diff --git a/gui/main.qml b/gui/main.qml
index 70f6784..c714043 100644
--- a/gui/main.qml
+++ b/gui/main.qml
@@ -228,6 +228,10 @@ ApplicationWindow {
             }
             scrollTimer.start()
         }
+        function onSessionConnected() {
+            chatModel.appendData("\n[[[info]]]\nsession connected\n[[[end]]]\n")
+            scrollTimer.start()
+        }
         function onStreamingDone() {
             chatModel.appendData("\n[[[info]]]\nsession ended\n[[[end]]]\n")
         }
diff --git a/gui/ninepconnection.cpp b/gui/ninepconnection.cpp
index 7088f44..9140ea3 100644
--- a/gui/ninepconnection.cpp
+++ b/gui/ninepconnection.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ void NinePConnection::start(const QString &program, const QStringList &args, int
     m_retryMs = retryMs;
     m_probe = probe;
     m_stopRequested = false;
+    m_openMarkerSeen = false;
     m_retryTimer.stop();
     if (!m_process)
         startProcess();
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ void NinePConnection::startProcess()
     if (m_stopRequested || m_process)
         return;
     m_stderr.clear();
+    m_openMarkerSeen = false;
     m_process = new QProcess(this);
     connect(m_process, &QProcess::started, this, &NinePConnection::onStarted);
     connect(m_process, &QProcess::readyReadStandardOutput, this, &NinePConnection::onStdout);
@@ -77,8 +79,10 @@ void NinePConnection::onStderr()
         if (end < 0) break;
         const QByteArray line = m_stderr.left(end).trimmed();
         m_stderr.remove(0, end + 1);
-        if (line == "OLLIE_9P_OPEN")
+        if (line == "OLLIE_9P_OPEN") {
+            m_openMarkerSeen = true;
             setState(Connected);
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -87,7 +91,7 @@ void NinePConnection::onFinished(int exitCode, QProcess::ExitStatus)
     if (!m_process) return;
     m_process->deleteLater();
     m_process = nullptr;
-    if (m_probe && m_state == Connected && exitCode == 0 && !m_stopRequested) {
+    if (m_probe && m_state == Connected && m_openMarkerSeen && exitCode == 0 && !m_stopRequested) {
         m_retryTimer.start(m_retryMs);
         return;
     }
diff --git a/gui/ninepconnection.h b/gui/ninepconnection.h
index 141834a..18df1f7 100644
--- a/gui/ninepconnection.h
+++ b/gui/ninepconnection.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ private:
     bool m_stopRequested = false;
     int m_retryMs = 4000;
     bool m_probe = false;
+    bool m_openMarkerSeen = false;
 };
 
 #endif // NINEPCONNECTION_H
diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
index a43819a..23bf211 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
@@ -46,11 +46,18 @@ Ollie9pClient::Ollie9pClient(QObject *parent)
             emit chatReceived(QString::fromUtf8(data));
     });
     connect(m_chat, &StreamFsm::died, this, [this]() {
-        // The chat stream closes when the selected session ends. Treat that
-        // existing signal as an immediate disconnect for connection tracking;
-        // the periodic connection probe will confirm or recover it later.
-        if (!m_activeSessionId.isEmpty() && !m_agentId.isEmpty())
-            setAgentConnected(agentKey(m_activeSessionId, m_agentId), false);
+        if (!m_activeSessionId.isEmpty()) {
+            for (const QVariant &value : std::as_const(m_sessions)) {
+                const QVariantMap session = value.toMap();
+                if (session.value("id").toString() != m_activeSessionId) continue;
+                for (const QVariant &agentValue : session.value("agents").toList()) {
+                    const QString key = agentKey(m_activeSessionId,
+                        agentValue.toMap().value("id").toString());
+                    setAgentConnected(key, false);
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+        }
         emit streamingDone();
     });
 
@@ -204,22 +211,27 @@ QString Ollie9pClient::sessionConnectionColor(const QString &sessionId) const
 
 void Ollie9pClient::setAgentConnected(const QString &key, bool connected)
 {
-    if (m_agentConnected.value(key, false) == connected) return;
+    const bool cached = m_agentConnected.value(key, false);
     m_agentConnected[key] = connected;
+    bool modelChanged = false;
     // Update the in-memory model without starting another round of probes.
     for (QVariant &value : m_sessions) {
         QVariantMap session = value.toMap();
         QVariantList agents = session.value("agents").toList();
         for (QVariant &agentValue : agents) {
             QVariantMap agent = agentValue.toMap();
-            if (agentKey(session["id"].toString(), agent["id"].toString()) == key)
+            if (agentKey(session["id"].toString(), agent["id"].toString()) == key) {
+                if (agent.value("connected").toBool() != connected)
+                    modelChanged = true;
                 agent["connected"] = connected;
+            }
             agentValue = agent;
         }
         session["agents"] = agents;
         value = session;
     }
-    emit sessionsChanged();
+    if (cached != connected || modelChanged)
+        emit sessionsChanged();
 }
 
 void Ollie9pClient::startAgentConnections()
@@ -244,7 +256,14 @@ void Ollie9pClient::reconcileAgentConnections()
             auto *connection = new NinePConnection(this);
             m_agentConnections.insert(key, connection);
             connect(connection, &NinePConnection::connected, this, [this, key]() {
+                const bool reconnected = m_seenAgentConnections.contains(key);
+                m_seenAgentConnections.insert(key);
                 setAgentConnected(key, true);
+                if (key == agentKey(m_activeSessionId, m_agentId)) {
+                    if (reconnected)
+                        emit sessionConnected();
+                    startActiveAgentStreams();
+                }
             });
             connect(connection, &NinePConnection::disconnected, this, [this, key]() {
                 setAgentConnected(key, false);
@@ -457,11 +476,7 @@ void Ollie9pClient::switchAgent(const QString &sessionId, const QString &agentId
     emit activeAgentIdChanged();
     emit activeStateChanged();
 
-    // switchAgent is the ONLY path that starts per-agent streams.
-    QString srv = serverAddr();
-    QString bin = ninepBin();
-    m_chat->start(bin, {"-a", srv, "read", agentPath() + "/chat"});
-    m_state->start(bin, {"-a", srv, "read", agentPath() + "/statewait"});
+    startActiveAgentStreams();
 }
 
 void Ollie9pClient::loadRootBackends()
@@ -691,6 +706,16 @@ void Ollie9pClient::ensureRootDataLoaded()
 
 // --- Streaming ---
 
+void Ollie9pClient::startActiveAgentStreams()
+{
+    if (m_activeSessionId.isEmpty() || m_agentId.isEmpty()) return;
+
+    const QString srv = serverAddr();
+    const QString bin = ninepBin();
+    m_chat->start(bin, {"-a", srv, "read", agentPath() + "/chat"});
+    m_state->start(bin, {"-a", srv, "read", agentPath() + "/statewait"});
+}
+
 void Ollie9pClient::stopAgentStreams()
 {
     if (m_chat) m_chat->stop();
diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.h b/gui/ollie9pclient.h
index 48e4f5b..452399a 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.h
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QVariantList>
 #include <QHash>
+#include <QSet>
 #if QT_VERSION_MAJOR >= 6
 #include <QQmlEngine>
 #endif
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ signals:
     void activeAgentIdChanged();
     void activeStateChanged();
     void chatReceived(const QString &text);
+    void sessionConnected();
     void streamingDone();  // chat process exited (session killed)
     void rootBackendsLoadedChanged();
     void availableBackendsChanged();
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ private:
     void ensureRootDataLoaded();
     void setDaemonConnected(bool connected);
     void startAgentConnections();
+    void startActiveAgentStreams();
     void reconcileAgentConnections();
     void stopAgentConnections();
 
@@ -131,6 +134,7 @@ private:
     bool m_daemonConnected = false;
     QHash<QString, NinePConnection *> m_agentConnections;
     QHash<QString, bool> m_agentConnected;
+    QSet<QString> m_seenAgentConnections;
     NinePConnection *m_daemon = nullptr;
 
     // Streaming FSMs — each wraps a QProcess lifecycle