diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 31193cb..e0af2f6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ Free-tier dynos sleep after 15 min of inactivity. The frontend warms the backend
 | RMAs            | `GET/POST/PUT /rmas`                                                |
 | AI              | `POST /ai/suggest`                                                  |
 
-Status changes on tickets automatically append a row to `ticket_history`.
+Ticket creation and every status change automatically append a row to `ticket_history` (creation is logged with `old_status = null`).
 
 Full OpenAPI spec available at `http://localhost:8000/docs` when the backend is running.
 
diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index a434e29..723e6db 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -225,10 +225,23 @@ def get_ticket(id: str):
 
 @app.post("/tickets")
 def create_ticket(t: Ticket):
-    return db_post(
-        "tickets",
-        clean_empty_strings(model_data(t), "customer_id", "device_id", "assigned_user_id"),
-    )
+    data = clean_empty_strings(model_data(t), "customer_id", "device_id", "assigned_user_id")
+    result = db_post("tickets", data)
+    # Record the initial status so the audit trail starts at creation
+    # (old_status=None), matching the history rows in the seed data.
+    # Supabase returns the inserted rows because of Prefer: return=representation.
+    created = result[0] if isinstance(result, list) and result else result
+    if isinstance(created, dict) and created.get("id"):
+        db_post(
+            "ticket_history",
+            {
+                "ticket_id": created["id"],
+                "old_status": None,
+                "new_status": created.get("status", data["status"]),
+                "changed_by": "Agent",
+            },
+        )
+    return result
 
 
 @app.put("/tickets/{id}")
diff --git a/backend/test_main.py b/backend/test_main.py
index ebd5e80..e032bf7 100644
--- a/backend/test_main.py
+++ b/backend/test_main.py
@@ -438,6 +438,42 @@ def fake_get(table, params=""):
     ) in posts
 
 
+def test_create_ticket_records_initial_status_history(client, monkeypatch):
+    test_client, main = client
+    posts = []
+
+    def fake_post(table, data):
+        posts.append((table, data))
+        if table == "tickets":
+            return [{"id": "t9", **data, "status": "In Progress"}]
+        return [data]
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "db_post", fake_post)
+
+    res = test_client.post("/tickets", json={"title": "VPN down", "status": "In Progress"})
+
+    assert res.status_code == 200
+    assert res.json()[0]["id"] == "t9"
+    assert [table for table, _ in posts] == ["tickets", "ticket_history"]
+    assert posts[1][1] == {
+        "ticket_id": "t9",
+        "old_status": None,
+        "new_status": "In Progress",
+        "changed_by": "Agent",
+    }
+
+
+def test_create_ticket_skips_history_when_insert_returns_no_row(client, monkeypatch):
+    test_client, main = client
+    posts = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "db_post", lambda table, data: posts.append(table) or [])
+
+    res = test_client.post("/tickets", json={"title": "VPN down"})
+
+    assert res.status_code == 200
+    assert posts == ["tickets"]
+
+
 def test_ticket_routes_convert_blank_relationship_ids_to_null(client, monkeypatch):
     test_client, main = client
     calls = []
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Tickets.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/Tickets.jsx
index cabc416..7119f2d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Tickets.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Tickets.jsx
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export default function Tickets() {
         <h3 className="font-semibold mb-3">Status History</h3>
         {detailLoading ? <p className="text-gray-400 text-sm">Loading history…</p> : history.length === 0 ? <p className="text-gray-400 text-sm">No history yet</p> : history.map(h => (
           <div key={h.id} className="border-b py-2 text-sm flex gap-2 items-center">
-            <span className={`whitespace-nowrap px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs ${statusColor(h.old_status)}`}>{h.old_status}</span>
+            <span className={`whitespace-nowrap px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs ${h.old_status ? statusColor(h.old_status) : "bg-gray-50 text-gray-500"}`}>{h.old_status ?? "Created"}</span>
             <span className="text-gray-400">→</span>
             <span className={`whitespace-nowrap px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs ${statusColor(h.new_status)}`}>{h.new_status}</span>
             <span className="text-gray-400 text-xs ml-auto">{new Date(h.changed_at).toLocaleString()}</span>