diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
index c1737e72..95f867cd 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.c
@@ -200,6 +200,20 @@ int chat_core_init(struct UTUN_INSTANCE* inst, const char* db_path) {
     );
 
     g_cc.initialized = 1;
+
+    /* ensure infrastructure for all existing channels (survives restart) */
+    {
+        sqlite3_stmt* stmt = NULL;
+        if (sqlite3_prepare_v2(g_cc.db, "SELECT channel_id FROM channels ORDER BY created_at ASC",
+                                -1, &stmt, NULL) == SQLITE_OK) {
+            while (sqlite3_step(stmt) == SQLITE_ROW) {
+                const char* ch = (const char*)sqlite3_column_text(stmt, 0);
+                if (ch && ch[0]) chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(ch);
+            }
+            sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
+        }
+    }
+
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: initialized, db=%s node_id=0x%016llx",
                CC_ID, db_path, (unsigned long long)g_cc.my_node_id);
 
@@ -848,23 +862,16 @@ void chat_core_connect_from_invite(struct chat_invite* inv) {
     }
 }
 
-/* ─── создание канала ─── */
-
-void chat_core_create_channel(struct chat_channel_create* req) {
-    if (!g_cc.initialized) {
-        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel NOT INITIALIZED ch=%s",
-                    CC_ID, req ? req->channel_id : "(null)");
-        return;
-    }
-    if (!req) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel req=NULL", CC_ID); return; }
+/* ─── подготовка инфраструктуры канала (msg-таблица + db_sync instance) ─── */
 
-    DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel BEGIN ch=%s name=%s",
-               CC_ID, req->channel_id, req->name);
+void chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(const char* ch_id) {
+    if (!g_cc.initialized || !ch_id || !ch_id[0]) return;
+    if (si_find(ch_id)) return;
 
-    char tbl_msg[80]; msg_table_name(req->channel_id, tbl_msg, sizeof(tbl_msg));
+    char tbl_msg[80]; msg_table_name(ch_id, tbl_msg, sizeof(tbl_msg));
+    char sql[512];
 
-    /* создаём таблицу сообщений */
-    char sql[512]; snprintf(sql, sizeof(sql),
+    snprintf(sql, sizeof(sql),
         "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS \"%s\" ("
         "  id           INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,"
         "  node_id      INTEGER NOT NULL,"
@@ -879,26 +886,39 @@ void chat_core_create_channel(struct chat_channel_create* req) {
         "  sync_flags   INTEGER DEFAULT 0,"
         "  UNIQUE(timestamp, datahash))", tbl_msg);
     db_exec(sql);
-
     snprintf(sql, sizeof(sql),
         "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS \"idx_%s_ts_dh\" ON \"%s\"(timestamp, datahash)",
         tbl_msg, tbl_msg);
     db_exec(sql);
 
-    /* Register with db_sync for message sync */
-    {
-        /* Compute a deterministic hash from channel_id for db_sync instance id */
-        uint64_t ch_hash = 0;
-        { const uint8_t* chd = (const uint8_t*)req->channel_id; size_t chl = strlen(req->channel_id); uint8_t sh[32]; SHA256(chd, chl, sh); memcpy(&ch_hash, sh, 8); }
-        struct DB_SYNC_INSTANCE* si = db_sync_instance_add(g_cc.inst, "chats", ch_hash);
-        if (si) {
-            si_register(si, req->channel_id);
-            db_sync_set_insert_cb(si, on_db_sync_insert, u_strdup(req->channel_id));
-            DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: db_sync instance added for ch=%s hash=0x%016llx", CC_ID, req->channel_id, (unsigned long long)ch_hash);
-        } else {
-            DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: db_sync_instance_add failed for ch=%s", CC_ID, req->channel_id);
-        }
+    uint64_t ch_hash = 0;
+    { const uint8_t* chd = (const uint8_t*)ch_id; size_t chl = strlen(ch_id); uint8_t sh[32]; SHA256(chd, chl, sh); memcpy(&ch_hash, sh, 8); }
+    struct DB_SYNC_INSTANCE* si = db_sync_instance_add(g_cc.inst, "chats", ch_hash);
+    if (si) {
+        si_register(si, ch_id);
+        db_sync_set_insert_cb(si, on_db_sync_insert, u_strdup(ch_id));
+        DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: channel ready ch=%s hash=0x%016llx",
+                   CC_ID, ch_id, (unsigned long long)ch_hash);
+    } else {
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: db_sync_instance_add failed for ch=%s",
+                    CC_ID, ch_id);
+    }
+}
+
+/* ─── создание канала ─── */
+
+void chat_core_create_channel(struct chat_channel_create* req) {
+    if (!g_cc.initialized) {
+        DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel NOT INITIALIZED ch=%s",
+                    CC_ID, req ? req->channel_id : "(null)");
+        return;
     }
+    if (!req) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel req=NULL", CC_ID); return; }
+
+    DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONNECTIVITY, "%s: create_channel BEGIN ch=%s name=%s",
+               CC_ID, req->channel_id, req->name);
+
+    chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(req->channel_id);
 
     /* записываем канал в БД */
     int rc = topo_node_sqlite_channel_put(g_cc.db,
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
index 3d961071..6af3978d 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_core.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ struct chat_channel_create {
     uint8_t  signature[64];
 };
 
+void chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(const char* ch_id);
 void chat_core_create_channel(struct chat_channel_create* req);
 void chat_core_create_channel_trampoline(void* arg);
 
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_sync.c b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_sync.c
index c1a59e22..c9ea3711 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_sync.c
+++ b/tools/chatgui/transport/chat_sync.c
@@ -774,6 +774,7 @@ static void cs_handle_channel_info_resp(struct chat_sync* cs, uint64_t peer,
     /* save channel to local DB */
     topo_node_sqlite_channel_put(cs->inst->topo_groups->topo_sqlite_db,
         ch_id, name, (int)is_dm, owner, x25519, NULL, ed_pub, NULL, ch_sig);
+    chat_core_ensure_channel_ready(ch_id);
 
     /* verify inviter's join_sig */
     { sqlite3* vdb = cs->inst->topo_groups->topo_sqlite_db;