diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index 0fcbacaf24..0feadfe9cd 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
     "speech:transcribe:local": "tsx scripts/transcribe-local-wav.ts",
     "test": "npm run test:unit && npm run test:integration",
     "test:unit": "vitest run --fileParallelism --exclude \"**/*.e2e.test.ts\"",
-    "test:integration": "vitest run --maxWorkers=1 src/server/git-filename-diffs.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/checkout-diff-content.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/filesystem.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/file-download.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/cli-logs-follow.e2e.test.ts src/server/creation/creation.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/terminal-workspace-sdk.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/terminal-worker-lifecycle.e2e.test.ts src/server/workspace-create-worktree-source.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/models.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/live-preferences.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/oversized-message.e2e.test.ts src/server/agent/model-catalog.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/plugin-paseo-api.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/usage-sources.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/lifecycle.e2e.test.ts src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts src/server/owned-subscriptions.e2e.test.ts && vitest run --maxWorkers=1 src/server/agent/providers/omp/history.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/git-operations.e2e.test.ts src/server/session.create-agent-worktree-autoarchive.e2e.test.ts src/server/agent/providers/opencode-bridge.local.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/relay-transport.e2e.test.ts -t \"merges into|creates a worktree and auto-archives both|versioned runtime|oversized attachments|connected hosts|password-protected daemon refuses|replays selected OMP history\"",
+    "test:integration": "vitest run --maxWorkers=1 src/server/git-filename-diffs.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/checkout-diff-content.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/filesystem.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/file-download.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/cli-logs-follow.e2e.test.ts src/server/creation/creation.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/creation-status.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/terminal-workspace-sdk.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/terminal-worker-lifecycle.e2e.test.ts src/server/workspace-create-worktree-source.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/models.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/live-preferences.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/oversized-message.e2e.test.ts src/server/agent/model-catalog.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/plugin-paseo-api.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/usage-sources.e2e.test.ts src/server/plugins/lifecycle.e2e.test.ts src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts src/server/owned-subscriptions.e2e.test.ts && vitest run --maxWorkers=1 src/server/agent/providers/omp/history.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/git-operations.e2e.test.ts src/server/session.create-agent-worktree-autoarchive.e2e.test.ts src/server/agent/providers/opencode-bridge.local.e2e.test.ts src/server/daemon-e2e/relay-transport.e2e.test.ts -t \"merges into|creates a worktree and auto-archives both|versioned runtime|oversized attachments|connected hosts|password-protected daemon refuses|replays selected OMP history\"",
     "test:hub-cli-contract": "vitest run --maxWorkers=1 src/server/hub/hub-cli-contract.test.ts",
     "test:integration:all": "npm run test:e2e",
     "test:integration:real": "vitest run real.e2e.test.ts",
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/daemon-e2e/creation-status.e2e.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/daemon-e2e/creation-status.e2e.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2293a2bc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/daemon-e2e/creation-status.e2e.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { createDaemonTestContext } from "../test-utils/index.js";
+import { MockLoadTestAgentClient } from "../agent/providers/mock-load-test-agent.js";
+import type { AgentSnapshotPayload } from "../messages.js";
+
+test("creation never regresses a running subscription to the pre-prompt idle snapshot", async () => {
+  const ctx = await createDaemonTestContext({
+    agentClients: { mock: new MockLoadTestAgentClient() },
+    mcpEnabled: false,
+    isDev: true,
+  });
+  try {
+    const workspace = await ctx.client.createWorkspace({
+      source: { kind: "directory", path: ctx.daemon.staticDir },
+    });
+    if (!workspace.workspace) throw new Error(workspace.error ?? "Missing workspace");
+    const observations: {
+      list: string;
+      kind: string;
+      agent?: AgentSnapshotPayload;
+      agentId?: string;
+    }[] = [];
+    for (const [list, statuses] of [
+      ["running", ["running", "initializing", "error"]],
+      ["done", ["idle", "closed"]],
+    ] as const) {
+      const result = await ctx.client.fetchAgents({
+        filter: { statuses: [...statuses] },
+        subscribe: {},
+      });
+      result.subscription.subscribe({
+        snapshot() {},
+        update(message) {
+          observations.push({ list, ...message.payload });
+        },
+      });
+    }
+    const agent = await ctx.client.createAgent({
+      workspaceId: workspace.workspace.id,
+      provider: "mock",
+      cwd: ctx.daemon.staticDir,
+      initialPrompt: "Work on this task",
+    });
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => observations.filter((row) => row.agent?.id === agent.id).length)
+      .toBeGreaterThan(1);
+    // Fetching provides a round trip after creation so its queued update reaches the client.
+    expect((await ctx.client.fetchAgent({ agentId: agent.id }))?.agent.status).toBe("running");
+    const relevant = observations.filter(
+      (row) => row.agent?.id === agent.id || row.agentId === agent.id,
+    );
+    const firstRunning = relevant.findIndex((row) => row.agent?.status === "running");
+    expect(firstRunning).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+    expect(
+      relevant.slice(firstRunning).filter((row) => row.list === "done" && row.kind === "upsert"),
+    ).toEqual([]);
+    const timestamps = relevant.flatMap((row) =>
+      row.agent ? [Date.parse(row.agent.updatedAt)] : [],
+    );
+    expect(timestamps).toEqual([...timestamps].sort((a, b) => a - b));
+  } finally {
+    await ctx.cleanup();
+  }
+}, 60_000);
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
index 42c676b50b..00c8529482 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
@@ -4512,7 +4512,10 @@ export class Session {
         },
       );
       createdAgentId = snapshot.id;
-      await this.agentUpdates.forwardLiveAgent(snapshot);
+      // `snapshot` predates the initial prompt; subscribers keep the last state they receive.
+      await this.agentUpdates.forwardLiveAgent(
+        this.agentManager.getAgent(snapshot.id) ?? liveSnapshot,
+      );
       if (resolvedIntent.createdDirectoryWorkspace && trimmedPrompt) {
         this.workspaceAutoName.scheduleForDirectory(
           {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
index 9e73c9cad4..343c0a8843 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
@@ -1393,6 +1393,136 @@ test("create_agent_request does not title an existing workspace from the agent p
   }
 });
 
+test("create_agent_request does not publish the pre-prompt snapshot after the prompt starts", async () => {
+  vi.useFakeTimers();
+  const workdir = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "paseo-create-agent-live-state-"));
+  const logger = createTestLogger();
+  const agentStorage = new AgentStorage(path.join(workdir, "agents"), asSessionLogger(logger));
+  // The test session's turn starts and then reports nothing, like a provider
+  // that stays quiet until its turn ends.
+  const agentManager = new AgentManager({
+    clients: { codex: new CreateAgentTestClient() },
+    registry: agentStorage,
+    logger: asSessionLogger(logger),
+    idFactory: () => "00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000553",
+  });
+  try {
+    const cwd = path.join(workdir, "repo");
+    mkdirSync(cwd, { recursive: true });
+
+    const projectRegistry = new FileBackedProjectRegistry(
+      path.join(workdir, "projects.json"),
+      asSessionLogger(logger),
+    );
+    const workspaceRegistry = new FileBackedWorkspaceRegistry(
+      path.join(workdir, "workspaces.json"),
+      asSessionLogger(logger),
+    );
+
+    await projectRegistry.upsert(
+      createPersistedProjectRecord({
+        projectId: "proj-live-state",
+        rootPath: cwd,
+        kind: "git",
+        displayName: "repo",
+        createdAt: "2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z",
+        updatedAt: "2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z",
+      }),
+    );
+    await workspaceRegistry.upsert(
+      createPersistedWorkspaceRecord({
+        workspaceId: "ws-live-state",
+        projectId: "proj-live-state",
+        cwd,
+        kind: "local_checkout",
+        displayName: "repo",
+        title: null,
+        createdAt: "2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z",
+        updatedAt: "2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z",
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const agentUpdates: Extract<SessionOutboundMessage, { type: "agent_update" }>["payload"][] = [];
+    const session = asTestSession(
+      new Session({
+        workspaceRuntimeStore: createWorkspaceRuntimeStore(),
+        messageReceipts: createMessageReceiptsStub(),
+        agentMessages: createAgentMessageDeliveryStub(),
+        creationService: createTestCreationService(),
+        clientId: "test-client",
+        permissions: OWNER_PERMISSIONS,
+        appVersion: null,
+        onMessage: (message) => {
+          if (message.type === "agent_update") agentUpdates.push(message.payload);
+        },
+        logger: asSessionLogger(logger),
+        downloadTokenStore: asDownloadTokenStore(),
+        pushNotifications: asPushNotifications(),
+        paseoHome: path.join(workdir, "paseo-home"),
+        agentManager,
+        agentStorage,
+        projectRegistry,
+        workspaceRegistry,
+        scheduleService: asScheduleService(),
+        checkoutDiffManager: asCheckoutDiffManager({
+          subscribe: async () => ({
+            initial: { cwd, files: [], error: null },
+            unsubscribe: () => {},
+          }),
+          scheduleRefreshForCwd: () => {},
+          onWorkspaceStateMayHaveChanged: () => {},
+          invalidateForge: () => {},
+          getMetrics: () => ({
+            checkoutDiffTargetCount: 0,
+            checkoutDiffSubscriptionCount: 0,
+            checkoutDiffWatcherCount: 0,
+            checkoutDiffFallbackRefreshTargetCount: 0,
+          }),
+          dispose: () => {},
+        }),
+        workspaceGitService: createNoopWorkspaceGitService(),
+        daemonConfigStore: asDaemonConfigStore({
+          get: () => ({ mcp: { injectIntoAgents: false }, providers: {} }),
+          onChange: () => () => {},
+        }),
+        mcpBaseUrl: null,
+        stt: null,
+        tts: null,
+        generateWorkspaceName: async () => null,
+        providerSnapshotManager: createProviderSnapshotManagerStub().manager,
+        terminalManager: null,
+      }),
+    );
+    await activateAgentUpdatesSubscription(session, "sub-live-state");
+
+    await session.handleMessage({
+      type: "create_agent_request",
+      requestId: "req-create-live-state",
+      workspaceId: "ws-live-state",
+      config: { provider: "codex", cwd },
+      initialPrompt: "Print the report",
+      attachments: [],
+    });
+    await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
+
+    const [createdAgent] = agentManager.listAgents();
+    expect(createdAgent?.lifecycle).toBe("running");
+    const upserts = agentUpdates.flatMap((update) =>
+      update.kind === "upsert" && update.agent.id === createdAgent?.id ? [update.agent] : [],
+    );
+    expect(upserts.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    // A client keeps the last update it hears, so the latest one must be the running agent.
+    expect(upserts.at(-1)).toMatchObject({ status: "running" });
+    const updatedAt = upserts.map((agent) => Date.parse(agent.updatedAt));
+    expect(updatedAt).toEqual([...updatedAt].sort((left, right) => left - right));
+  } finally {
+    // Drain snapshot writes before removing their storage directory.
+    await agentManager.flush();
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    rmSync(workdir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
 test("unsupported persisted agents are excluded from active lists but preserved in history payloads", async () => {
   const session = createSessionForWorkspaceTests({ appVersion: "0.1.45" });
   const storedRecord = {