diff --git a/daemon/autotitle.go b/daemon/autotitle.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21a0403
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/autotitle.go
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+package main
+
+// autotitle.go — LLM-generated session titles. When the first user message
+// of an unnamed session persists, the daemon makes one cheap chat-completion
+// call (the default provider, ZAI-compatible endpoint) asking for a 3-6 word
+// title, then stores it via the normal rename path so session_list, the web
+// sidebar and the tab title pick it up.
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const (
+	autoTitleMaxChars   int           = 400 // prompt excerpt cap
+	autoTitleTimeout    time.Duration = 20 * time.Second
+	autoTitlePromptTail string        = "\n\nReply with ONLY a 3-6 word title for this request. No quotes, no punctuation at the end, no explanation."
+)
+
+var autoTitleTried = struct {
+	mu sync.Mutex
+	m  map[string]bool
+}{m: map[string]bool{}}
+
+// needsAutoTitle reports whether frame f is a persisted user message_end of
+// a session that has no name yet and no prior attempt.
+func (h *Hub) needsAutoTitle(f frame) bool {
+	if f.typ != evMessageEnd {
+		return false
+	}
+	var probe struct {
+		Message struct {
+			Role string `json:"role"`
+		} `json:"message"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(f.raw, &probe); err != nil || probe.Message.Role != "user" {
+		return false
+	}
+	autoTitleTried.mu.Lock()
+	defer autoTitleTried.mu.Unlock()
+	if autoTitleTried.m[f.sessionID] {
+		return false
+	}
+	if rows, err := h.store.Sessions(); err == nil {
+		for _, row := range rows {
+			if row.Info.ID == f.sessionID {
+				if row.Info.Name != nil && *row.Info.Name != "" {
+					autoTitleTried.m[f.sessionID] = true
+					return false
+				}
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	autoTitleTried.m[f.sessionID] = true
+	return true
+}
+
+// firstUserText extracts the message text from a message_end frame payload.
+func firstUserText(raw []byte) string {
+	var probe struct {
+		Message struct {
+			Text string `json:"text"`
+		} `json:"message"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &probe); err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return probe.Message.Text
+}
+
+// autoTitle asks the provider API for a title and applies it on success.
+func (h *Hub) autoTitle(sessionID, userText string) {
+	title, err := requestTitle(userText)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("autotitle %s: %v", sessionID, err)
+		return
+	}
+	if title == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	if _, err := h.store.SetSessionName(sessionID, title); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("autotitle %s: set name: %v", sessionID, err)
+		return
+	}
+	// live conns see it via session_list; an open chat also refreshes on it.
+	h.BroadcastSessionList()
+}
+
+// requestTitle performs the one-shot completion against the ZAI-compatible
+// endpoint configured for the default provider.
+func requestTitle(userText string) (string, error) {
+	key := os.Getenv(envProviderAPIKey)
+	if key == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("no %s configured", envProviderAPIKey)
+	}
+	if len(userText) > autoTitleMaxChars {
+		userText = userText[:autoTitleMaxChars]
+	}
+	body, err := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
+		"model": envOr("LVMH_AUTOTITLE_MODEL", "glm-5.3"),
+		"messages": []map[string]string{
+			{"role": "user", "content": userText + autoTitlePromptTail},
+		},
+		"max_tokens": 24,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), autoTitleTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	endpoint := envOr("LVMH_AUTOTITLE_URL", "https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4/chat/completions")
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, endpoint, bytes.NewReader(body))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+key)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("title api: %s", resp.Status)
+	}
+	var out struct {
+		Choices []struct {
+			Message struct {
+				Content string `json:"content"`
+			} `json:"message"`
+		} `json:"choices"`
+	}
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&out); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if len(out.Choices) == 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("empty choices")
+	}
+	title := strings.TrimSpace(out.Choices[0].Message.Content)
+	title = strings.Trim(title, "\"'`*. ")
+	if idx := strings.IndexAny(title, "\n"); idx >= 0 {
+		title = strings.TrimSpace(title[:idx])
+	}
+	if len(title) > 60 {
+		title = title[:60]
+	}
+	if title == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("empty title")
+	}
+	return title, nil
+}
diff --git a/daemon/autotitle_test.go b/daemon/autotitle_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c567d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/autotitle_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+package main
+
+// autotitle_test.go — needsAutoTitle gating, firstUserText extraction,
+// requestTitle against a fake ZAI endpoint, apply path renames + broadcasts.
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func userMsgEndFrame(sid string, seq int64, text string) []byte {
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
+		"v": 1, "sessionId": sid, "seq": seq, "ts": 1, "type": "message_end",
+		"message": map[string]any{"role": "user", "id": "u", "text": text,
+			"thinking": nil, "toolCalls": []any{}, "toolCallId": nil},
+	})
+	return b
+}
+
+func TestNeedsAutoTitleGating(t *testing.T) {
+	_, _, hub := newTestServerHub(t)
+	f := frame{typ: evMessageEnd, sessionID: "s-a", raw: userMsgEndFrame("s-a", 1, "hello")}
+	if !hub.needsAutoTitle(f) {
+		t.Fatal("first unnamed user message must want a title")
+	}
+	if hub.needsAutoTitle(f) {
+		t.Fatal("second attempt for same session must be gated")
+	}
+	// assistant frames never trigger
+	fa := frame{typ: evMessageEnd, sessionID: "s-b", raw: []byte(`{"message":{"role":"assistant"}}`)}
+	if hub.needsAutoTitle(fa) {
+		t.Fatal("assistant message must not trigger")
+	}
+	// named session never triggers (persisted via UpsertSession)
+	if err := hub.store.UpsertSession(SessionInfo{ID: "s-c", Name: strPtr("named")}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	fc := frame{typ: evMessageEnd, sessionID: "s-c", raw: userMsgEndFrame("s-c", 1, "hi")}
+	if hub.needsAutoTitle(fc) {
+		t.Fatal("named session must not trigger")
+	}
+}
+
+func strPtr(s string) *string { return &s }
+
+func dummyTitleServer(t *testing.T) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"Auto generated title"}}]}`))
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+	return srv.URL
+}
+
+func TestFirstUserText(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := firstUserText(userMsgEndFrame("s", 1, "build me a thing")); got != "build me a thing" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := firstUserText([]byte("garbage")); got != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("garbage -> %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRequestTitle(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		var req struct {
+			Messages []struct {
+				Content string `json:"content"`
+			} `json:"messages"`
+		}
+		_ = json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&req)
+		if len(req.Messages) == 0 || req.Messages[0].Content == "" {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{
+			"choices": []any{map[string]any{
+				"message": map[string]string{"content": "  \"Fix login timeout bug\".\n"},
+			}},
+		})
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+
+	t.Setenv("LVMH_AUTOTITLE_URL", srv.URL)
+	got, err := requestTitle("the login page times out after 5s in production")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("requestTitle: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got != "Fix login timeout bug" {
+		t.Fatalf("title = %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAutoTitleAppliesRename(t *testing.T) {
+	_, _, hub := newTestServerHub(t)
+	t.Setenv("LVMH_AUTOTITLE_URL", dummyTitleServer(t))
+	if err := hub.store.UpsertSession(SessionInfo{ID: "s-t"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	hub.autoTitle("s-t", "anything")
+	rows, err := hub.store.Sessions()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, row := range rows {
+		if row.Info.ID == "s-t" {
+			if row.Info.Name == nil || *row.Info.Name == "" {
+				t.Fatal("name not applied")
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	t.Fatal("session row missing")
+}
diff --git a/daemon/hub.go b/daemon/hub.go
index da20052..fad9d1b 100644
--- a/daemon/hub.go
+++ b/daemon/hub.go
@@ -614,6 +614,16 @@ func (h *Hub) handleEvent(f frame) {
 			log.Printf("hub: touch session %s: %v", f.sessionID, err)
 		}
 	}
+	// Auto-title: first persisted user message on an unnamed session asks
+	// the configured LLM for a short title (separate cheap completion; never
+	// touches the agent conversation).
+	if f.typ == evMessageEnd && h.needsAutoTitle(f) {
+		sid := f.sessionID
+		text := firstUserText(f.raw)
+		if text != "" {
+			go h.autoTitle(sid, text)
+		}
+	}
 	// Track mid-turn state for the session-list activity pulse.
 	if f.typ == evAgentStart || f.typ == evAgentSettled {
 		busy := f.typ == evAgentStart