diff --git a/packages/core/session_portable.go b/packages/core/session_portable.go
index afbcaee..3332140 100644
--- a/packages/core/session_portable.go
+++ b/packages/core/session_portable.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/patriceckhart/zot/packages/provider"
 )
 
 // PortableExt is the filesystem extension used for exported sessions.
@@ -321,43 +322,76 @@ func BranchSession(parentPath, root, cwd, version string, upToMessageIdx int) (s
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	// Copy message rows up to the cut point, plus all usage rows
-	// that land before the cut (they describe the cost of those
-	// messages). Rewind and use the large-row-safe JSONL reader.
+	// Reconstruct the effective transcript the same way OpenSession
+	// does: message rows append, and compaction rows replace everything
+	// before them. The fork index is defined over that effective stream,
+	// not over the raw audit rows kept on disk before a compaction.
 	if _, err := src.Seek(0, io.SeekStart); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("branch: rewind parent: %w", err)
 	}
-	msgCount := 0
+	var effective []provider.Message
+	var nonCompactedRows [][]byte
+	effectiveCount := 0
+	sawCompaction := false
 	if err := forEachJSONLLine(src, func(line []byte) error {
-		if msgCount >= upToMessageIdx {
-			return io.EOF
-		}
 		var h sessionLineHead
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(line, &h); err != nil {
 			return nil
 		}
 		switch h.Type {
 		case "message":
-			if _, err := bw.Write(line); err != nil {
-				return err
+			if msg, err := hydrateMessage(line); err == nil && len(msg.Content) > 0 {
+				effective = append(effective, msg)
+				if !sawCompaction && effectiveCount < upToMessageIdx {
+					raw := append([]byte(nil), line...)
+					nonCompactedRows = append(nonCompactedRows, raw)
+				}
+				effectiveCount++
 			}
-			if err := bw.WriteByte('\n'); err != nil {
-				return err
+		case "compaction":
+			if compacted, err := hydrateCompaction(line); err == nil {
+				effective = compacted
+				effectiveCount = len(effective)
+				sawCompaction = true
 			}
-			msgCount++
 		case "usage":
-			if _, err := bw.Write(line); err != nil {
-				return err
+			if !sawCompaction && effectiveCount < upToMessageIdx {
+				raw := append([]byte(nil), line...)
+				nonCompactedRows = append(nonCompactedRows, raw)
 			}
-			if err := bw.WriteByte('\n'); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			// don't increment msgCount for usage rows
 		}
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil && err != io.EOF {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("branch: read parent: %w", err)
 	}
+	if sawCompaction {
+		limit := upToMessageIdx
+		if limit > len(effective) {
+			limit = len(effective)
+		}
+		for i := 0; i < limit; i++ {
+			msg := effective[i]
+			line, err := json.Marshal(sessionLine{Type: "message", Message: &msg})
+			if err != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("branch: marshal message: %w", err)
+			}
+			if _, err := bw.Write(line); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			if err := bw.WriteByte('\n'); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		for _, row := range nonCompactedRows {
+			if _, err := bw.Write(row); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			if err := bw.WriteByte('\n'); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if err := bw.Flush(); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/packages/core/session_portable_test.go b/packages/core/session_portable_test.go
index cfb36ae..ebc89dc 100644
--- a/packages/core/session_portable_test.go
+++ b/packages/core/session_portable_test.go
@@ -231,6 +231,71 @@ func TestBranchSessionCopiesPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBranchSessionUsesEffectiveTranscriptAfterCompaction(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	cwd := "/project"
+	parent, err := NewSession(root, cwd, "anthropic", "claude-opus-4-7", "0.0.0-test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, text := range []string{"raw-a", "raw-b", "raw-c", "raw-d"} {
+		_ = parent.AppendMessage(provider.Message{
+			Role:    provider.RoleUser,
+			Content: []provider.Content{provider.TextBlock{Text: text}},
+		})
+	}
+	_ = parent.AppendCompaction([]provider.Message{
+		{Role: provider.RoleAssistant, Content: []provider.Content{provider.TextBlock{Text: "summary"}}},
+		{Role: provider.RoleUser, Content: []provider.Content{provider.TextBlock{Text: "tail-c"}}},
+		{Role: provider.RoleAssistant, Content: []provider.Content{provider.TextBlock{Text: "tail-d"}}},
+	})
+	_ = parent.AppendMessage(provider.Message{
+		Role:    provider.RoleUser,
+		Content: []provider.Content{provider.TextBlock{Text: "after-compact"}},
+	})
+	_ = parent.Close()
+
+	opened, msgs, err := OpenSession(parent.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenSession parent: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = opened.Close()
+	assertMessageTexts(t, msgs, []string{"summary", "tail-c", "tail-d", "after-compact"})
+
+	branchPath, err := BranchSession(parent.Path, root, cwd, "0.0.0-test", 4)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("BranchSession: %v", err)
+	}
+	branch, branchMsgs, err := OpenSession(branchPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenSession branch: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer branch.Close()
+
+	assertMessageTexts(t, branchMsgs, []string{"summary", "tail-c", "tail-d", "after-compact"})
+	if branch.Meta.Parent != parent.Meta.ID {
+		t.Errorf("parent id: want %q, got %q", parent.Meta.ID, branch.Meta.Parent)
+	}
+	if branch.Meta.ForkPoint != 4 {
+		t.Errorf("fork_point: want 4, got %d", branch.Meta.ForkPoint)
+	}
+
+	shortBranchPath, err := BranchSession(parent.Path, root, cwd, "0.0.0-test", 2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("BranchSession short fork: %v", err)
+	}
+	shortBranch, shortBranchMsgs, err := OpenSession(shortBranchPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenSession short branch: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer shortBranch.Close()
+
+	assertMessageTexts(t, shortBranchMsgs, []string{"summary", "tail-c"})
+	if shortBranch.Meta.ForkPoint != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("short branch fork_point: want 2, got %d", shortBranch.Meta.ForkPoint)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestBuildSessionTree verifies parent/child edges are rebuilt
 // from meta + sibling-scan.
 func TestBuildSessionTree(t *testing.T) {
@@ -266,3 +331,15 @@ func TestBuildSessionTree(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("want 2 children, got %d", len(rootNode.Children))
 	}
 }
+
+func assertMessageTexts(t *testing.T, msgs []provider.Message, want []string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if len(msgs) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf("message count: want %d, got %d", len(want), len(msgs))
+	}
+	for i, msg := range msgs {
+		if got := extractText(msg); got != want[i] {
+			t.Errorf("message %d: want %q, got %q", i, want[i], got)
+		}
+	}
+}