diff --git a/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/ITelnetSession.cs b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/ITelnetSession.cs
index 407058be..405f67cc 100644
--- a/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/ITelnetSession.cs
+++ b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/ITelnetSession.cs
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ public interface ITelnetSession : IAsyncDisposable
     /// <summary>Sends a GMCP message.</summary>
     ValueTask SendGmcpAsync(string package, string json, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
 
-    /// <summary>Reports the terminal window size to the server via NAWS.</summary>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Reports the terminal window size via NAWS. Before the server enables NAWS, retains the latest
+    /// size and reports it automatically when negotiation completes; unchanged sizes are not resent.
+    /// </summary>
     ValueTask SetWindowSizeAsync(int width, int height);
 
     /// <summary>Closes the session.</summary>
diff --git a/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/TelnetSession.cs b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/TelnetSession.cs
index cd289a25..6a449115 100644
--- a/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/TelnetSession.cs
+++ b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/TelnetSession.cs
@@ -399,21 +399,24 @@ public async Task ConnectAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
 
     private Task<TelnetInterpreter> BuildInterpreterAsync()
     {
-        var builder = new TelnetInterpreterBuilder()
+        TelnetInterpreterBuilder builder = new TelnetInterpreterBuilder()
             .UseMode(TelnetInterpreter.TelnetMode.Client)
             .UseLogger(_logger)
             .OnNegotiation(WriteToTransportAsync)
             .OnSubmit(OnSubmitAsync)
-            .AddDefaultMUDProtocols(
-                onNAWS: static (_, _) => ValueTask.CompletedTask,
-                onGMCPMessage: OnGmcpAsync,
-                onMSSP: OnMsspAsync,
-                msspConfig: static () => new MSSPConfig(),
-                onMSDPMessage: OnMsdpAsync,
-                onPrompt: OnPromptAsync,
-                charsetOrder: _options.CharsetOrder,
-                onCompressionEnabled: OnCompressionAsync,
-                onMXPEnabled: OnMxpEnabledAsync);
+            // Explicit defaults let NAWS observe negotiation completion, so an early pane report
+            // is retained and sent on DO NAWS rather than silently discarded by the base plugin.
+            .AddPlugin(new WindowSizeProtocol().OnNAWS(static (_, _) => ValueTask.CompletedTask))
+            .AddPlugin<GMCPProtocol>().OnGMCPMessage(OnGmcpAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<MSDPProtocol>().OnMSDPMessage(OnMsdpAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<MSSPProtocol>().OnMSSP(OnMsspAsync).WithMSSPConfig(static () => new MSSPConfig())
+            .AddPlugin<TerminalTypeProtocol>()
+            .AddPlugin<CharsetProtocol>().WithCharsetOrder(_options.CharsetOrder)
+            .AddPlugin<EORProtocol>().OnPrompt(OnPromptAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<SuppressGoAheadProtocol>().OnPrompt(OnPromptAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<PacketPatchProtocol>().OnPrompt(OnPromptAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<MXPProtocol>().OnMXPEnabled(OnMxpEnabledAsync)
+            .AddPlugin<MCCPProtocol>().OnCompressionEnabled(OnCompressionAsync);
 
         // An idle keepalive, when the world asks for one: IAC NOP after the configured silence, so a
         // NAT or load balancer doesn't evict a connection that is merely quiet. It is filler traffic,
@@ -689,10 +692,9 @@ public ValueTask SendGmcpAsync(string package, string json, CancellationToken ca
     public ValueTask SetWindowSizeAsync(int width, int height)
     {
         var interpreter = _interpreter ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Session is not connected.");
-        // SendNAWS was removed in 2.8.1. The NAWS plugin now owns the send, reports the full
-        // RFC 1073 unsigned-16 range, and takes int to avoid the caller having to cast.
-        return interpreter.PluginManager?.GetPlugin<NAWSProtocol>()?.SendWindowSizeAsync(width, height)
-            ?? ValueTask.CompletedTask;
+        var protocol = interpreter.PluginManager?.GetPlugin<NAWSProtocol>() as WindowSizeProtocol
+            ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Window size protocol is not configured.");
+        return protocol.ReportAsync(width, height);
     }
 
     public async Task DisconnectAsync()
diff --git a/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/WindowSizeProtocol.cs b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/WindowSizeProtocol.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5470b5ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/SharpMUTerm.Core/Telnet/WindowSizeProtocol.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+using TelnetNegotiationCore.Protocols;
+
+namespace SharpMUTerm.Core.Telnet;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Retains the latest pane dimensions until the server enables NAWS. A successful request before
+/// DO NAWS means queued, not written: TNC deliberately skips premature subnegotiations.
+/// </summary>
+internal sealed class WindowSizeProtocol : NAWSProtocol
+{
+    private readonly SemaphoreSlim _reportGate = new(1, 1);
+    private (int Width, int Height)? _requested;
+    private (int Width, int Height)? _reported;
+
+    public async ValueTask ReportAsync(int width, int height)
+    {
+        ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfNegative(width);
+        ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfGreaterThan(width, MaxWindowDimension);
+        ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfNegative(height);
+        ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfGreaterThan(height, MaxWindowDimension);
+
+        await _reportGate.WaitAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        try
+        {
+            _requested = (width, height);
+            await ReportIfReadyAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            _reportGate.Release();
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected override async ValueTask OnNegotiationChangedAsync(bool isNegotiated)
+    {
+        await _reportGate.WaitAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        try
+        {
+            // A new agreement needs its own initial report, even if the pane has not changed.
+            if (!isNegotiated)
+            {
+                _reported = null;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                await ReportIfReadyAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            _reportGate.Release();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private async ValueTask ReportIfReadyAsync()
+    {
+        if (!IsNegotiated || !WindowSizeReportingEnabled || _requested is not { } size || _reported == size)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // TNC owns the binary framing and IAC escaping. Remember success only after the write,
+        // so a failed write can be retried with the same dimensions.
+        await SendWindowSizeAsync(size.Width, size.Height).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        _reported = size;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/SharpMUTerm.Core.Tests/Telnet/TelnetSessionTests.cs b/tests/SharpMUTerm.Core.Tests/Telnet/TelnetSessionTests.cs
index 22c54dbd..816589e6 100644
--- a/tests/SharpMUTerm.Core.Tests/Telnet/TelnetSessionTests.cs
+++ b/tests/SharpMUTerm.Core.Tests/Telnet/TelnetSessionTests.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ public class TelnetSessionTests
     private const byte GA = 249;
     private const byte EOR = 239;
     private const byte NAWS = 31;
+    private const byte DO = 253;
     private const byte ECHO = 1;
     private const byte SGA = 3;
 
@@ -92,6 +93,69 @@ private static async Task<bool> WaitUntilAsync(Func<bool> condition, int timeout
         return condition();
     }
 
+    [Test]
+    public async Task WindowSizeBeforeNegotiation_IsSentWhenServerEnablesNaws()
+    {
+        var transport = new FakeTransport();
+        await using var session = new TelnetSession(transport);
+        await session.ConnectAsync();
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(140, 45);
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(150, 46);
+        await Assert.That(Contains(transport.SentBytes, IAC, 250, NAWS)).IsFalse();
+
+        // Fragmented DO, with no following text or resize to trigger a retry.
+        transport.FeedInbound(IAC);
+        transport.FeedInbound(DO);
+        transport.FeedInbound(NAWS);
+        await Assert.That(await WaitUntilAsync(() =>
+            Contains(transport.SentBytes, IAC, 250, NAWS, 0, 150, 0, 46, IAC, 240))).IsTrue();
+        await Assert.That(Contains(transport.SentBytes, IAC, 250, NAWS, 0, 140)).IsFalse();
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task WindowSizeAfterNegotiation_SendsEscapedDimensionsAndSkipsDuplicates()
+    {
+        var transport = new FakeTransport();
+        await using var session = new TelnetSession(transport);
+        var waiter = new OutputWaiter();
+        waiter.Attach(session);
+        await session.ConnectAsync();
+        transport.FeedInbound(IAC, DO, NAWS, (byte)'o', (byte)'k', 13, 10);
+        await waiter.WaitAsync(e => e.Text == "ok");
+
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(255, 240);
+        await Assert.That(Contains(transport.SentBytes,
+            IAC, 250, NAWS, 0, IAC, IAC, 0, 240, IAC, 240)).IsTrue();
+        var length = transport.SentBytes.Length;
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(255, 240);
+        await Assert.That(transport.SentBytes.Length).IsEqualTo(length);
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    [Arguments(140, 45)]
+    [Arguments(160, 50)]
+    public async Task NawsDisabledThenEnabled_ReportsLatestSizeAgain(int width, int height)
+    {
+        var transport = new FakeTransport();
+        await using var session = new TelnetSession(transport);
+        var waiter = new OutputWaiter();
+        waiter.Attach(session);
+        await session.ConnectAsync();
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(140, 45);
+        transport.FeedInbound(IAC, DO, NAWS);
+        await Assert.That(await WaitUntilAsync(() =>
+            Contains(transport.SentBytes, IAC, 250, NAWS, 0, 140, 0, 45, IAC, 240))).IsTrue();
+
+        transport.FeedInbound(IAC, 254, NAWS, (byte)'o', (byte)'f', (byte)'f', 13, 10);
+        await waiter.WaitAsync(e => e.Text == "off");
+        var length = transport.SentBytes.Length;
+        await session.SetWindowSizeAsync(width, height);
+        await Assert.That(transport.SentBytes.Length).IsEqualTo(length);
+        transport.FeedInbound(IAC, DO, NAWS);
+        await Assert.That(await WaitUntilAsync(() =>
+            Contains(transport.SentBytes.Skip(length).ToArray(), IAC, 250, NAWS, 0, (byte)width, 0, (byte)height, IAC, 240))).IsTrue();
+    }
+
     [Test]
     public async Task Connect_AdvertisesNaws()
     {