diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
index 2cb2068d51..0f911ad41b 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ test("shouldHideAgentFromMentions: normalizes the pubkey before lookup", () => {
   );
 });
 
-test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges agents with the same persona id", () => {
+test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: keeps agents with the same persona id distinct", () => {
   const first = makeAgent({ pubkey: PUB_A, personaId: "pinky" });
   const second = makeAgent({
     pubkey: PUB_B,
@@ -344,10 +344,10 @@ test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges agents with the same persona i
     isMember: true,
   });
 
-  assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [second]);
+  assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [first, second]);
 });
 
-test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges agents with the same owner and name", () => {
+test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: keeps agents with the same owner and name distinct", () => {
   const first = makeAgent({ pubkey: PUB_A, ownerPubkey: OWNER_PUBKEY });
   const second = makeAgent({
     pubkey: PUB_B,
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges agents with the same owner and
     isMember: true,
   });
 
-  assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [second]);
+  assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [first, second]);
 });
 
 test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: keeps same-name agents with different owners distinct", () => {
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: keeps owner-less managed same-name ag
   assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [first, second]);
 });
 
-test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges current-owner same-name agents", () => {
+test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: keeps current-owner same-name agents distinct", () => {
   const first = makeAgent({ pubkey: PUB_A, ownerPubkey: CURRENT_PUBKEY });
   const second = makeAgent({
     pubkey: PUB_B,
@@ -390,6 +390,16 @@ test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: merges current-owner same-name agents
     isManagedAgent: true,
   });
 
+  assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [first, second]);
+});
+
+test("coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates: coalesces repeated source rows for the same pubkey", () => {
+  const first = makeAgent({ pubkey: PUB_A });
+  const second = makeAgent({
+    pubkey: PUB_A.toUpperCase(),
+    isMember: true,
+  });
+
   assert.deepEqual(coalesce([first, second]), [second]);
 });
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
index 0abdad82fa..3fb4e23c15 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
@@ -184,75 +184,39 @@ type AgentAutocompleteCandidate = {
   personaId?: string | null;
 };
 
-function normalizeLabel(label: string | null | undefined) {
-  return label?.trim().toLowerCase() || null;
-}
-
-function agentIdentityKey<T extends AgentAutocompleteCandidate>(
-  candidate: T,
-  currentPubkey: string | null | undefined,
-  getLabel: (candidate: T) => string | null | undefined,
-) {
-  if (candidate.isAgent !== true) {
-    return null;
-  }
-
-  if (candidate.personaId) {
-    return `persona:${candidate.personaId}`;
-  }
-
-  const label = normalizeLabel(getLabel(candidate));
-  if (!label) {
+function agentIdentityKey<T extends AgentAutocompleteCandidate>(candidate: T) {
+  if (candidate.isAgent !== true || !candidate.pubkey) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const ownerPubkey = candidate.ownerPubkey
-    ? normalizePubkey(candidate.ownerPubkey)
-    : null;
-  if (ownerPubkey) {
-    if (currentPubkey && ownerPubkey === normalizePubkey(currentPubkey)) {
-      return `local:name:${label}`;
-    }
-    return `owner:${ownerPubkey}:name:${label}`;
-  }
-
-  return null;
+  // Pubkeys—not persona metadata or a display name—are agent identities.
+  // A persona may be installed more than once, and an owner may intentionally
+  // create multiple same-named agents. Collapsing either case makes one agent
+  // impossible to choose from autocomplete.
+  return `pubkey:${normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey)}`;
 }
 
 function agentCandidateRank<T extends AgentAutocompleteCandidate>(
   candidate: T,
-  currentPubkey: string | null | undefined,
   preferredPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>,
 ) {
   const pubkey = candidate.pubkey ? normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey) : null;
-  const ownerPubkey = candidate.ownerPubkey
-    ? normalizePubkey(candidate.ownerPubkey)
-    : null;
-  const normalizedCurrentPubkey = currentPubkey
-    ? normalizePubkey(currentPubkey)
-    : null;
 
   return [
     candidate.isMember === true ? 0 : 1,
     pubkey && preferredPubkeys.has(pubkey) ? 0 : 1,
     candidate.isManagedAgent === true ? 0 : 1,
     candidate.personaId ? 0 : 1,
-    ownerPubkey && ownerPubkey === normalizedCurrentPubkey ? 0 : 1,
   ];
 }
 
 function isPreferredAgentCandidate<T extends AgentAutocompleteCandidate>(
   next: T,
   current: T,
-  currentPubkey: string | null | undefined,
   preferredPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>,
 ) {
-  const nextRank = agentCandidateRank(next, currentPubkey, preferredPubkeys);
-  const currentRank = agentCandidateRank(
-    current,
-    currentPubkey,
-    preferredPubkeys,
-  );
+  const nextRank = agentCandidateRank(next, preferredPubkeys);
+  const currentRank = agentCandidateRank(current, preferredPubkeys);
 
   for (let index = 0; index < nextRank.length; index++) {
     if (nextRank[index] !== currentRank[index]) {
@@ -291,8 +255,8 @@ export function coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates<
 >(
   candidates: readonly T[],
   {
-    currentPubkey,
-    getLabel,
+    currentPubkey: _currentPubkey,
+    getLabel: _getLabel,
     preferredPubkeys = new Set(),
   }: {
     currentPubkey?: string | null;
@@ -304,7 +268,7 @@ export function coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates<
   const indexesByKey = new Map<string, number>();
 
   for (const candidate of candidates) {
-    const key = agentIdentityKey(candidate, currentPubkey, getLabel);
+    const key = agentIdentityKey(candidate);
     if (!key) {
       output.push(candidate);
       continue;
@@ -321,7 +285,6 @@ export function coalesceAgentAutocompleteCandidates<
       isPreferredAgentCandidate(
         candidate,
         output[currentIndex],
-        currentPubkey,
         preferredPubkeys,
       )
     ) {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/MembersSidebar.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/MembersSidebar.tsx
index 459e8f7776..8f431fb0af 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/MembersSidebar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/MembersSidebar.tsx
@@ -280,12 +280,6 @@ export function MembersSidebar({
         agent,
       ]),
     );
-    const memberAgentLabels = new Set(
-      rawMembers
-        .filter((member) => member.isAgent === true || member.role === "bot")
-        .map((member) => member.displayName?.trim().toLowerCase())
-        .filter((label): label is string => Boolean(label)),
-    );
     const sharedChannelIds = getSharedChannelIds(channelsQuery.data);
     const allowedAgentPubkeys = getMentionableAgentPubkeys({
       currentPubkey,
@@ -298,10 +292,6 @@ export function MembersSidebar({
     const addCandidate = (candidate: AddMemberSearchCandidate) => {
       const pubkey = normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey);
       if (
-        (candidate.isAgent &&
-          memberAgentLabels.has(
-            formatAddCandidateName(candidate).toLowerCase(),
-          )) ||
         memberPubkeys.has(pubkey) ||
         isArchivedDiscovery(pubkey) ||
         !isAgentIdentityInAllowedList(candidate, allowedAgentPubkeys)
@@ -391,7 +381,6 @@ export function MembersSidebar({
     normalizedDeferredSearchQuery,
     relayAgentsQuery.data,
     userSearchResults,
-    rawMembers,
   ]);
   const isAddSearchLoading =
     userSearchQuery.isLoading ||
@@ -969,6 +958,9 @@ function AddMemberSearchResultRow({
                 agent
               </span>
             </div>
+            <span className="block truncate font-mono text-2xs text-muted-foreground">
+              {truncatePubkey(user.pubkey)}
+            </span>
             {ownerLabel ? (
               <span className="block truncate text-xs text-muted-foreground">
                 managed by {ownerLabel}
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
index d58c3303df..13c6d5504a 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
@@ -3774,7 +3774,7 @@ test("channel header actions show tooltips", async ({ page }) => {
   }
 });
 
-test("members sidebar collapses same-persona managed agents", async ({
+test("members sidebar retains distinct same-persona managed agents", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   const inChannelAgentPubkey =
@@ -3824,8 +3824,8 @@ test("members sidebar collapses same-persona managed agents", async ({
   ).toHaveCount(0);
   await expect(
     page.getByTestId(`channel-user-search-result-${outOfChannelAgentPubkey}`),
-  ).toHaveCount(0);
-  await expect(page.getByText("Pinky", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(1);
+  ).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByText("Pinky", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(2);
 });
 
 test("private-channel members cannot add people without owner/admin", async ({