diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
index 180db22..ebba4d5 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
@@ -332,17 +332,13 @@ public class AvatarGiftsController(
         gift.ConsumedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
 
-        // Profile-update push so the watch's wallet readout refreshes
-        // without waiting for the next /balance poll. Mirrors what
-        // /api/admin/v1/players/{id}/gift does after the inbox push so
-        // the toast number animates up the moment the box closes.
-        if (gift.CurrencyType > 0 || gift.Xp > 0 || gift.Level > 0)
-        {
-            await notifications.NotifyAsync(pid,
-                PushNotificationId.SubscriptionUpdateProfile,
-                new { Reason = "GiftConsumed", gift.CurrencyType, gift.Currency, gift.Xp, gift.Level });
-        }
-
+        // The wallet readout refreshes off the StorefrontBalanceUpdate that
+        // GrantCurrencyAsync (above) already pushes for currency gifts. Do
+        // NOT also push SubscriptionUpdateProfile ("AccountUpdate") with a
+        // {Reason,Currency,…} blob: the 2023 client deserialises that channel
+        // as its Account DTO, so a non-account payload decodes to a blank
+        // account (accountId 0) → "Orphan player account (0) found" spam
+        // (audited 2026-07-12).
         return Ok(ToWire(gift));
     }
 
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Rooms/V2/RoomsController.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Rooms/V2/RoomsController.cs
index 99584c5..2a7ac1b 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Rooms/V2/RoomsController.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Rooms/V2/RoomsController.cs
@@ -1054,11 +1054,12 @@ public class RoomsController(
                     EncryptVoiceChat = currentPresence.EncryptVoiceChat,
                 },
                 isOnline = true,
-                // 2023.03.21 client build version (baked "20230317"). MUST match
-                // the joining client's own version or it reports a version
-                // mismatch and refuses to join. Was a stale December-2020 value
-                // (20201210) carried over when this branch forked.
-                appVersion = 20230317,
+                // 2023.03.21 client build version. MUST be the STRING
+                // "20230317" — the client's presence DTO reads appVersion
+                // with a string reader, so an int crashes the SignalR
+                // message ("expected:'String Begin Token'") and aborts the
+                // update. Must also match the joining client's version.
+                appVersion = "20230317",
             };
             await notifications.NotifyAsync(playerId, PushNotificationId.SubscriptionUpdatePresence, presencePayload);
         }
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Services/LevelService.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Services/LevelService.cs
index 091b1bb..e2ec3ca 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Services/LevelService.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Services/LevelService.cs
@@ -43,19 +43,17 @@ public class LevelService(DorkNetDbContext db, NotificationService notifications
 
         if (player.Level > oldLevel)
         {
-            // Level-up grants a small currency reward and a push so
-            // the watch can play its level-up animation.
+            // Level-up grants a small currency reward. The wallet UI
+            // refreshes off the StorefrontBalanceUpdate that
+            // GrantCurrencyAsync already pushes — do NOT also push
+            // SubscriptionUpdateProfile ("AccountUpdate") with a
+            // {Reason,Level} blob: the 2023 client deserialises that
+            // channel as its Account DTO, so a non-account payload
+            // decodes to a blank account (accountId 0) and logs
+            // "Orphan player account (0) found" (audited 2026-07-12).
             await GrantCurrencyAsync(playerId, currencyType: 2,
                 amount: 100 * (player.Level - oldLevel),
                 reason: $"levelup:{oldLevel}->{player.Level}");
-            await notifications.NotifyAsync(playerId,
-                PushNotificationId.SubscriptionUpdateProfile,
-                new
-                {
-                    Reason = "LevelUp",
-                    Level = player.Level,
-                    PreviousLevel = oldLevel,
-                });
         }
 
         return (player.Level, player.XP);
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Services/NotificationService.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Services/NotificationService.cs
index 842c2c3..56a8799 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Services/NotificationService.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Services/NotificationService.cs
@@ -298,10 +298,14 @@ public class NotificationService(
                 },
             // 2020.12 PlayerPresence.Deserialize requires these.
             ["isOnline"]         = redacted is not null,
-            // 2023.03.21 client build version ("20230317"); must match the
-            // joining client's own version or it reports a version mismatch.
-            // Stale 2020 value (20201210) carried over from the December branch.
-            ["appVersion"]       = 20230317,
+            // 2023.03.21 client build version; must match the joining
+            // client's own version or it reports a version mismatch. MUST be
+            // a STRING ("20230317"): the client's presence DTO reads
+            // appVersion with a string reader, so an int crashes the whole
+            // SignalR message with "expected:'String Begin Token',
+            // actual:'20230317'" — which aborts the presence/room update
+            // (e.g. surfaced as "failed to create a new room").
+            ["appVersion"]       = "20230317",
         };
 
         var envelope = new System.Text.Json.Nodes.JsonObject
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Services/SystemNotificationService.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Services/SystemNotificationService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8aaf9f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Services/SystemNotificationService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+using DorkNet.Models.Notification;
+using DorkNet.Server.Data;
+using DorkNet.Server.Data.Entities;
+
+namespace DorkNet.Server.Services;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// The REAL channel for event notifications (cheers, friend events, room
+/// co-owner changes, …). A notification is a <see cref="MessageEntity"/>
+/// with a <see cref="MessageType"/> discriminator: it persists to the
+/// recipient's message/notification feed (so <c>GET api/messages</c>
+/// returns it) and is pushed live via <c>MessageReceived</c> with the
+/// client's Message DTO shape (RecNet.Runtime <c>KJECOLODAFA</c>:
+/// Id/FromPlayerId/SentTime/Type/Data/RoomId/PlayerEventId).
+///
+/// This replaces the old anti-pattern of pushing <c>{Reason:"…"}</c> blobs
+/// on the <c>SubscriptionUpdateProfile</c> ("AccountUpdate") channel — the
+/// 2023 client decoded those as its Account DTO, producing a blank account
+/// (accountId 0) and "Orphan player account (0) found" log spam, and never
+/// rendered the notification. Every field type here matches the client
+/// reader (FromPlayerId is Int32; SentTime is an ISO DateTime; Type/RoomId/
+/// PlayerEventId are number/nullable-number).
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class SystemNotificationService(DorkNetDbContext db, NotificationService notifications)
+{
+    /// <summary>RecNet message-type enum (<c>KJECOLODAFA+MEPCALGGMJC</c>),
+    /// verified from the 2023.03.21 client. Only the values we send are
+    /// listed; add more as needed.</summary>
+    public static class MessageType
+    {
+        public const int TextMessage = 30;
+        public const int FriendRequestAccepted = 40;
+        public const int FriendCodeUsed = 41;
+        public const int PlayerCheer = 50;
+        public const int PlayerCheerAnonymous = 51;
+        public const int RoomCoOwnerAdded = 60;
+        public const int RoomCoOwnerRemoved = 61;
+        public const int RoomCoOwnerInvited = 62;
+        public const int CreatorPublishedNewRoom = 70;
+        public const int PlayerAttendingEvent = 80;
+        public const int PlayerEventInvitation = 81;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Persist and push a system notification to
+    /// <paramref name="recipientPlayerId"/>. <paramref name="fromPlayerId"/>
+    /// is the actor the client resolves the name/avatar from (0 for a
+    /// system/anonymous notification). <paramref name="data"/> is the
+    /// type-specific payload string (empty when the Type + FromPlayerId are
+    /// sufficient, e.g. a cheer). Returns the created message id.</summary>
+    public async Task<long> SendAsync(
+        long recipientPlayerId,
+        int type,
+        long fromPlayerId = 0,
+        string data = "",
+        long? roomId = null)
+    {
+        if (recipientPlayerId <= 0) return 0;
+
+        var msg = new MessageEntity
+        {
+            SenderPlayerId = fromPlayerId,
+            RecipientPlayerId = recipientPlayerId,
+            Body = data ?? string.Empty,
+            Type = type,
+            RoomId = roomId,
+            SentAt = DateTime.UtcNow,
+        };
+        db.Messages.Add(msg);
+        await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        await notifications.NotifyAsync(recipientPlayerId, PushNotificationId.MessageReceived, new
+        {
+            Id = msg.Id,
+            // Client Message DTO reads FromPlayerId as Int32.
+            FromPlayerId = unchecked((int)fromPlayerId),
+            SentTime = msg.SentAt,
+            Type = type,
+            Data = msg.Body,
+            RoomId = roomId,
+            PlayerEventId = (long?)null,
+        });
+        return msg.Id;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Startup/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Startup/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
index aa9c9f7..793d230 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Startup/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Startup/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ public static class ServiceCollectionExtensions
         services.AddScoped<ClubService>();
         services.AddScoped<LevelService>();
         services.AddScoped<StoreService>();
+        services.AddScoped<SystemNotificationService>();
         services.AddScoped<QuestRewardService>();
         services.AddScoped<SignupCodeService>();
         // Singleton — the protobuf blob is identical for every room and built