diff --git a/src/acp-agent.ts b/src/acp-agent.ts
index 7fdd1e61..5da496fc 100644
--- a/src/acp-agent.ts
+++ b/src/acp-agent.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import {
   ForkSessionResponse,
   InitializeRequest,
   InitializeResponse,
+  LoadSessionRequest,
+  LoadSessionResponse,
   ListSessionsRequest,
   ListSessionsResponse,
   ndJsonStream,
@@ -46,8 +48,15 @@ import {
 } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import * as path from "node:path";
+import * as readline from "node:readline";
 import * as os from "node:os";
-import { nodeToWebReadable, nodeToWebWritable, Pushable, unreachable } from "./utils.js";
+import {
+  encodeProjectPath,
+  nodeToWebReadable,
+  nodeToWebWritable,
+  Pushable,
+  unreachable,
+} from "./utils.js";
 import { createMcpServer } from "./mcp-server.js";
 import { EDIT_TOOL_NAMES, acpToolNames } from "./tools.js";
 import {
@@ -88,6 +97,10 @@ function decodeProjectPath(encodedPath: string): string {
   return encodedPath.replace(/-/g, "/");
 }
 
+function sessionFilePath(cwd: string, sessionId: string): string {
+  return path.join(CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR, "projects", encodeProjectPath(cwd), `${sessionId}.jsonl`);
+}
+
 const MAX_TITLE_LENGTH = 128;
 
 function sanitizeTitle(text: string): string {
@@ -118,6 +131,17 @@ type Session = {
   settingsManager: SettingsManager;
 };
 
+type SessionHistoryEntry = {
+  type?: string;
+  isSidechain?: boolean;
+  sessionId?: string;
+  message?: {
+    role?: string;
+    content?: unknown;
+    model?: string;
+  };
+};
+
 type BackgroundTerminal =
   | {
       handle: TerminalHandle;
@@ -228,6 +252,7 @@ export class ClaudeAcpAgent implements Agent {
           http: true,
           sse: true,
         },
+        loadSession: true,
         sessionCapabilities: {
           fork: {},
           list: {},
@@ -286,6 +311,32 @@ export class ClaudeAcpAgent implements Agent {
     return response;
   }
 
+  async loadSession(params: LoadSessionRequest): Promise<LoadSessionResponse> {
+    try {
+      await fs.promises.access(sessionFilePath(params.cwd, params.sessionId));
+    } catch {
+      throw new Error("Session not found");
+    }
+
+    const response = await this.createSession(
+      {
+        cwd: params.cwd,
+        mcpServers: params.mcpServers ?? [],
+        _meta: params._meta,
+      },
+      {
+        resume: params.sessionId,
+      },
+    );
+
+    await this.replaySessionHistory(params.sessionId, params.cwd);
+
+    return {
+      modes: response.modes,
+      models: response.models,
+    };
+  }
+
   /**
    * List Claude Code sessions by parsing JSONL files
    * Sessions are stored in ~/.claude/projects/<path-encoded>/
@@ -656,6 +707,71 @@ export class ClaudeAcpAgent implements Agent {
     }
   }
 
+  private async replaySessionHistory(sessionId: string, cwd: string): Promise<void> {
+    const filePath = sessionFilePath(cwd, sessionId);
+    const toolUseCache: ToolUseCache = {};
+    const stream = fs.createReadStream(filePath, { encoding: "utf-8" });
+    const reader = readline.createInterface({ input: stream, crlfDelay: Infinity });
+
+    try {
+      for await (const line of reader) {
+        const trimmed = line.trim();
+        if (!trimmed) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        let entry: SessionHistoryEntry;
+        try {
+          entry = JSON.parse(trimmed) as SessionHistoryEntry;
+        } catch {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        if (entry.type !== "user" && entry.type !== "assistant") {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        if (entry.isSidechain) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        if (entry.sessionId && entry.sessionId !== sessionId) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        const message = entry.message;
+        if (!message) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        const role =
+          message.role === "assistant" ? "assistant" : message.role === "user" ? "user" : null;
+        if (!role) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        const content = message.content;
+        if (typeof content !== "string" && !Array.isArray(content)) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        for (const notification of toAcpNotifications(
+          content,
+          role,
+          sessionId,
+          toolUseCache,
+          this.client,
+          this.logger,
+          { registerHooks: false },
+        )) {
+          await this.client.sessionUpdate(notification);
+        }
+      }
+    } finally {
+      reader.close();
+    }
+  }
+
   async readTextFile(params: ReadTextFileRequest): Promise<ReadTextFileResponse> {
     const response = await this.client.readTextFile(params);
     return response;
@@ -1242,7 +1358,9 @@ export function toAcpNotifications(
   toolUseCache: ToolUseCache,
   client: AgentSideConnection,
   logger: Logger,
+  options?: { registerHooks?: boolean },
 ): SessionNotification[] {
+  const registerHooks = options?.registerHooks !== false;
   if (typeof content === "string") {
     return [
       {
@@ -1307,32 +1425,33 @@ export function toAcpNotifications(
             };
           }
         } else {
-          // Register hook callback to receive the structured output from the hook
-          registerHookCallback(chunk.id, {
-            onPostToolUseHook: async (toolUseId, toolInput, toolResponse) => {
-              const toolUse = toolUseCache[toolUseId];
-              if (toolUse) {
-                const update: SessionNotification["update"] = {
-                  _meta: {
-                    claudeCode: {
-                      toolResponse,
-                      toolName: toolUse.name,
-                    },
-                  } satisfies ToolUpdateMeta,
-                  toolCallId: toolUseId,
-                  sessionUpdate: "tool_call_update",
-                };
-                await client.sessionUpdate({
-                  sessionId,
-                  update,
-                });
-              } else {
-                logger.error(
-                  `[claude-code-acp] Got a tool response for tool use that wasn't tracked: ${toolUseId}`,
-                );
-              }
-            },
-          });
+          if (registerHooks) {
+            registerHookCallback(chunk.id, {
+              onPostToolUseHook: async (toolUseId, toolInput, toolResponse) => {
+                const toolUse = toolUseCache[toolUseId];
+                if (toolUse) {
+                  const update: SessionNotification["update"] = {
+                    _meta: {
+                      claudeCode: {
+                        toolResponse,
+                        toolName: toolUse.name,
+                      },
+                    } satisfies ToolUpdateMeta,
+                    toolCallId: toolUseId,
+                    sessionUpdate: "tool_call_update",
+                  };
+                  await client.sessionUpdate({
+                    sessionId,
+                    update,
+                  });
+                } else {
+                  logger.error(
+                    `[claude-code-acp] Got a tool response for tool use that wasn't tracked: ${toolUseId}`,
+                  );
+                }
+              },
+            });
+          }
 
           let rawInput;
           try {
diff --git a/src/tests/list-sessions.test.ts b/src/tests/list-sessions.test.ts
index 47a5fff2..906f2a08 100644
--- a/src/tests/list-sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/list-sessions.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import * as path from "node:path";
 import * as os from "node:os";
 import { AgentSideConnection } from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
 import type { ClaudeAcpAgent as ClaudeAcpAgentType } from "../acp-agent.js";
+import { encodeProjectPath } from "../utils.js";
 
 describe("unstable_listSessions", () => {
   let tempDir: string;
@@ -21,18 +22,6 @@ describe("unstable_listSessions", () => {
     } as unknown as AgentSideConnection;
   }
 
-  // Helper to encode a path like Claude does:
-  // - Unix: "/Users/test" -> "-Users-test"
-  // - Windows: "C:\Users\test" -> "C-Users-test"
-  function encodePath(cwd: string): string {
-    // Handle Windows paths
-    if (/^[A-Za-z]:\\/.test(cwd)) {
-      return cwd.replace(/\\/g, "-").replace(":", "");
-    }
-    // Unix paths
-    return cwd.replace(/\//g, "-");
-  }
-
   // Helper to write a session file
   function writeSessionFile(
     cwd: string,
@@ -45,7 +34,7 @@ describe("unstable_listSessions", () => {
       isAgentFile?: boolean;
     } = {},
   ): void {
-    const encodedPath = encodePath(cwd);
+    const encodedPath = encodeProjectPath(cwd);
     const projectDir = path.join(tempDir, "projects", encodedPath);
     fs.mkdirSync(projectDir, { recursive: true });
 
@@ -248,7 +237,7 @@ describe("unstable_listSessions", () => {
 
   it("uses filename as sessionId when not in file content", async () => {
     const cwd = "/Users/test/project";
-    const encodedPath = encodePath(cwd);
+    const encodedPath = encodeProjectPath(cwd);
     const projectDir = path.join(tempDir, "projects", encodedPath);
     fs.mkdirSync(projectDir, { recursive: true });
 
@@ -263,7 +252,7 @@ describe("unstable_listSessions", () => {
 
   it("returns null title when no user message exists", async () => {
     const cwd = "/Users/test/project";
-    const encodedPath = encodePath(cwd);
+    const encodedPath = encodeProjectPath(cwd);
     const projectDir = path.join(tempDir, "projects", encodedPath);
     fs.mkdirSync(projectDir, { recursive: true });
 
diff --git a/src/tests/load-session.test.ts b/src/tests/load-session.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..978aa32f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/load-session.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from "vitest";
+import * as fs from "node:fs";
+import * as path from "node:path";
+import * as os from "node:os";
+import { AgentSideConnection, SessionNotification } from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
+import type { ClaudeAcpAgent as ClaudeAcpAgentType } from "../acp-agent.js";
+import { encodeProjectPath } from "../utils.js";
+
+const { registerHookCallbackSpy } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  registerHookCallbackSpy: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../tools.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../tools.js")>("../tools.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    registerHookCallback: registerHookCallbackSpy,
+  };
+});
+
+describe("loadSession", () => {
+  let tempDir: string;
+  let originalClaudeConfigDir: string | undefined;
+  let agent: ClaudeAcpAgentType;
+  let ClaudeAcpAgent: typeof ClaudeAcpAgentType;
+  let sessionUpdates: SessionNotification[];
+  let createSessionSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+
+  // Helper to create a mock AgentSideConnection
+  function createMockClient(): AgentSideConnection {
+    return {
+      sessionUpdate: async (notification: SessionNotification) => {
+        sessionUpdates.push(notification);
+      },
+      requestPermission: async () => ({ outcome: { outcome: "cancelled" } }),
+      readTextFile: async () => ({ content: "" }),
+      writeTextFile: async () => ({}),
+    } as unknown as AgentSideConnection;
+  }
+
+  function writeSessionFile(
+    cwd: string,
+    sessionId: string,
+    entries: Array<Record<string, unknown> | string>,
+  ): void {
+    const encodedPath = encodeProjectPath(cwd);
+    const projectDir = path.join(tempDir, "projects", encodedPath);
+    fs.mkdirSync(projectDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    const filePath = path.join(projectDir, `${sessionId}.jsonl`);
+    const lines = entries.map((entry) =>
+      typeof entry === "string" ? entry : JSON.stringify(entry),
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(filePath, lines.join("\n"));
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    tempDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "claude-load-session-"));
+    originalClaudeConfigDir = process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR;
+    process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = tempDir;
+    sessionUpdates = [];
+    registerHookCallbackSpy.mockClear();
+
+    vi.resetModules();
+
+    const acpAgent = await import("../acp-agent.js");
+    ClaudeAcpAgent = acpAgent.ClaudeAcpAgent;
+
+    agent = new ClaudeAcpAgent(createMockClient());
+    createSessionSpy = vi.fn(async () => ({ modes: null, models: null }));
+    (agent as unknown as { createSession: typeof createSessionSpy }).createSession =
+      createSessionSpy;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalClaudeConfigDir !== undefined) {
+      process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = originalClaudeConfigDir;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR;
+    }
+    fs.rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it("throws when the session file does not exist", async () => {
+    await expect(
+      agent.loadSession({
+        cwd: "/Users/test/project",
+        sessionId: "missing-session",
+        mcpServers: [],
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("Session not found");
+
+    expect(createSessionSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("replays history and returns modes/models from createSession", async () => {
+    const cwd = "/Users/test/project";
+    const sessionId = "session-123";
+
+    writeSessionFile(cwd, sessionId, [
+      { type: "summary", summary: "ignored" },
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        message: { role: "user", content: "Hello" },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "assistant",
+        sessionId,
+        message: {
+          role: "assistant",
+          content: [{ type: "thinking", thinking: "Thinking" }],
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "assistant",
+        sessionId,
+        message: {
+          role: "assistant",
+          content: [{ type: "text", text: "Hi" }],
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "assistant",
+        sessionId,
+        message: {
+          role: "assistant",
+          content: [
+            {
+              type: "tool_use",
+              id: "tool-1",
+              name: "Read",
+              input: { file_path: "/tmp/example.txt" },
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        message: {
+          role: "user",
+          content: [{ type: "tool_result", tool_use_id: "tool-1", content: "ok" }],
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    const result = await agent.loadSession({ cwd, sessionId, mcpServers: [] });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ modes: null, models: null });
+    expect(createSessionSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ cwd, mcpServers: [] }),
+      { resume: sessionId },
+    );
+    expect(registerHookCallbackSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    expect(sessionUpdates.map((notification) => notification.update.sessionUpdate)).toEqual([
+      "user_message_chunk",
+      "agent_thought_chunk",
+      "agent_message_chunk",
+      "tool_call",
+      "tool_call_update",
+    ]);
+
+    expect(sessionUpdates[0]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "user_message_chunk",
+      content: { type: "text", text: "Hello" },
+    });
+    expect(sessionUpdates[1]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "agent_thought_chunk",
+      content: { type: "text", text: "Thinking" },
+    });
+    expect(sessionUpdates[2]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "agent_message_chunk",
+      content: { type: "text", text: "Hi" },
+    });
+    expect(sessionUpdates[3]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "tool_call",
+      toolCallId: "tool-1",
+      status: "pending",
+    });
+    expect(sessionUpdates[4]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "tool_call_update",
+      toolCallId: "tool-1",
+      status: "completed",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("skips sidechain, mismatched sessionId, invalid, and unsupported entries", async () => {
+    const cwd = "/Users/test/project";
+    const sessionId = "session-456";
+
+    writeSessionFile(cwd, sessionId, [
+      "{not valid json}",
+      { type: "summary", summary: "ignore" },
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        isSidechain: true,
+        message: { role: "user", content: "Sidechain" },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "assistant",
+        sessionId: "other-session",
+        message: { role: "assistant", content: "Wrong session" },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "assistant",
+        sessionId,
+        message: { role: "system", content: "Unsupported role" },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        message: { role: "user", content: 123 },
+      },
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        message: { role: "user", content: "Keep me" },
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    await agent.loadSession({ cwd, sessionId, mcpServers: [] });
+
+    expect(sessionUpdates).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(sessionUpdates[0]?.update).toMatchObject({
+      sessionUpdate: "user_message_chunk",
+      content: { type: "text", text: "Keep me" },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("handles Windows-style paths", async () => {
+    const cwd = "C:\\Users\\test\\project";
+    const sessionId = "win-session";
+
+    writeSessionFile(cwd, sessionId, [
+      {
+        type: "user",
+        sessionId,
+        message: { role: "user", content: "Hello" },
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    await agent.loadSession({ cwd, sessionId, mcpServers: [] });
+
+    expect(sessionUpdates).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(sessionUpdates[0]?.sessionId).toBe(sessionId);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index d81e6215..d2f77448 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -169,3 +169,18 @@ export function extractLinesWithByteLimit(
     linesRead: linesSeen,
   };
 }
+
+// Helper to encode a path like Claude does:
+// - Unix: "/Users/test" -> "-Users-test"
+// - Windows: "C:\Users\test" -> "C-Users-test"
+export function encodeProjectPath(cwd: string): string {
+  const windowsPathMatch = cwd.match(/^([A-Za-z]):[\\/]/);
+  if (windowsPathMatch) {
+    const driveLetter = windowsPathMatch[1];
+    const rest = cwd.slice(2);
+    return `${driveLetter}${rest.replace(/[\\/]/g, "-")}`;
+  }
+
+  // Unix paths
+  return cwd.replace(/\//g, "-");
+}