1 files changed, 9 insertions, 5 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..85fe53c 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
@@ -142,11 +142,15 @@ 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 */ }
+    // `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 },
+    });
   }, [token]);
 
   const detectNode = useCallback(async () => {