diff --git a/client/internal/peer/conn_test.go b/client/internal/peer/conn_test.go
index c6e82c06e..0092cf503 100644
--- a/client/internal/peer/conn_test.go
+++ b/client/internal/peer/conn_test.go
@@ -296,16 +296,12 @@ func TestConn_presharedKey_RosenpassManaged(t *testing.T) {
 	// When Rosenpass has already initialized the PSK for this peer,
 	// presharedKey must return nil to avoid UpdatePeer overwriting it.
 	conn.rosenpassInitializedPresharedKeyValidator = func(peerKey string) bool { return true }
-	if k := conn.presharedKey([]byte("remote"), nil); k != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("expected nil presharedKey when Rosenpass manages PSK, got %v", k)
-	}
+	assert.Nil(t, conn.presharedKey([]byte("remote"), nil), "expected nil presharedKey when Rosenpass manages PSK")
 
 	// When Rosenpass hasn't taken over yet, presharedKey should provide
 	// a non-nil initial key (deterministic or from NetBird PSK).
 	conn.rosenpassInitializedPresharedKeyValidator = func(peerKey string) bool { return false }
-	if k := conn.presharedKey([]byte("remote"), nil); k == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("expected non-nil presharedKey before Rosenpass manages PSK")
-	}
+	assert.NotNil(t, conn.presharedKey([]byte("remote"), nil), "expected non-nil presharedKey before Rosenpass manages PSK")
 }
 
 func newWGTimeoutTestConn(rosenpassEnabled bool, disconnected *[]string) *Conn {
diff --git a/client/internal/peer/handshaker.go b/client/internal/peer/handshaker.go
index deb1f0a8d..fe8d1d0ec 100644
--- a/client/internal/peer/handshaker.go
+++ b/client/internal/peer/handshaker.go
@@ -171,10 +171,11 @@ func (h *Handshaker) handleRemoteOffer(remoteOfferAnswer OfferAnswer) {
 	// Derive+store the KEM PSK (inside sendAnswer's AnswerPayload) BEFORE bringing up the
 	// connection: the relay/ICE workers configure the WG endpoint, which pulls the PSK
 	// for the first handshake. Notifying them first would race the KEM exchange and hand
-	// the first handshake a not-yet-derived key.
+	// the first handshake a not-yet-derived key. A failure to signal the answer is
+	// transient (the peer retries), so still bring the local transport up over relay/ICE
+	// instead of aborting the whole setup.
 	if err := h.sendAnswer(&remoteOfferAnswer); err != nil {
 		h.log.Errorf("failed to send remote offer confirmation: %s", err)
-		return
 	}
 	h.notifyListeners(&remoteOfferAnswer)
 }
diff --git a/client/internal/pqkem/convergence.go b/client/internal/pqkem/convergence.go
index e740a16e5..9c8d893a0 100644
--- a/client/internal/pqkem/convergence.go
+++ b/client/internal/pqkem/convergence.go
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ func (m *Manager) startExchangeLocked(remoteID RemoteID, viaSignal bool, ackID E
 	m.exchanges[remoteID] = &exchangeCtl{
 		id:        id,
 		state:     stateAwaitingAnswer,
-		startedAt: time.Now(),
 		cancel:    cancel,
 		lastSent:  raw,
 		initiator: init,
@@ -118,11 +117,19 @@ func (m *Manager) processOffer(remoteID RemoteID, o *OfferMsg, via string) ([]by
 		return last, nil
 	}
 	// Reserve the slot so a concurrent duplicate offer bails.
-	m.exchanges[remoteID] = &exchangeCtl{id: o.ExchangeID, state: stateReserved, startedAt: time.Now()}
+	m.exchanges[remoteID] = &exchangeCtl{id: o.ExchangeID, state: stateReserved}
 	m.mu.Unlock()
 
 	answerBytes, psk, err := Respond(o.KEMOffer, m.binding(remoteID))
 	if err != nil {
+		// Respond failed before the PSK was committed: clear the reservation so a
+		// retransmission of this offer (a transient or malformed first packet) can retry
+		// instead of hitting the stuck reserved slot forever.
+		m.mu.Lock()
+		if cur := m.exchanges[remoteID]; cur != nil && cur.id == o.ExchangeID && cur.state == stateReserved {
+			delete(m.exchanges, remoteID)
+		}
+		m.mu.Unlock()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	raw, err := (&AnswerMsg{ExchangeID: o.ExchangeID, KEMAnswer: answerBytes}).Encode()
@@ -235,7 +242,6 @@ func (m *Manager) ackConverged(remoteID RemoteID, ackID ExchangeID) {
 	delete(m.exchanges, remoteID)
 	m.established[remoteID] = true
 	m.failures[remoteID] = 0
-	_ = time.Since(ex.startedAt) // convergence latency (metrics hook, later step)
 	m.mu.Unlock()
 
 	m.trace("pqkem: previous exchange confirmed by ack", "peer", remoteID, "exchange", idHex(ackID))
diff --git a/client/internal/pqkem/env.go b/client/internal/pqkem/env.go
index 6eaa9e129..19b5bf76f 100644
--- a/client/internal/pqkem/env.go
+++ b/client/internal/pqkem/env.go
@@ -43,15 +43,16 @@ const EnvStrict = "NB_PQ_MLKEM_STRICT"
 // Strict reports whether strict (fail-closed) mode is enabled via the environment.
 // An empty or unrecognized value is treated as disabled (opportunistic).
 func Strict() bool {
-	switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(EnvStrict))) {
+	raw := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(EnvStrict)))
+	switch raw {
 	case "on":
 		return true
 	case "", "off":
 		return false
 	}
-	enabled, err := strconv.ParseBool(strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(EnvStrict)))
+	enabled, err := strconv.ParseBool(raw)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnf("failed to parse %s value %q: %v", EnvStrict, os.Getenv(EnvStrict), err)
+		log.Warnf("failed to parse %s value %q: %v", EnvStrict, raw, err)
 		return false
 	}
 	return enabled
diff --git a/client/internal/pqkem/manager.go b/client/internal/pqkem/manager.go
index e49790b43..7e4b411d2 100644
--- a/client/internal/pqkem/manager.go
+++ b/client/internal/pqkem/manager.go
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ const (
 type exchangeCtl struct {
 	id         ExchangeID
 	state      exchangeState
-	startedAt  time.Time
 	cancel     context.CancelFunc
 	lastSent   []byte
 	initiator  *Initiator
@@ -402,7 +401,7 @@ func (m *Manager) OnDataPathMessage(remoteID RemoteID, raw []byte) error {
 		}
 		return m.pushDataPath(remoteID, answer)
 	case MsgAnswer:
-		return m.processAnswer(remoteID, msg.(*AnswerMsg), viaSignalLabel)
+		return m.processAnswer(remoteID, msg.(*AnswerMsg), viaDataPathLabel)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unhandled data-path message type %d from %s", typ, remoteID)
 	}
diff --git a/client/status/status.go b/client/status/status.go
index e5c83c995..96527fa04 100644
--- a/client/status/status.go
+++ b/client/status/status.go
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ func peerQuantumResistanceStatus(established, rosenpassEnabled, rosenpassPermiss
 	}
 	switch {
 	case mlkemEnabled && mlkemStrict:
-		return "false (ML-KEM strict: blocking peer traffic until the exchange converges)"
+		return "false (ML-KEM strict: no post-quantum PSK established for this peer yet)"
 	case mlkemEnabled:
 		return "false (ML-KEM: not converged yet, or peer does not run the exchange)"
 	case rosenpassEnabled && rosenpassPermissive: