diff --git a/internal/ipc/ipc.go b/internal/ipc/ipc.go
index 510330a..c593944 100644
--- a/internal/ipc/ipc.go
+++ b/internal/ipc/ipc.go
@@ -160,7 +160,12 @@ func handleClient(conn net.Conn, m *mesh.Mesh, doJoin func(string), doLeave func
 			if err != nil {
 				continue
 			}
-			m.Broadcast(payload)
+			if cmd.To != nil {
+				// DM — send only to the named recipient.
+				m.SendTo(*cmd.To, payload)
+			} else {
+				m.Broadcast(payload)
+			}
 			m.SaveMessage(msg)
 			m.Emit(proto.IpcMessage{Type: proto.EvtMessageReceived, Message: msg})
 
diff --git a/test-network.sh b/test-network.sh
index dbc8f48..1af2b29 100755
--- a/test-network.sh
+++ b/test-network.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# test-network.sh — spin up anchor + 3 peers, connect them, exchange messages.
+# test-network.sh — spin up anchor + 3 peers, connect them, exchange messages + DMs.
 # Usage: ./test-network.sh
-# Requires: go, nc, jq
+# Requires: go, nc, jq, sqlite3
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ cleanup() {
         kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
     done
     wait 2>/dev/null || true
-    rm -rf "$DATA_ROOT"
+    echo -e "${DIM}data left at: ${DATA_ROOT}${RESET}"
+    echo -e "${DIM}  inspect: sqlite3 ${DATA_ROOT}/alice/messages.db${RESET}"
     echo -e "${DIM}done.${RESET}"
 }
 trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM
@@ -75,11 +76,18 @@ pretty() {
             echo -e "${color}${BOLD}[${label}]${RESET} ${RED}← peer_disconnected${RESET} ${DIM}${pid}${RESET}"
             ;;
         message_received)
-            local from body room
+            local from body room to_field
             from=$(echo "$line" | jq -r '.message.from[:8] // "?"' 2>/dev/null)
             body=$(echo "$line" | jq -r '.message.body // ""' 2>/dev/null)
             room=$(echo "$line" | jq -r '.message.room // ""' 2>/dev/null)
-            echo -e "${color}${BOLD}[${label}]${RESET} ${BOLD}💬 #${room}${RESET} ${DIM}<${from}…>${RESET} ${body}"
+            to_field=$(echo "$line" | jq -r '.message.to // ""' 2>/dev/null)
+            if [ -n "$to_field" ]; then
+                local to_short
+                to_short=$(echo "$to_field" | cut -c1-8)
+                echo -e "${color}${BOLD}[${label}]${RESET} ${BLUE}📨 DM${RESET} ${DIM}<${from}…→${to_short}…>${RESET} ${body}"
+            else
+                echo -e "${color}${BOLD}[${label}]${RESET} ${BOLD}💬 #${room}${RESET} ${DIM}<${from}…>${RESET} ${body}"
+            fi
             ;;
         error)
             local msg
@@ -113,6 +121,27 @@ ipc() {
     echo "$json" | nc -q 0 127.0.0.1 "$port" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 }
 
+# Query get_state and return a single field via jq from the state_snapshot line.
+# Retries for up to 3 seconds in case the daemon is still initialising.
+# Usage: peer_field <ipc_port> <jq_expr>
+peer_field() {
+    local port="$1"
+    local expr="$2"
+    local result=""
+    local n=0
+    while [ -z "$result" ] || [ "$result" = "null" ]; do
+        result=$(echo '{"type":"get_state"}' \
+            | timeout 2 nc 127.0.0.1 "$port" 2>/dev/null \
+            | grep '"type":"state_snapshot"' \
+            | head -1 \
+            | jq -r "$expr" 2>/dev/null || true)
+        n=$(( n + 1 ))
+        [ "$n" -ge 10 ] && break
+        [ -z "$result" ] || [ "$result" = "null" ] && sleep 0.3
+    done
+    echo "$result"
+}
+
 # Wait until a TCP port accepts connections (up to N seconds).
 wait_port() {
     local port="$1"
@@ -193,8 +222,18 @@ subscribe "$BOB_COLOR"     "bob    " "$BOB_IPC"
 subscribe "$CHARLIE_COLOR" "charlie" "$CHARLIE_IPC"
 sleep 0.3   # let state_snapshot lines arrive
 
-# ── join network ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── resolve peer IDs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Each daemon knows its own id from the state_snapshot.
+ALICE_ID=$(peer_field "$ALICE_IPC"   '.local_peer.id')
+BOB_ID=$(peer_field   "$BOB_IPC"     '.local_peer.id')
+CHARLIE_ID=$(peer_field "$CHARLIE_IPC" '.local_peer.id')
+
+log "$ANCHOR_COLOR" "ids" "alice   = ${ALICE_ID:0:16}…"
+log "$ANCHOR_COLOR" "ids" "bob     = ${BOB_ID:0:16}…"
+log "$ANCHOR_COLOR" "ids" "charlie = ${CHARLIE_ID:0:16}…"
 echo ""
+
+# ── join network ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
 echo -e "joining all peers to network: ${BOLD}${NETWORK_NAME}${RESET}"
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
@@ -209,32 +248,63 @@ ipc "$CHARLIE_IPC" "$JOIN"
 echo -e "${DIM}waiting for ICE / DataChannel setup (up to 10s)…${RESET}"
 sleep 6
 
-# ── chat ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── group chat ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
-echo -e "sending messages"
+echo -e "group chat  (#general)"
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
 
-ipc "$ALICE_IPC" '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"hey everyone, alice here"}'
+ipc "$ALICE_IPC"   '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"hey everyone, alice here"}'
 sleep 0.4
-ipc "$BOB_IPC" '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"hi alice! bob checking in"}'
+ipc "$BOB_IPC"     '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"hi alice! bob checking in"}'
 sleep 0.4
 ipc "$CHARLIE_IPC" '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"charlie online. the mesh works!"}'
 sleep 0.4
-ipc "$ALICE_IPC" '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"nice — three-way chat over WebRTC 🎉"}'
+ipc "$ALICE_IPC"   '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"nice — three-way chat over WebRTC 🎉"}'
 sleep 0.4
-ipc "$BOB_IPC" '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"no central server, fully peer-to-peer"}'
+ipc "$BOB_IPC"     '{"type":"send_message","room":"general","body":"no central server, fully peer-to-peer"}'
 sleep 0.4
 
-# ── state snapshot ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── direct messages ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# DMs set the "to" field to the recipient's full hex peer ID.
+# The room field is used as "dm:<recipient_id>" by convention so both sides
+# can query their DM history for the same conversation.
 echo ""
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
-echo -e "requesting state snapshots"
+echo -e "direct messages"
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
-ipc "$ALICE_IPC"   '{"type":"get_state"}'
-ipc "$BOB_IPC"     '{"type":"get_state"}'
-ipc "$CHARLIE_IPC" '{"type":"get_state"}'
-sleep 0.5
+
+# Alice → Bob (privately)
+ipc "$ALICE_IPC" "$(jq -cn \
+    --arg to  "$BOB_ID" \
+    --arg room "dm:$BOB_ID" \
+    --arg body "hey bob, this is just between us" \
+    '{"type":"send_message","room":$room,"body":$body,"to":$to}')"
+sleep 0.4
+
+# Bob replies to Alice
+ipc "$BOB_IPC" "$(jq -cn \
+    --arg to  "$ALICE_ID" \
+    --arg room "dm:$ALICE_ID" \
+    --arg body "got it alice, loud and clear 🤫" \
+    '{"type":"send_message","room":$room,"body":$body,"to":$to}')"
+sleep 0.4
+
+# Charlie → Alice (privately)
+ipc "$CHARLIE_IPC" "$(jq -cn \
+    --arg to  "$ALICE_ID" \
+    --arg room "dm:$ALICE_ID" \
+    --arg body "alice, can you hear me? charlie dm test" \
+    '{"type":"send_message","room":$room,"body":$body,"to":$to}')"
+sleep 0.4
+
+# Alice replies to Charlie
+ipc "$ALICE_IPC" "$(jq -cn \
+    --arg to  "$CHARLIE_ID" \
+    --arg room "dm:$CHARLIE_ID" \
+    --arg body "yes charlie, DMs working perfectly!" \
+    '{"type":"send_message","room":$room,"body":$body,"to":$to}')"
+sleep 0.4
 
 # ── leave ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
@@ -244,6 +314,7 @@ echo -e "${DIM}─────────────────────
 ipc "$CHARLIE_IPC" '{"type":"leave_network"}'
 sleep 1
 
+# ── persistence check ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
 echo -e "${DIM}────────────────────────────────────────────────────────${RESET}"
 echo -e "verifying persistence (SQLite)"
@@ -251,9 +322,11 @@ echo -e "${DIM}─────────────────────
 for peer in alice bob charlie; do
     db="$DATA_ROOT/$peer/messages.db"
     if [ -f "$db" ]; then
-        count=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM messages;" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
-        peers=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM peers;" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
-        echo -e "  ${BOLD}${peer}${RESET}: ${count} messages, ${peers} known peers in messages.db"
+        total=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM messages;" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
+        group=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM messages WHERE room='general';" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
+        dms=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM messages WHERE room LIKE 'dm:%';" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
+        peers_count=$(sqlite3 "$db" "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM peers;" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
+        echo -e "  ${BOLD}${peer}${RESET}: ${total} total (${group} group, ${dms} DM), ${peers_count} known peers"
     else
         echo -e "  ${RED}${peer}: no messages.db found${RESET}"
     fi