diff --git a/src/components/Note/PublicationIndex/PublicationIndex.tsx b/src/components/Note/PublicationIndex/PublicationIndex.tsx
index bb8aac5c..bff7f235 100644
--- a/src/components/Note/PublicationIndex/PublicationIndex.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Note/PublicationIndex/PublicationIndex.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ import { upsertRenderedPublicationEvents } from '@/lib/publication-rendered-even
 
 interface PublicationReference {
   coordinate?: string
+  /**
+   * Optional historical snapshot id (`a` tag field 4) or direct `e` tag id.
+   * For `a` references this is metadata only and MUST NOT drive section fetches.
+   */
   eventId?: string
   event?: Event
   kind?: number
@@ -138,6 +142,9 @@ export default function PublicationIndex({
           refs.push({
             type: 'a',
             coordinate: parsed.coordinate,
+            // `a[3]` is historization metadata for this coordinate revision only.
+            // Keep it for diagnostics/UI context; fetches resolve by coordinate, not by this id.
+            eventId: tag[3],
             kind: parsed.kind,
             pubkey: parsed.pubkey,
             identifier: parsed.identifier,
diff --git a/src/constants.ts b/src/constants.ts
index 7ecadbb6..f1809f09 100644
--- a/src/constants.ts
+++ b/src/constants.ts
@@ -477,10 +477,23 @@ export function isSocialKindBlockedKind(kind: number): boolean {
   return SOCIAL_KIND_BLOCKED_KIND_SET.has(kind)
 }
 
-/** True when the filter is unrestricted by kind or includes any {@link SOCIAL_KIND_BLOCKED_KINDS}. */
+/**
+ * True when a filter should avoid relays that do not carry social-note surface.
+ *
+ * Important: kindless lookup filters (e.g. `ids`, `authors + #d`) are often used for
+ * publication / replaceable resolution and must keep relays like thecitadel in scope.
+ */
 export function relayFilterIncludesSocialKindBlockedKind(filter: Filter): boolean {
   const k = filter.kinds
-  if (k === undefined) return true
+  if (k === undefined) {
+    const ids = Array.isArray(filter.ids) ? filter.ids.length : 0
+    const dTags = Array.isArray((filter as Record<string, unknown>)['#d'])
+      ? ((filter as Record<string, unknown>)['#d'] as unknown[]).length
+      : 0
+    // Scoped lookups are not "broad social feed" queries.
+    if (ids > 0 || dTags > 0) return false
+    return true
+  }
   const arr = Array.isArray(k) ? k : [k]
   return arr.some((kind) => SOCIAL_KIND_BLOCKED_KIND_SET.has(kind))
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/usePublicationSectionLoader.ts b/src/hooks/usePublicationSectionLoader.ts
index 6edcb049..cb48e031 100644
--- a/src/hooks/usePublicationSectionLoader.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/usePublicationSectionLoader.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,18 @@ function signatureOfRefs(refs: PublicationSectionRef[]): string {
   return refs.map((r) => publicationRefKey(r)).join('|')
 }
 
+function dedupeRelayUrls(urls: string[]): string[] {
+  const out: string[] = []
+  const seen = new Set<string>()
+  for (const url of urls) {
+    const u = (url || '').trim()
+    if (!u || seen.has(u)) continue
+    seen.add(u)
+    out.push(u)
+  }
+  return out
+}
+
 export function usePublicationSectionLoader(indexEvent: Event, refs: PublicationSectionRef[]) {
   const indexId = indexEvent.id
   const refsSignature = useMemo(() => signatureOfRefs(refs), [refs])
@@ -168,7 +180,8 @@ export function usePublicationSectionLoader(indexEvent: Event, refs: Publication
             if (row.type === 'e' && row.eventId) {
               const hex = resolvePublicationEventIdToHex(row.eventId)
               if (hex) ev = await indexedDb.getEventFromPublicationStore(hex)
-            } else if (row.coordinate) {
+            }
+            if (!ev && row.coordinate) {
               ev = await indexedDb.getPublicationEvent(row.coordinate)
             }
             if (ev) byDb.set(row.key, ev)
@@ -227,6 +240,7 @@ export function usePublicationSectionLoader(indexEvent: Event, refs: Publication
       await Promise.all(
         unresolved.map(async (row) => {
           try {
+            // Only `e` refs are fetched by event id; `a` refs resolve by coordinate.
             if (row.type === 'e' && row.eventId) {
               const ev = await withTimeout(
                 eventService.fetchEvent(row.eventId),
@@ -238,7 +252,13 @@ export function usePublicationSectionLoader(indexEvent: Event, refs: Publication
             if (row.coordinate) {
               const parsed = parsePublicationATagCoordinate(row.coordinate)
               if (!parsed) return
-              const relaysToTry = row.relay ? [row.relay] : relayUrls
+              // Relay hints in `a` tags are often stale. Keep the hint first, but also try
+              // current section relay sets so one dead hinted relay cannot force a false miss.
+              const relaysToTry = dedupeRelayUrls(
+                row.relay
+                  ? [row.relay, ...relayUrls, ...fallbackRelayUrls]
+                  : [...relayUrls, ...fallbackRelayUrls]
+              )
               const ev = await withTimeout(
                 queryService
                   .fetchEvents(
@@ -323,14 +343,13 @@ export function usePublicationSectionLoader(indexEvent: Event, refs: Publication
     if (relayUrls.length === 0) return
     const sig = `${indexId}:${refsSignature}`
     if (autoLoadedSignatureRef.current === sig) return
-    autoLoadedSignatureRef.current = sig
     const idleKeys = rows.filter((r) => r.status === 'idle').map((r) => r.key)
-    if (idleKeys.length > 0) {
-      if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
-        logger.info('[PublicationSection] flush_start', { keys: idleKeys, relayCount: relayUrls.length })
-      }
-      requestKeys(idleKeys)
+    if (idleKeys.length === 0) return
+    autoLoadedSignatureRef.current = sig
+    if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
+      logger.info('[PublicationSection] flush_start', { keys: idleKeys, relayCount: relayUrls.length })
     }
+    requestKeys(idleKeys)
   }, [indexId, refsSignature, relayUrls, rows, requestKeys])
 
   const referencesWithEvents = useMemo(
diff --git a/src/hooks/useQuoteEvents.tsx b/src/hooks/useQuoteEvents.tsx
index d5fa0de2..e2ed484d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useQuoteEvents.tsx
+++ b/src/hooks/useQuoteEvents.tsx
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ export function useQuoteEvents(event: Event | null, enabled: boolean) {
         : ev.id
       const qeIdForTagFilter =
         /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/i.test(filterQeId) ? filterQeId.toLowerCase() : filterQeId
+      const qeIdIsHexEventId = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/i.test(qeIdForTagFilter)
       const eventCoordinate = isReplaceableEvent(ev.kind)
         ? getReplaceableCoordinateFromEvent(ev)
         : `${ev.kind}:${ev.pubkey}:${ev.id}`
@@ -98,16 +99,35 @@ export function useQuoteEvents(event: Event | null, enabled: boolean) {
       const highlightKinds = [kinds.Highlights] as const
       const otherBacklinkKinds = [...THREAD_BACKLINK_STREAM_KINDS_WITHOUT_HIGHLIGHT]
 
-      const { closer, timelineKey } = await client.subscribeTimeline(
-        [
-          {
-            urls: finalRelayUrls,
-            filter: { '#q': [qeIdForTagFilter], kinds: [kinds.ShortTextNote], limit: LIMIT }
-          },
-          {
-            urls: finalRelayUrls,
-            filter: { '#q': [qeIdForTagFilter], kinds: [...highlightKinds], limit: LIMIT }
-          },
+      const subRequests: { urls: string[]; filter: Filter }[] = [
+        {
+          urls: finalRelayUrls,
+          filter: { '#q': [qeIdForTagFilter], kinds: [kinds.ShortTextNote], limit: LIMIT }
+        },
+        {
+          urls: finalRelayUrls,
+          filter: { '#q': [qeIdForTagFilter], kinds: [...highlightKinds], limit: LIMIT }
+        },
+        {
+          urls: finalRelayUrls,
+          filter: {
+            '#a': [eventCoordinate],
+            kinds: [...highlightKinds],
+            limit: LIMIT
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          urls: finalRelayUrls,
+          filter: {
+            '#a': [eventCoordinate],
+            kinds: otherBacklinkKinds,
+            limit: LIMIT
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+      // `#e` tag filters must use 64-hex event ids. For replaceable roots we use `#a`/`#q` only.
+      if (qeIdIsHexEventId) {
+        subRequests.push(
           {
             urls: finalRelayUrls,
             filter: {
@@ -123,24 +143,12 @@ export function useQuoteEvents(event: Event | null, enabled: boolean) {
               kinds: otherBacklinkKinds,
               limit: LIMIT
             }
-          },
-          {
-            urls: finalRelayUrls,
-            filter: {
-              '#a': [eventCoordinate],
-              kinds: [...highlightKinds],
-              limit: LIMIT
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            urls: finalRelayUrls,
-            filter: {
-              '#a': [eventCoordinate],
-              kinds: otherBacklinkKinds,
-              limit: LIMIT
-            }
           }
-        ],
+        )
+      }
+
+      const { closer, timelineKey } = await client.subscribeTimeline(
+        subRequests,
         {
           onEvents: (batch, eosed) => {
             if (cancelled) return
diff --git a/src/lib/publication-section-fetch.ts b/src/lib/publication-section-fetch.ts
index b48236e9..11e9d8cc 100644
--- a/src/lib/publication-section-fetch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/publication-section-fetch.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ const IDS_CHUNK = 44
 const D_CHUNK = 28
 const ANY_KIND_LIMIT_PER_D = 12
 const AUTHOR_KIND_SCAN_LIMIT = 200
+const HINT_RELAY_AUTHOR_KIND_SCAN_LIMIT = 1200
 
 function dTagOf(ev: Event): string | undefined {
   const d = ev.tags.find((t) => (t[0] || '').trim().toLowerCase() === 'd')?.[1]
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ export async function batchFetchPublicationSectionEvents(
   const aRefs = refs.filter((r) => r.type === 'a' && r.coordinate && r.pubkey && typeof r.kind === 'number')
 
   for (const ref of refs) {
+    // Only explicit `e` refs are resolved by id. For `a` refs, tag[3] is historization metadata only.
     if (ref.type !== 'e' || !ref.eventId) continue
     const key = publicationRefKey(ref)
     const hex = resolvePublicationEventIdToHex(ref.eventId)
@@ -334,6 +336,89 @@ export async function batchFetchPublicationSectionEvents(
     }
   }
 
+  // Secondary hint pass: some relays do not index `#d` reliably for 30040/30041.
+  // For unresolved refs with an explicit relay hint, scan that same relay by author+kind
+  // and resolve `d` client-side before doing broader multi-relay fallbacks.
+  const unresolvedAfterHintPass = aRefs.filter((r) => !out.has(publicationRefKey(r)))
+  const byHintRelayForScan = new Map<string, PublicationSectionRef[]>()
+  for (const ref of unresolvedAfterHintPass) {
+    const relay = normalizeUrl(ref.relay || '') || ref.relay?.trim()
+    if (!relay) continue
+    const list = byHintRelayForScan.get(relay)
+    if (list) list.push(ref)
+    else byHintRelayForScan.set(relay, [ref])
+  }
+
+  for (const [relay, relayRefs] of byHintRelayForScan) {
+    const groups = new Map<string, { pubkey: string; kind: number }>()
+    for (const ref of relayRefs) {
+      const key = `${ref.pubkey!.toLowerCase()}:${ref.kind!}`
+      if (!groups.has(key)) {
+        groups.set(key, { pubkey: ref.pubkey!.toLowerCase(), kind: ref.kind! })
+      }
+    }
+    const scanFilters: Filter[] = []
+    for (const g of groups.values()) {
+      scanFilters.push({
+        authors: [g.pubkey],
+        kinds: [g.kind],
+        limit: HINT_RELAY_AUTHOR_KIND_SCAN_LIMIT
+      })
+    }
+    if (scanFilters.length === 0) continue
+    if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
+      logger.info('[PublicationSection] relay_hint_author_kind_scan_start', {
+        relay,
+        refCount: relayRefs.length,
+        filterCount: scanFilters.length
+      })
+    }
+    try {
+      const scanEvents = await queryService.fetchEvents([relay], scanFilters, {
+        globalTimeout: 10_000,
+        eoseTimeout: 1_500,
+        firstRelayResultGraceMs: false
+      })
+      const scanByCoord = new Map<string, Event>()
+      for (const ev of scanEvents) {
+        const coord = coordinateOfEvent(ev)
+        if (!coord) continue
+        for (const k of publicationCoordinateLookupKeys(coord)) {
+          const prev = scanByCoord.get(k)
+          if (!prev || ev.created_at > prev.created_at) scanByCoord.set(k, ev)
+        }
+      }
+      for (const ref of relayRefs) {
+        const key = publicationRefKey(ref)
+        if (out.has(key)) continue
+        const coord = ref.coordinate!
+        let ev: Event | undefined
+        for (const lk of publicationCoordinateLookupKeys(coord)) {
+          ev = scanByCoord.get(lk)
+          if (ev) break
+        }
+        if (ev) out.set(key, ev)
+      }
+      if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
+        logger.info('[PublicationSection] relay_hint_author_kind_scan_done', {
+          relay,
+          eventsReturned: scanEvents.length,
+          unresolvedAfterScan: relayRefs
+            .map((r) => publicationRefKey(r))
+            .filter((k) => !out.has(k))
+            .slice(0, 8)
+        })
+      }
+    } catch {
+      if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
+        logger.warn('[PublicationSection] relay_hint_author_kind_scan_error', {
+          relay,
+          filterCount: scanFilters.length
+        })
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // Last fallback: author + #d across any kind.
   const unresolvedAfterHint = aRefs.filter((r) => !out.has(publicationRefKey(r)))
   if (unresolvedAfterHint.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/services/client.service.ts b/src/services/client.service.ts
index 84534a20..bed23c0f 100644
--- a/src/services/client.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/client.service.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,47 @@ function filterForRelay(f: Filter, relaySupportsSearch: boolean): Filter {
   return rest as Filter
 }
 
+const HEX_EVENT_ID_RE = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/i
+
+function decodeEventRefForETagFilter(raw: string): string | null {
+  const trimmed = raw.trim()
+  if (!trimmed) return null
+  const withoutPrefix = trimmed.toLowerCase().startsWith('nostr:') ? trimmed.slice(6).trim() : trimmed
+  if (HEX_EVENT_ID_RE.test(withoutPrefix)) return withoutPrefix.toLowerCase()
+  try {
+    const decoded = nip19.decode(withoutPrefix)
+    if (decoded.type === 'note') return decoded.data
+    if (decoded.type === 'nevent') return decoded.data.id
+  } catch {
+    // ignore malformed refs
+  }
+  return null
+}
+
+function sanitizeETagFilterForSubscribe(filter: Filter): Filter | null {
+  const f = { ...filter } as Filter & { '#e'?: string[]; '#E'?: string[] }
+  const rawLower = Array.isArray(f['#e']) ? f['#e'] : []
+  const rawUpper = Array.isArray(f['#E']) ? f['#E'] : []
+  if (rawLower.length === 0 && rawUpper.length === 0) return f
+  const rawAll = [...rawLower, ...rawUpper]
+  const decoded = [
+    ...new Set(
+      rawAll
+        .map((v) => decodeEventRefForETagFilter(String(v)))
+        .filter((v): v is string => !!v)
+    )
+  ]
+  if (decoded.length === 0) return null
+  f['#e'] = decoded
+  delete f['#E']
+  return f
+}
+
+function sanitizeSubscribeFiltersBeforeReq(filter: Filter | Filter[]): Filter[] {
+  const asArray = Array.isArray(filter) ? filter : [filter]
+  return asArray.map(sanitizeETagFilterForSubscribe).filter((f): f is Filter => !!f)
+}
+
 /** Single key for `pool.seenOn` / query seen-on maps (hex ids are case-insensitive). */
 function canonicalSeenOnEventId(eventId: string): string {
   const t = eventId.trim()
@@ -82,6 +123,7 @@ import {
   Filter,
   kinds,
   matchFilters,
+  nip19,
   Event as NEvent,
   Relay,
   SimplePool,
@@ -1823,7 +1865,20 @@ class ClientService extends EventTarget {
   ) {
     const originalDedupedRelays = Array.from(new Set(urls))
     let relays = originalDedupedRelays
-    const filters = Array.isArray(filter) ? filter : [filter]
+    const filters = sanitizeSubscribeFiltersBeforeReq(filter)
+    if (filters.length === 0) {
+      logger.debug('[relay-req] batch_skip', {
+        reason: 'no_filters_after_sanitize',
+        filterSummary: summarizeFiltersForRelayLog(Array.isArray(filter) ? filter : [filter])
+      })
+      queueMicrotask(() => {
+        oneose?.(true)
+        relayReqLog?.onBatchEnd?.([])
+      })
+      return {
+        close: () => {}
+      }
+    }
 
     const stripSocialBlockedRelays =
       SOCIAL_KIND_BLOCKED_RELAY_URLS.length > 0 &&