diff --git a/Android/app/build.gradle.kts b/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
index 932fc67c..5cbbe440 100644
--- a/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/Android/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ android {
         applicationId = "com.archipelago.app"
         minSdk = 26
         targetSdk = 35
-        versionCode = 23
-        versionName = "0.5.3"
+        versionCode = 26
+        versionName = "0.5.6"
 
         vectorDrawables {
             useSupportLibrary = true
diff --git a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/fips/ArchyVpnService.kt b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/fips/ArchyVpnService.kt
index 36714e05..c54ae4c1 100644
--- a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/fips/ArchyVpnService.kt
+++ b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/fips/ArchyVpnService.kt
@@ -10,10 +10,15 @@ import android.os.Build
 import android.util.Log
 import com.archipelago.app.MainActivity
 import com.archipelago.app.R
+import com.archipelago.app.data.ServerPreferences
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Job
 import kotlinx.coroutines.SupervisorJob
 import kotlinx.coroutines.cancel
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
+import kotlinx.coroutines.isActive
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 
 /**
@@ -27,6 +32,7 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 class ArchyVpnService : VpnService() {
 
     private val scope = CoroutineScope(SupervisorJob() + Dispatchers.IO)
+    private var warmerJob: Job? = null
 
     override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
         if (intent?.action == ACTION_STOP) {
@@ -68,6 +74,14 @@ class ArchyVpnService : VpnService() {
                 // And let apps that bind their own network skip the TUN
                 // entirely — this is mesh reachability, not a privacy VPN.
                 .allowBypass()
+                .apply {
+                    // Android 10+ treats VPN networks as METERED by default,
+                    // which flips the whole phone into data-saver behaviour
+                    // (background sync off, "metered" warnings) while the
+                    // mesh is up. It inherits the underlying network's real
+                    // metered state instead.
+                    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.Q) setMetered(false)
+                }
                 .establish()
         } catch (e: Exception) {
             Log.e(TAG, "VPN establish failed", e)
@@ -81,10 +95,57 @@ class ArchyVpnService : VpnService() {
         val fd = pfd.detachFd()
         val result = FipsNative.start(identity.secret, peersJson, fd)
         Log.i(TAG, "mesh start: $result")
-        if (result.contains("\"error\"")) shutdown()
+        if (result.contains("\"error\"")) {
+            shutdown()
+        } else {
+            startSessionWarmer()
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Pre-warm + keep-warm mesh sessions to every known node ULA.
+     *
+     * Discovery + first session through the public tree can take 15s+
+     * (HANDOFF-2026-07-23 node diagnosis) — paying that cost here, the
+     * moment the tunnel is up, means the connect probe and WebView hit an
+     * established session instead of timing out on a cold one. The periodic
+     * touch afterwards keeps the session from idling out. Failed connects
+     * are expected and cheap; the attempt itself is what drives discovery.
+     */
+    private fun startSessionWarmer() {
+        warmerJob?.cancel()
+        warmerJob = scope.launch {
+            val prefs = ServerPreferences(this@ArchyVpnService)
+            var round = 0
+            while (isActive && FipsNative.isRunning()) {
+                val ulas = try {
+                    prefs.savedServers.first().mapNotNull { it.meshIp.ifBlank { null } }.distinct()
+                } catch (_: Exception) {
+                    emptyList()
+                }
+                for (ula in ulas) {
+                    try {
+                        java.net.Socket().use { s ->
+                            s.connect(
+                                java.net.InetSocketAddress(java.net.InetAddress.getByName(ula), 80),
+                                20_000,
+                            )
+                        }
+                    } catch (_: Exception) {
+                        // Cold path / node away — the connect attempt still
+                        // drove session establishment; try again next round.
+                    }
+                }
+                round++
+                // Aggressive for the first ~minute (session bring-up), then a
+                // slow keep-warm tick that costs nearly nothing.
+                delay(if (round < 12) 5_000 else 60_000)
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     private fun shutdown() {
+        warmerJob?.cancel()
         FipsNative.stop()
         stopForeground(STOP_FOREGROUND_REMOVE)
         stopSelf()
diff --git a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/ServerConnectScreen.kt b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/ServerConnectScreen.kt
index ab57fd3b..0eb1de37 100644
--- a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/ServerConnectScreen.kt
+++ b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/ServerConnectScreen.kt
@@ -185,13 +185,17 @@ fun ServerConnectScreen(
                     useHttps = false,
                     port = "",
                 )
-                // The tunnel + mesh route need a moment on cold start — and on
-                // a first-ever pairing the VPN consent dialog is on screen at
-                // the same time, so give the user time to tap it.
-                for (attempt in 0 until 6) {
-                    if (attempt > 0) delay(2000)
-                    reachable = testConnection(meshServer)
-                    if (reachable) break
+                // Mesh discovery + first session can take 15s+ through the
+                // public tree (HANDOFF-2026-07-23 node diagnosis), and on a
+                // first-ever pairing the VPN consent dialog is on screen at
+                // the same time — so probe patiently inside a 60s budget with
+                // per-attempt timeouts wide enough to ride out TCP
+                // retransmit backoff. The VPN service pre-warms the session
+                // in parallel (ArchyVpnService.startSessionWarmer).
+                val deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 60_000
+                while (!reachable && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+                    reachable = testConnection(meshServer, timeoutMs = 15_000)
+                    if (!reachable) delay(3000)
                 }
             }
             isConnecting = false
@@ -673,8 +677,10 @@ private fun sanitizeAddress(input: String): String {
         .trimEnd('/')
 }
 
-/** Test RPC connectivity. Accepts self-signed certs for local LAN servers. */
-private suspend fun testConnection(server: ServerEntry): Boolean {
+/** Test RPC connectivity. Accepts self-signed certs for local LAN servers.
+ *  [timeoutMs] is per-phase (connect / read) — mesh probes need far more
+ *  patience than LAN ones (first session through the tree can take 15s+). */
+private suspend fun testConnection(server: ServerEntry, timeoutMs: Int = 5000): Boolean {
     return withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
         try {
             val url = URL("${server.toUrl()}/rpc/v1")
@@ -694,8 +700,8 @@ private suspend fun testConnection(server: ServerEntry): Boolean {
             }
 
             connection.requestMethod = "POST"
-            connection.connectTimeout = 5000
-            connection.readTimeout = 5000
+            connection.connectTimeout = timeoutMs
+            connection.readTimeout = timeoutMs
             connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json")
             connection.doOutput = true
             val body = """{"method":"server.echo","params":{"message":"ping"}}"""
diff --git a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/WebViewScreen.kt b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/WebViewScreen.kt
index 039e0be2..01bc313e 100644
--- a/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/WebViewScreen.kt
+++ b/Android/app/src/main/java/com/archipelago/app/ui/screens/WebViewScreen.kt
@@ -87,6 +87,28 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
 import org.json.JSONObject
 
+/** True when a TCP listener answers at [base]'s host:port within [timeoutMs]. */
+private fun tcpAnswers(base: String, timeoutMs: Int): Boolean = try {
+    val u = android.net.Uri.parse(base)
+    val port = if (u.port != -1) u.port else if (u.scheme == "https") 443 else 80
+    java.net.Socket().use {
+        it.connect(java.net.InetSocketAddress(u.host, port), timeoutMs)
+        true
+    }
+} catch (_: Exception) {
+    false
+}
+
+/** Fastest answering origin: LAN inside a short window, else the mesh ULA
+ *  (patient — a cold session may still be establishing), else LAN anyway so
+ *  the existing error/fallback path handles it. */
+private suspend fun pickStartUrl(lanUrl: String, meshUrl: String?): String =
+    withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+        if (tcpAnswers(lanUrl, 2500)) return@withContext lanUrl
+        if (meshUrl != null && tcpAnswers(meshUrl, 12_000)) return@withContext meshUrl
+        lanUrl
+    }
+
 /** Open a URL in the phone's default browser (genuinely external links). */
 private fun openExternalUrl(context: android.content.Context, url: String) {
     try {
@@ -168,6 +190,20 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
     var hasError by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     var webView by remember { mutableStateOf<WebView?>(null) }
 
+    // Race LAN vs mesh BEFORE the WebView exists: Chromium pointed at an
+    // unreachable LAN IP burns a minute+ in connect retries before
+    // onReceivedError fires the mesh fallback — the "stuck connecting"
+    // stall. A raw TCP probe answers in milliseconds at home and fails in
+    // ~2.5s off-LAN, so startup lands on the right origin in seconds.
+    var startUrl by remember(serverUrl) { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
+    var raceNonce by remember { mutableIntStateOf(0) }
+    LaunchedEffect(serverUrl, meshFallbackUrl, raceNonce) {
+        val picked = pickStartUrl(serverUrl, meshFallbackUrl)
+        // Starting on the mesh: don't bounce back to it on error (it IS it).
+        if (picked != serverUrl) triedMeshFallback = true
+        startUrl = picked
+    }
+
     // Web-page camera access (wallet QR scanner). The WebView's default
     // WebChromeClient silently denies getUserMedia, so grant video capture —
     // asking for the app-level CAMERA permission first when needed.
@@ -187,6 +223,14 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
     // while this is shown, so closing it returns instantly with no reload.
     var inAppUrl by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
 
+    // Same node = EITHER of its addresses. Over the mesh the kiosk's host is
+    // the ULA while app links may carry the LAN IP (and vice versa) —
+    // comparing against one host bounced same-node apps (Pine, Home
+    // Assistant) out to the phone's external browser.
+    fun isSameNode(url: String): Boolean =
+        isSameHost(url, serverUrl) ||
+            (meshFallbackUrl != null && isSameHost(url, meshFallbackUrl))
+
     // Native wallet QR scanner, opened by the web UI via the ArchipelagoQr
     // bridge; status lines stream back from the page while it's up.
     var walletScannerVisible by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
@@ -268,9 +312,13 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                 GlassButton(
                     text = stringResource(R.string.retry),
                     onClick = {
+                        // Re-race LAN vs mesh — the network we're on may have
+                        // changed since the last pick.
                         hasError = false
                         isLoading = true
-                        webView?.loadUrl(serverUrl)
+                        triedMeshFallback = false
+                        startUrl = null
+                        raceNonce++
                     },
                     modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().height(56.dp),
                 )
@@ -283,9 +331,16 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                     modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().height(48.dp),
                 )
             }
+        } else if (startUrl == null) {
+            // Racing LAN vs mesh (≤2.5s at home, a few seconds off-LAN) —
+            // far cheaper than letting Chromium retry a dead LAN IP.
+            Box(Modifier.fillMaxSize(), contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
+                CircularProgressIndicator(color = BitcoinOrange)
+            }
         } else {
             // Edge-to-edge WebView — background bleeds behind status bar.
             // Safe area values injected as CSS env() polyfill on each page load.
+            val initialUrl = startUrl ?: serverUrl
             AndroidView(
                 modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
                 factory = { context ->
@@ -319,7 +374,7 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                         //    kiosk couldn't iframe — keep the user inside the app)
                         //  - different host         → the phone's real browser
                         fun routeOutbound(url: String) {
-                            if (isSameHost(url, serverUrl)) {
+                            if (isSameNode(url)) {
                                 inAppUrl = url
                             } else {
                                 openExternalUrl(context, url)
@@ -458,7 +513,7 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                                 error: android.net.http.SslError?,
                             ) {
                                 val u = error?.url
-                                if (u != null && isSameHost(u, serverUrl)) {
+                                if (u != null && isSameNode(u)) {
                                     handler?.proceed()
                                 } else {
                                     handler?.cancel()
@@ -595,7 +650,7 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                         }
 
                         webView = this
-                        loadUrl(serverUrl)
+                        loadUrl(initialUrl)
                     }
                 },
             )
@@ -620,6 +675,7 @@ fun WebViewScreen(
                 InAppBrowser(
                     url = target,
                     serverUrl = serverUrl,
+                    meshUrl = meshFallbackUrl,
                     onClose = { inAppUrl = null },
                 )
             }
@@ -693,9 +749,14 @@ private fun fetchFavicon(pageUrl: String): Bitmap? {
 private fun InAppBrowser(
     url: String,
     serverUrl: String,
+    meshUrl: String? = null,
     onClose: () -> Unit,
 ) {
     val context = LocalContext.current
+    // Same-node check across BOTH node addresses (LAN + mesh ULA) — see the
+    // kiosk's isSameNode; a mismatch here bounced app links to the browser.
+    fun isSameNode(u: String): Boolean =
+        isSameHost(u, serverUrl) || (meshUrl != null && isSameHost(u, meshUrl))
     var browser by remember { mutableStateOf<WebView?>(null) }
     var title by remember { mutableStateOf(android.net.Uri.parse(url).host ?: url) }
     var favicon by remember { mutableStateOf<Bitmap?>(null) }
@@ -809,7 +870,7 @@ private fun InAppBrowser(
                                 error: android.net.http.SslError?,
                             ) {
                                 val u = error?.url
-                                if (u != null && isSameHost(u, serverUrl)) {
+                                if (u != null && isSameNode(u)) {
                                     handler?.proceed()
                                 } else {
                                     handler?.cancel()
@@ -823,7 +884,7 @@ private fun InAppBrowser(
                                 val u = request?.url?.toString() ?: return false
                                 // Stay in the overlay for same-node navigation;
                                 // hand genuinely external links to the real browser.
-                                if (isSameHost(u, serverUrl)) return false
+                                if (isSameNode(u)) return false
                                 openExternalUrl(ctx, u)
                                 return true
                             }
diff --git a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.lock b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.lock
index ac417ffb..a6bbd62c 100644
--- a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.lock
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "getrandom 0.2.17",
  "hex",
  "jni",
+ "libc",
  "paranoid-android",
  "serde_json",
  "tokio",
diff --git a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.toml b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.toml
index 2fb414d6..199d4517 100644
--- a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ hex = "0.4"
 getrandom = "0.2"
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "sync", "time", "macros"] }
 tracing = "0.1"
+# fcntl: force the VpnService TUN fd into blocking mode (see mesh::start).
+libc = "0.2"
 
 # The JNI surface only exists on Android; host builds skip it and drive the
 # mesh module directly (tests).
diff --git a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/src/mesh.rs b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/src/mesh.rs
index 9b1b05b7..2a76090a 100644
--- a/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/src/mesh.rs
+++ b/Android/rust/archy-fips-core/src/mesh.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,19 @@ pub fn parse_peers(peers_json: &str) -> Result<Vec<PeerConfig>> {
 pub fn start(secret: &str, peers_json: &str, tun_fd: i32) -> Result<(String, String)> {
     stop();
 
+    // Android hands the VpnService TUN fd over in non-blocking mode on some
+    // OS builds. The fips TUN reader is a dedicated blocking-read thread that
+    // treats EAGAIN as fatal — the loop died at startup ("TUN read error …
+    // Try again (os error 11)" on-device), so sessions came up but no packet
+    // ever entered the mesh. Force the fd into the blocking mode the reader
+    // is designed for.
+    unsafe {
+        let flags = libc::fcntl(tun_fd, libc::F_GETFL);
+        if flags >= 0 && (flags & libc::O_NONBLOCK) != 0 {
+            libc::fcntl(tun_fd, libc::F_SETFL, flags & !libc::O_NONBLOCK);
+        }
+    }
+
     let peers = parse_peers(peers_json)?;
     let config = build_config(secret, peers);
     let mut node = Node::new(config).map_err(|e| anyhow!("node init: {e}"))?;
diff --git a/core/Cargo.lock b/core/Cargo.lock
index 3f504dbd..3c64bdac 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.lock
+++ b/core/Cargo.lock
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_yaml",
  "serial2-tokio",
  "sha2 0.10.9",
+ "socket2 0.5.10",
  "tar",
  "tempfile",
  "thiserror 1.0.69",
diff --git a/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml b/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
index d29cece0..6e0037b6 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
+++ b/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ iroh-swarm = ["dep:iroh", "dep:iroh-blobs"]
 [dependencies]
 # Core dependencies
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
+# Mesh port mirror: needs IPV6_V6ONLY on [::] listeners so they coexist with
+# the containers' own 0.0.0.0 binds (std/tokio don't expose the sockopt).
+socket2 = "0.5"
 libc = "0.2"   # process-group signalling for the supervised reticulum daemon
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0"
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs b/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
index f071b4b5..18c41109 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
@@ -991,6 +991,13 @@ async fn patch_nginx_conf(path: &str) -> Result<bool> {
     // B13: fedimint block present but lacking the asset-rewrite sub_filters.
     let needs_fedimint_css = content.contains("location /app/fedimint/")
         && !content.contains("'href=\"/' 'href=\"/app/fedimint/'");
+    // Companion mesh access: phones reach this node over FIPS at its fips0
+    // ULA (http://[fdxx:…]). Configs shipped before 2026-07-23 listened on
+    // IPv4 only, so the ULA could never connect — nothing answered [::]:80.
+    let missing_v6_http = content.contains("listen 80 default_server;")
+        && !content.contains("listen [::]:80");
+    let missing_v6_https = content.contains("listen 443 ssl default_server;")
+        && !content.contains("listen [::]:443");
     if !missing_app_catalog
         && !missing_bitcoin_status
         && !missing_lnd_proxy
@@ -998,12 +1005,27 @@ async fn patch_nginx_conf(path: &str) -> Result<bool> {
         && !missing_pine_status
         && !has_lnd_dup_cors
         && !needs_fedimint_css
+        && !missing_v6_http
+        && !missing_v6_https
     {
         return Ok(false);
     }
 
     let mut patched = content.clone();
 
+    if missing_v6_http {
+        patched = patched.replace(
+            "listen 80 default_server;",
+            "listen 80 default_server;\n    listen [::]:80 default_server;",
+        );
+    }
+    if missing_v6_https {
+        patched = patched.replace(
+            "listen 443 ssl default_server;",
+            "listen 443 ssl default_server;\n    listen [::]:443 ssl default_server;",
+        );
+    }
+
     if has_lnd_dup_cors {
         // Drop the redundant nginx-side CORS headers so the backend's single
         // validated Access-Control-Allow-Origin is the only one returned.
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/main.rs b/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
index 11f943ba..4a7d0bbd 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ mod bitcoin_rpc;
 mod bitcoin_status;
 mod blobs;
 mod bootstrap;
+mod mesh_ports;
 mod ceremony;
 mod config;
 mod constants;
@@ -395,6 +396,10 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     // iframe on kiosk nodes (docs/tv-input-iframe-apps.md).
     tokio::spawn(bootstrap::ensure_gamepad_keys());
 
+    // Mesh access: mirror IPv4-published app ports onto [::] so direct-port
+    // app URLs (http://[<fips0 ULA>]:<port>) work from the companion.
+    tokio::spawn(mesh_ports::run_mesh_port_mirror());
+
     // Pine voice: re-point IP-pinned Wyoming satellite entries (speakers) when
     // DHCP renumbering strands them — HA never re-resolves on its own.
     tokio::spawn(api::rpc::wyoming_satellite_keeper());
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh_ports.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh_ports.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a22f6236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh_ports.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+//! Mirror IPv4-published app ports onto IPv6 for mesh access.
+//!
+//! The companion (and anything else on the FIPS mesh) reaches this node at
+//! its fips0 ULA. The web UI builds app links from the current host + each
+//! app's DIRECT port (Direct Port Rule) — but rootless-podman published
+//! ports bind 0.0.0.0 only, so `http://[<ULA>]:8334` was refused for every
+//! catalog app even after nginx :80 learned IPv6 (2026-07-23, third
+//! "the node wasn't listening on v6" bug of the night).
+//!
+//! Instead of touching the container layer (port-publish changes would
+//! recreate every container), a reconcile loop mirrors the host's public
+//! IPv4 listeners: any port ≥1024 listening on 0.0.0.0 without an IPv6
+//! any-address listener gets a v6-only `[::]:<port>` forwarder to
+//! `127.0.0.1:<port>`. Ports appear/disappear with app install/remove, so
+//! the mirror follows `/proc/net/tcp*` rather than the catalog — companion
+//! containers with hardcoded ports (bitcoin-ui :8334) are covered the same
+//! as manifest-declared ones. Nothing is exposed that IPv4 didn't already
+//! expose to the LAN; the ULA is the established remote-access surface.
+
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::net::{Ipv6Addr, SocketAddrV6};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use tokio::task::JoinHandle;
+use tracing::{debug, info, warn};
+
+const RECONCILE_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(15);
+/// Never mirror system ports; nginx (80/443) handles its own v6 listeners.
+const MIN_PORT: u16 = 1024;
+
+/// Entry point — spawned from main; runs for the process lifetime.
+pub async fn run_mesh_port_mirror() {
+    let mut active: HashMap<u16, JoinHandle<()>> = HashMap::new();
+    loop {
+        match reconcile(&mut active).await {
+            Ok(()) => {}
+            Err(e) => debug!("mesh-ports: reconcile skipped: {e:#}"),
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(RECONCILE_INTERVAL).await;
+    }
+}
+
+async fn reconcile(active: &mut HashMap<u16, JoinHandle<()>>) -> Result<()> {
+    let v4 = listening_ports("/proc/net/tcp", 8).await?;
+    let v6 = listening_ports("/proc/net/tcp6", 32).await?;
+
+    // Drop mirrors whose backing IPv4 listener vanished (app removed/stopped).
+    active.retain(|port, handle| {
+        if v4.contains(port) && !handle.is_finished() {
+            true
+        } else {
+            handle.abort();
+            info!("mesh-ports: released [::]:{port} (backing 0.0.0.0 listener gone)");
+            false
+        }
+    });
+
+    for port in v4 {
+        if port < MIN_PORT || active.contains_key(&port) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        // A foreign IPv6 any-listener already serves this port (our own
+        // mirrors are excluded above via `active`).
+        if v6.contains(&port) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        match spawn_forwarder(port) {
+            Ok(handle) => {
+                info!("mesh-ports: mirroring [::]:{port} -> 127.0.0.1:{port}");
+                active.insert(port, handle);
+            }
+            Err(e) => debug!("mesh-ports: cannot mirror port {port}: {e:#}"),
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Ports in LISTEN state bound to the any-address, parsed from /proc/net/tcp
+/// (`addr_hex_len` 8) or /proc/net/tcp6 (32).
+async fn listening_ports(path: &str, addr_hex_len: usize) -> Result<HashSet<u16>> {
+    let raw = tokio::fs::read_to_string(path)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("read {path}"))?;
+    let any_addr = "0".repeat(addr_hex_len);
+    let mut ports = HashSet::new();
+    for line in raw.lines().skip(1) {
+        let mut cols = line.split_whitespace();
+        let (Some(_sl), Some(local), Some(_rem), Some(state)) =
+            (cols.next(), cols.next(), cols.next(), cols.next())
+        else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        if state != "0A" {
+            continue; // not LISTEN
+        }
+        let Some((addr, port_hex)) = local.split_once(':') else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        if addr != any_addr {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Ok(port) = u16::from_str_radix(port_hex, 16) {
+            ports.insert(port);
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(ports)
+}
+
+/// A v6-only listener on [::]:port forwarding each connection to 127.0.0.1:port.
+fn spawn_forwarder(port: u16) -> Result<JoinHandle<()>> {
+    use socket2::{Domain, Protocol, Socket, Type};
+    let socket = Socket::new(Domain::IPV6, Type::STREAM, Some(Protocol::TCP))
+        .context("create v6 socket")?;
+    // v6only so we coexist with the app's own 0.0.0.0:<port> bind.
+    socket.set_only_v6(true).context("set v6only")?;
+    socket.set_reuse_address(true).ok();
+    socket.set_nonblocking(true).context("set nonblocking")?;
+    let addr = SocketAddrV6::new(Ipv6Addr::UNSPECIFIED, port, 0, 0);
+    socket.bind(&addr.into()).context("bind [::]")?;
+    socket.listen(128).context("listen")?;
+    let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::from_std(socket.into())
+        .context("register with tokio")?;
+
+    Ok(tokio::spawn(async move {
+        loop {
+            let (mut inbound, _peer) = match listener.accept().await {
+                Ok(conn) => conn,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    warn!("mesh-ports: accept failed on [::]:{port}: {e}");
+                    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+            tokio::spawn(async move {
+                match tokio::net::TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).await {
+                    Ok(mut upstream) => {
+                        let _ = tokio::io::copy_bidirectional(&mut inbound, &mut upstream).await;
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => debug!("mesh-ports: upstream 127.0.0.1:{port} refused: {e}"),
+                }
+            });
+        }
+    }))
+}
diff --git a/docs/HANDOFF-2026-07-23-companion-apk-deploy.md b/docs/HANDOFF-2026-07-23-companion-apk-deploy.md
index 0bcf3ec9..17258ac9 100644
--- a/docs/HANDOFF-2026-07-23-companion-apk-deploy.md
+++ b/docs/HANDOFF-2026-07-23-companion-apk-deploy.md
@@ -48,9 +48,158 @@ user's hands.
    verify `sudo -n fipsctl show status` reports the anchor connected —
    `fips.reconnect` RPC if not. A phone can dial the anchor perfectly and
    still fail if the node never enrolled with it.
-5. Re-test the user's exact flows with vc23 (updates any older install in
+5. Re-test the user's exact flows with **vc24** (updates any older install in
    place): (a) pair ON the LAN, then switch the phone to 5G — the UI must
    come up via the mesh ULA; (b) pair while ALREADY on 5G (never on the
    node's LAN) — scan, VPN consent, and the connect must succeed through
-   the anchor. If either fails, capture `adb logcat` around the attempt and
-   `fipsctl show sessions` on the node, and report back.
+   the anchor.
+
+## Live diagnosis update (22:30–22:50, phone on adb — Mac agent)
+
+vc23 on-device testing found and fixed the phone-side blocker, and narrowed
+what remains to the node side. State as of vc24:
+
+- **Fixed: TUN reader died at startup.** Android hands the VpnService fd over
+  non-blocking; the fips fork's blocking reader thread treats EAGAIN as fatal
+  ("TUN read error … Try again (os error 11)") — so mesh sessions came up but
+  NO packet ever entered the tunnel. archy-fips-core now forces the fd
+  blocking before `start_with_tun_fd`. Verified on-device: reader survives,
+  and the 30s anchor-link flap disappeared with it (stable 8+ min on 5G).
+- **Fixed: VPN marked not-metered** (`setMetered(false)`) — Android 10+
+  defaults VPNs to metered, putting the phone into data-restricted behaviour
+  while the mesh is up. Note the user's phone also has system **always-on
+  VPN** enabled for the app (`always_on_vpn_app`), a Settings-side toggle.
+- **Verified good on-device**: peer store has node (LAN udp/tcp hints) + vps2
+  anchor; saved server is npub-keyed with ULA; anchor session establishes
+  from 5G in ~6s; VPN is bypassable, VALIDATED, only fd00::/8 routed.
+- **REMAINING BLOCKER (node side)**: from the phone (app uid), ping6 and
+  HTTP to the node's ULA `fd79:1aa:b9e9:4c9f:1f80:5376:9385:1824` get no
+  reply — packets enter the mesh, nothing returns. Phone↔anchor works, so
+  suspect phone-fork ↔ node-daemon session/routing mismatch (FIPS wire
+  format is not stable across revs; phone pins fips-native fork 46494a74).
+  From Framework PT please capture:
+    - `fipsctl show status` (daemon version + anchor state)
+    - `fipsctl show sessions` and `show bloom` while the phone pings
+    - `ping6 <phone ULA fd68:496d:fe34:a06d:cf1:6e4:b6a4:3586>` from the
+      node (tests the reverse path)
+    - `ip addr show fips0` + confirm the web server listens on `[::]:80`
+  Report whether the node ever sees a session attempt from
+  `npub132c5whrsa6ccs0eylcpzaejq9uxul5ldvczz0axq78dh7fxkqj9st4uvzu`.
+
+## Node-side diagnosis complete (23:00–23:30, archi-dev-box agent)
+
+Chain of findings, each verified live:
+
+1. **FIXED: nginx had no IPv6 listener anywhere** — every shipped config
+   listened on 0.0.0.0 only, so `http://[<ULA>]` could NEVER connect on any
+   node, ever. Live-fixed on framework-pt + .116, canonical conf + bootstrap
+   self-heal shipped (`1e89362e`), heal binary deployed. ULA HTTP verified
+   answering on both nodes (local + over-mesh).
+2. Firewall clean, fd00::/8 routes correct both ends, wire compat proven
+   (node + vps2 anchor both run fips 0.4.1 rev 15db6471db — the latest
+   upstream stable; nothing newer exists).
+3. **THE REMAINING PROBLEM IS MESH SESSION PATH QUALITY.** From the vps2
+   anchor — a DIRECT connected peer — `GET /health` on the node's ULA takes
+   **15–17 s per request and intermittently fails outright** (nginx logs
+   show 499 client-gave-up then 200; TCP SYN-retransmit backoff signature).
+   Session MMP is wildly asymmetric: node→vps2 srtt 204 ms, **vps2→node
+   srtt 4270 ms** — on a direct link whose raw RTT is 4 ms. Session traffic
+   is not riding the direct link; it appears to route through the ~1271-node
+   public tree (node's tree root is the public 00001a8c, depth 8; the node's
+   log also shows chronic "Discovery lookup timed out" for other targets).
+4. The phone's npub never appears in the node's sessions — consistent with
+   discovery/handshake dying on the same degraded tree path, and the app's
+   ~8 s probe window being far smaller than the observed 15 s+ first-request
+   latency even on the GOOD path.
+
+### Recommendations
+
+- **App side (Mac agent):** widen the ULA probe/connect window to ≥30 s
+  with retransmit-friendly pacing, and PRE-WARM the mesh session (start
+  pinging the node ULA as soon as the VPN is up, decoupled from the UI
+  probe) so the WebView hits a warm session.
+- **Infra decision (user):** consider detaching the fleet from the public
+  v0l mesh — private tree rooted at the vps2 anchor (drop the legacy
+  185.18.221.160 seed anchor fleet-wide AND vps2's public peering). A
+  2-hop private tree would make session paths ride the direct links and
+  should collapse latency to ms. Trade-off: no reachability to/from the
+  broader public mesh.
+- **Upstream:** report the direct-peer session-path asymmetry to
+  jmcorgan/fips (0.4.1).
+
+## App-side recommendations implemented (23:30–23:50, Mac agent — 0.5.5/vc25)
+
+- Connect probe: mesh ULA now probed inside a **60s budget** with 15s
+  per-phase timeouts (rides out TCP retransmit backoff), replacing the old
+  ~8s window.
+- **Session pre-warm**: the VPN service starts probing every saved node ULA
+  the moment the tunnel is up (5s cadence for the first minute, then a 60s
+  keep-warm tick) — discovery/handshake cost is paid in the background, and
+  the session never idles out while the mesh is connected.
+- (A phone-side ping test in this window still showed zero replies — that
+  measurement predated the vps2 daemon restart below and is superseded.)
+
+## RESOLVED — root cause was vps2's degraded daemon, NOT the public tree (23:45)
+
+The privatize-the-mesh recommendation above is WITHDRAWN. Final diagnosis:
+vps2's fips daemon (3 days uptime, 0.2% CPU, idle box) had internally
+degraded — EVERY link it carried showed ~4.5 s RTT (even to peers 30 ms
+away), and since the anchor sits on the phone↔node path, everything through
+it inherited that. `systemctl restart fips` on vps2 restored link RTTs to
+40–340 ms, and anchor→node mesh HTTP went from 14–17 s (intermittent hard
+fails) to a steady **165–275 ms**. Node↔node direct sessions were always
+fine (.116→framework-pt ULA HTTP: 894 ms cold, sub-second warm) — the
+user's read was correct.
+
+Actions taken: dead legacy anchor (185.18.221.160) removed from
+framework-pt + .116 seed files (fleet keeps vps2 + public-mesh membership
+via vps2 — we stay in the open mesh); fresh daemons on both nodes;
+**vps2 fips now has RuntimeMaxSec=1d + Restart=always** so a wedged anchor
+daemon can never rot for days again. Report the slow-degradation behaviour
+upstream (jmcorgan/fips, 0.4.1): long-running daemon in a ~1400-node mesh
+accumulates multi-second link latency at idle CPU, cleared by restart.
+
+Phone side: vc25's 60 s probe + pre-warm now has a millisecond-latency mesh
+to work with. Ready for the user's 5G test.
+
+## NEXT (00:05, Mac agent → dev-box agent): app direct ports are IPv4-only over the mesh
+
+The kiosk loads over the ULA now — but opening any APP dies with
+`ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED` at `http://[<ULA>]:<port>/`. User-hit first on
+**Bitcoin Knots (:8334)**, and it will be every catalog app: the web UI
+builds app URLs from the current host + the app's DIRECT port (Direct Port
+Rule), and container-published ports only bind 0.0.0.0. Verified:
+`192.168.63.249:8334` → HTTP 200 (nginx), ULA:8334 → refused. Same disease
+as your :80 nginx fix, one layer down.
+
+Fix must cover EVERY catalog app port and survive app install/remove. Two
+shapes; pick what fits the container layer best:
+
+1. **IPv6 publish at the container layer** — publish on `[::]` too
+   (pasta/rootless podman support address-specific `-p`), wired into the
+   container manager so new apps inherit it; or
+2. **Host-side v6→v4 forwarders** — generated nginx `stream {}` (or
+   systemd-socket) units: `listen [::]:<port>` → `127.0.0.1:<port>`, one per
+   catalog app port, regenerated on app install/remove, boot-time
+   self-healed like the :80 fix. Keeps the Direct Port Rule URL contract
+   without touching containers.
+
+Either way: extend the bootstrap self-heal, and verify from the MESH side
+(curl the ULA on 2–3 app ports incl. :8334 from vps2 or .116) — not just
+from the LAN.
+
+## DONE (00:30, dev-box agent): app direct ports live over the mesh
+
+Shape 2-variant implemented INSIDE the backend (`mesh_ports.rs`, `2ad57c63`):
+a reconcile loop mirrors every public IPv4 listener (>=1024, bound 0.0.0.0,
+no existing IPv6 any-listener) as a v6-ONLY `[::]:<port>` forwarder to
+`127.0.0.1:<port>`, following `/proc/net/tcp*` every 15s — so app
+install/remove and hardcoded companion ports (bitcoin-ui :8334) are covered
+with zero container changes and no generated units; self-healing because it
+lives in the binary. Strictly ADDITIVE: IPv4/LAN/Tor paths untouched, v6only
+cannot intercept v4, foreign IPv6 listeners win.
+
+Verified FROM THE MESH (vps2 → node ULA): :8334 HTTP 200 (466ms),
+:18083 200 (306ms), :50002 200 (239ms); LAN :8334 still 200. Deployed to
+framework-pt + .116 (binary sha 52ac0d8a…). Direct-port apps should now
+open in the companion over 5G.
diff --git a/image-recipe/configs/nginx-archipelago.conf b/image-recipe/configs/nginx-archipelago.conf
index ecc7b154..c908eb82 100644
--- a/image-recipe/configs/nginx-archipelago.conf
+++ b/image-recipe/configs/nginx-archipelago.conf
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ resolver_timeout 5s;
 
 server {
     listen 80 default_server;
+    # IPv6 listener is REQUIRED: companion phones reach this node over the
+    # FIPS mesh at its fips0 ULA (http://[fdxx:…]) — without [::]:80 that
+    # address can never connect (found live 2026-07-23, framework-pt).
+    listen [::]:80 default_server;
     server_name _;
 
     root /opt/archipelago/web-ui;
@@ -901,6 +905,7 @@ server {
 # HTTPS - required for PWA install (Add to Home Screen) from dev servers
 server {
     listen 443 ssl default_server;
+    listen [::]:443 ssl default_server;
     server_name _;
 
     ssl_certificate /etc/archipelago/ssl/archipelago.crt;
diff --git a/neode-ui/public/packages/archipelago-companion.apk b/neode-ui/public/packages/archipelago-companion.apk
index 3d9e0437..6233da49 100644
Binary files a/neode-ui/public/packages/archipelago-companion.apk and b/neode-ui/public/packages/archipelago-companion.apk differ