diff --git a/backend/apps/swarm/entities/sessions.py b/backend/apps/swarm/entities/sessions.py
index 847601e6..805f06fc 100644
--- a/backend/apps/swarm/entities/sessions.py
+++ b/backend/apps/swarm/entities/sessions.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-"""SessionExportable: an agent card on a shared dashboard. We carry only the
-recipe (name, model, mode, system prompt, allowed tools) and deliberately DROP
-the chat transcript (privacy + size), runtime state, costs, the worktree path,
-and active_mcps (importing must never silently grant tool access, per the gate).
-Its MCP/actions, provider, and built-in mode become import requirements so the
-importer is walked through enabling them. The dashboard re-points dashboard_id
-after import."""
+"""SessionExportable: an agent card on a shared dashboard. We carry the recipe
+(name, model, mode, system prompt, allowed tools) AND the chat transcript so a
+shared agent arrives with the conversation that produced it, that's the whole
+point of sharing one. The transcript rides through the same scrub layer as every
+payload, so any secret-shaped string in it is redacted before it leaves. We still
+DROP runtime state, costs, the worktree path, and active_mcps: importing must
+never silently grant tool access, per the gate. Its MCP/actions, provider, and
+built-in mode become import requirements so the importer is walked through
+enabling them. The dashboard re-points dashboard_id after import."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
@@ -14,7 +16,14 @@ from ..exportable import DepRef, ExportContext, RemapTable
 from ..models import EntityType, Requirement, RequirementKind
 
 _BUILTIN_MODES = {"agent", "ask", "plan", "view-builder", "skill-builder"}
-_KEEP = ("name", "provider", "model", "mode", "system_prompt", "allowed_tools", "max_turns", "thinking_level")
+# Transcript fields ride along so the shared agent keeps its history; ids inside
+# (message ids, branch ids, their parent/fork refs) are self-consistent within
+# the one session file, so they carry verbatim with no remap.
+_KEEP = (
+    "name", "provider", "model", "mode", "system_prompt", "allowed_tools",
+    "max_turns", "thinking_level",
+    "messages", "branches", "active_branch_id", "tool_group_meta",
+)
 
 
 class SessionExportable:
@@ -70,6 +79,14 @@ class SessionExportable:
         from backend.apps.agents.manager.session.session_store import _save_session
         sid = uuid4().hex
         now = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
+        # Older bundles (made before transcripts were carried) have no messages;
+        # fall back to a single empty main branch so the imported agent is valid.
+        branches = payload.get("branches") or {
+            "main": {"id": "main", "parent_branch_id": None, "fork_point_message_id": None, "created_at": now}
+        }
+        active_branch_id = payload.get("active_branch_id") or "main"
+        if active_branch_id not in branches:
+            active_branch_id = next(iter(branches), "main")
         doc = {
             "id": sid,
             "name": payload.get("name") or "Agent",
@@ -81,9 +98,10 @@ class SessionExportable:
             "allowed_tools": payload.get("allowed_tools") or [],
             "max_turns": payload.get("max_turns"),
             "thinking_level": payload.get("thinking_level") or "auto",
-            "messages": [],
-            "branches": {"main": {"id": "main", "parent_branch_id": None, "fork_point_message_id": None, "created_at": now}},
-            "active_branch_id": "main",
+            "messages": payload.get("messages") or [],
+            "branches": branches,
+            "active_branch_id": active_branch_id,
+            "tool_group_meta": payload.get("tool_group_meta") or {},
             "active_mcps": [],
             "dashboard_id": None,  # the dashboard import re-points this
             "browser_id": None,
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_swarm_bundle.py b/backend/tests/test_swarm_bundle.py
index fea9408c..9d08a595 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_swarm_bundle.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_swarm_bundle.py
@@ -168,23 +168,75 @@ def test_workflow_unavailable_on_this_branch():
         WorkflowExportable.import_({"title": "x"}, {}, RemapTable())
 
 
-def test_session_export_strips_transcript_and_secrets():
+def test_session_export_carries_transcript_drops_runtime_and_secrets():
     from backend.apps.swarm.entities.sessions import SessionExportable
+    from backend.apps.swarm.redact import scrub_payload
     data = {
         "name": "A", "provider": "anthropic", "model": "sonnet", "mode": "agent",
         "system_prompt": "hi", "allowed_tools": ["Read"],
-        "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "private chat"}],
+        "messages": [
+            {"id": "m1", "role": "user", "content": "private chat", "branch_id": "main"},
+            {"id": "m2", "role": "assistant", "content": "token is sk-ant-abcdefghij0123456789"},
+        ],
+        "branches": {"main": {"id": "main", "parent_branch_id": None, "fork_point_message_id": None}},
+        "active_branch_id": "main",
+        "tool_group_meta": {"g1": {"label": "x"}},
         "active_mcps": ["Gmail"], "cwd": "/Users/me/repo", "cost_usd": 9.9, "sdk_session_id": "x",
     }
     ex = SessionExportable("s1", "A", data)
     out = ex.serialize(None)
-    for gone in ("messages", "cwd", "active_mcps", "cost_usd", "sdk_session_id"):
+    # The transcript now rides along, that's the point of sharing an agent.
+    assert out["messages"][0]["content"] == "private chat"
+    assert out["active_branch_id"] == "main" and "main" in out["branches"]
+    assert out["tool_group_meta"] == {"g1": {"label": "x"}}
+    # Runtime, identity, and gate state still never leave.
+    for gone in ("cwd", "active_mcps", "cost_usd", "sdk_session_id"):
         assert gone not in out
-    assert out["model"] == "sonnet" and out["mode"] == "agent"
+    # The closure runs scrub_payload on every payload, so a secret-shaped
+    # string sitting in the transcript is redacted before it ships.
+    assert "sk-ant-" not in json.dumps(scrub_payload(out))
     reqs = ex.requirements()
     assert any(r.kind.value == "mcp_action" and r.key == "Gmail" for r in reqs)
 
 
+def test_session_import_restores_transcript_without_granting_mcp(monkeypatch):
+    from backend.apps.swarm.entities.sessions import SessionExportable
+    from backend.apps.swarm.exportable import RemapTable
+    from backend.apps.agents.manager.session import session_store
+    saved: dict = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session_store, "_save_session", lambda sid, doc: saved.update({sid: doc}))
+    payload = {
+        "name": "A", "model": "sonnet", "mode": "agent",
+        "messages": [{"id": "m1", "role": "user", "content": "hi", "branch_id": "main"}],
+        "branches": {"main": {"id": "main", "parent_branch_id": None, "fork_point_message_id": None}},
+        "active_branch_id": "main",
+        "tool_group_meta": {"g1": {"label": "x"}},
+    }
+    sid = SessionExportable.import_(payload, {}, RemapTable())
+    doc = saved[sid]
+    assert doc["messages"][0]["content"] == "hi"
+    assert doc["active_branch_id"] == "main"
+    assert doc["tool_group_meta"] == {"g1": {"label": "x"}}
+    # The gate stays shut: a shared agent never arrives with MCP access.
+    assert doc["active_mcps"] == []
+    # The dashboard import re-points this; it must never be the sharer's id.
+    assert doc["dashboard_id"] is None
+
+
+def test_session_import_old_bundle_without_transcript(monkeypatch):
+    # A bundle made before transcripts were carried has no messages; it must
+    # still import as a valid empty-history agent (single main branch), not crash.
+    from backend.apps.swarm.entities.sessions import SessionExportable
+    from backend.apps.swarm.exportable import RemapTable
+    from backend.apps.agents.manager.session import session_store
+    saved: dict = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(session_store, "_save_session", lambda sid, doc: saved.update({sid: doc}))
+    sid = SessionExportable.import_({"name": "Old", "model": "sonnet"}, {}, RemapTable())
+    doc = saved[sid]
+    assert doc["messages"] == []
+    assert doc["active_branch_id"] == "main" and "main" in doc["branches"]
+
+
 def test_dashboard_serialize_rewrites_refs_to_bundle_ids():
     from backend.apps.swarm.entities.dashboards import DashboardExportable
     from backend.apps.swarm.models import EntityType