diff --git a/src/server.ts b/src/server.ts
index 1b155e3..7fd0fc1 100644
--- a/src/server.ts
+++ b/src/server.ts
@@ -135,8 +135,26 @@ const server = Bun.serve<SessionData>({
         start(controller) {
           ctrl = controller;
           sseClients.add(controller);
-          // Send initial headers
+          // Send initial connection acknowledgment
           controller.enqueue(": connected\n\n");
+
+          // Send current terminal state for all active sessions
+          for (const [sessionId, termSession] of sessionTerminals.entries()) {
+            const session = getSession(sessionId);
+            if (!session || session.ended_at) continue;
+
+            // Serialize full terminal state as HTML
+            const html = serializeAsHTML(termSession);
+
+            // Send as initial_state event
+            const event: SSEEvent = {
+              type: "initial_state",
+              session_id: sessionId,
+              html,
+            };
+            const eventStr = `event: ${event.type}\ndata: ${JSON.stringify(event)}\n\n`;
+            controller.enqueue(eventStr);
+          }
         },
         cancel() {
           sseClients.delete(ctrl);
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 551522c..aad26c8 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ export type ServerMessage =
 // SSE events (Server -> Dashboard)
 
 export type SSEEvent =
+  | { type: "initial_state"; session_id: number; html: string }
   | {
       type: "session_start";
       session_id: number;