diff --git a/apps/extension/src/listeners/message-external.ts b/apps/extension/src/listeners/message-external.ts
index dd9e1921..170926ed 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/listeners/message-external.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/listeners/message-external.ts
@@ -1,44 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable */
 
-import { assetIdFromBaseDenom } from '@penumbra-zone/wasm/asset';
-
 // this is temporary code to use the externally_connectable permission,
-// also providing a secret puzzle for curious users
-chrome.runtime.onMessageExternal.addListener((m, _, um) => {
-  ((u?: number | string, m: string = 'um') =>
-    um(
-      [
-        (m = (
-          typeof u !== 'string' ? JSON.stringify(u) ?? m : m ?? String(JSON.parse(u && m))
-        ).slice(1, -1)),
-        ...[
-          (new RegExp(`^[aconumr]+$`).test(
-            m.replace(
-              /[penenba]/g,
-              c => (u = 'nopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklm')[u.split('z').reverse().join('').indexOf(c)]!,
-            ),
-          ) &&
-          !(u = Object.entries(assetIdFromBaseDenom('u' + m))
-            .filter((...[_]) => _.shift().indexOf('a'))
-            .pop()
-            ?.pop()
-            .reduce((a: any, b: any) => a + b, -3935))
-            ? undefined
-            : 'not') ?? null,
-          'is',
-        ],
-        ((
-          [t, k] = btoa(
-            new TextDecoder('latin1').decode(new BigInt64Array([17292611216438335414n])),
-          )
-            .split('+')
-            .filter(_ => !!_!!),
-        ) => [t, k])().join(' '),
-      ]
-        [[...m].reduce((x, y, _) => x - y.charCodeAt(_ % _), 858) == u ? 'filter' : 'reverse'](
-          (OoO = '0o0') => 0o0 || OoO,
-        )
-        .join(' '),
-    ))(...Array.from(JSON.stringify(m && String(m))).fill(((um = m) => JSON.stringify(um))()));
-  return true;
+// also providing an easter egg for curious users
+chrome.runtime.onMessageExternal.addListener((_, __, response) => {
+  return response('penumbra is the key');
 });