diff --git a/mobile/lib/app.dart b/mobile/lib/app.dart
index 2e5d8a7111..dc3fe9202b 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/app.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/app.dart
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@ class MobileInviteJoinRecovery implements InviteJoinRecovery {
           _ensureScopeCurrent();
         } catch (error) {
           final nameTaken = _isChannelNameTakenError(error);
-          if (!nameTaken && !_isDuplicateChannelError(error)) rethrow;
+          final archivedAtId = _isArchivedChannelError(error);
+          if (!nameTaken && !archivedAtId && !_isDuplicateChannelError(error)) {
+            rethrow;
+          }
           _ensureScopeCurrent();
           channels = await _loadChannels();
           _ensureScopeCurrent();
@@ -168,6 +171,10 @@ class MobileInviteJoinRecovery implements InviteJoinRecovery {
                   .firstOrNull ??
               (nameTaken ? _findListedNamesake(channels, starter.slug) : null);
           if (holder == null) {
+            // The relay refuses a create at an archived channel's id before
+            // its duplicate check, and keeps that id, so the starter can never
+            // be created there.
+            if (archivedAtId) continue;
             // The directory omits archived channels, yet the relay still
             // keeps the id (desktop uses the same one), so a duplicate with
             // no match may be an archived starter. Read that id directly.
@@ -228,6 +235,11 @@ bool _isUsableStarter(Channel channel) =>
 bool _isDuplicateChannelError(Object error) =>
     error.toString().contains('duplicate: channel already exists');
 
+/// The relay refuses any channel event whose `h` is an archived channel,
+/// a create at that id included: `invalid: channel is archived`.
+bool _isArchivedChannelError(Object error) =>
+    error.toString().contains('invalid: channel is archived');
+
 /// The relay refuses creating an open channel whose name another listed
 /// channel already holds, ignoring case:
 /// `invalid: an open channel named "general" already exists`.
diff --git a/mobile/test/features/invites/invite_join_provider_test.dart b/mobile/test/features/invites/invite_join_provider_test.dart
index 94008e0230..c8e6ed4722 100644
--- a/mobile/test/features/invites/invite_join_provider_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/features/invites/invite_join_provider_test.dart
@@ -496,6 +496,20 @@ void main() {
       expect(archivedAtId.loads(), 2);
       expect(focusAfterArchived, welcomeId);
 
+      // The relay refuses a create at an archived channel's id with
+      // `channel is archived`; that starter is skipped without a lookup.
+      final refusedAsArchived = starterSetup(
+        channelsOnLoad: (_) => const [],
+        refusalError: 'invalid: channel is archived',
+      );
+      final focusAfterRefusal = await refusedAsArchived.recovery
+          .ensureStarterChannels();
+      expect(refusedAsArchived.created, ['general', 'welcome-everyone']);
+      expect(refusedAsArchived.lookups, isEmpty);
+      expect(refusedAsArchived.joined, isEmpty);
+      expect(refusedAsArchived.loads(), 2);
+      expect(focusAfterRefusal, welcomeId);
+
       // The scope fence also holds across the direct lookup, checked on the
       // last starter so the next starter's own fence cannot mask it.
       var lookedUp = false;