diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c1466b408..83422d059 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Memory: parallelize embedding indexing with rate-limit retries.
 - Memory: split overly long lines to keep embeddings under token limits.
 - Memory: skip empty chunks to avoid invalid embedding inputs.
+- Sessions: fall back to session labels when listing display names. (#1124) — thanks @abdaraxus.
 
 ## 2026.1.17-1
 
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
index 1bf47c850..3ab734bbb 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.sessions.gateway-server-sessions-a.test.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ describe("gateway server sessions", () => {
         verboseLevel?: string;
         sendPolicy?: string;
         label?: string;
+        displayName?: string;
       }>;
     }>(ws, "sessions.list", {});
     expect(list2.ok).toBe(true);
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ describe("gateway server sessions", () => {
     expect(main2?.sendPolicy).toBe("deny");
     const subagent = list2.payload?.sessions.find((s) => s.key === "agent:main:subagent:one");
     expect(subagent?.label).toBe("Briefing");
+    expect(subagent?.displayName).toBe("Briefing");
 
     const clearedVerbose = await rpcReq<{ ok: true; key: string }>(ws, "sessions.patch", {
       key: "agent:main:main",
diff --git a/src/gateway/session-utils.ts b/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
index 7fe2b5561..ec0b426c0 100644
--- a/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
@@ -392,7 +392,8 @@ export function listSessionsFromStore(params: {
               id,
               key,
             })
-          : undefined);
+          : undefined) ??
+        entry?.label;
       const deliveryFields = normalizeSessionDeliveryFields(entry);
       return {
         key,
diff --git a/src/memory/manager.ts b/src/memory/manager.ts
index 58afa0250..dde8d1756 100644
--- a/src/memory/manager.ts
+++ b/src/memory/manager.ts
@@ -800,31 +800,35 @@ export class MemoryIndexManager {
     }
   }
 
+  private createSyncProgress(
+    onProgress: (update: MemorySyncProgressUpdate) => void,
+  ): MemorySyncProgressState {
+    const state: MemorySyncProgressState = {
+      completed: 0,
+      total: 0,
+      label: undefined,
+      report: (update) => {
+        if (update.label) state.label = update.label;
+        const label =
+          update.total > 0 && state.label
+            ? `${state.label} ${update.completed}/${update.total}`
+            : state.label;
+        onProgress({
+          completed: update.completed,
+          total: update.total,
+          label,
+        });
+      },
+    };
+    return state;
+  }
+
   private async runSync(params?: {
     reason?: string;
     force?: boolean;
     progress?: (update: MemorySyncProgressUpdate) => void;
   }) {
-    const progress: MemorySyncProgressState | null = params?.progress
-      ? {
-          completed: 0,
-          total: 0,
-          label: undefined,
-          report: (update) => {
-            if (!params.progress) return;
-            if (update.label) progress.label = update.label;
-            const label =
-              update.total > 0 && progress.label
-                ? `${progress.label} ${update.completed}/${update.total}`
-                : progress.label;
-            params.progress({
-              completed: update.completed,
-              total: update.total,
-              label,
-            });
-          },
-        }
-      : null;
+    const progress = params?.progress ? this.createSyncProgress(params.progress) : null;
     const vectorReady = await this.ensureVectorReady();
     const meta = this.readMeta();
     const needsFullReindex =