diff --git a/desktop/src/app/App.tsx b/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
index 56b84118ad..e89bf61fbe 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ import { useMachineOnboardingState } from "@/features/onboarding/machineOnboardi
 import {
   type FirstCommunityPage,
   useCommunityOnboarding,
+  markCommunityOnboardingComplete,
+  resolveProfileCheckAction,
+  isTransactionStillConnecting,
 } from "@/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding";
 import { CommunityOnboardingFlow } from "@/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow";
 import {
@@ -43,6 +46,7 @@ import { CommunityApplyErrorScreen } from "@/features/communities/ui/CommunityAp
 import { CommunityChangeOverlay } from "@/features/communities/ui/CommunityChangeOverlay";
 import { createBuzzQueryClient } from "@/shared/api/queryClient";
 import { isSharedIdentity as isSharedIdentityCmd } from "@/shared/api/tauri";
+import { getProfile } from "@/shared/api/tauriProfiles";
 import {
   type AddCommunityDeepLinkPayload,
   listenForDeepLinks,
@@ -279,6 +283,14 @@ function CommunityApp({
   } = useCommunities();
   const communityOnboarding = useCommunityOnboarding();
   const connectingTransactionRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
+  // Tracks the ID of the profile-check request that has been launched for the
+  // current connecting transaction. Prevents the effect from launching a
+  // second request if it re-runs while a fetch is in flight.
+  const profileCheckTransactionRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
+  // Always reflects the live transaction object so async callbacks can perform
+  // an atomic check of both ID and stage before mutating state.
+  const transactionRef = useRef(communityOnboarding.transaction);
+  transactionRef.current = communityOnboarding.transaction;
   const [isCommunityChangeOpen, setIsCommunityChangeOpen] = useState(false);
   const [resumeFirstCommunityPage, setResumeFirstCommunityPage] =
     useState<FirstCommunityPage | null>(null);
@@ -384,6 +396,7 @@ function CommunityApp({
   useEffect(() => {
     if (transaction?.stage !== "connecting") {
       connectingTransactionRef.current = null;
+      profileCheckTransactionRef.current = null;
     }
   }, [transaction?.stage]);
   const targetIsReady =
@@ -391,10 +404,39 @@ function CommunityApp({
     community.isReady &&
     community.appliedKey === communityKey;
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (transaction?.stage === "connecting" && targetIsReady) {
-      communityOnboarding.update({ stage: "profile", error: undefined });
-    }
-  }, [communityOnboarding.update, targetIsReady, transaction?.stage]);
+    if (transaction?.stage !== "connecting" || !targetIsReady) return;
+    const transactionId = transaction.id;
+    const relayUrl = transaction.relayUrl;
+    if (profileCheckTransactionRef.current === transactionId) return;
+    profileCheckTransactionRef.current = transactionId;
+
+    // resolveProfileCheckAction resolves exactly once (Promise.race + timer
+    // cleared on settle), so no settled flag is needed here.
+    void resolveProfileCheckAction(getProfile, 10_000).then((result) => {
+      // Atomic staleness guard via isTransactionStillConnecting: the
+      // transaction must still be the same one that launched this request
+      // AND still be in connecting. Covers cancel+replacement (B's ID !== A's)
+      // and cancel-without-replacement (transactionRef.current is null).
+      if (!isTransactionStillConnecting(transactionRef.current, transactionId))
+        return;
+
+      if (result.action === "skip") {
+        markCommunityOnboardingComplete(result.profile.pubkey, relayUrl);
+        communityOnboarding.clear();
+      } else {
+        communityOnboarding.update(
+          { stage: "profile", error: undefined },
+          transactionId,
+        );
+      }
+    });
+  }, [
+    communityOnboarding,
+    targetIsReady,
+    transaction?.stage,
+    transaction?.id,
+    transaction?.relayUrl,
+  ]);
   // During "entering" the transaction stays alive as a curtain: the app mounts
   // underneath (already pointed at the Welcome channel route) while the
   // onboarding screen covers it, then fades once Welcome reports ready.
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.test.mjs
index 8ffa59ec8e..e9645b191e 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.test.mjs
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ import test from "node:test";
 
 import {
   clearCommunityOnboardingTransaction,
+  isTransactionStillConnecting,
   loadCommunityOnboardingTransaction,
   markCommunityOnboardingComplete,
+  resolveProfileCheckAction,
+  shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding,
   startCommunityOnboarding,
   updateCommunityOnboardingTransaction,
   updateCurrentCommunityOnboardingTransaction,
@@ -147,3 +150,195 @@ test("completion is scoped by relay and pubkey and preserves legacy gate", () =>
   );
   assert.equal(storage.getItem("buzz-onboarding-complete.v1:pubkey"), "true");
 });
+
+// ── shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding ────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/** Minimal Profile stub — only the fields the helper inspects. */
+function makeProfile(hasProfileEvent, overrides = {}) {
+  return {
+    pubkey: "aabbcc",
+    displayName: null,
+    avatarUrl: null,
+    about: null,
+    nip05Handle: null,
+    ownerPubkey: null,
+    hasProfileEvent,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+test("shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding_hasProfileEvent_returnsTrue", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding(makeProfile(true)),
+    true,
+    "existing kind:0 ⇒ skip onboarding",
+  );
+});
+
+test("shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding_noProfileEvent_returnsFalse", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding(makeProfile(false)),
+    false,
+    "no kind:0 ⇒ show profile step",
+  );
+});
+
+test("shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding_fetchError_returnsFalse", () => {
+  // fetch error is represented as null — must never block onboarding
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding(null),
+    false,
+    "fetch error ⇒ show profile step (safe fallback)",
+  );
+});
+
+// ── resolveProfileCheckAction — async orchestration ──────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Returns a fake scheduleTimeout that captures registered callbacks so tests
+ * can fire or skip them manually without real timers.
+ */
+function makeScheduler() {
+  const callbacks = [];
+  return {
+    schedule: (fn, _ms) => callbacks.push(fn),
+    fireTimeout: () => {
+      const fn = callbacks.shift();
+      if (fn) fn();
+    },
+    pendingCount: () => callbacks.length,
+  };
+}
+
+test("resolveProfileCheckAction_hasProfileEvent_returnsSkipWithProfile", async () => {
+  const profile = makeProfile(true, { pubkey: "aabbcc" });
+  const result = await resolveProfileCheckAction(
+    () => Promise.resolve(profile),
+    10_000,
+    makeScheduler().schedule,
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.action, "skip");
+  assert.equal(result.profile.pubkey, "aabbcc");
+});
+
+test("resolveProfileCheckAction_noProfileEvent_returnsShowProfile", async () => {
+  const result = await resolveProfileCheckAction(
+    () => Promise.resolve(makeProfile(false)),
+    10_000,
+    makeScheduler().schedule,
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.action, "show-profile");
+});
+
+test("resolveProfileCheckAction_fetchRejects_returnsShowProfile", async () => {
+  const result = await resolveProfileCheckAction(
+    () => Promise.reject(new Error("network error")),
+    10_000,
+    makeScheduler().schedule,
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.action, "show-profile");
+});
+
+test("resolveProfileCheckAction_timeout_returnsShowProfile", async () => {
+  // Fetch never settles; scheduler fires the timeout immediately.
+  const scheduler = makeScheduler();
+  const result = await resolveProfileCheckAction(
+    () => new Promise(() => {}), // hangs forever
+    10_000,
+    (fn, ms) => {
+      scheduler.schedule(fn, ms);
+      // Fire synchronously so the test does not wait for a real timer.
+      scheduler.fireTimeout();
+    },
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    result.action,
+    "show-profile",
+    "timeout ⇒ show-profile (never strands onboarding)",
+  );
+});
+
+test("resolveProfileCheckAction_lateSuccessAfterTimeout_doesNotSkip", async () => {
+  // Fetch resolves AFTER the timeout has already fired.
+  // resolveProfileCheckAction must return show-profile from the timeout path,
+  // and the late fetch result must have no effect.
+  let resolveFetch;
+  const fetchPromise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+    resolveFetch = resolve;
+  });
+
+  const scheduler = makeScheduler();
+  const resultPromise = resolveProfileCheckAction(
+    () => fetchPromise,
+    10_000,
+    scheduler.schedule,
+  );
+
+  // Fire the timeout — race settles with the timeout rejection.
+  scheduler.fireTimeout();
+
+  // Now resolve the fetch with a kind:0 profile.
+  resolveFetch(makeProfile(true));
+
+  const result = await resultPromise;
+  assert.equal(
+    result.action,
+    "show-profile",
+    "late success after timeout must not complete onboarding",
+  );
+});
+
+// ── isTransactionStillConnecting — stale-transaction guard ───────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Builds a minimal transaction stub for testing the guard predicate.
+ * Only `id` and `stage` are inspected by isTransactionStillConnecting.
+ */
+function makeTransaction(id, stage) {
+  return {
+    id,
+    stage,
+    source: "add-community",
+    relayUrl: "wss://relay.example",
+    communityName: "test",
+    createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+    updatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+  };
+}
+
+test("isTransactionStillConnecting_matchingIdAndStage_returnsTrue", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    isTransactionStillConnecting(makeTransaction("tx-a", "connecting"), "tx-a"),
+    true,
+    "same id + connecting stage → guard passes",
+  );
+});
+
+test("isTransactionStillConnecting_replacedTransaction_returnsFalse", () => {
+  // Transaction B replaced A while the fetch was in flight.
+  // The callback for A must not clear B.
+  assert.equal(
+    isTransactionStillConnecting(makeTransaction("tx-b", "connecting"), "tx-a"),
+    false,
+    "different id (replacement) → guard rejects stale success",
+  );
+});
+
+test("isTransactionStillConnecting_cancelWithNoReplacement_returnsFalse", () => {
+  // User cancelled without starting a new transaction; ref is null.
+  assert.equal(
+    isTransactionStillConnecting(null, "tx-a"),
+    false,
+    "null ref (cancel without replacement) → guard rejects stale success",
+  );
+});
+
+test("isTransactionStillConnecting_stagePastConnecting_returnsFalse", () => {
+  // Fallback already advanced the transaction to 'profile' before the skip
+  // result arrived — double-completion must not occur.
+  assert.equal(
+    isTransactionStillConnecting(makeTransaction("tx-a", "profile"), "tx-a"),
+    false,
+    "stage advanced past connecting → guard rejects late action",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.tsx
index 76520b83be..bbb636b3a1 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   normalizeRelayUrl,
 } from "@/features/communities/communityStorage";
 import { setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery } from "@/shared/lib/localStorageQuota";
+import type { Profile } from "@/shared/api/types";
 
 const STORAGE_KEY = "buzz-community-onboarding-transaction.v1";
 
@@ -227,6 +228,90 @@ export function markCommunityOnboardingComplete(
   storage.setItem(`buzz-onboarding-complete.v1:${pubkey}`, "true");
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns true when a relay-profile check result means the user should skip
+ * community onboarding entirely and land directly in the app.
+ *
+ * A profile fetch error is represented as `null` and always returns false so
+ * that the fallback (show the profile step) applies — the skip must never
+ * block or strand onboarding.
+ */
+export function shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding(
+  profile: Profile | null,
+): boolean {
+  return profile !== null && profile.hasProfileEvent === true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Outcome of a profile-check attempt during the connecting → profile
+ * transition. Produced by `resolveProfileCheckAction`.
+ *
+ * - `{ action: "skip", profile }` — kind:0 exists; mark complete and enter
+ *   the app. The resolved `Profile` is included so callers have the pubkey
+ *   for `markCommunityOnboardingComplete` without a second fetch.
+ * - `{ action: "show-profile" }` — no kind:0, or the fetch failed / timed
+ *   out; show the profile setup step.
+ */
+export type ProfileCheckAction =
+  | { action: "skip"; profile: Profile }
+  | { action: "show-profile" };
+
+/**
+ * Returns true when a live transaction snapshot still represents the
+ * same connecting request that launched the profile check.
+ *
+ * Extracted as a pure predicate so the stale-result guard in App.tsx can
+ * be unit-tested without mounting a component.
+ */
+export function isTransactionStillConnecting(
+  live: CommunityOnboardingTransaction | null | undefined,
+  transactionId: string,
+): boolean {
+  return live?.id === transactionId && live.stage === "connecting";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Runs a bounded profile fetch and returns the action to take at the
+ * `connecting → profile` transition.
+ *
+ * Accepts `fetchProfile`, `timeoutMs`, and `scheduleTimeout` as parameters so
+ * callers (and tests) can supply controlled implementations. `scheduleTimeout`
+ * must return a cancellation handle (like `window.setTimeout`) so the timer
+ * can be cleared when the fetch settles before the deadline.
+ *
+ * Any fetch error or timeout → `{ action: "show-profile" }` (never strands
+ * onboarding).
+ */
+export async function resolveProfileCheckAction(
+  fetchProfile: () => Promise<Profile>,
+  timeoutMs: number,
+  scheduleTimeout: (
+    fn: () => void,
+    ms: number,
+  ) => ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> = (fn, ms) => window.setTimeout(fn, ms),
+): Promise<ProfileCheckAction> {
+  let timerId: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+  try {
+    const profile = await Promise.race([
+      fetchProfile(),
+      new Promise<never>(
+        (_, reject) =>
+          (timerId = scheduleTimeout(
+            () => reject(new Error("profile-check-timeout")),
+            timeoutMs,
+          )),
+      ),
+    ]);
+    return shouldSkipCommunityOnboarding(profile)
+      ? { action: "skip", profile }
+      : { action: "show-profile" };
+  } catch {
+    return { action: "show-profile" };
+  } finally {
+    if (timerId !== undefined) clearTimeout(timerId);
+  }
+}
+
 import * as React from "react";
 
 type CommunityOnboardingContextValue = {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
index 050aad96d0..10c194ce68 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   parseEmojiAvatarDataUrl,
   ProfileAvatarEditor,
 } from "@/features/profile/ui/ProfileAvatarEditor";
-import { updateProfile } from "@/shared/api/tauriProfiles";
+import { getProfile, updateProfile } from "@/shared/api/tauriProfiles";
 import { getIdentity, importIdentity } from "@/shared/api/tauriIdentity";
 import { listPersonas } from "@/shared/api/tauriPersonas";
 import { relayClient } from "@/shared/api/relayClient";
@@ -286,6 +286,30 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
     transaction?.stage === "finalizing" ||
     transaction?.stage === "entering";
 
+  // Seed display name and avatar from the relay profile when the profile step
+  // is shown. This covers the case where the skip raced or was bypassed (e.g.,
+  // the user navigated Back). Only seeds fields that are still empty so that
+  // any user edits are preserved.
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isProfileStage) return;
+    void getProfile()
+      .then((profile) => {
+        if (profile.displayName) {
+          setDisplayName((prev) =>
+            prev === "" ? (profile.displayName ?? "") : prev,
+          );
+        }
+        if (profile.avatarUrl) {
+          setAvatarUrl((prev) =>
+            prev === "" ? (profile.avatarUrl ?? "") : prev,
+          );
+        }
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        // Seeding is best-effort; silently ignore failures.
+      });
+  }, [isProfileStage]);
+
   React.useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (isProfileStage && !isAvatarEditorOpen) {
       nameInputRef.current?.focus();
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
index c3078aaca2..34f310d9ee 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
@@ -113,9 +113,15 @@ test("connect deep link shows a static acknowledgment during setup", async ({
 test("add-community deep link starts onboarding when no community is configured", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
+  // profileReadError forces the fallback path (error → profile step), so the
+  // test asserts pre-existing-profile behavior without the default mock
+  // identity's has_profile_event:true triggering the skip.
   await installMockBridge(
     page,
-    { pendingCommunityDeepLinks: [PENDING_ADD_COMMUNITY_LINK] },
+    {
+      pendingCommunityDeepLinks: [PENDING_ADD_COMMUNITY_LINK],
+      profileReadError: "no-kind-0",
+    },
     { skipCommunitySeed: true },
   );
   await page.goto("/");
@@ -142,6 +148,26 @@ test("add-community deep link starts onboarding when no community is configured"
     .toContain('"communityName":"Acme Team"');
 });
 
+test("add-community deep link skips profile step when identity has an existing kind:0 profile", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  // The default mock identity (deadbeef...) is pre-seeded with
+  // has_profile_event:true. The skip should fire on connecting → clear the
+  // transaction entirely, never showing the profile step.
+  await installMockBridge(
+    page,
+    { pendingCommunityDeepLinks: [PENDING_ADD_COMMUNITY_LINK] },
+    { skipCommunitySeed: true },
+  );
+  await page.goto("/");
+
+  // Onboarding flow must disappear — the skip cleared the transaction.
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("community-onboarding-flow")).toHaveCount(0);
+  // handleCommunityOnboardingConnect already added the community when the
+  // transaction reached "connecting", so the app lands in the full UI.
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("sidebar-profile-avatar-button")).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test("add-community deep link opens one editable prefill and acknowledges the queue", async ({
   page,
 }) => {