diff --git a/src/app/api/auth/register/route.ts b/src/app/api/auth/register/route.ts
index 63b2aa9..dc4ed25 100644
--- a/src/app/api/auth/register/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/auth/register/route.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const registerSchema = z.object({
     handle: z.string().min(3).max(20).regex(/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$/),
     email: z.string().email(),
     password: z.string().min(8),
-    displayName: z.string().optional(),
+    displayName: z.string().trim().max(50).optional(),
     turnstileToken: z.string().nullable().optional(),
 });
 
diff --git a/src/app/login/page.tsx b/src/app/login/page.tsx
index ca848f3..4f1141d 100644
--- a/src/app/login/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/login/page.tsx
@@ -474,6 +474,8 @@ export function AuthScreen({ modal = false, onClose, onSuccess }: AuthScreenProp
                                             }}>@</span>
                                             <input
                                                 type="text"
+                                                name="username"
+                                                autoComplete="username"
                                                 className="input"
                                                 value={handle}
                                                 onChange={(e) => setHandle(e.target.value.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9_]/g, ''))}
@@ -511,6 +513,8 @@ export function AuthScreen({ modal = false, onClose, onSuccess }: AuthScreenProp
                                         </label>
                                         <input
                                             type="password"
+                                            name="password"
+                                            autoComplete="new-password"
                                             className="input"
                                             value={password}
                                             onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)}
@@ -529,6 +533,8 @@ export function AuthScreen({ modal = false, onClose, onSuccess }: AuthScreenProp
                                         </label>
                                         <input
                                             type="text"
+                                            name="displayName"
+                                            autoComplete="nickname"
                                             className="input"
                                             value={displayName}
                                             onChange={(e) => setDisplayName(e.target.value)}
@@ -541,6 +547,8 @@ export function AuthScreen({ modal = false, onClose, onSuccess }: AuthScreenProp
                                         </label>
                                         <input
                                             type="password"
+                                            name="confirmPassword"
+                                            autoComplete="new-password"
                                             className="input"
                                             value={confirmPassword}
                                             onChange={(e) => setConfirmPassword(e.target.value)}
@@ -558,6 +566,8 @@ export function AuthScreen({ modal = false, onClose, onSuccess }: AuthScreenProp
                                         </label>
                                         <input
                                             type="email"
+                                            name="email"
+                                            autoComplete="email"
                                             className="input"
                                             value={email}
                                             onChange={(e) => setEmail(e.target.value)}
diff --git a/src/app/u/[handle]/page.tsx b/src/app/u/[handle]/page.tsx
index 8e8e271..9a435f6 100644
--- a/src/app/u/[handle]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/u/[handle]/page.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ interface UserSummary {
     isBot?: boolean;
 }
 
+type ProfileMediaField = 'avatarUrl' | 'headerUrl';
+
 // Strip HTML tags from a string
 const stripHtml = (html: string | null | undefined): string | null => {
     if (!html) return null;
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
     const params = useParams();
     const router = useRouter();
     const handle = (params.handle as string)?.replace(/^@/, '') || '';
-    const { did, handle: currentHandle, isIdentityUnlocked, signUserAction } = useAuth();
+    const { did, handle: currentHandle, isIdentityUnlocked, signUserAction, updateUserProfile } = useAuth();
 
     const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
     const userFullHandle = user ? useFormattedHandle(user.handle) : '';
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
     });
     const [saveError, setSaveError] = useState<string | null>(null);
     const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
+    const [mediaSaveStatus, setMediaSaveStatus] = useState<Partial<Record<ProfileMediaField, 'saving' | 'saved'>>>({});
     const [isBlocked, setIsBlocked] = useState(false);
     const [showMenu, setShowMenu] = useState(false);
     useEffect(() => {
@@ -251,7 +254,7 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
     };
 
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (user && currentUser?.handle === user.handle) {
+        if (user && currentUser?.handle === user.handle && !isEditing) {
             setProfileForm({
                 displayName: user.displayName || '',
                 bio: user.bio || '',
@@ -260,7 +263,7 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
                 website: user.website || '',
             });
         }
-    }, [user, currentUser]);
+    }, [user, currentUser, isEditing]);
 
     useEffect(() => {
         const ownerHandle = user?.botOwner?.handle?.replace(/^@/, '').split('@')[0];
@@ -378,6 +381,24 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
         }
     };
 
+    const updateProfile = async (changes: Partial<typeof profileForm>): Promise<User> => {
+            const signedPayload = await signUserAction('update_profile', changes);
+
+            const res = await fetch('/api/auth/me', {
+                method: 'PATCH',
+                headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+                body: JSON.stringify(signedPayload),
+            });
+
+            const data = await res.json() as { error?: string; user?: User };
+
+            if (!res.ok || !data.user) {
+                throw new Error(data.error || 'Failed to update profile');
+            }
+
+            return data.user;
+    };
+
     const handleSaveProfile = async () => {
         if (!isOwnProfile) return;
 
@@ -390,22 +411,10 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
         setSaveError(null);
 
         try {
-            // Sign the profile update action
-            const signedPayload = await signUserAction('update_profile', profileForm);
+            const updatedUser = await updateProfile(profileForm);
 
-            const res = await fetch('/api/auth/me', {
-                method: 'PATCH',
-                headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
-                body: JSON.stringify(signedPayload),
-            });
-
-            const data = await res.json();
-
-            if (!res.ok) {
-                throw new Error(data.error || 'Failed to update profile');
-            }
-
-            setUser(data.user);
+            setUser(prev => prev ? { ...prev, ...updatedUser } : updatedUser);
+            updateUserProfile(updatedUser);
             setIsEditing(false);
         } catch (error) {
             console.error('Profile update failed', error);
@@ -415,6 +424,31 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
         }
     };
 
+    const handleProfileMediaChange = async (field: ProfileMediaField, value: string) => {
+        setProfileForm(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: value }));
+        setSaveError(null);
+
+        if (!isOwnProfile || !isIdentityUnlocked) {
+            setSaveError('Session expired. Please log in again.');
+            return;
+        }
+
+        setMediaSaveStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: 'saving' }));
+        try {
+            const updatedUser = await updateProfile({ [field]: value });
+            setUser(prev => prev ? { ...prev, ...updatedUser } : updatedUser);
+            updateUserProfile(updatedUser);
+            setMediaSaveStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: 'saved' }));
+            window.setTimeout(() => {
+                setMediaSaveStatus(prev => prev[field] === 'saved' ? { ...prev, [field]: undefined } : prev);
+            }, 2000);
+        } catch (error) {
+            console.error('Profile media update failed', error);
+            setMediaSaveStatus(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: undefined }));
+            setSaveError(error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unable to save profile media. Please try again.');
+        }
+    };
+
     const formatDate = (dateStr: string) => {
         return new Date(dateStr).toLocaleDateString('en-US', {
             month: 'long',
@@ -785,26 +819,24 @@ export default function ProfilePage() {
                                     label="Avatar"
                                     value={profileForm.avatarUrl}
                                     onChange={(avatarUrl) => {
-                                        setSaveError(null);
-                                        setProfileForm({ ...profileForm, avatarUrl });
+                                        void handleProfileMediaChange('avatarUrl', avatarUrl);
                                     }}
                                     previewWidth={48}
                                     previewHeight={48}
                                     previewBorderRadius="50%"
-                                    helperText="Square image recommended (optional)"
+                                    helperText={mediaSaveStatus.avatarUrl === 'saving' ? 'Saving avatar…' : mediaSaveStatus.avatarUrl === 'saved' ? 'Avatar saved' : 'Square image recommended (optional)'}
                                     onError={(message) => setSaveError(message || null)}
                                 />
                                 <UserStorageImageUpload
                                     label="Header"
                                     value={profileForm.headerUrl}
                                     onChange={(headerUrl) => {
-                                        setSaveError(null);
-                                        setProfileForm({ ...profileForm, headerUrl });
+                                        void handleProfileMediaChange('headerUrl', headerUrl);
                                     }}
                                     previewWidth={120}
                                     previewHeight={40}
                                     previewBorderRadius="4px"
-                                    helperText="Wide image recommended, e.g. 1500x500 (optional)"
+                                    helperText={mediaSaveStatus.headerUrl === 'saving' ? 'Saving header…' : mediaSaveStatus.headerUrl === 'saved' ? 'Header saved' : 'Wide image recommended, e.g. 1500x500 (optional)'}
                                     onError={(message) => setSaveError(message || null)}
                                 />
                                 {saveError && (
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/display-name.test.ts b/src/lib/auth/display-name.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bfd0466
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/auth/display-name.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { registrationDisplayName } from './display-name';
+
+describe('registrationDisplayName', () => {
+    it('uses the handle when no display name was provided', () => {
+        expect(registrationDisplayName('alice', 'alice@example.com')).toBe('alice');
+    });
+
+    it('does not expose an autofilled email as the public display name', () => {
+        expect(registrationDisplayName('alice', 'alice@example.com', ' Alice@Example.com ')).toBe('alice');
+    });
+
+    it('trims and preserves an intentional display name', () => {
+        expect(registrationDisplayName('alice', 'alice@example.com', ' Alice Example ')).toBe('Alice Example');
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/display-name.ts b/src/lib/auth/display-name.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2be218d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/auth/display-name.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+export function registrationDisplayName(handle: string, email: string, displayName?: string): string {
+    const trimmedDisplayName = displayName?.trim();
+    if (!trimmedDisplayName || trimmedDisplayName.toLowerCase() === email.trim().toLowerCase()) {
+        return handle;
+    }
+    return trimmedDisplayName;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/index.ts b/src/lib/auth/index.ts
index 84a82ed..0772e77 100644
--- a/src/lib/auth/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/auth/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { encryptPrivateKey, serializeEncryptedKey } from '@/lib/crypto/private-k
 import { base58btc } from 'multiformats/bases/base58';
 import { cookies } from 'next/headers';
 import { upsertHandleEntries } from '@/lib/federation/handles';
+import { registrationDisplayName } from '@/lib/auth/display-name';
 
 const ACTIVE_SESSION_COOKIE_NAME = 'synapsis_session';
 const SESSION_COOKIE_NAME = 'synapsis_sessions';
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ export async function registerUser(
         handle: handle.toLowerCase(),
         email: email.toLowerCase(),
         passwordHash,
-        displayName: displayName || handle,
+        displayName: registrationDisplayName(handle, email, displayName),
         publicKey,
         privateKeyEncrypted: serializeEncryptedKey(encryptedPrivateKey),
     }).returning();
diff --git a/src/lib/contexts/AuthContext.tsx b/src/lib/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
index f3d6786..be832df 100644
--- a/src/lib/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export interface User {
     handle: string;
     displayName: string;
     email?: string;
-    avatarUrl?: string;
+    avatarUrl?: string | null;
     did?: string;
     publicKey?: string;
     privateKeyEncrypted?: string;
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ interface AuthContextType {
     logout: (userId?: string) => Promise<void>;
     switchAccount: (userId: string) => Promise<void>;
     refreshAuth: () => Promise<void>;
+    updateUserProfile: (updates: Partial<User>) => void;
     lockIdentity: () => Promise<void>;  // New: manual lock
     signUserAction: (action: string, data: any) => Promise<any>;
     requiresUnlock: boolean;  // True if user has encrypted key but not unlocked
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType>({
     logout: async () => { },
     switchAccount: async () => { },
     refreshAuth: async () => { },
+    updateUserProfile: () => { },
     lockIdentity: async () => { },
     signUserAction: async () => Promise.reject('Not initialized'),
     requiresUnlock: false,
@@ -205,6 +207,11 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
         }
     }, [refreshAuth]);
 
+    const updateUserProfile = useCallback((updates: Partial<User>) => {
+        setUser(current => current ? { ...current, ...updates } : current);
+        setAccounts(current => current.map(account => account.id === updates.id ? { ...account, ...updates } : account));
+    }, []);
+
     // Load auth state on mount
     useEffect(() => {
         refreshAuth();
@@ -231,6 +238,7 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
             logout,
             switchAccount,
             refreshAuth,
+            updateUserProfile,
             lockIdentity,
             signUserAction,
             requiresUnlock,