diff --git a/Server/ws/client.go b/Server/ws/client.go
index 95848e87..9e03af38 100644
--- a/Server/ws/client.go
+++ b/Server/ws/client.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package ws
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"log/slog"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/owncord/server/db"
@@ -217,6 +218,8 @@ func (c *Client) clearVoiceState() (int64, string) {
 
 // sendMsg queues a message to this client's send buffer without blocking.
 // It is a no-op if the send channel has already been closed.
+// If the buffer is full, the client is disconnected to force a reconnect
+// with replay recovery instead of silently losing messages (BUG-124).
 func (c *Client) sendMsg(msg []byte) {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
@@ -228,11 +231,16 @@ func (c *Client) sendMsg(msg []byte) {
 		c.msgsSent++
 	default:
 		c.msgsDropped++
+		slog.Warn("ws: client send buffer full, closing connection to force reconnect",
+			"user_id", c.userID)
+		c.sendClosed = true
+		close(c.send)
 	}
 }
 
 // trySendMsg queues a message and returns true if it was accepted, false if
 // the buffer is full or the channel is closed.
+// On buffer overflow, the client is disconnected to force a reconnect (BUG-124).
 func (c *Client) trySendMsg(msg []byte) bool {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
@@ -245,6 +253,10 @@ func (c *Client) trySendMsg(msg []byte) bool {
 		return true
 	default:
 		c.msgsDropped++
+		slog.Warn("ws: client send buffer full (trySend), closing connection to force reconnect",
+			"user_id", c.userID)
+		c.sendClosed = true
+		close(c.send)
 		return false
 	}
 }
diff --git a/Server/ws/serve.go b/Server/ws/serve.go
index a53d4ffe..117ba0d1 100644
--- a/Server/ws/serve.go
+++ b/Server/ws/serve.go
@@ -111,22 +111,29 @@ func (h *Hub) handleReconnect(
 		return false
 	}
 
+	// Register BEFORE writing replay data so broadcasts that arrive during
+	// the write window are queued in the client's send buffer instead of
+	// being lost (BUG-123). writePump hasn't started yet, so queued messages
+	// will be drained once the pumps begin.
+	h.registerNow(c)
+
 	// Replay succeeded — send auth_ok then missed events.
 	slog.Info("ws sending auth_ok (reconnect)", "user_id", c.userID, "username", c.user.Username, "role", c.roleName)
 	if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, h.buildAuthOK(c.user, c.roleName)); err != nil {
 		slog.Warn("ws: failed to send auth_ok (reconnect)", "user_id", c.userID, "err", err)
+		h.unregisterNow(c)
 		_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "handshake failed")
 		return true
 	}
 	for _, evt := range events {
 		if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, evt); err != nil {
 			slog.Warn("ws: failed to send replay event", "user_id", c.userID, "err", err)
+			h.unregisterNow(c)
 			_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "handshake failed")
 			return true
 		}
 	}
 	slog.Info("ws replay completed", "user_id", c.userID, "events_replayed", len(events), "from_seq", lastSeq)
-	h.registerNow(c)
 
 	// Update presence but skip member_join — user was already known.
 	if updateErr := database.UpdateUserStatus(c.userID, "online"); updateErr != nil {
@@ -172,13 +179,6 @@ func (h *Hub) handleFreshConnect(
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Fresh connection or replay fallback: full auth_ok + ready flow.
-	slog.Info("ws sending auth_ok", "user_id", c.userID, "username", c.user.Username, "role", c.roleName)
-	if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, h.buildAuthOK(c.user, c.roleName)); err != nil {
-		slog.Warn("ws: failed to send auth_ok", "user_id", c.userID, "err", err)
-		_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "handshake failed")
-		return err
-	}
 	// Look up role for permission-filtered ready payload.
 	// Fail closed: if the role lookup fails, disconnect rather than serving
 	// a permissive ready payload with nil role (BUG-094).
@@ -188,10 +188,26 @@ func (h *Hub) handleFreshConnect(
 		_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "role lookup failed")
 		return fmt.Errorf("role lookup failed for user %d: %w", c.userID, roleErr)
 	}
+
+	// Register BEFORE writing auth_ok + ready so broadcasts that arrive during
+	// the write window are queued in the client's send buffer instead of
+	// being lost (BUG-123). writePump hasn't started yet, so queued messages
+	// will be drained once the pumps begin.
+	h.registerNow(c)
+
+	// Fresh connection or replay fallback: full auth_ok + ready flow.
+	slog.Info("ws sending auth_ok", "user_id", c.userID, "username", c.user.Username, "role", c.roleName)
+	if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, h.buildAuthOK(c.user, c.roleName)); err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("ws: failed to send auth_ok", "user_id", c.userID, "err", err)
+		h.unregisterNow(c)
+		_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "handshake failed")
+		return err
+	}
 	if ready, readyErr := h.buildReady(database, c.userID, userRole); readyErr == nil {
 		slog.Info("ws sending ready payload", "user_id", c.userID, "payload_bytes", len(ready))
 		if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, ready); err != nil {
 			slog.Warn("ws: failed to send ready payload", "user_id", c.userID, "err", err)
+			h.unregisterNow(c)
 			_ = conn.Close(websocket.StatusInternalError, "handshake failed")
 			return err
 		}
@@ -200,7 +216,6 @@ func (h *Hub) handleFreshConnect(
 		_ = conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText,
 			buildErrorMsg(ErrCodeInternal, "failed to build ready payload"))
 	}
-	h.registerNow(c)
 
 	if updateErr := database.UpdateUserStatus(c.userID, "online"); updateErr != nil {
 		slog.Warn("ws UpdateUserStatus", "err", updateErr)