diff --git a/crates/relicario-core/src/backup.rs b/crates/relicario-core/src/backup.rs
index 7e86368..8242341 100644
--- a/crates/relicario-core/src/backup.rs
+++ b/crates/relicario-core/src/backup.rs
@@ -301,12 +301,20 @@ pub fn unpack_backup(data: &[u8], passphrase: &str) -> Result<BackupOutput> {
 }
 
 fn derive_backup_key(passphrase: &[u8], salt: &[u8]) -> Result<Zeroizing<[u8; 32]>> {
+    use unicode_normalization::UnicodeNormalization;
+
+    // NFC normalize passphrase (matches derive_master_key in crypto.rs)
+    let nfc_passphrase: Vec<u8> = match std::str::from_utf8(passphrase) {
+        Ok(s) => s.nfc().collect::<String>().into_bytes(),
+        Err(_) => passphrase.to_vec(),
+    };
+
     let params = Params::new(ARGON2_M_KIB, ARGON2_T, ARGON2_P, Some(32))
         .map_err(|e| RelicarioError::Kdf(format!("argon2 params: {e}")))?;
     let argon = Argon2::new(Algorithm::Argon2id, Version::V0x13, params);
     let mut key = Zeroizing::new([0u8; 32]);
     argon
-        .hash_password_into(passphrase, salt, key.as_mut_slice())
+        .hash_password_into(&nfc_passphrase, salt, key.as_mut_slice())
         .map_err(|e| RelicarioError::Kdf(format!("argon2 hash: {e}")))?;
     Ok(key)
 }
diff --git a/crates/relicario-core/tests/backup.rs b/crates/relicario-core/tests/backup.rs
index 1ca3ec6..7433e88 100644
--- a/crates/relicario-core/tests/backup.rs
+++ b/crates/relicario-core/tests/backup.rs
@@ -186,3 +186,30 @@ fn tampered_ciphertext_rejected_as_decrypt_error() {
         other => panic!("expected Decrypt for tampered tag, got {other:?}"),
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn backup_roundtrip_with_nfd_passphrase() {
+    // "café" in NFD (decomposed: e + combining acute accent)
+    let nfd_passphrase = "caf\u{0065}\u{0301}";
+    // "café" in NFC (precomposed é)
+    let nfc_passphrase = "caf\u{00E9}";
+
+    let input = BackupInput {
+        salt: &[0u8; 32],
+        params_json: r#"{"format_version":2,"kdf":{"argon2_m":256,"argon2_t":1,"argon2_p":1},"aead":"xchacha20poly1305","salt_path":".relicario/salt"}"#,
+        devices_json: "[]",
+        manifest_enc: &[1, 2, 3],
+        settings_enc: &[4, 5, 6],
+        items: vec![],
+        attachments: vec![],
+        reference_jpg: None,
+        git_archive: None,
+    };
+
+    // Pack with NFD passphrase
+    let packed = pack_backup(input, nfd_passphrase).unwrap();
+
+    // Unpack with NFC passphrase — should work after fix
+    let unpacked = unpack_backup(&packed, nfc_passphrase).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(unpacked.manifest_enc, vec![1, 2, 3]);
+}