diff --git a/neode-ui/src/components/CompanionIntroOverlay.vue b/neode-ui/src/components/CompanionIntroOverlay.vue
index d324d542..a8f4526f 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/components/CompanionIntroOverlay.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/components/CompanionIntroOverlay.vue
@@ -357,10 +357,15 @@ async function buildPairingUrl(): Promise<string> {
       const selfAnchor = info.tcp_port
         ? [{ npub: info.npub, addr: `${params.get('fhost')}:${info.tcp_port}`, transport: 'tcp' }]
         : []
-      const anchors = [
-        ...selfAnchor,
-        ...(info.anchors || []).filter((a) => a.npub !== info.npub),
-      ].slice(0, 4)
+      // HARD CAP at 2 anchors: every extra npub adds ~100 URL-encoded chars
+      // and pushed the QR past what phone cameras decode off a screen
+      // (3 anchors ≈ 600 chars ≈ QR v23 — observed unscannable 2026-07-23).
+      // Self + one public rendezvous is all the phone needs; prefer the
+      // Archipelago-operated vps2 anchor as the public one.
+      const others = (info.anchors || []).filter((a) => a.npub !== info.npub)
+      const publicAnchor =
+        others.find((a) => a.addr.startsWith('146.59.87.168')) ?? others[0]
+      const anchors = [...selfAnchor, ...(publicAnchor ? [publicAnchor] : [])].slice(0, 2)
       if (anchors.length) {
         params.set(
           'fanchors',
@@ -385,10 +390,13 @@ async function showPairScreen() {
     pairingUrl.value = await buildPairingUrl()
     // Large source + a real quiet zone; this QR is scanned by the companion
     // app's camera, so give it every advantage (see download QR note above).
+    // EC level L: the payload is long (token + npub + anchors) and screen
+    // scans don't suffer the damage EC-M protects against — L drops the
+    // module count a full version tier, which is what makes it scannable.
     pairQrDataUrl.value = await QRCode.toDataURL(pairingUrl.value, {
-      width: 512,
+      width: 768,
       margin: 3,
-      errorCorrectionLevel: 'M',
+      errorCorrectionLevel: 'L',
       color: {
         dark: '#111111',
         light: '#ffffff',