diff --git a/src/session-monitor.js b/src/session-monitor.js
index 34abe0c..a815cb6 100644
--- a/src/session-monitor.js
+++ b/src/session-monitor.js
@@ -116,6 +116,39 @@ class SessionMonitor extends EventEmitter {
     this._poll();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Find a session key by its transcript file path.
+   * Used when a lock file fires for a session the watcher doesn't have mapped yet.
+   * @param {string} jsonlPath - Absolute path to the .jsonl file
+   * @returns {string|null}
+   */
+  findSessionByFile(jsonlPath) {
+    for (const [sessionKey, entry] of this._knownSessions) {
+      if (entry.sessionFile === jsonlPath) return sessionKey;
+    }
+    // Also check completed sessions
+    // Re-read sessions.json to find it
+    for (const agentId of this._getAgentIds()) {
+      const sessions = this._readSessionsJson(agentId);
+      for (const [sessionKey, entry] of Object.entries(sessions)) {
+        if (entry.sessionFile === jsonlPath) return sessionKey;
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get all agent IDs under transcriptDir.
+   * @private
+   */
+  _getAgentIds() {
+    try {
+      return fs.readdirSync(this.transcriptDir).filter(f => {
+        try { return fs.statSync(path.join(this.transcriptDir, f)).isDirectory(); } catch(_) { return false; }
+      });
+    } catch(_) { return []; }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get all agent directories under transcriptDir.
    * @private
diff --git a/src/status-watcher.js b/src/status-watcher.js
index 94c8da2..f40f3bc 100644
--- a/src/status-watcher.js
+++ b/src/status-watcher.js
@@ -220,6 +220,28 @@ class StatusWatcher extends EventEmitter {
    * @private
    */
   _onFileChange(fullPath) {
+    // Lock file appeared/changed: gateway started processing a new turn.
+    // This fires BEFORE any JSONL content is written — earliest possible signal.
+    // Emit 'session-lock' so watcher-manager can trigger immediate reactivation
+    // without waiting for the first JSONL write.
+    if (fullPath.endsWith('.jsonl.lock')) {
+      // Derive the JSONL path and find the session key
+      const jsonlPath = fullPath.slice(0, -5); // strip '.lock'
+      const sessionKey = this.fileToSession.get(jsonlPath) ||
+        this.fileToSession.get('\x00ghost:' + jsonlPath.replace('\x00ghost:', ''));
+      if (sessionKey) {
+        const originalKey = sessionKey.startsWith('\x00ghost:') ? sessionKey.slice(7) : sessionKey;
+        if (this.logger) {
+          this.logger.info({ sessionKey: originalKey }, 'Lock file detected — session started, triggering early reactivation');
+        }
+        this.emit('session-lock', originalKey);
+      } else {
+        // Unknown session — emit with path so watcher-manager can look it up
+        this.emit('session-lock-path', jsonlPath);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
     // Only process .jsonl files
     if (!fullPath.endsWith('.jsonl')) return;
 
diff --git a/src/watcher-manager.js b/src/watcher-manager.js
index 46a9c4a..a90f245 100644
--- a/src/watcher-manager.js
+++ b/src/watcher-manager.js
@@ -375,6 +375,27 @@ async function startDaemon() {
     monitor.pollNow();
   });
 
+  // ---- Lock file reactivation (earliest possible trigger) ----
+  // The gateway writes a .jsonl.lock file the instant it starts processing a turn —
+  // before any JSONL content is written. This is the infrastructure-level signal
+  // that a session became active from user input, not from the first reply line.
+  watcher.on('session-lock', (sessionKey) => {
+    logger.info({ sessionKey }, 'Lock file: session activated by user message — early reactivation');
+    monitor.clearCompleted(sessionKey);
+    monitor.pollNow();
+  });
+
+  // Lock file for a session the watcher doesn't know about yet — look it up by path
+  watcher.on('session-lock-path', (jsonlPath) => {
+    // Find the session key by matching sessionFile in sessions.json
+    const sessionKey = monitor.findSessionByFile(jsonlPath);
+    if (sessionKey) {
+      logger.info({ sessionKey }, 'Lock file (path lookup): session activated — early reactivation');
+      monitor.clearCompleted(sessionKey);
+      monitor.pollNow();
+    }
+  });
+
   // ---- Session Update (from watcher) ----
   watcher.on('session-update', (sessionKey, state) => {
     const box = activeBoxes.get(sessionKey);