diff --git a/docs/API.md b/docs/API.md
index 2557285..c26d6a1 100644
--- a/docs/API.md
+++ b/docs/API.md
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # API
 
 MediaHive exposes a small local API used by the desktop app and frontend.
-All media paths are scoped to a **root**, identified by a stable `root_id`.
+All media paths are scoped to a **root**, identified by a friendly `root_id`
+(same identifier shown as the root name).
 
 ## Endpoints
 
diff --git a/docs/multi-index-plan.md b/docs/multi-index-plan.md
index a7b99ff..301de48 100644
--- a/docs/multi-index-plan.md
+++ b/docs/multi-index-plan.md
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ MediaHive now supports multiple independent media roots. Each root is a filesyst
 
 ### Root Identity
 
-- **Root ID**: first 12 hex chars of SHA-256 of the *normalized* absolute path.
-- **Normalization**: resolve symlinks, lower-case Windows drive letter, strip trailing slashes, forward slashes only (`as_posix()`).
-- **Name**: derived from path basename; collisions resolved with `2`, `3`, … suffix.
+- **Root ID**: friendly root name derived from configured path basename.
+- **Name/ID collision handling**: suffixes `2`, `3`, … are appended to keep each root ID unique.
+- **Path normalization**: lower-case Windows drive letter, strip trailing slashes, forward slashes only (`as_posix()`).
 
 ### Per-Root Runtime (`RootContext`)
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Each active root gets an isolated `RootContext` managed by the `Supervisor`:
 - Holds `dict[str, RootContext]` keyed by `root_id`.
 - `replace_roots(new_roots)` atomically swaps the active set:
   1. Validate & canonicalize paths.
-  2. Compute `root_id` for each.
+  2. Derive unique friendly `root_id` for each.
   3. Prepare new `RootContext`s (load snapshots).
   4. Swap dict atomically.
   5. Stop removed contexts in background with bounded timeout.
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.vue b/frontend/src/App.vue
index 2042068..6bad236 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/App.vue
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ async function refreshRoots() {
     const activeIds: string[] = []
     for (const r of roots) {
       newMap.set(r.root_id, {
-        name: r.name,
+        name: r.root_id,
         path: r.path,
         status: r.status,
       })
diff --git a/frontend/src/api.ts b/frontend/src/api.ts
index 3168107..bf8a287 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ export interface PlayerInfo {
 
 export interface RootStatus {
   root_id: string
-  name: string
   path: string
   status: string
   error: string | null
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Header.vue b/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
index 2a10d6d..b2e8ef8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Header.vue
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
                 :class="`roots-item--${root.status}`"
               >
                 <div class="roots-item-info">
-                  <span class="roots-item-name">{{ root.name }}</span>
+                  <span class="roots-item-name">{{ root.root_id }}</span>
                   <span class="roots-item-path">{{ root.path }}</span>
                 </div>
                 <div class="roots-item-meta">
@@ -323,7 +323,6 @@ const selectedPlayerFamily = computed(() => {
 
 interface RootEntry {
   root_id: string
-  name: string
   path: string
   status: string
 }
@@ -410,7 +409,6 @@ async function refreshRoots() {
     const data = await fetchRoots()
     roots.value = data.map((r) => ({
       root_id: r.root_id,
-      name: r.name,
       path: r.path,
       status: r.status,
     }))
@@ -421,7 +419,7 @@ async function refreshRoots() {
 
 async function removeRoot(rootId: string) {
   const filtered = roots.value.filter((r) => r.root_id !== rootId)
-  const newRoots = Object.fromEntries(filtered.map((r) => [r.name, r.path]))
+  const newRoots = Object.fromEntries(filtered.map((r) => [r.root_id, r.path]))
   try {
     await replaceRoots(newRoots)
     await refreshRoots()
@@ -434,17 +432,9 @@ async function removeRoot(rootId: string) {
 async function addRoot() {
   const folder = await pickFolderAndAddRoot()
   if (!folder) return
-  const name = folder.split("/").pop() || folder.split("\\").pop() || "media"
-  // Resolve name collisions
-  let uniqueName = name
-  let suffix = 2
-  const currentNames = new Set(roots.value.map((r) => r.name))
-  while (currentNames.has(uniqueName)) {
-    uniqueName = `${name}${suffix}`
-    suffix++
-  }
-  const newRoots = Object.fromEntries(roots.value.map((r) => [r.name, r.path]))
-  newRoots[uniqueName] = folder
+  const suggestedId = folder.split("/").pop() || folder.split("\\").pop() || "media"
+  const newRoots = Object.fromEntries(roots.value.map((r) => [r.root_id, r.path]))
+  newRoots[suggestedId] = folder
   try {
     await replaceRoots(newRoots)
     await refreshRoots()
diff --git a/mediahive/models/protocol.py b/mediahive/models/protocol.py
index 63341e4..4c83350 100644
--- a/mediahive/models/protocol.py
+++ b/mediahive/models/protocol.py
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ class RootsRequest(msgspec.Struct):
 class RootEntryResponse(msgspec.Struct):
     """Single root entry in responses."""
 
-    name: str
     path: str
     root_id: str
 
diff --git a/mediahive/root_registry.py b/mediahive/root_registry.py
index b54a5ba..da099ca 100644
--- a/mediahive/root_registry.py
+++ b/mediahive/root_registry.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import asyncio
 import contextlib
-import hashlib
 import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ from mediahive.models.events import ScanEvent, Task, Upsert
 logger = logging.getLogger("mediahive.root_registry")
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Root ID
+# Root path normalization and friendly name derivation
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
@@ -47,13 +46,6 @@ def _normalize_path(path: str) -> str:
     return posix
 
 
-def compute_root_id(path: str) -> str:
-    """Return a stable 12-char hex root ID from a normalized path."""
-    normalized = _normalize_path(path)
-    h = hashlib.sha256(normalized.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
-    return h[:12]
-
-
 def _derive_root_name(path: str) -> str:
     """Derive a friendly root name from a path basename/anchor."""
     normalized = (path or "").replace("\\", "/").rstrip("/")
@@ -74,7 +66,6 @@ def _derive_root_name(path: str) -> str:
 
 
 class RootEntry(msgspec.Struct):
-    name: str
     path: str
     root_id: str
 
@@ -87,9 +78,8 @@ class RootEntry(msgspec.Struct):
 class RootContext:
     """Runtime container for a single media root."""
 
-    def __init__(self, root_id: str, root_path: Path, name: str | None = None) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, root_id: str, root_path: Path) -> None:
         self.root_id = root_id
-        self.name = name or root_id
         self.root_path = root_path
         self.status = "loading"
         self.error: str | None = None
@@ -208,7 +198,6 @@ class Supervisor:
         return [
             {
                 "root_id": ctx.root_id,
-                "name": ctx.name,
                 "path": ctx.root_path.as_posix(),
                 "status": ctx.status,
                 "error": ctx.error,
@@ -265,14 +254,12 @@ class Supervisor:
             # Validate and canonicalize
             candidates: list[RootEntry] = []
             seen_paths: set[str] = set()
-            seen_ids: set[str] = set()
             failed: list[dict] = []
 
-            for requested_name, path_str in roots.items():
+            for path_str in roots.values():
                 p = Path(path_str).expanduser()
                 if not p.exists() or not p.is_dir():
                     failed.append({
-                        "name": requested_name,
                         "path": path_str,
                         "reason": "not a directory",
                     })
@@ -280,17 +267,11 @@ class Supervisor:
                 norm = _normalize_path(p.as_posix())
                 if norm in seen_paths:
                     failed.append({
-                        "name": requested_name,
                         "path": path_str,
                         "reason": "duplicate path",
                     })
                     continue
                 seen_paths.add(norm)
-                rid = compute_root_id(str(p))
-                if rid in seen_ids:
-                    # Extremely unlikely hash collision — fall back to full hash
-                    rid = hashlib.sha256(norm.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()[:16]
-                seen_ids.add(rid)
 
                 # Friendly names should reflect the configured root path (e.g. "Z:" -> "Z"),
                 # not the resolved physical target (which may be a UNC path).
@@ -303,7 +284,8 @@ class Supervisor:
                     unique_name = f"{base_name}{suffix}"
                     suffix += 1
 
-                candidates.append(RootEntry(name=unique_name, path=norm, root_id=rid))
+                # root_id now uses the same friendly identifier as the display name.
+                candidates.append(RootEntry(path=norm, root_id=unique_name))
 
             # Build desired root_id set
             desired_ids = {e.root_id for e in candidates}
@@ -320,13 +302,12 @@ class Supervisor:
                 existing = self._contexts.get(entry.root_id)
                 if existing and existing.root_path.as_posix() == entry.path:
                     # Reuse existing context
-                    existing.name = entry.name
                     new_contexts[entry.root_id] = existing
                 else:
                     # If existing path changed, stop old one
                     if existing:
                         asyncio.create_task(existing.stop())
-                    ctx = RootContext(entry.root_id, Path(entry.path), entry.name)
+                    ctx = RootContext(entry.root_id, Path(entry.path))
                     await ctx.start()
                     new_contexts[entry.root_id] = ctx
 
@@ -338,7 +319,7 @@ class Supervisor:
             save_config(
                 msgspec.structs.replace(
                     cfg,
-                    roots={e.name: e.path for e in candidates},
+                    roots={e.root_id: e.path for e in candidates},
                 )
             )
 
diff --git a/mediahive/server.py b/mediahive/server.py
index ed218c6..6e66d96 100644
--- a/mediahive/server.py
+++ b/mediahive/server.py
@@ -448,9 +448,7 @@ async def put_roots(request: Request):
 
     return {
         "status": "ok",
-        "accepted": [
-            {"name": e.name, "path": e.path, "root_id": e.root_id} for e in accepted
-        ],
+        "accepted": [{"path": e.path, "root_id": e.root_id} for e in accepted],
         "failed": failed,
     }