diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
index cb5f02e..1a013ce 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
@@ -268,31 +268,62 @@ bool Ollie9pClient::createSession(const QString &cwd, const QString &name, const
 {
     if (cwd.isEmpty()) return false;
 
-    QStringList args;
-    args << "cwd=" + cwd;
-    if (!name.isEmpty()) args << "name=" + name;
-    if (!backend.isEmpty()) args << "backend=" + backend;
-    if (!model.isEmpty()) args << "model=" + model;
-    if (!agent.isEmpty()) args << "agent=" + agent;
-    if (!remote.isEmpty()) args << "remote=" + remote;
-    if (!agentAlias.isEmpty()) args << "agent_alias=" + agentAlias;
+    // Step 1: Create the session (name only)
+    QString sessName = name;
+    {
+        QProcess proc;
+        QStringList args = {"-a", serverAddr(), "write", "session/new"};
+        proc.start(ninepBin(), args);
+        proc.waitForStarted(3000);
+        QString input = "name=" + sessName;
+        proc.write(input.toUtf8());
+        proc.closeWriteChannel();
+        proc.waitForFinished(5000);
+        if (proc.exitCode() != 0) {
+            QString err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardError()).trimmed();
+            if (err.isEmpty())
+                err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardOutput()).trimmed();
+            qDebug() << "createSession (step 1) failed:" << err;
+            return false;
+        }
+        // Read the returned session name (may be auto-generated)
+        QByteArray out = proc.readAllStandardOutput().trimmed();
+        if (!out.isEmpty())
+            sessName = QString::fromUtf8(out);
+    }
 
-    QProcess proc;
-    QStringList fullArgs = {"-a", serverAddr(), "write", "session/new"};
-    proc.start(ninepBin(), fullArgs);
-    proc.waitForStarted(3000);
+    // Step 2: Create the agent within the session
+    {
+        QStringList agentArgs;
+        agentArgs << "cwd=" + cwd;
+        if (!backend.isEmpty()) agentArgs << "backend=" + backend;
+        if (!model.isEmpty()) agentArgs << "model=" + model;
+        if (!agent.isEmpty()) agentArgs << "agent=" + agent;
+        if (!remote.isEmpty()) agentArgs << "remote=" + remote;
+        if (!agentAlias.isEmpty()) agentArgs << "agent_alias=" + agentAlias;
 
-    QString input = args.join(" ");
-    proc.write(input.toUtf8());
-    proc.closeWriteChannel();
-    proc.waitForFinished(5000);
+        QProcess proc;
+        QStringList args = {"-a", serverAddr(), "write", "session/" + sessName + "/agent/new"};
+        proc.start(ninepBin(), args);
+        proc.waitForStarted(3000);
+        proc.write(agentArgs.join(" ").toUtf8());
+        proc.closeWriteChannel();
+        proc.waitForFinished(5000);
 
-    if (proc.exitCode() != 0) {
-        QString err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardError()).trimmed();
-        if (err.isEmpty())
-            err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardOutput()).trimmed();
-        qDebug() << "createSession failed:" << err;
-        return false;
+        if (proc.exitCode() != 0) {
+            QString err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardError()).trimmed();
+            if (err.isEmpty())
+                err = QString::fromUtf8(proc.readAllStandardOutput()).trimmed();
+            qDebug() << "createSession (step 2) failed:" << err;
+            // Clean up the session
+            QProcess killProc;
+            killProc.start(ninepBin(), {"-a", serverAddr(), "write", "session/" + sessName + "/ctl"});
+            killProc.waitForStarted(3000);
+            killProc.write("kill");
+            killProc.closeWriteChannel();
+            killProc.waitForFinished(3000);
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     return true;