diff --git a/apps/web/e2e/tests/chat/message-favorite.spec.ts b/apps/web/e2e/tests/chat/message-favorite.spec.ts
index fba302b4cf..9662a9e1d7 100644
--- a/apps/web/e2e/tests/chat/message-favorite.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/e2e/tests/chat/message-favorite.spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { SessionPage } from "../../pages/session-page";
 const SEEDED_MESSAGE = "Favorite toggle regression fixture message";
 
 test.describe("Chat message favorite toggle", () => {
-  test("stars a message, tints its background yellow, and un-stars it back", async ({
+  test("keeps a starred message highlighted after reload and un-stars it", async ({
     testPage,
     apiClient,
     seedData,
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ test.describe("Chat message favorite toggle", () => {
     await expect(unstar).toBeVisible();
     await expect.poll(async () => highlight.getAttribute("class")).toMatch(/yellow/);
 
+    await testPage.reload();
+    await session.waitForLoad();
+
+    await expect(chat.getByText(SEEDED_MESSAGE)).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(unstar).toBeVisible();
+    await expect.poll(async () => highlight.getAttribute("class")).toMatch(/yellow/);
+
     await unstar.click();
 
     await expect(star).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.test.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.test.ts
index 9bf6ac8360..4f2fcbe2a0 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { useMessageFavoritesStore } from "./favorites-store";
 import { MESSAGE_FAVORITES_STORAGE_PREFIX, loadSessionFavorites } from "./persistence";
 
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ describe("message favorites store", () => {
     useMessageFavoritesStore.setState({ bySession: {} });
   });
 
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
   it("starts with no favorites for an unhydrated session", () => {
     const state = useMessageFavoritesStore.getState();
     expect(state.bySession[SESSION_ID]).toBeUndefined();
@@ -60,6 +64,15 @@ describe("message favorites store", () => {
     expect(state.bySession[SESSION_ID]).toEqual({ "msg-1": true, "msg-2": true });
   });
 
+  it("hydrates an empty session from storage only once", () => {
+    const getItem = vi.spyOn(window.sessionStorage, "getItem");
+
+    useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().hydrateSession(SESSION_ID);
+    useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().hydrateSession(SESSION_ID);
+
+    expect(getItem).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("ignores malformed persisted favorites", () => {
     window.sessionStorage.setItem(
       `${MESSAGE_FAVORITES_STORAGE_PREFIX}${SESSION_ID}`,
@@ -88,7 +101,7 @@ describe("message favorites store", () => {
     );
 
     expect(() => useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().hydrateSession(SESSION_ID)).not.toThrow();
-    expect(useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().bySession[SESSION_ID]).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().bySession[SESSION_ID]).toEqual({});
   });
 
   it("ignores a persisted array containing non-string entries", () => {
@@ -98,6 +111,6 @@ describe("message favorites store", () => {
     );
 
     expect(() => useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().hydrateSession(SESSION_ID)).not.toThrow();
-    expect(useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().bySession[SESSION_ID]).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(useMessageFavoritesStore.getState().bySession[SESSION_ID]).toEqual({});
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.ts
index cc6a8146fa..3e7012683b 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/message-favorites/favorites-store.ts
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ export const useMessageFavoritesStore = create<MessageFavoritesSlice>()(
     hydrateSession: (sessionId: string) =>
       set((state) => {
         const existing = state.bySession[sessionId];
-        if (existing && Object.keys(existing).length > 0) return;
+        if (existing) return;
         const ids = loadSessionFavorites(sessionId);
-        if (ids.length === 0) return;
         state.bySession[sessionId] = Object.fromEntries(ids.map((id) => [id, true as const]));
       }),