diff --git a/src/app/[[...panel]]/page.tsx b/src/app/[[...panel]]/page.tsx
index 84da7f7..3c915cc 100644
--- a/src/app/[[...panel]]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/[[...panel]]/page.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export default function Home() {
   const tb = useTranslations('boot')
   const tp = useTranslations('page')
   const tc = useTranslations('common')
-  const { activeTab, setActiveTab, setCurrentUser, setDashboardMode, setGatewayAvailable, setCapabilitiesChecked, setSubscription, setDefaultOrgName, setUpdateAvailable, setOpenclawUpdate, showOnboarding, setShowOnboarding, liveFeedOpen, toggleLiveFeed, showProjectManagerModal, setShowProjectManagerModal, fetchProjects, setChatPanelOpen, bootComplete, setBootComplete, setAgents, setSessions, setProjects, setInterfaceMode, setMemoryGraphAgents, setSkillsData } = useMissionControl()
+  const { activeTab, setActiveTab, setCurrentUser, setDashboardMode, setGatewayAvailable, setLocalSessionsAvailable, setCapabilitiesChecked, setSubscription, setDefaultOrgName, setUpdateAvailable, setOpenclawUpdate, showOnboarding, setShowOnboarding, liveFeedOpen, toggleLiveFeed, showProjectManagerModal, setShowProjectManagerModal, fetchProjects, setChatPanelOpen, bootComplete, setBootComplete, setAgents, setSessions, setProjects, setInterfaceMode, setMemoryGraphAgents, setSkillsData } = useMissionControl()
 
   // Sync URL → Zustand activeTab
   const pathname = usePathname()
@@ -286,6 +286,9 @@ export default function Home() {
           setDashboardMode('full')
           setGatewayAvailable(true)
         }
+        if (data?.claudeHome) {
+          setLocalSessionsAvailable(true)
+        }
         setCapabilitiesChecked(true)
         markStep('capabilities')
 
@@ -362,7 +365,7 @@ export default function Home() {
     ]).catch(() => { /* panels will lazy-load as fallback */ })
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps -- boot once on mount, not on every pathname change
-  }, [connect, router, setCurrentUser, setDashboardMode, setGatewayAvailable, setCapabilitiesChecked, setSubscription, setUpdateAvailable, setShowOnboarding, setAgents, setSessions, setProjects, setInterfaceMode, setMemoryGraphAgents, setSkillsData])
+  }, [connect, router, setCurrentUser, setDashboardMode, setGatewayAvailable, setLocalSessionsAvailable, setCapabilitiesChecked, setSubscription, setUpdateAvailable, setShowOnboarding, setAgents, setSessions, setProjects, setInterfaceMode, setMemoryGraphAgents, setSkillsData])
 
   if (!isClient || !bootComplete) {
     return <Loader variant="page" steps={isClient ? initSteps : undefined} />
diff --git a/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts b/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
index d777620..5094dca 100644
--- a/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
@@ -16,26 +16,18 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
   if ('error' in auth) return NextResponse.json({ error: auth.error }, { status: auth.status })
 
   try {
-    const { searchParams } = new URL(request.url)
-    const includeLocal = searchParams.get('include_local') === '1'
     const gatewaySessions = getAllGatewaySessions()
     const mappedGatewaySessions = mapGatewaySessions(gatewaySessions)
 
-    // Preserve existing behavior by default: when gateway sessions are present,
-    // return only gateway-backed sessions unless include_local=1 is requested.
-    if (mappedGatewaySessions.length > 0 && !includeLocal) {
-      return NextResponse.json({ sessions: mappedGatewaySessions })
-    }
-
-    // Local Claude + Codex sessions from disk/SQLite
+    // Always include local sessions alongside gateway sessions
     await syncClaudeSessions()
     const claudeSessions = getLocalClaudeSessions()
     const codexSessions = getLocalCodexSessions()
     const hermesSessions = getLocalHermesSessions()
     const localMerged = mergeLocalSessions(claudeSessions, codexSessions, hermesSessions)
 
-    if (mappedGatewaySessions.length === 0) {
-      return NextResponse.json({ sessions: localMerged })
+    if (mappedGatewaySessions.length === 0 && localMerged.length === 0) {
+      return NextResponse.json({ sessions: [] })
     }
 
     const merged = dedupeAndSortSessions([...mappedGatewaySessions, ...localMerged])
diff --git a/src/components/chat/conversation-list.tsx b/src/components/chat/conversation-list.tsx
index 5f1350f..bd9c6be 100644
--- a/src/components/chat/conversation-list.tsx
+++ b/src/components/chat/conversation-list.tsx
@@ -133,10 +133,8 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
     activeConversation,
     setActiveConversation,
     markConversationRead,
-    dashboardMode,
   } = useMissionControl()
   const [search, setSearch] = useState('')
-  const isGatewayMode = dashboardMode !== 'local'
 
   // Context menu state
   const [ctxMenu, setCtxMenu] = useState<{ convId: string; x: number; y: number } | null>(null)
@@ -247,9 +245,7 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
 
   const loadConversations = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const sessionsUrl = dashboardMode === 'local'
-        ? '/api/sessions?include_local=1'
-        : '/api/sessions'
+      const sessionsUrl = '/api/sessions'
       const requests: Promise<Response>[] = [
         fetch(sessionsUrl),
         fetch('/api/chat/session-prefs'),
@@ -260,12 +256,6 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
       const prefs = prefsRes.ok ? readSessionPrefs(await prefsRes.json().catch(() => null)) : {}
 
       const providerSessions = sessionsData
-        .filter((s) => {
-          if (dashboardMode === 'local') {
-            return s?.source === 'local' && (s?.kind === 'claude-code' || s?.kind === 'codex-cli' || s?.kind === 'hermes')
-          }
-          return s?.source === 'gateway'
-        })
         .map((s, idx: number) => {
           const lastActivityMs = Number(s.lastActivity || s.startTime || 0)
           const updatedAt = lastActivityMs > 1_000_000_000_000
@@ -283,7 +273,7 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
                 : 'Gateway'
           const prefKey = `${sessionKind}:${s.id}`
           const pref = prefs[prefKey] || {}
-          const defaultName = dashboardMode === 'local'
+          const defaultName = s.source === 'local'
             ? `${kindLabel} • ${s.key || s.id}`
             : `${s.agent || 'Gateway'} • ${s.key || s.id}`
           const sessionName = pref.name || defaultName
@@ -329,7 +319,7 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
     } catch (err) {
       log.error('Failed to load conversations:', err)
     }
-  }, [dashboardMode, setConversations])
+  }, [setConversations])
 
   useSmartPoll(loadConversations, 30000, { pauseWhenSseConnected: true })
 
@@ -448,7 +438,7 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
       {/* Header */}
       <div className="p-3 border-b border-border flex-shrink-0">
         <div className="mb-2 text-xs font-semibold text-muted-foreground uppercase tracking-wider">
-      {isGatewayMode ? 'Gateway Sessions' : 'Sessions'}
+      Sessions
         </div>
         <div className="relative">
           <svg width="12" height="12" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="1.5" strokeLinecap="round" className="absolute left-2 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 text-muted-foreground/50">
@@ -473,24 +463,7 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
           </div>
         ) : (
           <>
-            {dashboardMode === 'local' && activeLocalRows.length > 0 && (
-              <div>
-                <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 flex items-center gap-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-green-400/70">
-                  <span className="h-1.5 w-1.5 rounded-full bg-green-500 animate-pulse" />
-                  Active
-                </div>
-                {activeLocalRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
-              </div>
-            )}
-            {dashboardMode === 'local' && inactiveLocalRows.length > 0 && (
-              <div>
-                <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground/40">
-                  Recent
-                </div>
-                {inactiveLocalRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
-              </div>
-            )}
-            {isGatewayMode && activeGatewayRows.length > 0 && (
+            {activeGatewayRows.length > 0 && (
               <div>
                 <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 flex items-center gap-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-green-400/70">
                   <span className="h-1.5 w-1.5 rounded-full bg-green-500 animate-pulse" />
@@ -499,7 +472,16 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
                 {activeGatewayRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
               </div>
             )}
-            {isGatewayMode && inactiveGatewayRows.length > 0 && (
+            {activeLocalRows.length > 0 && (
+              <div>
+                <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 flex items-center gap-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-green-400/70">
+                  <span className="h-1.5 w-1.5 rounded-full bg-green-500 animate-pulse" />
+                  Active Local
+                </div>
+                {activeLocalRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
+              </div>
+            )}
+            {inactiveGatewayRows.length > 0 && (
               <div>
                 <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground/40">
                   Recent
@@ -507,6 +489,14 @@ export function ConversationList({ onNewConversation: _onNewConversation }: Conv
                 {inactiveGatewayRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
               </div>
             )}
+            {inactiveLocalRows.length > 0 && (
+              <div>
+                <div className="px-3 pt-2 py-1 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground/40">
+                  Recent Local
+                </div>
+                {inactiveLocalRows.map(renderConversationItem)}
+              </div>
+            )}
           </>
         )}
       </div>
diff --git a/src/store/index.ts b/src/store/index.ts
index c2ea23e..5d2a19a 100644
--- a/src/store/index.ts
+++ b/src/store/index.ts
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ interface MissionControlStore {
   // Dashboard Mode (local vs full gateway)
   dashboardMode: 'full' | 'local'
   gatewayAvailable: boolean
+  localSessionsAvailable: boolean
   bannerDismissed: boolean
   capabilitiesChecked: boolean
   bootComplete: boolean
@@ -378,6 +379,7 @@ interface MissionControlStore {
   defaultOrgName: string
   setDashboardMode: (mode: 'full' | 'local') => void
   setGatewayAvailable: (available: boolean) => void
+  setLocalSessionsAvailable: (available: boolean) => void
   dismissBanner: () => void
   setCapabilitiesChecked: (checked: boolean) => void
   setBootComplete: () => void
@@ -598,6 +600,7 @@ export const useMissionControl = create<MissionControlStore>()(
     // Dashboard Mode
     dashboardMode: 'local' as const,
     gatewayAvailable: false,
+    localSessionsAvailable: false,
     bannerDismissed: false,
     capabilitiesChecked: false,
     bootComplete: false,
@@ -605,6 +608,7 @@ export const useMissionControl = create<MissionControlStore>()(
     defaultOrgName: 'Default',
     setDashboardMode: (mode) => set({ dashboardMode: mode }),
     setGatewayAvailable: (available) => set({ gatewayAvailable: available }),
+    setLocalSessionsAvailable: (available) => set({ localSessionsAvailable: available }),
     dismissBanner: () => set({ bannerDismissed: true }),
     setCapabilitiesChecked: (checked) => set({ capabilitiesChecked: checked }),
     setBootComplete: () => set({ bootComplete: true }),