diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs b/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
index 829426b..9d2544b 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
     private UserStatus _currentStatus = UserStatus.Online;
     private string? _currentStatusMessage;
     private string _currentUsername = string.Empty;
+    private readonly HashSet<string> _joinedChannels = [];
 
     private bool IsConnected => _connection is not null && _connection.IsConnected;
     private bool IsAuthenticated => _apiClient is not null;
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
 
             try
             {
+                _joinedChannels.Add(channelName);
                 var history = await _connection!.JoinChannelAsync(channelName);
                 InvokeUI(() =>
                 {
@@ -185,6 +187,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
             try
             {
                 await _connection!.LeaveChannelAsync(channel);
+                _joinedChannels.Remove(channel);
                 InvokeUI(() => _mainWindow.AddSystemMessage(channel, $"You left #{channel}"));
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
@@ -294,6 +297,8 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
                 _mainWindow.UpdateStatusBar("Connected");
             });
 
+            _joinedChannels.Clear();
+            _joinedChannels.Add(HubConstants.DefaultChannel);
             await _connection.JoinChannelAsync(HubConstants.DefaultChannel);
             InvokeUI(() => _mainWindow.SwitchToChannel(HubConstants.DefaultChannel));
 
@@ -330,6 +335,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
 
             _apiClient?.Dispose();
             _apiClient = null;
+            _joinedChannels.Clear();
 
             InvokeUI(() =>
             {
@@ -377,11 +383,12 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
 
         RunAsync(async () =>
         {
-            await _connection!.JoinChannelAsync(channelName);
+            if (_joinedChannels.Add(channelName))
+                await _connection!.JoinChannelAsync(channelName);
 
             try
             {
-                var history = await _connection.GetHistoryAsync(channelName);
+                var history = await _connection!.GetHistoryAsync(channelName);
                 InvokeUI(() => _mainWindow.LoadHistory(channelName, history));
             }
             catch
@@ -530,6 +537,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
             var channel = await _apiClient!.CreateChannelAsync(result.Name, result.Topic);
             if (channel is null) return;
 
+            _joinedChannels.Add(channel.Name);
             var history = await _connection!.JoinChannelAsync(channel.Name);
 
             // Refresh the channel list
@@ -579,13 +587,19 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
 
         connection.OnReconnected += () =>
         {
-            var channels = _mainWindow.GetChannelNames();
+            // Server-side state is lost on reconnect — rejoin all channels
+            var channels = _joinedChannels.ToList();
             if (channels.Count == 0) return;
 
+            _joinedChannels.Clear();
+
             RunAsync(async () =>
             {
                 foreach (var channel in channels)
+                {
+                    _joinedChannels.Add(channel);
                     await _connection!.JoinChannelAsync(channel);
+                }
 
                 Log.Information("Rejoined {Count} channel(s) after reconnect", channels.Count);
             }, "Failed to rejoin channels after reconnect");
diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Client/UI/MainWindow.cs b/src/EchoHub.Client/UI/MainWindow.cs
index ff2eadd..3cebdd3 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Client/UI/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Client/UI/MainWindow.cs
@@ -544,18 +544,12 @@ public sealed class MainWindow : Runnable
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Load historical messages into a channel (prepend).
+    /// Load historical messages into a channel, replacing any existing messages.
     /// </summary>
     public void LoadHistory(string channelName, List<MessageDto> messages)
     {
-        if (!_channelMessages.TryGetValue(channelName, out var existing))
-        {
-            existing = [];
-            _channelMessages[channelName] = existing;
-        }
-
         var formatted = messages.SelectMany(FormatMessage).ToList();
-        existing.InsertRange(0, formatted);
+        _channelMessages[channelName] = formatted;
 
         if (channelName == _currentChannel)
         {
diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs b/src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs
index 31d5f44..c9c42de 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs
@@ -112,12 +112,14 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
                 return [];
             }
 
-            presenceTracker.JoinChannel(CurrentUsername, channelName);
+            var isNewJoin = presenceTracker.JoinChannel(CurrentUsername, channelName);
 
-            await Groups.AddToGroupAsync(Context.ConnectionId, channelName);
-            await Clients.OthersInGroup(channelName).UserJoined(channelName, CurrentUsername);
-
-            logger.LogInformation("{User} joined channel '{Channel}'", CurrentUsername, channelName);
+            if (isNewJoin)
+            {
+                await Groups.AddToGroupAsync(Context.ConnectionId, channelName);
+                await Clients.OthersInGroup(channelName).UserJoined(channelName, CurrentUsername);
+                logger.LogInformation("{User} joined channel '{Channel}'", CurrentUsername, channelName);
+            }
 
             var history = await GetChannelHistory(channelName, HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount);
             return history;
@@ -293,11 +295,10 @@ public class ChatHub(EchoHubDbContext db, ILogger<ChatHub> logger, PresenceTrack
                 statusMessage);
 
             var channels = presenceTracker.GetChannelsForUser(CurrentUsername);
+            var connections = presenceTracker.GetConnectionsInChannels(channels);
 
-            foreach (var channel in channels)
-            {
-                await Clients.Group(channel).UserStatusChanged(presence);
-            }
+            if (connections.Count > 0)
+                await Clients.Clients(connections).UserStatusChanged(presence);
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Server/Services/PresenceTracker.cs b/src/EchoHub.Server/Services/PresenceTracker.cs
index 1da4ecd..eccb9f4 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Server/Services/PresenceTracker.cs
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Server/Services/PresenceTracker.cs
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ public class PresenceTracker
         return username;
     }
 
-    public void JoinChannel(string username, string channelName)
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns true if this is a new join, false if the user was already in the channel.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool JoinChannel(string username, string channelName)
     {
         lock (_lock)
         {
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ public class PresenceTracker
                 _userChannels[username] = channels;
             }
 
-            channels.Add(channelName);
+            return channels.Add(channelName);
         }
     }
 
@@ -106,6 +109,34 @@ public class PresenceTracker
         return [];
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Get all unique connection IDs for users who share any of the given channels.
+    /// </summary>
+    public List<string> GetConnectionsInChannels(List<string> channels)
+    {
+        lock (_lock)
+        {
+            var usernames = new HashSet<string>();
+            foreach (var channel in channels)
+            {
+                foreach (var (username, userChannels) in _userChannels)
+                {
+                    if (userChannels.Contains(channel))
+                        usernames.Add(username);
+                }
+            }
+
+            var connections = new List<string>();
+            foreach (var username in usernames)
+            {
+                if (_userConnections.TryGetValue(username, out var conns))
+                    connections.AddRange(conns);
+            }
+
+            return connections;
+        }
+    }
+
     public bool IsOnline(string username)
     {
         return _userConnections.TryGetValue(username, out var connections) && connections.Count > 0;