diff --git a/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.spec.ts b/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.spec.ts
index 214df9219c..f0bcd9c39b 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.spec.ts
@@ -936,6 +936,10 @@ describe('IpnsService', () => {
         metadataCid: testMetadataCid,
       });
 
+      // Delegated routing publish is fire-and-forget; flush microtask queue
+      // so the detached .then() callback that records metrics can run.
+      await new Promise(process.nextTick);
+
       expect(mockStartTimer).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ operation: 'publish', source: '' });
       expect(mockEndTimer).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ result: 'success' });
       expect(mockMetricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -974,6 +978,9 @@ describe('IpnsService', () => {
         metadataCid: testMetadataCid,
       });
 
+      // Delegated routing publish is fire-and-forget; flush microtask queue
+      await new Promise(process.nextTick);
+
       expect(mockMetricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         { outcome: 'error' },
         expect.any(Number)
@@ -995,11 +1002,41 @@ describe('IpnsService', () => {
         metadataCid: testMetadataCid,
       });
 
+      // Delegated routing publish is fire-and-forget; flush microtask queue
+      await new Promise(process.nextTick);
+
       expect(mockMetricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         { outcome: 'error' },
         expect.any(Number)
       );
     });
+
+    it('should log error and not crash when metrics observe() throws', async () => {
+      mockFolderIpnsRepo.findOne.mockResolvedValue(null);
+      mockFolderIpnsRepo.create.mockReturnValue({ ...mockFolderEntity, sequenceNumber: '1' });
+      mockFolderIpnsRepo.save.mockResolvedValue({ ...mockFolderEntity, sequenceNumber: '1' });
+      mockMetricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe.mockImplementation(() => {
+        throw new Error('metrics explosion');
+      });
+
+      const loggerSpy = jest.spyOn(service['logger'], 'error').mockImplementation();
+
+      const result = await service.publishRecord(testUserId, {
+        ipnsName: testIpnsName,
+        record: testRecord,
+        metadataCid: testMetadataCid,
+      });
+
+      // Flush fire-and-forget promise chain
+      await new Promise(process.nextTick);
+
+      expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+      expect(loggerSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringContaining('Failed to record IPNS publish metrics')
+      );
+
+      loggerSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('conflict detection', () => {
diff --git a/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.ts b/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.ts
index 2a2c71845e..5b79f4a988 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/ipns/ipns.service.ts
@@ -72,24 +72,32 @@ export class IpnsService {
         dto.expectedSequenceNumber
       );
 
-      // Publish to delegated routing API (best-effort — DB is the reliable source)
+      // Publish to delegated routing API (fire-and-forget — DB is the reliable source).
+      // DHT propagation via someguy takes ~10-30s per record. Since the DB record
+      // is already saved and resolveRecord() always checks/prefers DB data, there is
+      // no need to block the API response on DHT propagation. Metrics are still
+      // collected via the detached promise chain (catch + then).
       const publishStart = process.hrtime.bigint();
-      let publishOutcome = 'success';
-      try {
-        await this.delegatedRouting.publish(dto.ipnsName, recordBytes);
-      } catch (error) {
-        result = 'delegated_error';
-        publishOutcome = 'error';
-        this.logger.warn(
-          `Delegated routing publish failed for ${dto.ipnsName}, DB record saved: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`
-        );
-      } finally {
-        const publishElapsed = Number(process.hrtime.bigint() - publishStart) / 1e9;
-        this.metricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe(
-          { outcome: publishOutcome },
-          publishElapsed
-        );
-      }
+      this.delegatedRouting
+        .publish(dto.ipnsName, recordBytes)
+        .catch((error) => {
+          this.logger.warn(
+            `Delegated routing publish failed for ${dto.ipnsName}, DB record saved: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`
+          );
+          return 'error' as const;
+        })
+        .then((outcome) => {
+          const publishElapsed = Number(process.hrtime.bigint() - publishStart) / 1e9;
+          this.metricsService.ipnsPublishDuration.observe(
+            { outcome: outcome === 'error' ? 'error' : 'success' },
+            publishElapsed
+          );
+        })
+        .catch((error) => {
+          this.logger.error(
+            `Failed to record IPNS publish metrics for ${dto.ipnsName}: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`
+          );
+        });
 
       return {
         success: true,