diff --git a/src/components/SettingsPanel.test.tsx b/src/components/SettingsPanel.test.tsx
index fd8335fa..464baab7 100644
--- a/src/components/SettingsPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SettingsPanel.test.tsx
@@ -71,6 +71,20 @@ describe('SettingsPanel', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText(/Beta\/Stable/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('treats a legacy beta release channel as stable', () => {
+    render(
+      <SettingsPanel
+        open={true}
+        settings={{ ...emptySettings, release_channel: 'beta' }}
+        onSave={onSave}
+        onClose={onClose}
+      />
+    )
+
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('settings-release-channel')).toHaveAttribute('data-value', 'stable')
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Beta')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
   it('preserves alpha when alpha is already selected', () => {
     const alphaSettings: Settings = {
       ...emptySettings,
diff --git a/src/hooks/useSettings.test.ts b/src/hooks/useSettings.test.ts
index 3807eda2..da44322f 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useSettings.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useSettings.test.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,21 @@ describe('useSettings', () => {
     expect(mockInvokeFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith('get_settings', {})
   })
 
+  it('normalizes a legacy beta release channel back to stable on load', async () => {
+    mockSettingsStore = {
+      ...savedSettings,
+      release_channel: 'beta',
+    }
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSettings())
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(result.current.loaded).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    expect(result.current.settings.release_channel).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('saves settings via backend', async () => {
     const { result } = renderHook(() => useSettings())
 
diff --git a/src/hooks/useTelemetry.test.ts b/src/hooks/useTelemetry.test.ts
index 1a867bdb..f103ae25 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useTelemetry.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useTelemetry.test.ts
@@ -7,14 +7,16 @@ const mockInitSentry = vi.fn()
 const mockTeardownSentry = vi.fn()
 const mockInitPostHog = vi.fn()
 const mockTeardownPostHog = vi.fn()
+const mockUpdatePostHogIdentify = vi.fn()
+const mockSetReleaseChannel = vi.fn()
 
 vi.mock('../lib/telemetry', () => ({
   initSentry: (...args: unknown[]) => mockInitSentry(...args),
   teardownSentry: () => mockTeardownSentry(),
   initPostHog: (...args: unknown[]) => mockInitPostHog(...args),
   teardownPostHog: () => mockTeardownPostHog(),
-  updatePostHogIdentify: vi.fn(),
-  setReleaseChannel: vi.fn(),
+  updatePostHogIdentify: (...args: unknown[]) => mockUpdatePostHogIdentify(...args),
+  setReleaseChannel: (...args: unknown[]) => mockSetReleaseChannel(...args),
 }))
 
 const baseSettings: Settings = {
@@ -23,35 +25,49 @@ const baseSettings: Settings = {
   analytics_enabled: null, anonymous_id: null, release_channel: null,
 }
 
+function renderTelemetry(settings: Settings, loaded = true) {
+  return renderHook(() => useTelemetry(settings, loaded))
+}
+
+function analyticsSettings(releaseChannel: string | null = null): Settings {
+  return {
+    ...baseSettings,
+    analytics_enabled: true,
+    anonymous_id: 'test-uuid',
+    release_channel: releaseChannel,
+  }
+}
+
 describe('useTelemetry', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks()
   })
 
   it('does nothing when settings are not loaded', () => {
-    renderHook(() => useTelemetry(baseSettings, false))
+    renderTelemetry(baseSettings, false)
     expect(mockInitSentry).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(mockInitPostHog).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
   it('does nothing when consent is not granted', () => {
-    renderHook(() => useTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, telemetry_consent: false }, true))
+    renderTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, telemetry_consent: false })
     expect(mockInitSentry).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(mockInitPostHog).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
   it('initializes Sentry when crash reporting is enabled', () => {
-    renderHook(() =>
-      useTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, crash_reporting_enabled: true, anonymous_id: 'test-uuid' }, true)
-    )
+    renderTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, crash_reporting_enabled: true, anonymous_id: 'test-uuid' })
     expect(mockInitSentry).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test-uuid')
   })
 
-  it('initializes PostHog when analytics is enabled', () => {
-    renderHook(() =>
-      useTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, analytics_enabled: true, anonymous_id: 'test-uuid' }, true)
-    )
-    expect(mockInitPostHog).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test-uuid', 'stable')
+  it.each([
+    { name: 'stable defaults', releaseChannel: null, expectedChannel: 'stable' },
+    { name: 'legacy beta release channels', releaseChannel: 'beta', expectedChannel: 'stable' },
+  ])('initializes PostHog for $name', ({ releaseChannel, expectedChannel }) => {
+    renderTelemetry(analyticsSettings(releaseChannel))
+
+    expect(mockInitPostHog).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test-uuid', expectedChannel)
+    expect(mockSetReleaseChannel).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expectedChannel)
   })
 
   it('tears down Sentry when crash reporting is disabled after being enabled', () => {
@@ -68,9 +84,36 @@ describe('useTelemetry', () => {
   })
 
   it('does not initialize without anonymous_id', () => {
-    renderHook(() =>
-      useTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, crash_reporting_enabled: true, anonymous_id: null }, true)
-    )
+    renderTelemetry({ ...baseSettings, crash_reporting_enabled: true, anonymous_id: null })
     expect(mockInitSentry).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
+
+  it('updates the analytics identity when the normalized channel changes', () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ settings, loaded }) => useTelemetry(settings, loaded),
+      {
+        initialProps: {
+          settings: {
+            ...baseSettings,
+            analytics_enabled: true,
+            anonymous_id: 'test-uuid',
+            release_channel: 'alpha',
+          },
+          loaded: true,
+        },
+      },
+    )
+
+    rerender({
+      settings: {
+        ...baseSettings,
+        analytics_enabled: true,
+        anonymous_id: 'test-uuid',
+        release_channel: 'beta',
+      },
+      loaded: true,
+    })
+
+    expect(mockUpdatePostHogIdentify).toHaveBeenCalledWith('stable')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/hooks/useTelemetry.ts b/src/hooks/useTelemetry.ts
index f407ffd5..9267b65b 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useTelemetry.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useTelemetry.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,54 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/core'
 import { isTauri, mockInvoke } from '../mock-tauri'
 import { initSentry, teardownSentry, initPostHog, teardownPostHog, updatePostHogIdentify, setReleaseChannel } from '../lib/telemetry'
+import { normalizeReleaseChannel, type ReleaseChannel } from '../lib/releaseChannel'
 import type { Settings } from '../types'
 
 function tauriCall(command: string): Promise<void> {
   return isTauri() ? invoke<void>(command) : mockInvoke<void>(command)
 }
 
+function resolveReleaseChannel(settings: Settings): ReleaseChannel {
+  return normalizeReleaseChannel(settings.release_channel)
+}
+
+function syncCrashReporting(
+  crashEnabled: boolean,
+  anonymousId: string | null,
+  wasEnabled: boolean,
+): void {
+  if (crashEnabled && anonymousId) {
+    if (!wasEnabled) initSentry(anonymousId)
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!wasEnabled) return
+
+  teardownSentry()
+  tauriCall('reinit_telemetry').catch(() => {})
+}
+
+function syncAnalytics(
+  analyticsEnabled: boolean,
+  anonymousId: string | null,
+  releaseChannel: ReleaseChannel,
+  wasEnabled: boolean,
+): void {
+  if (!analyticsEnabled) {
+    if (wasEnabled) teardownPostHog()
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!anonymousId) return
+
+  if (wasEnabled) {
+    updatePostHogIdentify(releaseChannel)
+    return
+  }
+
+  initPostHog(anonymousId, releaseChannel)
+}
+
 /**
  * Initializes / tears down Sentry and PostHog reactively based on user settings.
  * Call once in App after settings are loaded.
@@ -20,25 +62,12 @@ export function useTelemetry(settings: Settings, loaded: boolean): void {
     if (!loaded) return
     const crashEnabled = settings.crash_reporting_enabled === true
     const analyticsEnabled = settings.analytics_enabled === true
-    const id = settings.anonymous_id
+    const anonymousId = settings.anonymous_id
+    const releaseChannel = resolveReleaseChannel(settings)
 
-    if (crashEnabled && id && !prevCrash.current) {
-      initSentry(id)
-    } else if (!crashEnabled && prevCrash.current) {
-      teardownSentry()
-      tauriCall('reinit_telemetry').catch(() => {})
-    }
-
-    const channel = settings.release_channel ?? 'stable'
-    setReleaseChannel(channel)
-
-    if (analyticsEnabled && id && !prevAnalytics.current) {
-      initPostHog(id, channel)
-    } else if (!analyticsEnabled && prevAnalytics.current) {
-      teardownPostHog()
-    } else if (analyticsEnabled && id) {
-      updatePostHogIdentify(channel)
-    }
+    syncCrashReporting(crashEnabled, anonymousId, prevCrash.current)
+    setReleaseChannel(releaseChannel)
+    syncAnalytics(analyticsEnabled, anonymousId, releaseChannel, prevAnalytics.current)
 
     prevCrash.current = crashEnabled
     prevAnalytics.current = analyticsEnabled