diff --git a/client/index.html b/client/index.html
index 9ab3b37..c7de718 100644
--- a/client/index.html
+++ b/client/index.html
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
           <label for="authPassword">Password</label>
           <input id="authPassword" type="password" maxlength="64" autocomplete="current-password" />
         </div>
-        <p id="authPolicyHintLogin" class="auth-hint"></p>
-        <button id="showRegisterButton" type="button">Need an account? Register</button>
+        <button id="showRegisterButton" type="button">Register</button>
       </section>
       <section id="registerView" class="auth-panel hidden">
         <h2>Register</h2>
@@ -32,12 +31,16 @@
           <label for="registerPassword">Password</label>
           <input id="registerPassword" type="password" maxlength="64" autocomplete="new-password" />
         </div>
+        <div class="auth-row">
+          <label for="registerPasswordConfirm">Confirm Password</label>
+          <input id="registerPasswordConfirm" type="password" maxlength="64" autocomplete="new-password" />
+        </div>
         <div class="auth-row">
           <label for="registerEmail">Email (optional)</label>
           <input id="registerEmail" type="email" maxlength="320" autocomplete="email" />
         </div>
         <p id="authPolicyHintRegister" class="auth-hint"></p>
-        <button id="showLoginButton" type="button">Have an account? Log in</button>
+        <button id="showLoginButton" type="button">Login</button>
       </section>
       <div class="controls" id="button-container">
         <button id="connectButton">Connect</button>
diff --git a/client/public/version.js b/client/public/version.js
index 82d151e..2bc04bc 100644
--- a/client/public/version.js
+++ b/client/public/version.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Maintainer-controlled web client version.
 // Format: YYYY.MM.DD Rn (example: 2026.02.20 R2)
-window.CHGRID_WEB_VERSION = "2026.02.25 R247";
+window.CHGRID_WEB_VERSION = "2026.02.25 R248";
 // Optional display timezone for timestamps. Falls back to America/Detroit if unset/invalid.
 window.CHGRID_TIME_ZONE = "America/Detroit";
diff --git a/client/src/main.ts b/client/src/main.ts
index dab65e0..34364ac 100644
--- a/client/src/main.ts
+++ b/client/src/main.ts
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ type Dom = {
   registerView: HTMLElement;
   authUsername: HTMLInputElement;
   authPassword: HTMLInputElement;
-  authPolicyHintLogin: HTMLParagraphElement;
   registerUsername: HTMLInputElement;
   registerPassword: HTMLInputElement;
+  registerPasswordConfirm: HTMLInputElement;
   registerEmail: HTMLInputElement;
   authPolicyHintRegister: HTMLParagraphElement;
   showRegisterButton: HTMLButtonElement;
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ const dom: Dom = {
   registerView: requiredById('registerView'),
   authUsername: requiredById('authUsername'),
   authPassword: requiredById('authPassword'),
-  authPolicyHintLogin: requiredById('authPolicyHintLogin'),
   registerUsername: requiredById('registerUsername'),
   registerPassword: requiredById('registerPassword'),
+  registerPasswordConfirm: requiredById('registerPasswordConfirm'),
   registerEmail: requiredById('registerEmail'),
   authPolicyHintRegister: requiredById('authPolicyHintRegister'),
   showRegisterButton: requiredById('showRegisterButton'),
@@ -551,9 +551,7 @@ function applyAuthPolicy(policy: unknown): void {
     passwordMaxLength: passwordMax,
   };
   localStorage.setItem(AUTH_POLICY_STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(authPolicy));
-  const hint = `Username: ${usernameMin}-${usernameMax} chars (a-z, 0-9, _, -). Password: ${passwordMin}-${passwordMax} chars.`;
-  dom.authPolicyHintLogin.textContent = hint;
-  dom.authPolicyHintRegister.textContent = hint;
+  dom.authPolicyHintRegister.textContent = `Username, ${usernameMin}-${usernameMax} characters. Password, ${passwordMin}-${passwordMax} characters.`;
   dom.authUsername.minLength = usernameMin;
   dom.authUsername.maxLength = usernameMax;
   dom.registerUsername.minLength = usernameMin;
@@ -562,6 +560,8 @@ function applyAuthPolicy(policy: unknown): void {
   dom.authPassword.maxLength = passwordMax;
   dom.registerPassword.minLength = passwordMin;
   dom.registerPassword.maxLength = passwordMax;
+  dom.registerPasswordConfirm.minLength = passwordMin;
+  dom.registerPasswordConfirm.maxLength = passwordMax;
   updateConnectAvailability();
 }
 
@@ -597,7 +597,8 @@ function updateConnectAvailability(): void {
     sanitizeAuthUsername(dom.authUsername.value).length >= usernameMin && dom.authPassword.value.trim().length >= passwordMin;
   const hasRegisterCredentials =
     sanitizeAuthUsername(dom.registerUsername.value).length >= usernameMin &&
-    dom.registerPassword.value.trim().length >= passwordMin;
+    dom.registerPassword.value.trim().length >= passwordMin &&
+    dom.registerPassword.value === dom.registerPasswordConfirm.value;
   const authReady = hasSessionToken || (authMode === 'login' ? hasLoginCredentials : hasRegisterCredentials);
   dom.connectButton.textContent = hasSessionToken ? 'Connect' : authMode === 'login' ? 'Log In & Connect' : 'Register & Connect';
   dom.connectButton.disabled = mediaSession.isConnecting() || !authReady;
@@ -1423,7 +1424,7 @@ function buildAuthRequestPacket(): OutgoingMessage | null {
     const username = sanitizeAuthUsername(dom.registerUsername.value);
     const password = dom.registerPassword.value;
     const email = dom.registerEmail.value.trim();
-    if (!username || !password) return null;
+    if (!username || !password || password !== dom.registerPasswordConfirm.value) return null;
     return { type: 'auth_register', username, password, ...(email ? { email } : {}) };
   }
   const username = sanitizeAuthUsername(dom.authUsername.value);
@@ -1462,6 +1463,7 @@ async function handleAuthResult(message: Extract<IncomingMessage, { type: 'auth_
   if (!message.ok) {
     dom.authPassword.value = '';
     dom.registerPassword.value = '';
+    dom.registerPasswordConfirm.value = '';
     if (message.message.toLowerCase().includes('session')) {
       authSessionToken = '';
       settings.saveAuthSessionToken('');
@@ -1493,6 +1495,7 @@ async function handleAuthResult(message: Extract<IncomingMessage, { type: 'auth_
   }
   dom.authPassword.value = '';
   dom.registerPassword.value = '';
+  dom.registerPasswordConfirm.value = '';
   setConnectionStatus('Authenticated. Joining world...');
 }
 
@@ -2672,6 +2675,9 @@ function setupUiHandlers(): void {
   dom.registerPassword.addEventListener('input', () => {
     updateConnectAvailability();
   });
+  dom.registerPasswordConfirm.addEventListener('input', () => {
+    updateConnectAvailability();
+  });
   dom.registerEmail.addEventListener('input', () => {
     updateConnectAvailability();
   });
diff --git a/deploy/scripts/up.sh b/deploy/scripts/up.sh
index eca875b..d59671c 100644
--- a/deploy/scripts/up.sh
+++ b/deploy/scripts/up.sh
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ REPO_ROOT="${1:-/home/bestmidi/chgrid}"
 PUBLISH_DIR="${2:-/home/bestmidi/public_html/chgrid}"
 BASE_PATH="${3:-/chgrid/}"
 SERVICE_NAME="${4:-chat-grid.service}"
-if [[ -z "${SERVICE_NAME// }" || "$SERVICE_NAME" == "-" || "$SERVICE_NAME" == ".service" ]]; then
-  SERVICE_NAME="chat-grid.service"
-fi
 
 "$REPO_ROOT/deploy/scripts/deploy_client.sh" "$REPO_ROOT" "$PUBLISH_DIR" "$BASE_PATH"
 sudo systemctl restart "$SERVICE_NAME"
diff --git a/server/app/auth_service.py b/server/app/auth_service.py
index 37e6859..82fec3b 100644
--- a/server/app/auth_service.py
+++ b/server/app/auth_service.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import re
 import secrets
 import sqlite3
 import time
-import uuid
 
 
 SESSION_TTL_MS = 14 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
@@ -111,16 +110,15 @@ class AuthService:
         if role not in {"user", "admin"}:
             raise AuthError("role must be user or admin.")
         now_ms = self.now_ms()
-        user_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
         password_hash = self._hash_password(password)
         try:
             self._conn.execute(
                 """
                 INSERT INTO users (
-                    id, username, password_hash, email, role, status, last_nickname, created_at_ms, updated_at_ms, last_login_at_ms
-                ) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, 'active', NULL, ?, ?, ?)
+                    username, password_hash, email, role, status, last_nickname, created_at_ms, updated_at_ms, last_login_at_ms
+                ) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, 'active', NULL, ?, ?, ?)
                 """,
-                (user_id, normalized_username, password_hash, normalized_email, role, now_ms, now_ms, now_ms),
+                (normalized_username, password_hash, normalized_email, role, now_ms, now_ms, now_ms),
             )
             self._conn.commit()
         except sqlite3.IntegrityError as exc:
@@ -154,6 +152,16 @@ class AuthService:
         if not self._verify_password(password, user_row["password_hash"]):
             raise AuthError("Invalid username or password.")
         user = self._row_to_user(user_row)
+        if not user.last_nickname:
+            self.set_last_nickname(user.id, user.username)
+            user = AuthUser(
+                id=user.id,
+                username=user.username,
+                role=user.role,
+                status=user.status,
+                email=user.email,
+                last_nickname=user.username,
+            )
         self._conn.execute(
             "UPDATE users SET last_login_at_ms = ?, updated_at_ms = ? WHERE id = ?",
             (self.now_ms(), self.now_ms(), user.id),
@@ -196,13 +204,23 @@ class AuthService:
         )
         self._conn.commit()
         user = AuthUser(
-            id=row["user_id"],
+            id=str(row["user_id"]),
             username=row["username"],
             role=row["role"],
             status=row["status"],
             email=row["email"],
             last_nickname=row["last_nickname"],
         )
+        if not user.last_nickname:
+            self.set_last_nickname(user.id, user.username)
+            user = AuthUser(
+                id=user.id,
+                username=user.username,
+                role=user.role,
+                status=user.status,
+                email=user.email,
+                last_nickname=user.username,
+            )
         return AuthSession(session_id=row["session_id"], token=cleaned, user=user)
 
     def revoke(self, token: str) -> None:
@@ -243,7 +261,7 @@ class AuthService:
         self._conn.execute(
             """
             CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
-                id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+                id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
                 username TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
                 password_hash TEXT NOT NULL,
                 email TEXT UNIQUE,
@@ -259,8 +277,8 @@ class AuthService:
         self._conn.execute(
             """
             CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (
-                id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
-                user_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+                id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+                user_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
                 token_hash TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
                 created_at_ms INTEGER NOT NULL,
                 last_seen_at_ms INTEGER NOT NULL,
@@ -288,14 +306,14 @@ class AuthService:
         token_hash = self._hash_token(token)
         now_ms = self.now_ms()
         expires_at_ms = now_ms + SESSION_TTL_MS
-        session_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
         self._conn.execute(
             """
-            INSERT INTO sessions (id, user_id, token_hash, created_at_ms, last_seen_at_ms, expires_at_ms, revoked_at_ms, ip, user_agent)
-            VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, NULL, NULL, NULL)
+            INSERT INTO sessions (user_id, token_hash, created_at_ms, last_seen_at_ms, expires_at_ms, revoked_at_ms, ip, user_agent)
+            VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, NULL, NULL, NULL)
             """,
-            (session_id, user.id, token_hash, now_ms, now_ms, expires_at_ms),
+            (user.id, token_hash, now_ms, now_ms, expires_at_ms),
         )
+        session_id = str(self._conn.execute("SELECT last_insert_rowid() AS id").fetchone()["id"])
         self._conn.commit()
         return AuthSession(session_id=session_id, token=token, user=user)
 
@@ -315,7 +333,7 @@ class AuthService:
         """Convert a DB row into AuthUser."""
 
         return AuthUser(
-            id=row["id"],
+            id=str(row["id"]),
             username=row["username"],
             role=row["role"],
             status=row["status"],