diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 7ec42f5..aabd442 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ import {
 import { readSettings } from "./settings.js";
 import { findRegisteredSkillByName, resolveRegisteredSkills } from "./skills-registry.js";
 import {
+	applyExtensionState,
 	createInitialState,
 	createRuntimeFlags,
+	loadStateFromBranch,
 	saveState,
 	trackSkill,
 	type TrackSkillInput,
@@ -95,8 +97,11 @@ export default function skillReinject(pi: ExtensionAPI): void {
 		persistState();
 	}
 
-	pi.on("session_start", async () => {
+	pi.on("session_start", async (_event, ctx) => {
 		detectAndCachePiAutoCompact(pi, runtime);
+		readSettings(ctx);
+		const loaded = loadStateFromBranch(ctx.sessionManager.getBranch());
+		applyExtensionState(state, loaded ?? createInitialState());
 	});
 
 	pi.on("session_before_compact", async () => {
diff --git a/src/state.ts b/src/state.ts
index e38fd26..fe167ee 100644
--- a/src/state.ts
+++ b/src/state.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,14 @@ export function createInitialState(): ExtensionState {
 	};
 }
 
+/** Copy persisted fields into live session state (SPEC §6.3). */
+export function applyExtensionState(target: ExtensionState, loaded: ExtensionState): void {
+	target.sessionOverride = loaded.sessionOverride;
+	target.skills = loaded.skills;
+	target.lastCompactionSource = loaded.lastCompactionSource;
+	target.pendingReinject = loaded.pendingReinject;
+}
+
 export function createRuntimeFlags(): RuntimeFlags {
 	return {
 		autoCompactDetected: false,