diff --git a/app/components/connection-manager/daemon-context.tsx b/app/components/connection-manager/daemon-context.tsx
index bc95228..2114a43 100644
--- a/app/components/connection-manager/daemon-context.tsx
+++ b/app/components/connection-manager/daemon-context.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ type DataHandler = {
   callback: (data: ReceivedPeerData) => void;
 };
 
+// Pending initial data that should be sent to new subscribers
+interface PendingInitialData {
+  queue: ClimbQueueItem[];
+  currentClimbQueueItem: ClimbQueueItem | null;
+}
+
 export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ children }) => {
   const { daemonUrl } = useDaemonUrl();
   const pathname = usePathname();
@@ -122,6 +128,8 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
   const hasJoinedSession = useRef(false);
   const lastHeartbeatResponse = useRef<number>(0);
   const connectionHealth = useRef<'HEALTHY' | 'DEGRADED' | 'POOR'>('HEALTHY');
+  // Store pending initial data to replay to late subscribers
+  const pendingInitialData = useRef<PendingInitialData | null>(null);
 
   // Generate session ID from pathname
   const sessionId = pathname.replace(/\//g, '-').slice(1) || 'default';
@@ -129,6 +137,31 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
   const subscribeToData = useCallback((callback: (data: ReceivedPeerData) => void) => {
     const handlerId = uuidv4();
     dataHandlers.current.push({ id: handlerId, callback });
+    console.log('[Daemon] New subscriber registered, total:', dataHandlers.current.length, 'hasPendingData:', !!pendingInitialData.current);
+
+    // If there's pending initial data, immediately send it to this new subscriber
+    // This handles the race condition where session-joined arrives before subscribers register
+    if (pendingInitialData.current) {
+      const data = pendingInitialData.current;
+      console.log('[Daemon] Sending pending initial data to late subscriber:', {
+        queueLength: data.queue?.length ?? 0,
+        currentClimb: data.currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+      });
+      // Use setTimeout to ensure this runs after the current execution context
+      // This gives React time to complete the effect that's registering this subscriber
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        try {
+          callback({
+            type: 'initial-queue-data',
+            queue: data.queue,
+            currentClimbQueueItem: data.currentClimbQueueItem,
+            source: 'daemon',
+          });
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error('Error sending pending initial data to subscriber:', error);
+        }
+      }, 0);
+    }
 
     return () => {
       dataHandlers.current = dataHandlers.current.filter((handler) => handler.id !== handlerId);
@@ -165,6 +198,13 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
     (data: DaemonMessage) => {
       switch (data.type) {
         case 'session-joined':
+          console.log('[Daemon] session-joined received:', {
+            queueLength: data.queue?.length ?? 0,
+            currentClimb: data.currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+            isLeader: data.isLeader,
+            subscriberCount: dataHandlers.current.length,
+          });
+
           setState((prev) => ({
             ...prev,
             clientId: data.clientId,
@@ -174,15 +214,22 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
             leaderId: data.users.find((u) => u.isLeader)?.id || null,
           }));
 
-          // Notify queue context about initial data
-          if (data.queue.length > 0 || data.currentClimbQueueItem) {
-            notifySubscribers({
-              type: 'initial-queue-data',
-              queue: data.queue,
-              currentClimbQueueItem: data.currentClimbQueueItem,
-              source: 'daemon',
-            });
-          }
+          // Always store the initial queue data for late subscribers
+          // This handles the race condition where subscribers register after session-joined
+          pendingInitialData.current = {
+            queue: data.queue,
+            currentClimbQueueItem: data.currentClimbQueueItem,
+          };
+
+          // Always notify subscribers about initial data (even if empty)
+          // This ensures the QueueContext knows the session state and can set initialQueueDataReceivedFromPeers
+          console.log('[Daemon] Notifying', dataHandlers.current.length, 'subscribers with initial-queue-data');
+          notifySubscribers({
+            type: 'initial-queue-data',
+            queue: data.queue,
+            currentClimbQueueItem: data.currentClimbQueueItem,
+            source: 'daemon',
+          });
           break;
 
         case 'user-joined':
@@ -237,6 +284,7 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
             error: `Session ended: ${data.reason}${data.newPath ? `. Navigate to ${data.newPath} to rejoin.` : ''}`,
           }));
           hasJoinedSession.current = false;
+          pendingInitialData.current = null;
           break;
       }
     },
@@ -345,6 +393,7 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
           users: [],
         }));
         hasJoinedSession.current = false;
+        pendingInitialData.current = null;
 
         // Attempt to reconnect unless it was a manual close
         if (event.code !== 1000 && reconnectAttempts.current < 5) {
@@ -402,6 +451,7 @@ export const DaemonProvider: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ childr
       error: null,
     });
     hasJoinedSession.current = false;
+    pendingInitialData.current = null;
   }, []);
 
   // Connect when daemon URL is available
diff --git a/app/components/queue-control/queue-context.tsx b/app/components/queue-control/queue-context.tsx
index 00970e6..2eb3198 100644
--- a/app/components/queue-control/queue-context.tsx
+++ b/app/components/queue-control/queue-context.tsx
@@ -59,11 +59,18 @@ export const QueueProvider = ({ parsedParams, children }: QueueContextProps) =>
           );
           break;
         case 'initial-queue-data':
+          console.log('[QueueContext] Received initial-queue-data:', {
+            source: data.source,
+            hostId,
+            queueLength: data.queue?.length ?? 0,
+            currentClimb: data.currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+          });
           // Accept data from the host OR from the daemon (which is authoritative in daemon mode)
           if (hostId !== data.source && data.source !== 'daemon') {
-            console.log(`Ignoring queue data from ${data.source} since it's not the host(${hostId}) or daemon.`);
+            console.log(`[QueueContext] Ignoring queue data from ${data.source} since it's not the host(${hostId}) or daemon.`);
             return;
           }
+          console.log('[QueueContext] Applying initial queue data');
           dispatch({
             type: 'INITIAL_QUEUE_DATA',
             payload: {
diff --git a/daemon/src/handlers/message.ts b/daemon/src/handlers/message.ts
index db75f6a..1874c12 100644
--- a/daemon/src/handlers/message.ts
+++ b/daemon/src/handlers/message.ts
@@ -184,5 +184,9 @@ async function handleQueueOperation(
       break;
   }
 
+  console.log(`[Daemon] Persisting queue state for session ${client.sessionId}:`, {
+    queueLength: queue?.length ?? 0,
+    currentClimb: currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+  });
   await roomManager.updateQueueState(client.sessionId, queue, currentClimbQueueItem);
 }
diff --git a/daemon/src/handlers/room.ts b/daemon/src/handlers/room.ts
index f0ae0e0..78b736a 100644
--- a/daemon/src/handlers/room.ts
+++ b/daemon/src/handlers/room.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ export async function handleJoinSession(
       currentClimbQueueItem: result.currentClimbQueueItem,
       isLeader: result.isLeader,
     };
+    console.log(`[Daemon] Sending session-joined to ${result.clientId}:`, {
+      sessionId: message.sessionId,
+      queueLength: result.queue?.length ?? 0,
+      currentClimb: result.currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+      isLeader: result.isLeader,
+    });
     sendToClient(ws, sessionJoinedMessage);
 
     // Notify other clients about the new user
diff --git a/daemon/src/services/room-manager.ts b/daemon/src/services/room-manager.ts
index c8e776c..951c064 100644
--- a/daemon/src/services/room-manager.ts
+++ b/daemon/src/services/room-manager.ts
@@ -263,9 +263,14 @@ class RoomManager {
       .limit(1);
 
     if (result.length === 0) {
+      console.log(`[RoomManager] getQueueState(${sessionId}): No data found in DB`);
       return { queue: [], currentClimbQueueItem: null };
     }
 
+    console.log(`[RoomManager] getQueueState(${sessionId}):`, {
+      queueLength: result[0].queue?.length ?? 0,
+      currentClimb: result[0].currentClimbQueueItem?.climb?.name ?? null,
+    });
     return {
       queue: result[0].queue,
       currentClimbQueueItem: result[0].currentClimbQueueItem,