diff --git a/internal/clientinfo/merlin.go b/internal/clientinfo/merlin.go
index 8a39398f..8cd679d4 100644
--- a/internal/clientinfo/merlin.go
+++ b/internal/clientinfo/merlin.go
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ func (m *merlinDiscover) parseMerlinCustomClientList(data string) {
 		if len(parts) < 2 || len(parts[0]) == 0 || len(parts[1]) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		hostname := normalizeHostname(parts[0])
+		// custom_clientlist stores user-defined display names, not DNS hostnames.
+		// Preserve them verbatim so dots in friendly names (for example,
+		// "Device 2.5Gbps") are not mistaken for DNS suffix separators.
+		hostname := parts[0]
 		mac := strings.ToLower(parts[1])
 		m.hostname.Store(mac, hostname)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/clientinfo/merlin_test.go b/internal/clientinfo/merlin_test.go
index 0437035a..6f9674a1 100644
--- a/internal/clientinfo/merlin_test.go
+++ b/internal/clientinfo/merlin_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ func TestParseMerlinCustomClientList(t *testing.T) {
 			[]string{"client1", "client2"},
 			nil,
 		},
+		{
+			"dotted friendly name",
+			"<Device 2.5Gbps>00:11:22:33:44:55>0>4>>",
+			[]string{"00:11:22:33:44:55"},
+			[]string{"Device 2.5Gbps"},
+			nil,
+		},
 		{
 			"empty hostname",
 			"<client1>00:00:00:00:00:01>0>4>><>00:00:00:00:00:02>0>24>>",