diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
index a9c30b8e..450f2069 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent, DbManager* db, const QString& cfgPath,
                     m_currentChannelId = channelId;
                     m_messageList->loadChannel(channelId);
                     m_accountList->setChannel(channelId);
+
+                    QByteArray cidBA = channelId.toUtf8();
+                    char* cid = (char*)malloc(cidBA.size() + 1);
+                    if (cid) { memcpy(cid, cidBA.constData(), cidBA.size()); cid[cidBA.size()] = '\0';
+                        gui_bridge_post_uasync_fn(chat_core_connect_channel_trampoline, cid); }
                 });
 
         connect(m_channelList, &ChannelList::inviteRequested,
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
index e8a5860c..9b783680 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "../../../lib/json_flat.h"
 #include "topo_node_sqlite.h"
 #include "topo_group.h"
+#include "topo_group_connect.h"
 #include "member_sync.h"
 
 #include "../../../src/utun_instance.h"
@@ -755,6 +756,39 @@ void chat_core_create_channel_trampoline(void* arg) {
     u_free(req);
 }
 
+/* ─── управление подключением к каналу (выбор в GUI) ─── */
+
+void chat_core_connect_channel(const char* ch_id) {
+    DEBUG_TRACE(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel called ch_id=%s initialized=%d", CC_ID, ch_id ? ch_id : "(null)", g_cc.initialized);
+    if (!g_cc.initialized || !ch_id || !ch_id[0]) { DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel — skip (not ready)", CC_ID); return; }
+    if (!g_cc.inst->topo_groups) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel — no topo_groups", CC_ID); return; }
+
+    uint64_t gid = strtoull(ch_id, NULL, 10);
+    if (gid == 0) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel — invalid ch_id=%s", CC_ID, ch_id); return; }
+
+    chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(ch_id);
+
+    struct TOPO_GROUP* group = topo_groups_find(g_cc.inst->topo_groups, gid);
+    if (!group) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel — group not found ch=%s gid=%016llx total_groups=%d", CC_ID, ch_id, (unsigned long long)gid, queue_entry_count(g_cc.inst->topo_groups->group_list)); return; }
+
+    if (group->connect) {
+        DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel — already in progress ch=%s active=%d",
+                   CC_ID, ch_id, topo_group_connect_active_count(group));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel ch=%s gid=%016llx group_type=%d — starting connect_init", CC_ID, ch_id, (unsigned long long)gid, group->group_type);
+    topo_group_connect_init(group);
+}
+
+void chat_core_connect_channel_trampoline(void* arg) {
+    char* ch_id = (char*)arg;
+    DEBUG_TRACE(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: connect_channel_trampoline ch_id=%s", CC_ID, ch_id ? ch_id : "(null)");
+    if (!ch_id) return;
+    chat_core_connect_channel(ch_id);
+    u_free(ch_id);
+}
+
 /* ─── db_sync helpers ─── */
 
 static void on_msg_inserted(struct DB_SYNC_INSTANCE* si, uint64_t record_ts, const char* data, size_t len, uint64_t author, void* arg) {
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
index bcbf93e0..e823b74b 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ void chat_core_sync_my_addresses(void);
 void chat_core_save_ui_state(const char* key, const char* value);
 void chat_core_save_ui_state_trampoline(void* arg);
 
+/* Запуск подключения к узлам выбранного канала (GUI → uasync) */
+void chat_core_connect_channel(const char* ch_id);
+void chat_core_connect_channel_trampoline(void* arg);
+
 /* Трамплин для gui_bridge_post_uasync (GUI → uasync) */
 void chat_core_submit_trampoline(void* arg);
 
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/utun_node.cpp b/tools/chatgui/transport/utun_node.cpp
index ea7ec9fe..19363b11 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/utun_node.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/utun_node.cpp
@@ -316,25 +316,6 @@ void UtunNode::runLoop() {
     chat_core_init(m_instance, QString(m_dbPath + "/chats.db").toUtf8().constData());
     chat_sync_init(m_instance, nullptr);
 
-    /* create TOPO_GROUP_TYPE_CHAT for all existing channels */
-    if (m_instance->topo_groups) {
-        uint8_t buf[4096]; size_t ch_len = 0;
-        chat_core_list_channels(buf, sizeof(buf), &ch_len);
-        if (ch_len >= 2) {
-            uint16_t cnt; memcpy(&cnt, buf, 2);
-            const uint8_t* p = buf + 2; size_t rem = ch_len - 2;
-            for (uint16_t i = 0; i < cnt && rem >= 1; i++) {
-                uint8_t id_len = *p++; rem--;
-                if (rem < id_len) break;
-                char ch_id[64]; memcpy(ch_id, p, id_len < 63 ? id_len : 63); ch_id[id_len < 63 ? id_len : 63] = 0;
-                p += id_len; rem -= id_len;
-                uint64_t gid = strtoull(ch_id, NULL, 10);
-                if (gid != 0 && !topo_groups_find(m_instance->topo_groups, gid))
-                    topo_groups_create_group(m_instance->topo_groups, gid, TOPO_GROUP_TYPE_CHAT, ch_id);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "chat_core + chat_sync initialized");
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "utun_node: entering poll loop");