diff --git a/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js b/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
index 47a6789..0c4c264 100644
--- a/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
+++ b/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
  * POST /api/v1/statuses/:id/bookmark — bookmark a post
  * POST /api/v1/statuses/:id/unbookmark — remove bookmark
  */
+import crypto from "node:crypto";
 import express from "express";
+import { Note, Create, Mention } from "@fedify/fedify/vocab";
 import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 import { serializeStatus } from "../entities/status.js";
 import { decodeCursor } from "../helpers/pagination.js";
@@ -22,6 +24,8 @@ import {
   bookmarkPost, unbookmarkPost,
 } from "../helpers/interactions.js";
 import { addTimelineItem } from "../../storage/timeline.js";
+import { lookupWithSecurity } from "../../lookup-helpers.js";
+import { addNotification } from "../../storage/notifications.js";
 
 const router = express.Router(); // eslint-disable-line new-cap
 
@@ -187,7 +191,7 @@ router.post("/api/v1/statuses", async (req, res, next) => {
       jf2.sensitive = "true";
     }
 
-    if (visibility && visibility !== "public") {
+    if (visibility && visibility !== "public" && visibility !== "direct") {
       jf2.visibility = visibility;
     }
 
@@ -195,6 +199,130 @@ router.post("/api/v1/statuses", async (req, res, next) => {
       jf2["mp-language"] = language;
     }
 
+    // ── Direct messages: bypass Micropub, send via native AP DM path ──────────
+    // Mastodon clients send visibility="direct" for DMs. These must NOT create
+    // a public blog post — instead send a Create/Note activity directly to the
+    // mentioned recipient, same as the web compose form does.
+    if (visibility === "direct") {
+      const federation = pluginOptions.federation;
+      const handle = pluginOptions.handle || "user";
+      const publicationUrl = pluginOptions.publicationUrl || baseUrl;
+
+      if (!federation) {
+        return res.status(503).json({ error: "Federation not available" });
+      }
+
+      // Extract first @user@domain mention from status text
+      const mentionMatch = (statusText || "").match(/@([\w.-]+@[\w.-]+)/);
+      if (!mentionMatch) {
+        return res.status(422).json({ error: "Direct messages must mention a recipient (@user@domain)" });
+      }
+      const mentionHandle = mentionMatch[1];
+
+      const ctx = federation.createContext(new URL(publicationUrl), {
+        handle,
+        publicationUrl,
+      });
+      const actorUri = ctx.getActorUri(handle);
+      const documentLoader = await ctx.getDocumentLoader({ identifier: handle });
+
+      // Resolve @user@domain → actor URL via WebFinger
+      let recipientActorUrl;
+      try {
+        const webfingerUrl = `https://${mentionHandle.split("@")[1]}/.well-known/webfinger?resource=acct:${mentionHandle}`;
+        const wfRes = await fetch(webfingerUrl, { headers: { Accept: "application/jrd+json" } });
+        if (wfRes.ok) {
+          const wf = await wfRes.json();
+          recipientActorUrl = wf.links?.find((l) => l.rel === "self" && l.type?.includes("activity"))?.href;
+        }
+      } catch { /* fall through to lookup */ }
+
+      // Fallback: resolve via federation lookup
+      if (!recipientActorUrl) {
+        try {
+          const actor = await lookupWithSecurity(ctx, `acct:${mentionHandle}`, { documentLoader });
+          if (actor?.id) recipientActorUrl = actor.id.href;
+        } catch { /* ignore */ }
+      }
+
+      if (!recipientActorUrl) {
+        return res.status(422).json({ error: `Could not resolve recipient: @${mentionHandle}` });
+      }
+
+      const uuid = crypto.randomUUID();
+      const noteId = new URL(`${publicationUrl.replace(/\/$/, "")}/activitypub/notes/${uuid}`);
+
+      const note = new Note({
+        id: noteId,
+        attributedTo: actorUri,
+        to: new URL(recipientActorUrl),
+        content: (statusText || "").trim(),
+        ...(inReplyTo ? { replyTarget: new URL(inReplyTo) } : {}),
+        tag: new Mention({ href: new URL(recipientActorUrl) }),
+      });
+
+      const create = new Create({
+        id: new URL(`${noteId.href}#create`),
+        actor: actorUri,
+        to: new URL(recipientActorUrl),
+        object: note,
+      });
+
+      let recipient;
+      try {
+        recipient = await lookupWithSecurity(ctx, new URL(recipientActorUrl), { documentLoader });
+      } catch { /* ignore */ }
+      if (!recipient) {
+        recipient = {
+          id: new URL(recipientActorUrl),
+          inboxId: new URL(`${recipientActorUrl}/inbox`),
+        };
+      }
+
+      await ctx.sendActivity({ identifier: handle }, recipient, create, {
+        orderingKey: noteId.href,
+      });
+      console.info(`[Mastodon API] Sent DM to ${recipientActorUrl}`);
+
+      // Store in ap_notifications so it appears in the DM thread view
+      try {
+        const ap_notifications = collections.ap_notifications;
+        if (ap_notifications) {
+          const hostname = new URL(publicationUrl).hostname;
+          const profile = await collections.ap_profile.findOne({});
+          await addNotification({ ap_notifications }, {
+            uid: noteId.href,
+            url: noteId.href,
+            type: "mention",
+            isDirect: true,
+            direction: "outbound",
+            senderActorUrl: recipientActorUrl,
+            actorUrl: actorUri.href,
+            actorName: profile?.name || handle,
+            actorPhoto: profile?.icon || "",
+            actorHandle: `@${handle}@${hostname}`,
+            inReplyTo: inReplyTo || null,
+            content: { text: (statusText || "").trim(), html: (statusText || "").trim() },
+            published: new Date().toISOString(),
+            createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+          });
+        }
+      } catch (storeError) {
+        console.warn("[Mastodon API] Failed to store outbound DM:", storeError.message);
+      }
+
+      // Return a minimal status object so the client doesn't error
+      return res.json({
+        id: noteId.href,
+        created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+        content: (statusText || "").trim(),
+        visibility: "direct",
+        url: noteId.href,
+        account: { acct: handle },
+      });
+    }
+    // ── End DM path ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
     // Syndicate to AP only — posts from Mastodon clients belong to the fediverse.
     // Never cross-post to Bluesky (conversations stay in their protocol).
     // The publication URL is the AP syndicator's uid.