diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/claude-sessions.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/claude-sessions.ts
index 55658c7..39a9825 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/claude-sessions.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/claude-sessions.ts
@@ -146,3 +146,114 @@ export function listClaudeSessions(cwd: string): ClaudeSessionInfo[] {
 
   return results;
 }
+
+// ── Message types for display ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export interface SessionMessage {
+  id: string;
+  role: 'user' | 'assistant' | 'tool_call' | 'tool_result' | 'system';
+  content: string;
+  timestamp: number;
+  model?: string;
+  toolName?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Load conversation messages from a Claude JSONL session file.
+ * Extracts user prompts and assistant responses for display.
+ */
+export function loadClaudeSessionMessages(cwd: string, sdkSessionId: string): SessionMessage[] {
+  const encoded = encodeCwd(cwd);
+  const filePath = join(homedir(), ".claude", "projects", encoded, `${sdkSessionId}.jsonl`);
+
+  let content: string;
+  try {
+    content = readFileSync(filePath, "utf-8");
+  } catch {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  const messages: SessionMessage[] = [];
+  const lines = content.split("\n");
+
+  for (const line of lines) {
+    if (!line.trim()) continue;
+    try {
+      const obj = JSON.parse(line);
+
+      // User messages
+      if (obj.type === "user" && obj.message?.content) {
+        const mc = obj.message.content;
+        let text = "";
+        if (typeof mc === "string") {
+          text = mc;
+        } else if (Array.isArray(mc)) {
+          const tb = mc.find((b: Record<string, unknown>) => b.type === "text");
+          if (tb?.text) text = String(tb.text);
+        }
+        if (text) {
+          messages.push({
+            id: obj.uuid || `user-${messages.length}`,
+            role: "user",
+            content: text,
+            timestamp: obj.timestamp ? new Date(obj.timestamp).getTime() : Date.now(),
+          });
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Assistant messages
+      if (obj.type === "assistant" && obj.message?.content) {
+        const mc = obj.message.content;
+        let text = "";
+        if (Array.isArray(mc)) {
+          for (const block of mc) {
+            if (block.type === "text" && block.text) {
+              text += block.text;
+            } else if (block.type === "tool_use") {
+              messages.push({
+                id: block.id || `tool-${messages.length}`,
+                role: "tool_call",
+                content: `${block.name}(${JSON.stringify(block.input || {}).slice(0, 200)})`,
+                timestamp: obj.timestamp ? new Date(obj.timestamp).getTime() : Date.now(),
+                toolName: block.name,
+              });
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        if (text) {
+          messages.push({
+            id: obj.uuid || obj.message?.id || `asst-${messages.length}`,
+            role: "assistant",
+            content: text,
+            timestamp: obj.timestamp ? new Date(obj.timestamp).getTime() : Date.now(),
+            model: obj.message?.model,
+          });
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Tool results
+      if (obj.type === "tool_result" || (obj.role === "tool" && obj.content)) {
+        const rc = obj.content;
+        let text = "";
+        if (typeof rc === "string") {
+          text = rc;
+        } else if (Array.isArray(rc)) {
+          const tb = rc.find((b: Record<string, unknown>) => b.type === "text");
+          if (tb?.text) text = String(tb.text);
+        }
+        if (text && text.length > 0) {
+          messages.push({
+            id: obj.uuid || `result-${messages.length}`,
+            role: "tool_result",
+            content: text.length > 500 ? text.slice(0, 497) + "..." : text,
+            timestamp: obj.timestamp ? new Date(obj.timestamp).getTime() : Date.now(),
+          });
+        }
+      }
+    } catch {
+      continue;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return messages;
+}
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/agent-handlers.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/agent-handlers.ts
index 969a63a..4e7493c 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/agent-handlers.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/bun/handlers/agent-handlers.ts
@@ -179,5 +179,15 @@ export function createAgentHandlers(
         return { sessions: [] };
       }
     },
+
+    "session.loadMessages": ({ cwd, sdkSessionId }: { cwd: string; sdkSessionId: string }) => {
+      try {
+        const { loadClaudeSessionMessages } = require("../claude-sessions.ts");
+        return { messages: loadClaudeSessionMessages(cwd, sdkSessionId) };
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error("[session.loadMessages]", err);
+        return { messages: [] };
+      }
+    },
   };
 }
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/SessionPicker.svelte b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/SessionPicker.svelte
index fcd4d30..0d916a9 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/SessionPicker.svelte
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/SessionPicker.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { onMount } from 'svelte';
   import type { ClaudeSessionInfo } from './agent-store.svelte.ts';
-  import { listProjectSessions, setPendingResume, getPendingResume, clearPendingResume } from './agent-store.svelte.ts';
+  import { listProjectSessions, setPendingResume, getPendingResume, clearPendingResume, loadSessionHistory } from './agent-store.svelte.ts';
   import { t } from './i18n.svelte.ts';
 
   interface Props {
@@ -72,16 +72,20 @@
     return s.length > max ? s.slice(0, max - 3) + '...' : s;
   }
 
-  function handleContinue() {
+  async function handleContinue() {
     open = false;
     setPendingResume(projectId, 'continue');
-    // User types their next prompt and hits Send — startAgent reads the pending resume
+    // Load the most recent session's messages for display
+    if (sessions.length > 0) {
+      await loadSessionHistory(projectId, sessions[0].sessionId, cwd);
+    }
   }
 
-  function handleResume(sdkSessionId: string) {
+  async function handleResume(sdkSessionId: string) {
     open = false;
     setPendingResume(projectId, 'resume', sdkSessionId);
-    // User types their next prompt and hits Send — startAgent reads the pending resume
+    // Load the selected session's messages for display
+    await loadSessionHistory(projectId, sdkSessionId, cwd);
   }
 
   function handleNew() {
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/agent-store.svelte.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/agent-store.svelte.ts
index 092c945..8c963d7 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/agent-store.svelte.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/mainview/agent-store.svelte.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,51 @@ export function clearPendingResume(projectId: string): void {
   bump();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Load full conversation history from a Claude JSONL session file into the store.
+ * Called when user selects a session from the picker — shows the conversation
+ * BEFORE the user sends their next prompt.
+ */
+export async function loadSessionHistory(projectId: string, sdkSessionId: string, cwd: string): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const { messages } = await appRpc.request['session.loadMessages']({ cwd, sdkSessionId }) as {
+      messages: Array<{ id: string; role: string; content: string; timestamp: number; model?: string; toolName?: string }>;
+    };
+    if (!messages || messages.length === 0) return;
+
+    // Create a display-only session to show the history
+    const displaySessionId = `${projectId}-history-${Date.now()}`;
+    const converted: AgentMessage[] = messages.map((m, i) => ({
+      id: m.id || `hist-${i}`,
+      seqId: i,
+      role: m.role === 'user' ? 'user' as const
+        : m.role === 'assistant' ? 'assistant' as const
+        : m.role === 'tool_call' ? 'tool_call' as const
+        : m.role === 'tool_result' ? 'tool_result' as const
+        : 'system' as const,
+      content: m.content,
+      timestamp: m.timestamp,
+      toolName: m.toolName,
+    }));
+
+    sessions[displaySessionId] = {
+      sessionId: displaySessionId,
+      projectId,
+      provider: 'claude',
+      status: 'done',
+      messages: converted,
+      costUsd: 0,
+      inputTokens: 0,
+      outputTokens: 0,
+      model: messages.find(m => m.model)?.model || 'unknown',
+    };
+    projectSessionMap.set(projectId, displaySessionId);
+    bump();
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[agent-store] loadSessionHistory error:', err);
+  }
+}
+
 // Map sessionId -> reactive session state
 let sessions = $state<Record<string, AgentSession>>({});
 
diff --git a/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts b/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
index 9dde67c..c438ac5 100644
--- a/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
+++ b/ui-electrobun/src/shared/pty-rpc-schema.ts
@@ -496,6 +496,21 @@ export type PtyRPCRequests = {
     };
   };
 
+  /** Load full conversation messages from a Claude JSONL session file. */
+  "session.loadMessages": {
+    params: { cwd: string; sdkSessionId: string };
+    response: {
+      messages: Array<{
+        id: string;
+        role: 'user' | 'assistant' | 'tool_call' | 'tool_result' | 'system';
+        content: string;
+        timestamp: number;
+        model?: string;
+        toolName?: string;
+      }>;
+    };
+  };
+
   // ── btmsg RPC ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
   /** Register an agent in btmsg. */