diff --git a/DorkNet.Server.Tests/OwnedAvatarItemsTests.cs b/DorkNet.Server.Tests/OwnedAvatarItemsTests.cs
index 0ecdd2c..bcb0b53 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server.Tests/OwnedAvatarItemsTests.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server.Tests/OwnedAvatarItemsTests.cs
@@ -83,6 +83,54 @@ public sealed class OwnedAvatarItemsTests : IClassFixture<DorkNetServerFactory>
         Assert.Equal(ids.Count, ids.Distinct().Count());
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Buy_gift_desc_matches_v4items_and_consume_grants_once()
+    {
+        using var setup = ApiClient();
+        var player = await GameClientSessionFactory.CreateAsync(setup, _factory.ApexDomain);
+        using var client = ApiClient(player);
+
+        // Buy an avatar-backed item — the server queues a post-purchase gift box.
+        var storefront = await GetJsonAsync(client, "/api/storefronts/v3/giftdropstore/3");
+        var purchasableId = storefront.GetProperty("StoreItems").EnumerateArray()
+            .First(r => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(r.GetProperty("GiftDrop").GetProperty("AvatarItemDesc").GetString()))
+            .GetProperty("PurchasableItemId").GetInt32();
+        using var buy = await client.PostAsync("/api/storefronts/v2/buyItem",
+            new StringContent(JsonSerializer.Serialize(new
+            {
+                StorefrontType = 3, PurchasableItemId = purchasableId,
+                CurrencyType = 2, RequestedPrice = 1, Gift = (object?)null,
+            }), Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
+        buy.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+
+        var gifts = await GetJsonAsync(client, "/api/avatar/v2/gifts");
+        Assert.True(gifts.GetArrayLength() > 0, "buy did not queue a gift box");
+        var gift = gifts[0];
+        var giftDesc = gift.GetProperty("AvatarItemDesc").GetString()!;
+
+        // The gift's desc MUST be the same 4-part "{guid},,," form v4/items
+        // emits — the client matches on it verbatim in
+        // OutfitManager.UnlockAvatarItemAndMarkNew after the box is consumed;
+        // a bare guid missed and NRE'd ("items removed on every buy").
+        Assert.True(giftDesc.Count(c => c == ',') >= 3, $"gift desc not 4-part: {giftDesc}");
+        var items = await GetJsonAsync(client, "/api/avatar/v4/items");
+        var descs = items.EnumerateArray().Select(x => x.GetProperty("AvatarItemDesc").GetString()).ToHashSet();
+        Assert.Contains(giftDesc, descs);
+
+        // Consuming the box must not add a SECOND wardrobe row for the item
+        // the direct purchase already granted as a bare guid.
+        using var consume = await client.PostAsync(
+            $"/api/avatar/v2/gifts/consume/{gift.GetProperty("Id").GetInt64()}",
+            new StringContent("{}", Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
+        consume.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+
+        var after = await GetJsonAsync(client, "/api/avatar/v4/items");
+        var baseGuid = giftDesc.Split(',')[0];
+        var occurrences = after.EnumerateArray()
+            .Count(x => x.GetProperty("AvatarItemDesc").GetString()!.Split(',')[0] == baseGuid);
+        Assert.Equal(1, occurrences);
+    }
+
     private HttpClient ApiClient(GameClientSession? session = null)
     {
         var client = _factory.CreateClient(new() { AllowAutoRedirect = false });
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
index b5d83b4..d03ed5b 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Avatar/V2/AvatarGiftsController.cs
@@ -247,6 +247,12 @@ public class AvatarGiftsController(
         // empty list rather than 500.
         if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(gift.AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc))
         {
+            // Inventory stores the BARE guid ("guid"), but a gift now carries
+            // the 4-part wire desc ("guid,,,") so its post-consume unlock
+            // matches api/avatar/v4/items. Normalise to the inventory form
+            // here or we'd store "guid,,," alongside the bare "guid" a direct
+            // purchase already added → a duplicate wardrobe row.
+            var invDesc = StoreService.InventoryAvatarItemDesc(gift.AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc);
             var avatar = await db.Avatars.FirstOrDefaultAsync(a => a.PlayerId == pid);
             if (avatar is null)
             {
@@ -257,17 +263,16 @@ public class AvatarGiftsController(
             {
                 var list = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer
                     .Deserialize<List<string>>(avatar.InventoryJson) ?? new();
-                if (!list.Contains(gift.AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc))
+                if (!list.Contains(invDesc))
                 {
-                    list.Add(gift.AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc);
+                    list.Add(invDesc);
                     avatar.InventoryJson = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize(list);
                     avatar.UpdatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
                 }
             }
             catch
             {
-                avatar.InventoryJson = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize(
-                    new[] { gift.AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc });
+                avatar.InventoryJson = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize(new[] { invDesc });
                 avatar.UpdatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
             }
         }
diff --git a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Store/StorefrontsBuyController.cs b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Store/StorefrontsBuyController.cs
index 5aedf43..61d0f41 100644
--- a/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Store/StorefrontsBuyController.cs
+++ b/DorkNet.Server/Controllers/API/Store/StorefrontsBuyController.cs
@@ -110,12 +110,21 @@ public class StorefrontsBuyController(
             inventoryAvatarDesc = hairDyeColorGuid;
             consumableItemDesc = hairDyeConsumableDesc;
         }
+        // The client matches this gift's item against api/avatar/v4/items by
+        // EXACT AvatarItemDesc string in OutfitManager.UnlockAvatarItemAndMarkNew
+        // (fired after the buyer consumes the post-purchase gift box). v4/items
+        // emits outfit items as the 4-part "{guid},,," desc (the bare guid
+        // crashes the client's AvatarItem parser), so the gift must carry the
+        // SAME 4-part desc — sending the stripped bare guid made Find() miss and
+        // NRE, which surfaced as items vanishing on every buy. Hair dyes match
+        // by their bare colour guid (inventoryAvatarDesc), unchanged.
+        var giftWireDesc = string.IsNullOrEmpty(avatarItemDesc) ? inventoryAvatarDesc : avatarItemDesc;
         var gift = new GiftPackageEntity
         {
             RecipientPlayerId           = recipient,
             FromPlayerId                = isGift && !giftTarget!.Anonymous ? (int?)pid : null,
-            AvatarItemType              = string.IsNullOrEmpty(inventoryAvatarDesc) ? null : avatarItemType,
-            AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc = inventoryAvatarDesc,
+            AvatarItemType              = string.IsNullOrEmpty(giftWireDesc) ? null : avatarItemType,
+            AvatarItemDescOrHairDyeDesc = giftWireDesc,
             ConsumableItemDesc          = consumableItemDesc,
             EquipmentPrefabName         = equipmentPrefabName,
             EquipmentModificationGuid   = equipmentModificationGuid,