diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5bc5aa3..be71245 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ and this project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Long sessions no longer open blank in OpenChamber. The v1 message list now
+  honors `before` and returns an `x-next-cursor` header, so the UI pages older
+  history instead of stopping at the newest 50 messages, which could all be
+  assistant replies with no user message to anchor them.
+
 ## [0.2.8] - 2026-10-15
 
 - fix(session): resend bare /<skill> commands as /skill:<name>
diff --git a/docs/api-surface.md b/docs/api-surface.md
index f9f1154..14caeb7 100644
--- a/docs/api-surface.md
+++ b/docs/api-surface.md
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ invented resource IDs.
 | GET | `/session/{sessionID}` | 200 | Session record; 404 if unknown. |
 | PATCH | `/session/{sessionID}` | 200 | Updated session record; supports title, archive time, and metadata. |
 | DELETE | `/session/{sessionID}` | 200 | Session removal result. |
-| GET | `/session/{sessionID}/message` | 200 | Message list; optional `limit` returns the newest bounded page. |
+| GET | `/session/{sessionID}/message` | 200 | Message list; optional `limit` returns the newest bounded page and `before=<messageID>` pages older history. An `x-next-cursor` header (the page's oldest message ID) is set while older messages remain. |
 | GET | `/session/{sessionID}/message/{messageID}` | 200 | One message; 404 if unknown. |
 | GET | `/session/{sessionID}/children` | 200 | Direct child sessions. |
 | GET | `/session/{sessionID}/todo` | 200 | Session todo items. |
diff --git a/src/routes-v1.ts b/src/routes-v1.ts
index 8b69c20..eaa8628 100644
--- a/src/routes-v1.ts
+++ b/src/routes-v1.ts
@@ -180,9 +180,17 @@ export async function handleV1(
         json(res, 200, await services.sessions.remove(sessionId));
         return;
       case "GET /message": {
-        const messages = services.sessions.messages(sessionId) ?? [];
+        let messages = services.sessions.messages(sessionId) ?? [];
+        const before = url.searchParams.get("before");
+        if (before) {
+          const index = messages.findIndex((message) => message.info.id === before);
+          if (index !== -1) messages = messages.slice(0, index);
+        }
         const limit = numberParam(url.searchParams.get("limit"));
-        json(res, 200, limit === undefined ? messages : limit === 0 ? [] : messages.slice(-limit));
+        const page = limit === undefined ? messages : limit === 0 ? [] : messages.slice(-limit);
+        // The UI pages older history with ?before=<cursor> until no cursor comes back.
+        if (page.length > 0 && page.length < messages.length) res.setHeader("x-next-cursor", page[0]!.info.id);
+        json(res, 200, page);
         return;
       }
       case "GET /children":
diff --git a/test/protocol-v124-sessions-history.test.ts b/test/protocol-v124-sessions-history.test.ts
index d7fb60a..00c216f 100644
--- a/test/protocol-v124-sessions-history.test.ts
+++ b/test/protocol-v124-sessions-history.test.ts
@@ -184,6 +184,18 @@ test("V124-006: honors message list limit", { timeout: 10_000 }, async (t) => {
   assert.equal(messages.length, 1);
   assert.ok(isRecord(messages[0]));
   assert.equal(messages[0].info && isRecord(messages[0].info) ? messages[0].info.id : undefined, "msg-two");
+  const cursor = response.headers.get("x-next-cursor");
+  assert.equal(cursor, "msg-two");
+
+  const older = await fetch(
+    `${url}/session/${sessionID}/message?directory=${encodeURIComponent(directory)}&limit=1&before=${cursor}`,
+  );
+  const olderMessages: unknown = await older.json();
+  if (!Array.isArray(olderMessages)) throw new TypeError("expected a message array");
+  assert.equal(olderMessages.length, 1);
+  assert.ok(isRecord(olderMessages[0]) && isRecord(olderMessages[0].info));
+  assert.equal(olderMessages[0].info.id, "msg-one");
+  assert.equal(older.headers.get("x-next-cursor"), null);
 });
 
 test("V124-007: returns a v1 message by id", { timeout: 10_000 }, async (t) => {