diff --git a/tools/marmot-interop/headless/setup.sh b/tools/marmot-interop/headless/setup.sh
index 5999b50c4..635e10de1 100644
--- a/tools/marmot-interop/headless/setup.sh
+++ b/tools/marmot-interop/headless/setup.sh
@@ -231,9 +231,12 @@ ensure_identity() {
   raw=$("$cmd" --json whoami 2>/dev/null || true)
   npub=$(extract_pubkey "$raw")
   if [[ -z "${npub:-}" ]]; then
-    raw=$("$cmd" create-identity 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE")
+    # create-identity sometimes exits non-zero (e.g. transient "failed to
+    # connect to any relays") even though the account was created. Probe
+    # --json whoami afterwards before giving up.
+    "$cmd" create-identity 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" || true
+    raw=$("$cmd" --json whoami 2>/dev/null || true)
     npub=$(extract_pubkey "$raw")
-    [[ -n "$npub" ]] || npub=$(extract_pubkey "$("$cmd" whoami 2>/dev/null || true)")
   fi
   [[ -n "$npub" ]] || { fail_msg "could not determine $who npub"; exit 1; }
 
diff --git a/tools/marmot-interop/lib.sh b/tools/marmot-interop/lib.sh
index 4194d3e24..744e9ff95 100644
--- a/tools/marmot-interop/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/marmot-interop/lib.sh
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ extract_pubkey() {
     # JSON: single object
     v=$(printf '%s' "$raw" | jq -r '.pubkey // .npub // .public_key // empty' 2>/dev/null || true)
     if [[ -n "$v" && "$v" != "null" ]]; then printf '%s' "$v"; return; fi
+    # JSON: {"result": [ {"pubkey": …}, … ]} — post-v0.2 `wn --json whoami` shape
+    v=$(printf '%s' "$raw" | jq -r '.result[0].pubkey // .result[0].npub // .result[0].public_key // empty' 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if [[ -n "$v" && "$v" != "null" ]]; then printf '%s' "$v"; return; fi
     # JSON: array of accounts (whoami may return a list)
     v=$(printf '%s' "$raw" | jq -r '.[0].pubkey // .[0].npub // .[0].public_key // empty' 2>/dev/null || true)
     if [[ -n "$v" && "$v" != "null" ]]; then printf '%s' "$v"; return; fi