diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
index c082afaf..dde82529 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/notification/NotificationReplyReceiver.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import android.content.Intent
 import androidx.core.app.NotificationCompat
 import androidx.core.app.RemoteInput
 import com.m57.hermescontrol.R
+import com.m57.hermescontrol.data.local.AuthManager
 import com.m57.hermescontrol.data.session.ActiveSessionHolder
 import com.m57.hermescontrol.data.ws.HermesWsClient
 import com.m57.hermescontrol.data.ws.WsMethods
@@ -124,11 +125,20 @@ open class NotificationReplyReceiver : BroadcastReceiver() {
     }
 
     private suspend fun resumeSession(storedSessionId: String): String {
+        val profile = AuthManager.activeProfileId.value
+        val params =
+            mutableMapOf<String, Any>(
+                "session_id" to storedSessionId,
+                "omit_messages" to true,
+            )
+        if (!profile.isNullOrBlank()) {
+            params["profile"] = profile
+        }
         val result =
             HermesWsClient
                 .request(
                     WsMethods.SESSION_RESUME,
-                    mapOf("session_id" to storedSessionId, "omit_messages" to true),
+                    params,
                     timeoutMs = REPLY_TIMEOUT_MS,
                 ).await() as? Map<*, *>
         val runtimeSessionId =
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatScreen.kt
index 7a09cfb5..7e3a16d2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatScreen.kt
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ fun ChatScreen(
             .collectLatest { firstVisibleIndex ->
                 if (firstVisibleIndex > 2) {
                     isOlderPagingArmed = true
-                } else if (isOlderPagingArmed) {
+                } else if (isOlderPagingArmed || state.messages.size <= 3) {
                     val anchorId = state.messages.getOrNull(firstVisibleIndex)?.id
                     val offset = scrollController.captureAnchorOffset()
                     pagingAnchor.value = if (anchorId != null) anchorId to offset else null
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModel.kt
index a774705f..c96f4924 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModel.kt
@@ -647,6 +647,8 @@ class ChatViewModel(
         viewModelScope.launch {
             ProfileSwitchCoordinator.switched
                 .collect { _ ->
+                    pendingGoneSessionNotice = false
+                    sessionHasServerPresence = false
                     resetSessionState(sessionId = null, title = "Hermes", isLoading = true)
                 }
         }
@@ -657,6 +659,8 @@ class ChatViewModel(
         viewModelScope.launch {
             ProfileSwitchCoordinator.connectionSwitched
                 .collect { _ ->
+                    pendingGoneSessionNotice = false
+                    sessionHasServerPresence = false
                     resetSessionState(sessionId = null, title = "Hermes", isLoading = true)
                 }
         }
@@ -2469,6 +2473,27 @@ class ChatViewModel(
                 }
 
                 is NetworkResult.Failure -> {
+                    val errorMsg = result.error.message
+                    val is404 =
+                        errorMsg.contains("404", ignoreCase = true) ||
+                            errorMsg.contains("not found", ignoreCase = true)
+                    if (is404) {
+                        // A 404 from GET /api/sessions/{id}/messages indicates the session has no
+                        // persisted rows in state.db (e.g. newly created/lazy unprompted session, or empty history).
+                        // It is NOT a fatal error: keep the session open with empty transcript, clear loading,
+                        // and mark hydrated cleanly.
+                        _uiState.update {
+                            if (!isCurrentHydration(sessionId, generation, requestSequence)) return@update it
+                            it.copy(
+                                isLoading = false,
+                                isLoadingOlder = false,
+                                hasOlderMessages = false,
+                            )
+                        }
+                        hydratedGeneration = generation
+                        finishResumeWhenHydrated(generation)
+                        return@launch
+                    }
                     if (hydratedGeneration == generation) hydratedGeneration = -1L
                     _uiState.update {
                         if (!isCurrentHydration(sessionId, generation, requestSequence)) return@update it
@@ -2576,10 +2601,19 @@ class ChatViewModel(
     ) {
         val requestSequence = ++resumeRequestSequence
         activeResumeRequestSequence = requestSequence
+        val profile = AuthManager.activeProfileId.value
+        val params =
+            mutableMapOf<String, Any>(
+                "session_id" to sessionId,
+                "omit_messages" to true,
+            )
+        if (!profile.isNullOrBlank()) {
+            params["profile"] = profile
+        }
         viewModelScope.launch(ioDispatcher) {
             wsClient.send(
                 WsMethods.SESSION_RESUME,
-                mapOf("session_id" to sessionId, "omit_messages" to true),
+                params,
                 onSent = { id ->
                     trackSessionRequest(
                         id = id,
@@ -2653,6 +2687,17 @@ class ChatViewModel(
     private fun recoverGoneSession(sessionId: String) {
         if (_uiState.value.currentSessionId != sessionId) return
         if (sessionGoneRecoveryInFlight) return
+        if (_uiState.value.messages.isNotEmpty()) {
+            cancelResumeRetry()
+            _uiState.update {
+                it.copy(
+                    isLoading = false,
+                    isResumeRetrying = false,
+                    resumeError = "Session not found on server (displaying cached messages)",
+                )
+            }
+            return
+        }
         sessionGoneRecoveryInFlight = true
         cancelResumeRetry()
         _uiState.update {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsScreen.kt
index bcefaa5b..fe711a88 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsScreen.kt
@@ -804,9 +804,13 @@ fun SessionsScreen(
                                 derivedStateOf {
                                     val info = listState.layoutInfo
                                     val lastVisible = info.visibleItemsInfo.lastOrNull()?.index ?: -1
-                                    lastVisible >= 0 &&
-                                        info.totalItemsCount >= AUTO_LOAD_THRESHOLD &&
+                                    if (lastVisible < 0 || info.totalItemsCount == 0) {
+                                        false
+                                    } else if (info.totalItemsCount <= AUTO_LOAD_THRESHOLD) {
+                                        lastVisible >= info.totalItemsCount - 1
+                                    } else {
                                         lastVisible >= info.totalItemsCount - AUTO_LOAD_THRESHOLD
+                                    }
                                 }
                             }
                             LaunchedEffect(
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsViewModel.kt
index e8182e00..6ac54fe2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/sessions/SessionsViewModel.kt
@@ -216,11 +216,6 @@ class SessionsViewModel :
                         val hasMore = receivedFullPage && addedNewItems && data.total > newSessions.size
                         it.copy(
                             isLoadingMore = false,
-                            // distinctBy guards offset-pagination churn: if a new
-                            // session lands on top between page loads, offsets
-                            // shift and the next page can repeat an id we already
-                            // have — LazyColumn would crash on the duplicate key.
-                            // pinnedFirst keeps pinned sessions above the rest.
                             sessions = newSessions,
                             total = if (hasMore) data.total else newSessions.size,
                             hasMore = hasMore,