diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs b/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
index b415d4b..c505075 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/MainForm.cs
@@ -9211,7 +9211,8 @@ public sealed class MainForm : Form
     /// Standard returns the codec's natural frame; Tight halves it (Opus 960 → 480 → 240 → 120
     /// floored). Floor is 120 samples = 2.5 ms = standard libopus's RESTRICTED_LOWDELAY minimum.
     /// </summary>
-    private static int EffectiveOpusFrameSamples(AudioTransportCodec codec, int opusFrameSamples, SendRate rate)
+    // internal so the send-only service host reuses the exact same frame-size rule as the main app.
+    internal static int EffectiveOpusFrameSamples(AudioTransportCodec codec, int opusFrameSamples, SendRate rate)
     {
         if (codec != AudioTransportCodec.Opus) return opusFrameSamples;
         return rate == SendRate.Tight ? Math.Max(120, opusFrameSamples / 2) : opusFrameSamples;
diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs b/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
index 40d0304..fc1269e 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/SelfTest.cs
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ internal static class SelfTest
         RunStep(results, "Per-application capture lifecycle", AppSendCaptureLifecycle);
         RunStep(results, "Lifecycle churn (modes, sources, pan/EQ, send/receive)", LifecycleChurn);
         RunStep(results, "Service app-yield token", ServiceInteractivePresence);
+        RunStep(results, "Service sender parity (crypto + Opus frame)", ServiceSenderParity);
         RunStep(results, "Service send host (headless stream + yield)", ServiceSendHostStream);
         RunStep(results, "Service registration args", ServiceRegistrationArgs);
         RunStep(results, "Recording engine (all formats + source gate + mono)", RecordingEngine);
@@ -677,6 +678,39 @@ internal static class SelfTest
         return "sc create args quoted correctly for a spaced path";
     }
 
+    /// <summary>The service must configure the sender EXACTLY like the main app: derive both the audio key
+    /// AND the fingerprint from the password (a missing fingerprint gets the encrypted stream rejected at
+    /// the peer), and apply the send-rate-adjusted Opus frame (the "Small" rate halves it). Guards the
+    /// divergences found auditing the service against the main app.</summary>
+    private static string? ServiceSenderParity()
+    {
+        var profile = new Profile
+        {
+            Title = "parity",
+            Codec = AudioTransportCodec.Opus,
+            OpusFrameSamplesPerChannel = 960,   // broadcast
+            SendRate = SendRate.Tight,          // "Small" — should halve the Opus frame to 480
+            WasapiSendMode = "devices",
+        };
+        profile.SelectedWasapiSendOutputs.Add("fake-device-id");     // a source so ApplyProfile proceeds
+        profile.SelectedConnectedPeers.Add("127.0.0.1:47999");
+        const string pw = "hunter2";
+        profile.Password = RemSoundCrypto.Obfuscate(pw);
+
+        using var host = new ServiceSendHost(() => profile);
+        Check(host.ApplyProfile(profile), "ApplyProfile should proceed with a source + peer + password");
+        var cfg = host.SenderConfigForTest;
+
+        Check(cfg.Key is { Length: > 0 } && cfg.Key.SequenceEqual(RemSoundCrypto.DeriveKey(pw)),
+            "the service must set the audio key = DeriveKey(password)");
+        Check(cfg.Fingerprint is { Length: > 0 } && cfg.Fingerprint.SequenceEqual(RemSoundCrypto.Fingerprint(pw)),
+            "the service must set the audio FINGERPRINT = Fingerprint(password), or the peer rejects the stream");
+        Check(cfg.Codec == AudioTransportCodec.Opus, "codec must round-trip to the sender");
+        Check(cfg.Frame == MainForm.EffectiveOpusFrameSamples(AudioTransportCodec.Opus, 960, SendRate.Tight) && cfg.Frame == 480,
+            $"the Small send rate must halve the Opus frame like the main app (got {cfg.Frame})");
+        return "key + fingerprint + effective Opus frame match the main app";
+    }
+
     /// <summary>The lock-screen service's app-yield token: while a hold is active the service must see an
     /// interactive app present; once released (or on crash — the OS frees the mutex) it must see none.
     /// Uses a unique token name so the test is immune to a real RemSound running alongside the gate.</summary>
diff --git a/src/RemSound.App/ServiceSendHost.cs b/src/RemSound.App/ServiceSendHost.cs
index 94872db..3ccf9dc 100644
--- a/src/RemSound.App/ServiceSendHost.cs
+++ b/src/RemSound.App/ServiceSendHost.cs
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ public sealed class ServiceSendHost : IDisposable
 
     public bool IsSending { get { lock (gate) return running; } }
 
+    /// <summary>Test seam: the crypto material the host pushed to the sender + the codec/frame it set, so
+    /// a self-test can prove the service configures the sender exactly like the main app.</summary>
+    internal (byte[]? Key, byte[]? Fingerprint, AudioTransportCodec Codec, int Frame) SenderConfigForTest =>
+        (sender.AudioKey, sender.AudioFingerprint, sender.Codec, sender.OpusFrameSamplesPerChannel);
+
     /// <summary>Builds the send sources, peer endpoints and encryption key from a profile and starts the
     /// sender. Idempotent-ish: call <see cref="Suspend"/> before re-applying a different profile. Returns
     /// false (and stays stopped) if the profile has nothing to send or no reachable peers.</summary>
@@ -73,10 +78,16 @@ public sealed class ServiceSendHost : IDisposable
             if (specs.Count == 0) { log?.Invoke("service: profile has no WASAPI send sources — nothing to stream"); return false; }
             if (endpoints.Count == 0) { log?.Invoke("service: profile has no reachable peers — nothing to stream to"); return false; }
 
-            sender.AudioKey = string.IsNullOrEmpty(profile.Password)
-                ? null
-                : RemSoundCrypto.DeriveKey(RemSoundCrypto.Deobfuscate(profile.Password));
-            sender.ConfigureCodec(profile.Codec, profile.OpusFrameSamplesPerChannel);
+            // Encryption: derive BOTH the key AND the fingerprint from the plain password, exactly like
+            // MainForm.RecomputeAudioCrypto. The peer verifies the fingerprint before accepting a stream —
+            // sending the key without it would get the service's audio rejected at the far end.
+            var plainPassword = string.IsNullOrEmpty(profile.Password) ? "" : RemSoundCrypto.Deobfuscate(profile.Password);
+            sender.AudioKey = string.IsNullOrEmpty(plainPassword) ? null : RemSoundCrypto.DeriveKey(plainPassword);
+            sender.AudioFingerprint = string.IsNullOrEmpty(plainPassword) ? null : RemSoundCrypto.Fingerprint(plainPassword);
+            // Opus frame size follows the send rate the same way the main app does (the "Small" rate
+            // halves the Opus frame) — otherwise the service would encode at a different frame than the
+            // main app would for the identical profile.
+            sender.ConfigureCodec(profile.Codec, MainForm.EffectiveOpusFrameSamples(profile.Codec, profile.OpusFrameSamplesPerChannel, profile.SendRate));
             sender.SetSendRate(profile.SendRate);
             sender.SetTightLatency(profile.TightLatencyMode);
             sender.SetReceivers(endpoints);
@@ -229,7 +240,9 @@ public sealed class ServiceSendHost : IDisposable
                 catch { addr = null; }
             }
             if (addr is null) continue;
-            var ep = new IPEndPoint(addr, port ?? p.AudioPort);
+            // Send to the peer's audio port: an explicit "host:port" wins, else the standard peer port —
+            // the same default the main app's manual-peer path uses (NOT the local listen port).
+            var ep = new IPEndPoint(addr, port ?? RemPacket.DefaultPeerDialPort);
             if (seen.Add($"{ep.Address}:{ep.Port}")) result.Add(ep);
         }
         return result;