diff --git a/e2e/helpers/seed-test-endpoint.ts b/e2e/helpers/seed-test-endpoint.ts
index eff3d97..9713d6a 100644
--- a/e2e/helpers/seed-test-endpoint.ts
+++ b/e2e/helpers/seed-test-endpoint.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ function buildSeededEndpointStorageState(
 function applySeededEndpointStorageState(storageState: SeededEndpointStorageState): void {
   try {
     const storage = window.localStorage;
+    const currentUserId = storage.getItem('metoyou_currentUserId')?.trim() || null;
+    const generalSettings = JSON.stringify({
+      reopenLastViewedChat: false
+    });
 
     storage.setItem(storageState.key, JSON.stringify(storageState.endpoints));
     storage.setItem(storageState.removedKey, JSON.stringify([
@@ -65,11 +69,56 @@ function applySeededEndpointStorageState(storageState: SeededEndpointStorageStat
       'toju-primary',
       'toju-sweden'
     ]));
+    storage.setItem('metoyou_general_settings', generalSettings);
+
+    if (currentUserId) {
+      storage.setItem(`metoyou_general_settings__${encodeURIComponent(currentUserId)}`, generalSettings);
+    }
+
+    const keysToRemove: string[] = [];
+
+    for (let index = 0; index < storage.length; index += 1) {
+      const key = storage.key(index);
+
+      if (key === 'metoyou_lastViewedChat' || key?.startsWith('metoyou_lastViewedChat__')) {
+        keysToRemove.push(key);
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (const key of keysToRemove) {
+      storage.removeItem(key);
+    }
   } catch {
     // about:blank and some Playwright UI pages deny localStorage access.
   }
 }
 
+export async function disableLastViewedChatResume(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const currentUserId = localStorage.getItem('metoyou_currentUserId')?.trim() || null;
+    const generalSettings = JSON.stringify({ reopenLastViewedChat: false });
+    const keysToRemove: string[] = [];
+
+    localStorage.setItem('metoyou_general_settings', generalSettings);
+
+    if (currentUserId) {
+      localStorage.setItem(`metoyou_general_settings__${encodeURIComponent(currentUserId)}`, generalSettings);
+    }
+
+    for (let index = 0; index < localStorage.length; index += 1) {
+      const key = localStorage.key(index);
+
+      if (key === 'metoyou_lastViewedChat' || key?.startsWith('metoyou_lastViewedChat__')) {
+        keysToRemove.push(key);
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (const key of keysToRemove) {
+      localStorage.removeItem(key);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 export async function installTestServerEndpoint(
   context: BrowserContext,
   port: number = Number(process.env.TEST_SERVER_PORT) || 3099
diff --git a/e2e/tests/chat/dm-flow.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/chat/dm-flow.spec.ts
index 84c26bd..6105c8d 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/chat/dm-flow.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/chat/dm-flow.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 import { RegisterPage } from '../../pages/register.page';
 import { ServerSearchPage } from '../../pages/server-search.page';
 import { ChatMessagesPage } from '../../pages/chat-messages.page';
+import { disableLastViewedChatResume } from '../../helpers/seed-test-endpoint';
 
 test.describe('Direct message flow', () => {
   test.describe.configure({ timeout: 180_000 });
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ test.describe('Direct message flow', () => {
   test('shows friend and message actions on the search people list', async ({ createClient }) => {
     const scenario = await createDmScenario(createClient);
 
+    await disableLastViewedChatResume(scenario.alice.page);
     await scenario.alice.page.goto('/search', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
     await expect(scenario.alice.page).toHaveURL(/\/search/, { timeout: 20_000 });
     await expect(scenario.alice.page.locator('app-server-search')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20_000 });
diff --git a/e2e/tests/chat/profile-avatar-sync.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/chat/profile-avatar-sync.spec.ts
index 0f32d6c..c4e52c1 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/chat/profile-avatar-sync.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/chat/profile-avatar-sync.spec.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ const NETSCAPE_LOOP_EXTENSION = Buffer.from([
 ]);
 const CLIENT_LAUNCH_ARGS = ['--use-fake-device-for-media-stream', '--use-fake-ui-for-media-stream'];
 const VOICE_CHANNEL = 'General';
+const AVATAR_SYNC_TIMEOUT_MS = 45_000;
 
 test.describe('Profile avatar sync', () => {
   test.describe.configure({ timeout: 240_000 });
@@ -598,7 +599,7 @@ async function expectSidebarAvatar(page: Page, displayName: string, expectedData
 
     return image.getAttribute('src');
   }, {
-    timeout: 20_000,
+    timeout: AVATAR_SYNC_TIMEOUT_MS,
     message: `${displayName} avatar src should update`
   }).toBe(expectedDataUrl);
 
@@ -615,7 +616,7 @@ async function expectSidebarAvatar(page: Page, displayName: string, expectedData
       return img.complete && img.naturalWidth > 0 && img.naturalHeight > 0;
     });
   }, {
-    timeout: 20_000,
+    timeout: AVATAR_SYNC_TIMEOUT_MS,
     message: `${displayName} avatar image should load`
   }).toBe(true);
 }
@@ -635,7 +636,7 @@ async function expectChatMessageAvatar(page: Page, messageText: string, expected
 
     return image.getAttribute('src');
   }, {
-    timeout: 20_000,
+    timeout: AVATAR_SYNC_TIMEOUT_MS,
     message: `Chat message avatar for "${messageText}" should update`
   }).toBe(expectedDataUrl);
 }
@@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ async function expectVoiceControlsAvatar(page: Page, expectedDataUrl: string): P
 
     return image.getAttribute('src');
   }, {
-    timeout: 20_000,
+    timeout: AVATAR_SYNC_TIMEOUT_MS,
     message: 'Voice controls avatar should update'
   }).toBe(expectedDataUrl);
 }
diff --git a/toju-app/src/app/infrastructure/realtime/peer-connection-manager/messaging/data-channel.ts b/toju-app/src/app/infrastructure/realtime/peer-connection-manager/messaging/data-channel.ts
index 56aece0..04dc76b 100644
--- a/toju-app/src/app/infrastructure/realtime/peer-connection-manager/messaging/data-channel.ts
+++ b/toju-app/src/app/infrastructure/realtime/peer-connection-manager/messaging/data-channel.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export function setupDataChannel(
   channel: RTCDataChannel,
   remotePeerId: string
 ): void {
-  const { logger } = context;
+  const { logger, state } = context;
 
   channel.onopen = () => {
     logger.info('[data-channel] Data channel open', {
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ export function setupDataChannel(
       protocol: channel.protocol || null
     });
 
+    state.peerConnected$.next(remotePeerId);
+
     sendCurrentStatesToChannel(context, channel, remotePeerId);
 
     try {