diff --git a/src/commands/start.ts b/src/commands/start.ts
index bc4f41d..8b686b9 100644
--- a/src/commands/start.ts
+++ b/src/commands/start.ts
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ export async function startCommand(options: StartOptions) {
 
   // Resolve resume target, if requested.
   let resumeSessionId: string | undefined;
+  let resumeTranscript: Array<{ role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string }> | undefined;
   if (options.resume || options.continue) {
     const { pickSession } = await import('../ui/session-picker.js');
     const { loadSessionMeta, loadSessionHistory } = await import('../session/storage.js');
@@ -372,10 +373,11 @@ export async function startCommand(options: StartOptions) {
 
     if (resumeSessionId) {
       const meta = loadSessionMeta(resumeSessionId);
-      const msgs = loadSessionHistory(resumeSessionId).length;
+      const history = loadSessionHistory(resumeSessionId);
       const when = meta ? new Date(meta.updatedAt).toLocaleString() : 'unknown';
       console.log(chalk.green(`  Resuming session ${resumeSessionId.slice(0, 24)}…`));
-      console.log(chalk.dim(`  ${msgs} messages · last active ${when}\n`));
+      console.log(chalk.dim(`  ${history.length} messages · last active ${when}\n`));
+      resumeTranscript = buildResumeTranscript(history);
     }
   }
 
@@ -413,7 +415,7 @@ export async function startCommand(options: StartOptions) {
   if (process.stdin.isTTY) {
     await runWithInkUI(agentConfig, model, workDir, version, walletInfo, (cb) => {
       onBalanceFetched = cb;
-    }, fetchBalance, importedKickoffPrompt);
+    }, fetchBalance, importedKickoffPrompt, resumeTranscript);
   } else {
     await runWithBasicUI(agentConfig, model, workDir, importedKickoffPrompt);
   }
@@ -446,6 +448,39 @@ async function runOneShot(agentConfig: AgentConfig, prompt: string): Promise<num
   return exitCode;
 }
 
+function buildResumeTranscript(history: Dialogue[]): Array<{ role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string }> {
+  const entries = history
+    .map((msg) => {
+      const text = extractVisibleText(msg).replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
+      if (!text) return null;
+      return { role: msg.role, text: text.length > 180 ? `${text.slice(0, 177)}...` : text };
+    })
+    .filter((entry): entry is { role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string } => entry !== null);
+
+  if (entries.length === 0) return [];
+
+  const started = entries.slice(0, 4);
+  const recentStart = entries.length > 10 ? -6 : 4;
+  const recent = entries.slice(recentStart);
+
+  return entries.length > 10
+    ? [...started, { role: 'assistant', text: '...' }, ...recent]
+    : [...started, ...recent];
+}
+
+function extractVisibleText(msg: Dialogue): string {
+  if (typeof msg.content === 'string') return msg.content;
+  if (!Array.isArray(msg.content)) return '';
+
+  return msg.content
+    .map((part) => {
+      if ('type' in part && part.type === 'text') return part.text;
+      return '';
+    })
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join('\n');
+}
+
 // ─── Ink UI (interactive terminal) ─────────────────────────────────────────
 
 async function runWithInkUI(
@@ -457,6 +492,7 @@ async function runWithInkUI(
   onBalanceReady?: (cb: (bal: string) => void) => void,
   fetchBalance?: () => Promise<string>,
   initialInput?: string,
+  initialTranscript?: Array<{ role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string }>,
 ) {
   const startSnapshot = snapshotStats();
   const ui = launchInkUI({
@@ -465,6 +501,7 @@ async function runWithInkUI(
     version,
     walletAddress: walletInfo?.address,
     walletBalance: walletInfo?.balance,
+    initialTranscript,
     chain: walletInfo?.chain,
     onModelChange: (newModel: string, reason?: 'user' | 'system') => {
       agentConfig.model = newModel;
diff --git a/src/ui/app.tsx b/src/ui/app.tsx
index 5923626..18c7c7d 100644
--- a/src/ui/app.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/app.tsx
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ interface AppProps {
   workDir: string;
   walletAddress: string;
   walletBalance: string;
+  initialTranscript?: Array<{ role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string }>;
   startWithPicker?: boolean;
   chain: string;
   onSubmit: (input: string) => void;
@@ -265,7 +266,7 @@ interface AppProps {
 
 function RunCodeApp({
   initialModel, workDir, walletAddress, walletBalance, chain,
-  startWithPicker, onSubmit, onModelChange, onAbort, onExit,
+  initialTranscript, startWithPicker, onSubmit, onModelChange, onAbort, onExit,
 }: AppProps) {
   const { exit } = useApp();
   // Track terminal rows so we can cap the dynamic-region height. Ink wipes the
@@ -283,7 +284,16 @@ function RunCodeApp({
   // Last completed tool — shown in dynamic area so it can be expanded/collapsed with Tab
   const [expandableTool, setExpandableTool] = useState<(ToolStatus & { key: string }) | null>(null);
   // Full responses committed to Static immediately — goes into terminal scrollback
-  const [committedResponses, setCommittedResponses] = useState<Array<{ key: string; text: string; tokens: { input: number; output: number; calls: number }; cost: number; model?: string; tier?: string; savings?: number; thinkMs?: number; thinkChars?: number; ctxPct?: number }>>([]);
+  const [committedResponses, setCommittedResponses] = useState<Array<{ key: string; text: string; tokens: { input: number; output: number; calls: number }; cost: number; model?: string; tier?: string; savings?: number; thinkMs?: number; thinkChars?: number; ctxPct?: number }>>(() =>
+    (initialTranscript ?? []).map((entry, idx) => ({
+      key: `${entry.role === 'user' ? 'user' : 'resume'}-${idx}`,
+      text: entry.role === 'user'
+        ? chalk.hex('#FFD700').bold('❯ ') + chalk.hex('#FFD700').bold(entry.text)
+        : entry.text,
+      tokens: { input: 0, output: 0, calls: 0 },
+      cost: 0,
+    }))
+  );
   // Short preview of latest response shown in dynamic area (last ~5 lines, cleared on next turn)
   const [responsePreview, setResponsePreview] = useState('');
   const [currentModel, setCurrentModel] = useState(initialModel || PICKER_MODELS_FLAT[0].id);
@@ -1494,6 +1504,7 @@ export function launchInkUI(opts: {
   version: string;
   walletAddress?: string;
   walletBalance?: string;
+  initialTranscript?: Array<{ role: 'user' | 'assistant'; text: string }>;
   chain?: string;
   showPicker?: boolean;
   onModelChange?: (model: string, reason?: 'user' | 'system') => void;
@@ -1510,6 +1521,7 @@ export function launchInkUI(opts: {
       workDir={opts.workDir}
       walletAddress={opts.walletAddress || 'not set — run: franklin setup'}
       walletBalance={opts.walletBalance || 'unknown'}
+      initialTranscript={opts.initialTranscript}
       chain={opts.chain || 'base'}
       startWithPicker={opts.showPicker}
       onSubmit={(value) => {