diff --git a/frontend/src/crypto/index.ts b/frontend/src/crypto/index.ts
index fd1c597..b4b2005 100644
--- a/frontend/src/crypto/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/crypto/index.ts
@@ -50,24 +50,23 @@ export async function decryptMasterKey(encB64: string, derived: CryptoKey): Prom
   ]);
 }
 
-// ── X25519 ECDH keypair ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── ECDH P-256 keypair ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// P-256 is universally supported across all browsers and Electron versions.
+// Raw public key is 65 bytes (uncompressed point: 0x04 || x || y).
+
+const ECDH_ALGO = { name: 'ECDH', namedCurve: 'P-256' } as const;
+const PUB_KEY_BYTES = 65; // uncompressed P-256 point
 
 export async function generateX25519Keypair(): Promise<{
   publicKeyB64: string;
   privateKey: CryptoKey;
   pkcs8Bytes: Uint8Array<ArrayBuffer>;
 }> {
-  const kp = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: 'X25519' } as any, true, ['deriveBits']);
+  const kp = await crypto.subtle.generateKey(ECDH_ALGO, true, ['deriveBits']);
   const publicRaw = await crypto.subtle.exportKey('raw', (kp as CryptoKeyPair).publicKey);
   const pkcs8 = await crypto.subtle.exportKey('pkcs8', (kp as CryptoKeyPair).privateKey);
 
-  const privateKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
-    'pkcs8',
-    pkcs8,
-    { name: 'X25519' } as any,
-    false,
-    ['deriveBits']
-  );
+  const privateKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey('pkcs8', pkcs8, ECDH_ALGO, false, ['deriveBits']);
 
   return {
     publicKeyB64: bufToB64(publicRaw),
@@ -85,12 +84,12 @@ export async function decryptPrivateKeyToCryptoKey(
   master: CryptoKey
 ): Promise<CryptoKey> {
   const pkcs8 = await aesDecryptRaw(encB64, master);
-  return crypto.subtle.importKey('pkcs8', pkcs8, { name: 'X25519' } as any, false, ['deriveBits']);
+  return crypto.subtle.importKey('pkcs8', pkcs8, ECDH_ALGO, false, ['deriveBits']);
 }
 
-// ── Conversation key exchange (ephemeral X25519 ECDH sealed box) ─────────────
+// ── Conversation key exchange (ephemeral ECDH P-256 sealed box) ───────────────
 //
-// Wire format: ephemeral_pub_key(32) | nonce(12) | ciphertext
+// Wire format: ephemeral_pub_key(65) | nonce(12) | ciphertext
 
 export function generateConvKeyRaw(): Uint8Array<ArrayBuffer> {
   return crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(32));
@@ -100,23 +99,15 @@ export async function sealConvKey(
   keyRaw: Uint8Array<ArrayBuffer>,
   recipientPublicKeyB64: string
 ): Promise<string> {
-  const recipientPubKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
-    'raw',
-    b64ToBuf(recipientPublicKeyB64),
-    { name: 'X25519' } as any,
-    false,
-    []
-  );
+  const recipientPubKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey('raw', b64ToBuf(recipientPublicKeyB64), ECDH_ALGO, false, []);
 
-  const ephemeral = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: 'X25519' } as any, true, [
-    'deriveBits',
-  ]);
+  const ephemeral = await crypto.subtle.generateKey(ECDH_ALGO, true, ['deriveBits']);
   const ephemeralPubRaw = new Uint8Array(
     await crypto.subtle.exportKey('raw', (ephemeral as CryptoKeyPair).publicKey)
   );
 
   const sharedBits = await crypto.subtle.deriveBits(
-    { name: 'X25519', public: recipientPubKey } as any,
+    { name: 'ECDH', public: recipientPubKey },
     (ephemeral as CryptoKeyPair).privateKey,
     256
   );
@@ -126,10 +117,10 @@ export async function sealConvKey(
   const nonce = crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(12));
   const ct = await crypto.subtle.encrypt({ name: 'AES-GCM', iv: nonce }, aesKey, keyRaw);
 
-  const out = new Uint8Array(32 + 12 + ct.byteLength);
+  const out = new Uint8Array(PUB_KEY_BYTES + 12 + ct.byteLength);
   out.set(ephemeralPubRaw, 0);
-  out.set(nonce, 32);
-  out.set(new Uint8Array(ct), 44);
+  out.set(nonce, PUB_KEY_BYTES);
+  out.set(new Uint8Array(ct), PUB_KEY_BYTES + 12);
   return bufToB64(out);
 }
 
@@ -138,20 +129,14 @@ export async function openSealedConvKey(
   myPrivateKey: CryptoKey
 ): Promise<Uint8Array<ArrayBuffer>> {
   const data = b64ToBuf(sealedB64);
-  const ephemeralPubRaw = u8(data, 0, 32);
-  const nonce = u8(data, 32, 44);
-  const ct = u8(data, 44);
+  const ephemeralPubRaw = u8(data, 0, PUB_KEY_BYTES);
+  const nonce = u8(data, PUB_KEY_BYTES, PUB_KEY_BYTES + 12);
+  const ct = u8(data, PUB_KEY_BYTES + 12);
 
-  const ephemeralPubKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
-    'raw',
-    ephemeralPubRaw,
-    { name: 'X25519' } as any,
-    false,
-    []
-  );
+  const ephemeralPubKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey('raw', ephemeralPubRaw, ECDH_ALGO, false, []);
 
   const sharedBits = await crypto.subtle.deriveBits(
-    { name: 'X25519', public: ephemeralPubKey } as any,
+    { name: 'ECDH', public: ephemeralPubKey },
     myPrivateKey,
     256
   );
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/RegisterPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/RegisterPage.tsx
index add7135..6ba1196 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/RegisterPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/RegisterPage.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export default function RegisterPage() {
       socket.connect(accessToken);
       navigate('/messages');
     } catch (err: any) {
-      setError(err.response?.data?.error || 'Registration failed');
+      setError(err.response?.data?.error || err.message || 'Registration failed');
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
     }