diff --git a/apps/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/apps/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 05a609a..6d27f21 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/apps/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://schema.tauri.app/config/2",
   "productName": "ChatApp",
-  "version": "0.3.2",
+  "version": "0.3.3",
   "identifier": "com.meinname.chatapp",
   "build": {
     "beforeDevCommand": "pnpm vite:dev",
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/secretStore.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/secretStore.ts
index c3cd8d8..2dae84c 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/secretStore.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/secretStore.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,21 @@ export async function setSecretStoreUser(userId: string | null): Promise<void> {
 
   if (userId && isTauriRuntime()) {
     const stronghold = makeStrongholdStore(userId);
-    activeBackend = stronghold;
     try {
-      await migrateLocalStorageToStronghold(userId, PREFIX);
+      // Force a tiny round-trip to verify Stronghold can actually open the
+      // vault on this machine. If not (broken vault file, bundled rust crate
+      // mismatch, etc.) we fall back to localStorage so the rest of the app
+      // remains usable instead of bricking device registration.
+      await stronghold.getSecret('__probe');
+      activeBackend = stronghold;
+      try {
+        await migrateLocalStorageToStronghold(userId, PREFIX);
+      } catch (err: unknown) {
+        console.warn('stronghold migration failed', err);
+      }
     } catch (err: unknown) {
-      console.warn('stronghold migration failed', err);
+      console.warn('stronghold init failed — falling back to localStorage', err);
+      activeBackend = localStore;
     }
   } else {
     activeBackend = localStore;