diff --git a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/LocalPreferences.kt b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/LocalPreferences.kt
index 09864df91f..9b6a2abe3f 100644
--- a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/LocalPreferences.kt
+++ b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/LocalPreferences.kt
@@ -355,7 +355,27 @@ object LocalPreferences {
         }
     }
 
-    suspend fun setDefaultAccount(accountSettings: AccountSettings) {
+    /**
+     * Make [accountSettings] the current account, persisting + caching it. Returns the settings that
+     * actually became current — normally [accountSettings] itself, but see the downgrade guard below.
+     */
+    suspend fun setDefaultAccount(accountSettings: AccountSettings): AccountSettings {
+        val npub = accountSettings.keyPair.pubKey.toNpub()
+
+        // Downgrade guard: adding a read-only npub for a pubkey we already hold a SIGNING account for
+        // must not clobber that account. Accounts dedup by npub, so saving fresh read-only settings
+        // here would overwrite the signing account's per-npub file — wiping its cached follow/relay/
+        // mute lists and flipping hasPrivKey off, which silently disables its push notifications. A
+        // signing account already does everything the read-only one would, so keep it and just make
+        // it current instead of degrading it.
+        if (!accountSettings.isWriteable()) {
+            val existing = loadAccountConfigFromEncryptedStorage(npub)
+            if (existing != null && existing.isWriteable()) {
+                setCurrentAccount(existing)
+                return existing
+            }
+        }
+
         // Save the per-npub file before emitting onto the savedAccounts flow.
         // Otherwise a collector (e.g. AlwaysOnNotificationServiceManager) can race in
         // and call loadAccountConfigFromEncryptedStorage(npub) before NOSTR_PUBKEY is
@@ -363,9 +383,9 @@ object LocalPreferences {
         // rest of the session — making every later switch to this account land on
         // LoggedOff instead of LoggedIn.
         saveToEncryptedStorage(accountSettings)
-        val npub = accountSettings.keyPair.pubKey.toNpub()
         mutex.withLock { cachedAccounts.put(npub, accountSettings) }
         setCurrentAccount(accountSettings)
+        return accountSettings
     }
 
     suspend fun allSavedAccounts(): List<AccountInfo> = savedAccounts()
diff --git a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/ui/screen/AccountSessionManager.kt b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/ui/screen/AccountSessionManager.kt
index 0c85dc7081..bf63ace422 100644
--- a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/ui/screen/AccountSessionManager.kt
+++ b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/ui/screen/AccountSessionManager.kt
@@ -175,9 +175,11 @@ class AccountSessionManager(
                 }
             }
 
-        localPreferences.setDefaultAccount(accountSettings)
+        // setDefaultAccount may keep an existing signing account instead of this one when a
+        // read-only npub is added for a pubkey we already sign for — show whichever became current.
+        val current = localPreferences.setDefaultAccount(accountSettings)
 
-        startUI(accountSettings)
+        startUI(current)
     }
 
     fun startUI(
diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManager.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManager.kt
index 114a4cc885..b5c4e5598c 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManager.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManager.kt
@@ -508,6 +508,18 @@ class AccountManager internal constructor(
     suspend fun saveCurrentAccount(): Result<Unit> {
         val current = currentAccount() ?: return Result.failure(Exception("No account logged in"))
 
+        // Downgrade guard (mirrors Android LocalPreferences.setDefaultAccount): never persist a
+        // read-only account over an existing SIGNING account for the same pubkey. Accounts key by
+        // npub, so this would overwrite signerType to ViewOnly and orphan the stored key, routing
+        // every later switch through read-only. A signing account already subsumes a read-only one,
+        // so keep it and switch to it instead of degrading it.
+        if (current.isReadOnly) {
+            val existing = accountStorage.loadAccounts().firstOrNull { it.npub == current.npub }
+            if (existing != null && existing.signerType !is SignerType.ViewOnly) {
+                return switchAccount(current.npub).map { }
+            }
+        }
+
         // Bunker accounts: private key saved during loginWithBunker
         if (current.signerType is SignerType.Remote) {
             // Still ensure multi-account storage is updated
diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManagerKeyLoginTest.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManagerKeyLoginTest.kt
index 05129a4c26..4d511c57f7 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManagerKeyLoginTest.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/account/AccountManagerKeyLoginTest.kt
@@ -159,4 +159,45 @@ class AccountManagerKeyLoginTest {
             val accounts = manager.accountStorage.loadAccounts()
             assertTrue(accounts.any { it.npub == keyPair.pubKey.toNpub() })
         }
+
+    /**
+     * Regression: adding the read-only npub for a pubkey we already hold a SIGNING account for must
+     * NOT downgrade it. Accounts key by npub, so persisting the ViewOnly entry would overwrite the
+     * Internal signerType and orphan the stored key, routing every later switch through read-only.
+     * The signing account must survive and become current instead.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun addingReadOnlyNpubDoesNotDowngradeExistingSigningAccount() =
+        runTest {
+            val keyPair = KeyPair()
+            val npub = keyPair.pubKey.toNpub()
+
+            // 1. Sign in with the nsec and persist it as a full signing account.
+            manager.loginWithKey(keyPair.privKey!!.toNsec())
+            manager.saveCurrentAccount()
+            assertEquals(
+                SignerType.Internal,
+                manager.accountStorage
+                    .loadAccounts()
+                    .first { it.npub == npub }
+                    .signerType,
+            )
+            assertTrue(keyStore.containsKey(npub))
+
+            // 2. Add the read-only npub for the SAME pubkey and try to save it.
+            manager.loginWithKey(npub)
+            assertTrue((manager.accountState.value as AccountState.LoggedIn).isReadOnly)
+            val result = manager.saveCurrentAccount()
+            assertTrue(result.isSuccess)
+
+            // 3. The signing account survives: storage stays Internal, the key is kept,
+            //    and the current account was switched back to signing (not downgraded).
+            val stored = manager.accountStorage.loadAccounts().first { it.npub == npub }
+            assertEquals(SignerType.Internal, stored.signerType)
+            assertTrue(keyStore.containsKey(npub))
+            val finalState = manager.accountState.value
+            assertIs<AccountState.LoggedIn>(finalState)
+            assertFalse(finalState.isReadOnly)
+            assertEquals(SignerType.Internal, finalState.signerType)
+        }
 }