diff --git a/docs/rfcs/2025-10-20-chat-relays.md b/docs/rfcs/2025-10-20-chat-relays.md
index b19d155dd1..ae0eb24fcc 100644
--- a/docs/rfcs/2025-10-20-chat-relays.md
+++ b/docs/rfcs/2025-10-20-chat-relays.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Notes:
 
 - Owner should reject contact requests to their group link.
 
-- Chat relay should reject contact requests to its relay link until chat relay confirms it is attached to the group link data. Can be based on `RelayStatusInGroup`, see below.
+- Chat relay should reject contact requests to its relay link until chat relay confirms it is attached to the group link data. Can be based on `GroupRelayOwnStatus`, see below.
 
 - Owner public key for signing group actions and messages can be stored as part of group short link data (`GroupShortLinkData`).
 
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ Notes:
       This action is local but user action should be remembered - at this point `group_relays` records should be created and associated with group, in status `CRSNew`.
       Further recovery can be done per relay record based on status.
       - Step 5. Contact request to relay. Contact request should be done via asynchronous agent action. New connection (for contact request) should be associated with relay, relay status moves to `CRSInvited`.
-        - New type connection entity via new `connections.group_relay_id` field?
-        - Member connection, and link `group_members` to `group_relays`? This option seems simpler.
+        - Member connection, link `group_members` to `group_relays`.
         Recovery from `CRSInvited` status is not needed, at this point owner waits for relay response.
       - Step 7. Receive `x.grp.relay.acpt` to relay connection. Save relay link on relay record, relay status moves to `CRSAccepted`.
       - Step 8. Collect all relay links for relays with status `CRSAccepted` and greater (further down protocol), update short link data. Update of link data should be done via asynchronous agent action. Relay status moves to `CRSAdded`.
       - Step 9. Upon receiving response for link data update, send `x.grp.info` to relay, relay status moves to `CRSNotified`.
         - Response is received asynchronously in receive loop - need to introduce correlation between link and events.
+        - Alternatively could use synchronous agent api with retry.
         - `x.grp.info` doesn't have to contain actual group profile update in this case, here it's only a trigger for relay to check link data. (Relay should know based on its state to not dismiss even if profile doesn't change). Could be a special protocol event, but not necessary.
       - Step 12. Receive confirmation from relay, relay status moves to `CRSConfirmed`. At this point owner knows relay is functional for the group and can advertise link with it, or wait for remaining relays.
     - Relay status updates can be displayed to owner in UI via events.
@@ -105,11 +105,12 @@ Notes:
 
   - For relay:
 
-    - Relay tracks its own status in group (`RelayStatusInGroup`).
+    - Relay tracks its own status in group (`GroupRelayOwnStatus`).
     - Step 6. Upon receiving invitation from group owner, initial relay status is `RSGInvited`.
       Relay should create its link for the group, should be done via asynchronous agent action, status moves to `RSGLinkCreated`.
-      Continuation is to save and associate relay link with group record (`groups.relay_link`), send `x.grp.relay.acpt`,
+      Continuation is to save and associate relay link with group record, send `x.grp.relay.acpt`,
       status moves to `RSGAccepted`.
+      - Relay link connection is a user contact link, more specifically group link - we can re-use group link machinery that links `user_contact_links` to `groups`.
     - Step 10, 11. Upon receiving `x.grp.info` from owner, if relay is in `RSGAccepted` status, status moves to `RSGNotified`.
       Retrieve short link (asynchronous agent action? synchronous with retry?). If relay link is present send confirmation to owner `x.grp.relay.ready`, status moves to `RSGConfirmed`. Otherwise break (recovery for owner is to re-add relay).
     - Should recover in `RSGInvited`, `RSGLinkCreated`, `RSGNotified` statuses.
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20251016_chat_relays.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20251016_chat_relays.hs
index cb81f2ef5a..2cc8ce5e88 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20251016_chat_relays.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Store/SQLite/Migrations/M20251016_chat_relays.hs
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ module Simplex.Chat.Store.SQLite.Migrations.M20251016_chat_relays where
 import Database.SQLite.Simple (Query)
 import Database.SQLite.Simple.QQ (sql)
 
+-- - chat_relays - user's list of chat relays to choose from (similar to protocol_servers)
+-- - users.is_user_chat_relay - indicates that the user can serve as a chat relay
+--     (TBC usage, e.g. agree to invitations to be relay)
+-- - group_relays - group owner's list of relays for a group
+-- - group_relays.relay_link - links for all relays of a group are included in GroupShortLinkData
+-- - group_relays.relay_status - group owner's status for each relay (GroupRelayStatus)
+-- - group_members.is_chat_relay - indicates that the member is a chat relay (to all group members)
+-- - group_members.group_relay_id - associates group_members record with a group_relays record for a group owner;
+--     receiving event to member connection, owner can match it to the relay
+-- - TBC also inverse link from group_relays to group_members? (group_relays.group_member_id)
+-- - groups.relay_own_status - indicates for a relay client that it is chat relay for the group (GroupRelayOwnStatus)
 m20251016_chat_relays :: Query
 m20251016_chat_relays =
   [sql|
@@ -22,39 +33,41 @@ CREATE TABLE chat_relays(
   UNIQUE(user_id, address),
   UNIQUE(user_id, name)
 );
-
 CREATE INDEX idx_chat_relays_user_id ON chat_relays(user_id);
 
 ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN is_user_chat_relay INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
 
-ALTER TABLE group_members ADD COLUMN is_chat_relay INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
-
--- Relay's link for group
-ALTER TABLE groups ADD COLUMN relay_link BLOB;
-
--- Owner's list of relays for group
--- TBC relay_status: invited/accepted/added/notified/confirmed
--- relay_link: links for all relays are included in GroupShortLinkData
 CREATE TABLE group_relays(
   group_relay_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
   group_id INTEGER NOT NULL REFERENCES groups ON DELETE CASCADE,
   relay_status TEXT NOT NULL,
   relay_link BLOB
 );
+CREATE INDEX idx_group_relays_group_id ON group_relays(group_id);
+
+ALTER TABLE group_members ADD COLUMN is_chat_relay INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
+
+ALTER TABLE group_members ADD COLUMN group_relay_id INTEGER REFERENCES group_relays ON DELETE SET NULL;
+CREATE INDEX idx_group_members_group_relay_id ON group_members(group_relay_id);
+
+ALTER TABLE groups ADD COLUMN relay_own_status TEXT;
 |]
 
 down_m20251016_chat_relays :: Query
 down_m20251016_chat_relays =
   [sql|
-DROP TABLE group_relays;
-
-ALTER TABLE groups DROP COLUMN relay_link;
-
-ALTER TABLE group_members DROP COLUMN is_chat_relay;
+DROP INDEX idx_chat_relays_user_id;
+DROP TABLE chat_relays;
 
 ALTER TABLE users DROP COLUMN is_user_chat_relay;
 
-DROP INDEX idx_chat_relays_user_id;
+DROP INDEX idx_group_relays_group_id;
+DROP TABLE group_relays;
 
-DROP TABLE chat_relays;
+ALTER TABLE group_members DROP COLUMN is_chat_relay;
+
+DROP INDEX idx_group_members_group_relay_id;
+ALTER TABLE group_members DROP COLUMN group_relay_id;
+
+ALTER TABLE groups DROP COLUMN relay_own_status;
 |]
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
index b75a8ae17b..10ab4da63f 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
@@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ data GroupMember = GroupMember
     updatedAt :: UTCTime,
     supportChat :: Maybe GroupSupportChat,
     isChatRelay :: BoolDef,
-    relayStatus :: Maybe RelayStatusInGroup
+    relayStatus :: Maybe GroupRelayOwnStatus
   }
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
@@ -967,17 +967,17 @@ data GroupMember = GroupMember
 -- TODO   - GroupMember?
 -- TODO   - separate list of relays in GroupInfo?
 -- TODO   - only on request?
-data ChatRelayStatus
-  = CRSNew
-  | CRSInvited
-  | CRSAccepted
-  | CRSAdded
-  | CRSNotified
-  | CRSConfirmed
+data GroupRelayStatus
+  = GRSNew
+  | GRSInvited
+  | GRSAccepted
+  | GRSAdded
+  | GRSNotified
+  | GRSConfirmed
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
--- Own status tracked by relay in group
-data RelayStatusInGroup
+-- Own status tracked by relay in a group
+data GroupRelayOwnStatus
   = RSGInvited
   | RSGLinkCreated
   | RSGAccepted