diff --git a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
index 6eccf75..7665f3a 100644
--- a/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
+++ b/gui/ollie9pclient.cpp
@@ -257,48 +257,70 @@ void Ollie9pClient::stopAgentConnections()
 }
 
 // handleEvent processes a single event from eventwait.
-// Event format: "topic [payload]"
-// Topics: session.{sid}.{action}, session.{sid}.agent.{aid}.{action}
+// Event format: "topic payload" where topic is "session.{sid}.{action}" or 
+// "session.{sid}.agent.{aid}.{action}"
+// Optimized for the hot path: agent.state changes
 void Ollie9pClient::handleEvent(const QString &eventLine)
 {
     if (eventLine.isEmpty()) return;
     
-    // Split into topic and payload
-    int spaceIdx = eventLine.indexOf(' ');
-    QString topic = spaceIdx > 0 ? eventLine.left(spaceIdx) : eventLine;
-    QString payload = spaceIdx > 0 ? eventLine.mid(spaceIdx + 1) : QString();
+    // Split topic and payload (avoid QString allocation where possible)
+    const int spaceIdx = eventLine.indexOf(QLatin1Char(' '));
+    const QStringView topic = spaceIdx > 0 
+        ? QStringView(eventLine).left(spaceIdx) 
+        : QStringView(eventLine);
+    const QStringView payload = spaceIdx > 0 
+        ? QStringView(eventLine).mid(spaceIdx + 1) 
+        : QStringView();
     
-    QStringList parts = topic.split('.');
-    // Expected: session.{sid}.* or session.{sid}.agent.{aid}.*
+    // Fast path: must start with "session."
+    if (!topic.startsWith(QLatin1String("session."))) return;
     
-    if (parts.size() >= 3 && parts[0] == "session") {
-        QString sessionId = parts[1];
-        QString action = parts[2];
+    // Parse: session.{sid}.{rest...}
+    const int firstDot = 7; // length of "session"
+    const int secondDot = topic.indexOf(QLatin1Char('.'), firstDot + 1);
+    if (secondDot < 0) return;
+    
+    const QStringView sessionId = topic.mid(firstDot + 1, secondDot - firstDot - 1);
+    const QStringView rest = topic.mid(secondDot + 1);
+    
+    // Check for agent events: "agent.{aid}.{action}"
+    if (rest.startsWith(QLatin1String("agent."))) {
+        // Parse agent.{aid}.{action}
+        const int agentDot = 5; // length of "agent"
+        const int aidEnd = rest.indexOf(QLatin1Char('.'), agentDot + 1);
+        if (aidEnd < 0) return;
         
-        if (action == "agent" && parts.size() >= 5) {
-            // Agent event: session.{sid}.agent.{aid}.{action}
-            QString agentId = parts[3];
-            QString agentAction = parts[4];
-            QString key = agentKey(sessionId, agentId);
+        const QStringView agentId = rest.mid(agentDot + 1, aidEnd - agentDot - 1);
+        const QStringView agentAction = rest.mid(aidEnd + 1);
+        
+        if (agentAction == QLatin1String("state")) {
+            // Hot path: agent state change
+            if (payload.isEmpty()) return;
             
-            if (agentAction == "state") {
-                // Update cached state
-                if (!payload.isEmpty() && m_agentStateValues.value(key) != payload) {
-                    m_agentStateValues[key] = payload;
-                    emit agentStateChanged(sessionId, agentId, payload);
-                    // Also update activeState if this is the active agent
-                    if (sessionId == m_activeSessionId && agentId == m_agentId) {
-                        m_activeState = payload;
-                        emit activeStateChanged();
-                    }
+            const QString sidStr = sessionId.toString();
+            const QString aidStr = agentId.toString();
+            const QString key = agentKey(sidStr, aidStr);
+            const QString payloadStr = payload.toString();
+            
+            if (m_agentStateValues.value(key) != payloadStr) {
+                m_agentStateValues[key] = payloadStr;
+                emit agentStateChanged(sidStr, aidStr, payloadStr);
+                
+                // Fast check: is this the active agent?
+                if (sidStr == m_activeSessionId && aidStr == m_agentId) {
+                    m_activeState = payloadStr;
+                    emit activeStateChanged();
                 }
-            } else if (agentAction == "new" || agentAction == "kill") {
-                // Structural change — need full refresh
-                refreshSessions();
             }
-        } else if (action == "pause" || action == "resume" || 
-                   action == "new" || action == "kill" || action == "rename") {
-            // Session-level structural change — need full refresh
+        } else if (agentAction == QLatin1String("new") || agentAction == QLatin1String("kill")) {
+            refreshSessions();
+        }
+    } else {
+        // Session-level event
+        if (rest == QLatin1String("pause") || rest == QLatin1String("resume") ||
+            rest == QLatin1String("new") || rest == QLatin1String("kill") || 
+            rest == QLatin1String("rename")) {
             refreshSessions();
         }
     }