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 5f16ff9c..928c0f84 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
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ class ChatViewModel(
 
     init {
         connectWebSocket()
+        viewModelScope.launch {
+            wsClient.events.collect { event ->
+                handleWsEvent(event)
+            }
+        }
         if (startCleanup) {
             startPendingRequestCleanup()
         }
@@ -128,12 +133,6 @@ class ChatViewModel(
         viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
             wsClient.connect()
         }
-
-        viewModelScope.launch {
-            wsClient.events.collect { event ->
-                handleWsEvent(event)
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     // ── WS Event Handling ────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModelTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModelTest.kt
index 4f26d780..14772454 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModelTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/m57/hermescontrol/ui/chat/ChatViewModelTest.kt
@@ -657,4 +657,37 @@ class ChatViewModelTest {
             assertNull(state.streamingMessage)
             assertNull(state.clarifyRequest)
         }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testReconnectDoesNotDuplicateEventCollection() =
+        runTest {
+            val viewModel = ChatViewModel(app, startCleanup = false)
+            advanceUntilIdle()
+
+            // Setup active session
+            var createReqId = ""
+            every { HermesWsClient.send(WsMethods.SESSION_CREATE, any(), any()) } answers {
+                createReqId = "create-req-reconnect-test"
+                val onSent = arg<((String) -> Unit)?>(2)
+                onSent?.invoke(createReqId)
+                createReqId
+            }
+            mockEventsFlow.emit(WsEvent.GatewayReady(null))
+            advanceUntilIdle()
+            mockEventsFlow.emit(WsEvent.RpcResult(createReqId, mapOf("session_id" to "session-123")))
+            advanceUntilIdle()
+
+            // Trigger reconnect
+            viewModel.reconnect()
+            advanceUntilIdle()
+
+            // Emit a message token
+            mockEventsFlow.emit(WsEvent.MessageStart("session-123"))
+            mockEventsFlow.emit(WsEvent.MessageToken("Hello", "session-123"))
+            advanceUntilIdle()
+
+            val state = viewModel.uiState.value
+            // Content should be "Hello", not "HelloHello" (no duplicate collectors running)
+            assertEquals("Hello", state.streamingMessage?.content)
+        }
 }