diff --git a/dashboard/frontend/src/lib/api.js b/dashboard/frontend/src/lib/api.js
index 30dcb90..fa636ec 100644
--- a/dashboard/frontend/src/lib/api.js
+++ b/dashboard/frontend/src/lib/api.js
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ async function tryRefresh() {
   return refreshPromise;
 }
 
+export async function getWebSocketToken(forceRefresh = false) {
+  if (!forceRefresh && token) return token;
+  const refreshed = await tryRefresh();
+  if (refreshed && token) return token;
+  setToken("");
+  setRefreshToken("");
+  return "";
+}
+
 async function request(path, opts = {}) {
   const headers = opts.headers || {};
   if (token) headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${token}`;
diff --git a/dashboard/frontend/src/routes/Terminal.svelte b/dashboard/frontend/src/routes/Terminal.svelte
index 6afd3b7..4583989 100644
--- a/dashboard/frontend/src/routes/Terminal.svelte
+++ b/dashboard/frontend/src/routes/Terminal.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script>
   import { onMount, onDestroy } from "svelte";
   import { VoiceSession } from "../lib/voice.js";
-  import { getToken } from "../lib/api.js";
+  import { getWebSocketToken } from "../lib/api.js";
 
   const PERSISTENCE_STATUS_PREFIX = "__DASHBOARD_PERSISTENCE__:";
   const PERSISTENCE_STATUS_PREFIX_BYTES = new TextEncoder().encode(PERSISTENCE_STATUS_PREFIX);
@@ -189,11 +189,11 @@
       fit.fit();
 
       const proto = location.protocol === "https:" ? "wss:" : "ws:";
-      const token = getToken() || "";
       let heartbeat = null;
       let reconnectTimer = null;
       let closedManually = false;
       let reconnecting = false;
+      let authRecoveryInFlight = false;
 
       function clearHeartbeat() {
         if (heartbeat) {
@@ -202,6 +202,29 @@
         }
       }
 
+      function handleAuthExpired(reason = "Session expired — please log in again") {
+        clearHeartbeat();
+        if (reconnectTimer) {
+          clearTimeout(reconnectTimer);
+          reconnectTimer = null;
+        }
+        reconnecting = false;
+        updateTab(tabId, {
+          connected: false,
+          error: reason,
+          statusBanner: "",
+        });
+        term.write(`\r\n\x1b[90m[${reason}]\x1b[0m`);
+        const d = tabData.get(tabId);
+        if (d) {
+          d.ws = null;
+          d.heartbeat = heartbeat;
+          d.reconnectTimer = reconnectTimer;
+          d.closedManually = closedManually;
+          d.reconnecting = reconnecting;
+        }
+      }
+
       function scheduleReconnect(reason) {
         clearHeartbeat();
         if (closedManually || reconnectTimer) return;
@@ -215,7 +238,7 @@
         reconnectTimer = setTimeout(() => {
           reconnectTimer = null;
           if (!tabData.has(tabId) || closedManually) return;
-          connect();
+          connect(true);
         }, 2000);
       }
 
@@ -229,8 +252,13 @@
         }
       }
 
-      function connect() {
-        const token = getToken() || "";
+      async function connect(forceRefresh = false) {
+        const token = await getWebSocketToken(forceRefresh);
+        if (!token) {
+          handleAuthExpired();
+          return null;
+        }
+
         const ws = new WebSocket(
           `${proto}//${location.host}/ws/terminal?host=${encodeURIComponent(tab.hostId)}&token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}`
         );
@@ -272,10 +300,30 @@
           }
           term.write(data);
         };
-        ws.onclose = (e) => {
+        ws.onclose = async (e) => {
           const reason = e.reason || `Connection closed (code ${e.code})`;
           const d = tabData.get(tabId);
           if (d) d.ws = null;
+          if (e.code === 1008 && reason === "Unauthorized") {
+            if (!closedManually && !authRecoveryInFlight) {
+              authRecoveryInFlight = true;
+              const recoveredToken = await getWebSocketToken(true);
+              authRecoveryInFlight = false;
+              if (recoveredToken) {
+                reconnecting = true;
+                updateTab(tabId, {
+                  connected: false,
+                  error: "Refreshing session...",
+                  statusBanner: tab.persistent ? "Reconnecting to persistent session..." : "",
+                });
+                term.write(`\r\n\x1b[90m[Refreshing session...]\x1b[0m`);
+                void connect(false);
+                return;
+              }
+            }
+            handleAuthExpired("Session expired — please log in again");
+            return;
+          }
           if (!closedManually) scheduleReconnect(reason);
           else {
             clearHeartbeat();
@@ -301,7 +349,11 @@
         return ws;
       }
 
-      let ws = connect();
+      let ws = null;
+      void connect().then((connectedWs) => {
+        ws = connectedWs;
+        if (connectedWs) voice.attach(term, connectedWs);
+      });
       term.onData((data) => {
         const currentWs = tabData.get(tabId)?.ws;
         if (currentWs?.readyState === 1) currentWs.send(new TextEncoder().encode(data));