diff --git a/cabal.project b/cabal.project
index ed8a2fea4b..e7b30d6735 100644
--- a/cabal.project
+++ b/cabal.project
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ constraints: zip +disable-bzip2 +disable-zstd
 source-repository-package
     type: git
     location: https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq.git
-    tag: c9c2d19074a809ba505f393b41aa20ac7b437aa7
+    tag: 92b3d0492c5cf7730642774f925b6c1d61f04f54
 
 source-repository-package
     type: git
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
index 7dfa57e7ea..2e48d7615c 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Library/Commands.hs
@@ -4730,10 +4730,12 @@ dispatchResolvedRecord vr nm user ni@SimplexNameInfo {nameType} NameRecord {nrSi
 
 -- | Pick the link from the @NameRecord@ matching the queried name type.
 -- A missing per-type field (record exists but advertises no link of this kind)
--- is treated as "not found" — same UX as a local-store miss.
-firstNameLink :: SimplexNameType -> Maybe Text -> Maybe Text -> SimplexNameInfo -> Either ChatError Text
-firstNameLink nameType simplexChannel simplexContact ni =
-  maybe (Left $ ChatError $ CESimplexNameNotFound ni) Right link
+-- is treated as "not found" — same UX as a local-store miss. The text fields
+-- on 'NameRecord' use the empty string as the absent sentinel.
+firstNameLink :: SimplexNameType -> Text -> Text -> SimplexNameInfo -> Either ChatError Text
+firstNameLink nameType simplexChannel simplexContact ni
+  | T.null link = Left $ ChatError $ CESimplexNameNotFound ni
+  | otherwise = Right link
   where
     link = case nameType of
       NTPublicGroup -> simplexChannel
@@ -4786,13 +4788,12 @@ apiVerifySimplexName user chatRef = do
       let resolvedLink = case nameType' of
             NTContact -> nrSimplexContact
             NTPublicGroup -> nrSimplexChannel
-      case resolvedLink of
-        Just lnk | linksMatch lnk storedLink -> do
+      if not (T.null resolvedLink) && linksMatch resolvedLink storedLink
+        then do
           ts <- liftIO getCurrentTime
           withStore' $ \db -> persistVerified db ts
           toView $ CEvtSimplexNameVerified user chatRef claim ts
-        _ ->
-          toView $ CEvtSimplexNameVerifyFailed user chatRef claim SNVFLinkMismatch
+        else toView $ CEvtSimplexNameVerifyFailed user chatRef claim SNVFLinkMismatch
     Left NameNotRegistered ->
       toView $ CEvtSimplexNameVerifyFailed user chatRef claim SNVFNameNotRegistered
     Left ResolverUnavailable ->
diff --git a/tests/ResolveNameTests.hs b/tests/ResolveNameTests.hs
index cd0bcf2be1..aeb76554cf 100644
--- a/tests/ResolveNameTests.hs
+++ b/tests/ResolveNameTests.hs
@@ -85,31 +85,32 @@ resolveNameTests = do
         other -> expectationFailure $ "expected ChatErrorAgent, got " <> show other
   -- firstNameLink is the pure link-picker used by dispatchResolvedRecord:
   -- it selects nrSimplexContact for NTContact, nrSimplexChannel for NTPublicGroup.
-  -- A Nothing for the queried type collapses to CESimplexNameNotFound so the UX
-  -- is identical to a local-store miss.
+  -- The text fields use the empty string as the "absent" sentinel; an empty
+  -- link for the queried type collapses to CESimplexNameNotFound so the UX is
+  -- identical to a local-store miss.
   describe "firstNameLink" $ do
-    it "picks nrSimplexContact for NTContact" $
-      case firstNameLink NTContact (Just channelLink) (Just contactLink) aliceNi of
+    it "NTContact path picks simplexContact" $
+      case firstNameLink NTContact channelLink contactLink aliceNi of
         Right lnk -> lnk `shouldBe` contactLink
         Left e -> expectationFailure $ "expected Right, got " <> show e
-    it "picks nrSimplexChannel for NTPublicGroup" $
-      case firstNameLink NTPublicGroup (Just channelLink) (Just contactLink) groupNi of
+    it "NTPublicGroup path picks simplexChannel" $
+      case firstNameLink NTPublicGroup channelLink contactLink groupNi of
         Right lnk -> lnk `shouldBe` channelLink
         Left e -> expectationFailure $ "expected Right, got " <> show e
-    it "returns CESimplexNameNotFound when nrSimplexContact is Nothing for NTContact" $
-      case firstNameLink NTContact (Just channelLink) Nothing aliceNi of
+    it "empty Text returns NotFound" $
+      case firstNameLink NTContact "" "" aliceNi of
         Left (ChatError (CESimplexNameNotFound ni)) -> ni `shouldBe` aliceNi
         other -> expectationFailure $ "expected CESimplexNameNotFound, got " <> show other
-    it "returns CESimplexNameNotFound when nrSimplexChannel is Nothing for NTPublicGroup" $
-      case firstNameLink NTPublicGroup Nothing (Just contactLink) groupNi of
+    -- Each name advertises a per-type link; cross-type fallback would silently
+    -- connect to the wrong target, so a populated off-type slot must not satisfy
+    -- the queried type.
+    it "cross-type contact link with NTPublicGroup returns NotFound" $
+      case firstNameLink NTPublicGroup "" contactLink groupNi of
         Left (ChatError (CESimplexNameNotFound ni)) -> ni `shouldBe` groupNi
         other -> expectationFailure $ "expected CESimplexNameNotFound, got " <> show other
-    -- NTContact ignores nrSimplexChannel even when nrSimplexContact is Nothing.
-    -- The resolver-side semantics say each name advertises a per-type link;
-    -- cross-type fallback would silently connect to the wrong target.
-    it "does not fall back to nrSimplexChannel for NTContact" $
-      case firstNameLink NTContact (Just channelLink) Nothing aliceNi of
-        Left (ChatError (CESimplexNameNotFound _)) -> pure ()
+    it "cross-type channel link with NTContact returns NotFound" $
+      case firstNameLink NTContact channelLink "" aliceNi of
+        Left (ChatError (CESimplexNameNotFound ni)) -> ni `shouldBe` aliceNi
         other -> expectationFailure $ "expected CESimplexNameNotFound, got " <> show other
   -- linksMatch is the byte-equal-after-normalize comparator that gates
   -- APIVerifySimplexName. The agent's simplex:/ scheme and the server-hostname
@@ -192,11 +193,11 @@ sampleRecord :: NameRecord
 sampleRecord =
   NameRecord
     { nrName = "alice",
-      nrNickname = Nothing,
-      nrWebsite = Nothing,
-      nrLocation = Nothing,
-      nrSimplexContact = Nothing,
-      nrSimplexChannel = Nothing,
+      nrNickname = "",
+      nrWebsite = "",
+      nrLocation = "",
+      nrSimplexContact = "",
+      nrSimplexChannel = "",
       nrEth = Nothing,
       nrBtc = Nothing,
       nrXmr = Nothing,