In an embodiment, a client device (CD) maintains a contact profile for a user of the CD, the contact profile including a universal identifier (UID) for the user and a list of devices and addresses at which the user of the CD can be contacted. The CD establishes a communication session with a remote CD (RCD) via a given contact address from the set of contact addresses for the RCD. The CD shares, in response to the communication session establishment, at least a portion of the contact profile to the RCD. The RCD generates and/or updates a given contact profile for the user of the CD that is maintained on the RCD based on the shared contact profile. The RCD can also share its profile with the CD in response to the communication session establishment, causing the CD to generate and/or update a contact profile for the RCD.