diff --git a/app/qml/Main.qml b/app/qml/Main.qml
index ab26331..24fb203 100644
--- a/app/qml/Main.qml
+++ b/app/qml/Main.qml
@@ -191,7 +191,14 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         settings.syncPick()
     }
 
-    Component.onCompleted: win.reloadSessions()
+    /* The engine opens the workspace's last session (cst_agent_open()), so the
+     * window is created with a transcript already in it: draw it, or the pane
+     * starts empty while the sidebar points at the very session it belongs to.
+     * A switch draws it the same way (the sessionChanged handler below). */
+    Component.onCompleted: {
+        win.reloadSessions()
+        win.replay()
+    }
 
     // ---- the shell -------------------------------------------------------
     header: ToolBar {
diff --git a/app/src/core/AgentCore.cpp b/app/src/core/AgentCore.cpp
index 118b5f8..07f9293 100644
--- a/app/src/core/AgentCore.cpp
+++ b/app/src/core/AgentCore.cpp
@@ -551,8 +551,13 @@ bool AgentCore::newSession() {
 bool AgentCore::switchSession(const QString &id) {
   if (!m_agent || m_running || id.isEmpty())
     return false;
-  if (id == sessionId())
+  if (id == sessionId()) {
+    /* A click on the row of the session that is already open: nothing to
+     * switch, but the window still wants the transcript (the row is not a
+     * dead spot), and sessionChanged is what draws it. */
+    emit sessionChanged();
     return true;
+  }
   if (cst_agent_switch_session(m_agent, id.toUtf8().constData()) != 0)
     return false;
   afterSessionChange();
diff --git a/app/src/ui/UiTest.cpp b/app/src/ui/UiTest.cpp
index c855fe5..16a21db 100644
--- a/app/src/ui/UiTest.cpp
+++ b/app/src/ui/UiTest.cpp
@@ -196,6 +196,15 @@ int runUiTest(AgentCore &core, const QString &size) {
     }
   }
 
+  /* A workspace is never empty on a second run: the engine opens the last
+   * session of the store (cst_agent_open()), so the window is created with a
+   * transcript already in the engine. Put one there before the QML loads,
+   * which is exactly what a restart looks like. */
+  const QString resumed =
+      writeFixtureSession(core.workspace(), QStringLiteral("20260101-115959-on"));
+  check(!resumed.isEmpty() && core.switchSession(resumed),
+        QStringLiteral("the engine has a session open before the window exists"));
+
   QQmlApplicationEngine engine;
   installThemeIcons(&engine); /* the window's icons, same as main() */
   /* image://cstattach/: the session's stored images, pointed at the session
@@ -219,6 +228,15 @@ int runUiTest(AgentCore &core, const QString &size) {
   }
   QTest::qWait(250);
 
+  /* --- the window opens on the session the engine already had ----------- */
+  {
+    QQuickItem *tr = item(win, QStringLiteral("transcript"));
+    const int rows = tr ? tr->property("count").toInt() : -1;
+    check(rows == 5,
+          QStringLiteral("the open session is on screen at startup (%1 rows)")
+              .arg(rows));
+  }
+
   QQuickItem *docked = item(win, QStringLiteral("dockedSidebar"));
   QQuickItem *navButton = item(win, QStringLiteral("navButton"));
   QQuickItem *navPanel = item(win, QStringLiteral("navPanel"));
@@ -464,8 +482,10 @@ int runUiTest(AgentCore &core, const QString &size) {
   /* The dialog drives the same two engine calls: open it, fold the advanced
    * section out and put a provider in through the form. */
   clickMouse(win, QStringLiteral("settingsButton"));
+  QTest::qWait(150); /* the dialog's layout settles before it is clicked into */
   if (panel && mfield) {
     clickMouse(win, QStringLiteral("settingsAdvanced"));
+    QTest::qWait(150); /* the fold-out re-lays the body out */
     QQuickItem *nfield = item(win, QStringLiteral("advName"));
     QQuickItem *bfield = item(win, QStringLiteral("advBase"));
     check(nfield && nfield->isVisible(), QStringLiteral("Advanced options opens in the dialog"));
diff --git a/include/cst_version.h b/include/cst_version.h
index e694393..7fd7986 100644
--- a/include/cst_version.h
+++ b/include/cst_version.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #define CST_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define CST_VERSION_MINOR 9
-#define CST_VERSION_PATCH 0
+#define CST_VERSION_PATCH 1
 
 #define CST_VERSION_STR_(x) #x
 #define CST_VERSION_STR(x) CST_VERSION_STR_(x)