1 files changed, 17 insertions, 7 deletions
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/create-group-page.js b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/create-group-page.js
index f81247d..7556010 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/create-group-page.js
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/create-group-page.js
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function CreateGroupFormSimple({ token, onCreated, allowPublicGroups = true }) {
   `;
 }
 
-function CreateGroupWizard({ token, username, onCreated, allowPublicGroups = true }) {
+function CreateGroupWizard({ token, username, onCreated, onNodeLinked, allowPublicGroups = true }) {
   const [step, setStep] = useState(0);
   const [nodeStatus, setNodeStatus] = useState(null);
   const [nodeStarting, setNodeStarting] = useState(false);
@@ -142,12 +142,19 @@ function CreateGroupWizard({ token, username, onCreated, allowPublicGroups = tru
 
   const linkNodeKey = useCallback(async (pk) => {
     if (!pk) return;
-    try {
-      await hubFetch('/v1/users/me/node_key', {
-        method: 'PUT', token, body: { pk_node_ed25519: pk },
-      });
-    } catch { /* already linked or same key */ }
-  }, [token]);
+    // `PUT /me/node_key` is idempotent — linking the same key again returns 200,
+    // so there is no "already linked" case to swallow here. A failure means the
+    // hub did not record this node's key (a rejected session, a malformed key),
+    // and the node then fails to authenticate and never comes up. It must
+    // surface — `detectNode`'s catch shows it — rather than let the wizard
+    // proceed against a node that looks linked but is not.
+    await hubFetch('/v1/users/me/node_key', {
+      method: 'PUT', token, body: { pk_node_ed25519: pk },
+    });
+    // The sidebar's Node section depends on this link; it only re-read it at
+    // sign-in, so the first node set up here stayed out of it until a reload.
+    if (onNodeLinked) onNodeLinked();
+  }, [token, onNodeLinked]);
 
   const detectNode = useCallback(async () => {
     setNodeStatus(null);
@@ -173,6 +180,8 @@ function CreateGroupWizard({ token, username, onCreated, allowPublicGroups = tru
     setError('');
     try {
       const result = await platform.node.start({ hubUrl: HUB, username, token });
+      // node.start links the key from the main process, out of this page's sight.
+      if (onNodeLinked) onNodeLinked();
       setNodeStatus({ detected: true, ...result });
       setNodeStarting(false);
       setStep(1);
@@ -333,6 +342,7 @@ function CreateGroupWizard({ token, username, onCreated, allowPublicGroups = tru
         && !provisionAttempted.current
         && (nodeStatus.status === 'waiting_for_account'
          || nodeStatus.status === 'waiting_for_node_key'
+         || nodeStatus.status === 'waiting_for_hub'
          || nodeStatus.status === 'starting')) {
       provisionAttempted.current = true;
       startNode();