diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/SecretRequestCard.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/SecretRequestCard.tsx
index bdcef6f48ef7f..c93cd1e4fdfa2 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/SecretRequestCard.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/SecretRequestCard.tsx
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function PendingSecretRequestForm(props: {
       void send({ type: "reference", source, reference });
     }
   };
-  const draft = source === null ? secret : reference;
+  const draft = source === null ? secret : reference.trim();
   const link = secretRequestLink(item);
 
   return (
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ function PendingSecretRequestForm(props: {
         label="Save securely"
         tone="primary"
         fullWidth
-        disabled={submitting || draft.trim().length === 0}
+        disabled={submitting || draft.length === 0}
         onPress={save}
       />
       <View className="flex-row items-center justify-between gap-2">
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/SecretRequestCard.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/SecretRequestCard.tsx
index b6cdabb8a7b69..8010b79131508 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/SecretRequestCard.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/SecretRequestCard.tsx
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ function PendingSecretRequestForm(props: {
       void send({ type: "reference", source, reference });
     }
   };
-  const draft = source === null ? secret : reference;
+  const draft = source === null ? secret : reference.trim();
   const link = secretRequestLink(item);
   const describedBy = error !== null ? `${privacyId} ${errorId}` : privacyId;
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ function PendingSecretRequestForm(props: {
             />
           )}
         </div>
-        <Button type="submit" disabled={submitting || draft.trim().length === 0}>
+        <Button type="submit" disabled={submitting || draft.length === 0}>
           Save securely
         </Button>
       </div>
diff --git a/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.test.ts b/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.test.ts
index 547ebfe8599b5..cc9e215acd0fb 100644
--- a/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import {
+  SecretRequestAnswerInput,
   SecretProviderId,
   SecretProviderKind,
   SecretRequestError,
   ThreadId,
   TurnItemId,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
+import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vite-plus/test";
 
 import {
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ import {
   secretRequestSources,
 } from "./secretRequest.ts";
 
+const decodeAnswerInput = Schema.decodeUnknownSync(SecretRequestAnswerInput);
+
 describe("secretRequestDisplay", () => {
   it("never offers the form for a request inherited from another thread", () => {
     expect(secretRequestDisplay({ secretStatus: "pending" }, "inherited")).toEqual({
@@ -35,6 +39,29 @@ describe("secretRequestPrivacyNote", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("secretRequestAnswerInput", () => {
+  const item = { id: TurnItemId.make("item-1"), threadId: ThreadId.make("thread-1") };
+  const savedSecret = (secret: string) => {
+    const input = secretRequestAnswerInput(item, { type: "save", secret });
+    if (input === null) return null;
+    const delivered = decodeAnswerInput(input).answer;
+    return delivered.type === "save" ? delivered.secret : null;
+  };
+
+  it("delivers the secret exactly as typed, whitespace included", () => {
+    expect(savedSecret("  pass word  ")).toBe("  pass word  ");
+    expect(savedSecret(" ")).toBe(" ");
+    expect(savedSecret("")).toBeNull();
+    expect(() =>
+      decodeAnswerInput({
+        threadId: item.threadId,
+        turnItemId: item.id,
+        answer: { type: "save", secret: "" },
+      }),
+    ).toThrow();
+  });
+});
+
 describe("secretRequestLink", () => {
   it.each([
     [
diff --git a/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.ts b/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.ts
index cd7427049f5f3..c0fa346c38719 100644
--- a/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/client-runtime/src/secretRequest.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ export function secretRequestAnswerInput(
       ? null
       : { threadId: item.threadId, turnItemId: item.id, answer: { type: "reference", reference } };
   }
-  const secret = answer.secret.trim();
+  const { secret } = answer;
   if (secret.length === 0) return null;
   return { threadId: item.threadId, turnItemId: item.id, answer: { type: "save", secret } };
 }
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/secretRequest.ts b/packages/contracts/src/secretRequest.ts
index ccd114c397e38..b75e649862ec1 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/secretRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/secretRequest.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
 
-import { ThreadId, TrimmedNonEmptyString, TurnItemId } from "./baseSchemas.ts";
+import { ThreadId, TurnItemId } from "./baseSchemas.ts";
 import { SecretReference } from "./secretReference.ts";
 
 /** The http(s) page a secret card may open, or null for anything else. */
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export const SecretRequestAnswerInput = Schema.Struct({
   threadId: ThreadId,
   turnItemId: TurnItemId,
   answer: Schema.Union([
-    Schema.Struct({ type: Schema.Literal("save"), secret: TrimmedNonEmptyString }),
+    Schema.Struct({ type: Schema.Literal("save"), secret: Schema.NonEmptyString }),
     Schema.Struct({ type: Schema.Literal("decline") }),
     /** Read once through a configured secret provider; only servers advertising `secretRequestReferences` accept it. */
     Schema.Struct({ type: Schema.Literal("reference"), reference: SecretReference }),