConnect db cxt user sl
+  CTLink sl -> fmap (fmap (\(cReq, ct) -> (CCLink cReq (Just sl), ct))) (getContactViaShortLinkToConnect db cxt user sl)
   CTName ni ->
     liftIO (maybeFirstRow id $ DB.query db byNameQuery (userId, ni)) >>= \case
-      Just (ctId :: Int64, Just (ACR cMode cReq)) | Just Refl <- testEquality cMode SCMContact ->
-        Just . (cReq,) <$> getContact db cxt user ctId
+      Just (ctId :: Int64, Just (ACR cMode cReq), Just (sLnk :: ShortLinkContact)) | Just Refl <- testEquality cMode SCMContact ->
+        Just . (CCLink cReq (Just sLnk),) <$> getContact db cxt user ctId
       _ -> pure Nothing
   where
     byNameQuery =
       [sql|
-        SELECT ct.contact_id, ct.conn_full_link_to_connect FROM contacts ct
+        SELECT ct.contact_id, ct.conn_full_link_to_connect, ct.conn_short_link_to_connect FROM contacts ct
         JOIN contact_profiles cp ON cp.contact_profile_id = ct.contact_profile_id
         WHERE ct.user_id = ? AND cp.contact_domain = ? AND cp.contact_domain_verification = 1 AND ct.deleted = 0
       |]
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Groups.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Groups.hs
index aabf047e27..a8516e587a 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Groups.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Groups.hs
@@ -1074,18 +1074,17 @@ getGroupInfoByName db cxt user gName = do
   gId <- getGroupIdByName db user gName
   getGroupInfo db cxt user gId
 
--- a group to connect to, found by the target: by its address short link, or by its verified name
-getGroupToConnect :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> ExceptT StoreError IO (Maybe (ConnReqContact, GroupInfo))
+getGroupToConnect :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> ExceptT StoreError IO (Maybe (CreatedLinkContact, GroupInfo))
 getGroupToConnect db cxt user@User {userId} = \case
-  CTLink sl -> getGroupViaShortLinkToConnect db cxt user sl
+  CTLink sl -> fmap (fmap (\(cReq, g) -> (CCLink cReq (Just sl), g))) (getGroupViaShortLinkToConnect db cxt user sl)
   CTName ni ->
     liftIO (maybeFirstRow id $ DB.query db byNameQuery (userId, ni)) >>= \case
-      Just (gId :: Int64, Just cReq) -> Just . (cReq,) <$> getGroupInfo db cxt user gId
+      Just (gId :: Int64, Just cReq, Just (sLnk :: ShortLinkContact)) -> Just . (CCLink cReq (Just sLnk),) <$> getGroupInfo db cxt user gId
       _ -> pure Nothing
   where
     byNameQuery =
       [sql|
-        SELECT g.group_id, g.conn_full_link_to_connect FROM groups g
+        SELECT g.group_id, g.conn_full_link_to_connect, g.conn_short_link_to_connect FROM groups g
         JOIN group_profiles gp ON gp.group_profile_id = g.group_profile_id
         WHERE g.user_id = ? AND gp.group_domain = ? AND g.group_domain_verification = 1
       |]
@@ -2753,11 +2752,10 @@ getGroupInfoByUserContactLinkConnReq db cxt user@User {userId} (cReqSchema1, cRe
         (userId, cReqSchema1, cReqSchema2)
   maybe (pure Nothing) (fmap eitherToMaybe . runExceptT . getGroupInfo db cxt user) groupId_
 
--- own hosted group found by the target: by its address short link, or (for a name) by the group's registered name
-getGroupInfoViaUserTarget :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> IO (Maybe (ConnReqContact, GroupInfo))
+getGroupInfoViaUserTarget :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> IO (Maybe (CreatedLinkContact, GroupInfo))
 getGroupInfoViaUserTarget db cxt user@User {userId} target = fmap eitherToMaybe $ runExceptT $ do
-  (cReq, groupId) <- ExceptT getConnReqGroup
-  (cReq,) <$> getGroupInfo db cxt user groupId
+  (cReq, sLnk, groupId) <- ExceptT getConnReqGroup
+  (CCLink cReq (Just sLnk),) <$> getGroupInfo db cxt user groupId
   where
     getConnReqGroup =
       firstRow' toConnReqGroupId (SEInternalError "group link not found") $ case target of
@@ -2765,7 +2763,7 @@ getGroupInfoViaUserTarget db cxt user@User {userId} target = fmap eitherToMaybe
           DB.query
             db
             [sql|
-              SELECT conn_req_contact, group_id
+              SELECT conn_req_contact, short_link_contact, group_id
               FROM user_contact_links
               WHERE user_id = ? AND short_link_contact = ?
             |]
@@ -2774,7 +2772,7 @@ getGroupInfoViaUserTarget db cxt user@User {userId} target = fmap eitherToMaybe
           DB.query
             db
             [sql|
-              SELECT ucl.conn_req_contact, ucl.group_id
+              SELECT ucl.conn_req_contact, ucl.short_link_contact, ucl.group_id
               FROM user_contact_links ucl
               JOIN groups g ON g.group_id = ucl.group_id
               JOIN group_profiles gp ON gp.group_profile_id = g.group_profile_id
@@ -2783,7 +2781,7 @@ getGroupInfoViaUserTarget db cxt user@User {userId} target = fmap eitherToMaybe
             (userId, ni)
     toConnReqGroupId = \case
       -- cReq is "not null", group_id is nullable
-      (cReq, Just groupId) -> Right (cReq, groupId)
+      (cReq, Just (sLnk :: ShortLinkContact), Just groupId) -> Right (cReq, sLnk, groupId)
       _ -> Left $ SEInternalError "no conn req or group ID"
 
 getGroupViaShortLinkToConnect :: DB.Connection -> StoreCxt -> User -> ShortLinkContact -> ExceptT StoreError IO (Maybe (ConnReqContact, GroupInfo))
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
index 6dee102ce9..63caa5ffcd 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/Profiles.hs
@@ -562,7 +562,6 @@ getUserContactLinkByConnReq db User {userId} (cReqSchema1, cReqSchema2) =
   maybeFirstRow toUserContactLink $
     DB.query db (userContactLinkQuery <> " WHERE user_id = ? AND conn_req_contact IN (?,?)") (userId, cReqSchema1, cReqSchema2)
 
--- own contact address found by the target: by its short link, or (for a name) when it is this user's own registered address name
 getUserContactLinkViaTarget :: DB.Connection -> User -> ContactNameOrLink -> IO (Maybe UserContactLink)
 getUserContactLinkViaTarget db User {userId, profile = LocalProfile {contactDomain}} = \case
   CTLink shortLink ->
@@ -571,7 +570,7 @@ getUserContactLinkViaTarget db User {userId, profile = LocalProfile {contactDoma
   CTName ni
     | contactDomain == Just ni ->
         maybeFirstRow toUserContactLink $
-          DB.query db (userContactLinkQuery <> " WHERE user_id = ? AND group_id IS NULL") (Only userId)
+          DB.query db (userContactLinkQuery <> " WHERE user_id = ? AND group_id IS NULL AND short_link_contact IS NOT NULL") (Only userId)
     | otherwise -> pure Nothing
 
 userContactLinkQuery :: Query
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
index ac49ffb7a4..e8cba67d40 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
@@ -1787,14 +1787,11 @@ type ConnReqInvitation = ConnectionRequestUri 'CMInvitation
 
 type ConnReqContact = ConnectionRequestUri 'CMContact
 
--- what the user is connecting to: a contact/group by full address link, by short address link or registered name, or a one-time invitation link
--- CTFullContact is its own case because full address links are legacy; keeping them separate makes dropping them later a localized change (remove the constructor, its connectPlan branch, and the parser alternative)
 data ConnectTarget (m :: ConnectionMode) where
   CTFullContact :: ConnectionRequestUri 'CMContact -> ConnectTarget 'CMContact
   CTShortContact :: ContactNameOrLink -> ConnectTarget 'CMContact
   CTInv :: ConnectionLink 'CMInvitation -> ConnectTarget 'CMInvitation
 
--- a short contact address link or a registered name; resolving a name produces a short link, i.e. turns CTName into CTLink
 data ContactNameOrLink = CTName SimplexNameInfo | CTLink (ConnShortLink 'CMContact)
   deriving (Eq, Show)