diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index 9990805..7d6c8c8 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -426,6 +426,27 @@ escape_key = "^]"
 "@ | Set-Content -NoNewline -Encoding utf8 $clientConfig
 }
 
+$hostsConfig = Join-Path $configDir "hosts.toml"
+if ($ForceConfig -or -not (Test-Path $hostsConfig)) {
+    $defaultServer = if ($Server) { $Server } else { "user@example.com" }
+    $hostUdp = if ($DoshHost) { $DoshHost } else { $defaultServer }
+    @"
+# Example:
+# [server]
+# ssh = "server"
+# dosh_host = "server.example.com"
+# port = 50000
+# default_command = "tm"
+# predict = true
+
+[default]
+ssh = "$defaultServer"
+dosh_host = "$hostUdp"
+port = $Port
+predict = true
+"@ | Set-Content -NoNewline -Encoding utf8 $hostsConfig
+}
+
 $userPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
 if (-not (($userPath -split ';') -contains $bindir)) {
     [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$userPath;$bindir", "User")
@@ -442,5 +463,6 @@ Write-Host "  $bindir\dosh.exe update --check"
 Write-Host ""
 Write-Host "Client config:"
 Write-Host "  $configDir\client.toml"
+Write-Host "  $configDir\hosts.toml"
 Write-Host ""
 Write-Host "Open a new terminal for PATH changes to apply."
diff --git a/src/bin/dosh-server.rs b/src/bin/dosh-server.rs
index 8fe21d6..d12a778 100644
--- a/src/bin/dosh-server.rs
+++ b/src/bin/dosh-server.rs
@@ -813,6 +813,10 @@ fn attach_snapshot(session: &Session, cols: u16, rows: u16) -> Vec<u8> {
     screen_snapshot(session.parser.screen())
 }
 
+fn restored_screen_is_pending_reattach(session: &Session) -> bool {
+    session.restored_screen.is_some()
+}
+
 fn mode_allows_terminal_updates(mode: &str) -> bool {
     mode != "view-only" && mode != "forward-only"
 }
@@ -3707,7 +3711,7 @@ async fn broadcast_output(
         // short wall-clock age so low-throughput prompt/TUI changes persist
         // quickly while large bursts still avoid per-packet disk writes. The
         // actual file write happens after the lock is dropped.
-        if session.persistent {
+        if session.persistent && !restored_screen_is_pending_reattach(session) {
             session.bytes_since_persist = session
                 .bytes_since_persist
                 .saturating_add(output.bytes.len());
@@ -4060,7 +4064,10 @@ fn flush_persistent_screens(state: &Arc<Mutex<ServerState>>) {
         let sessions_dir = locked.sessions_dir();
         let mut to_write: Vec<(String, u16, u16, u64, Vec<u8>)> = Vec::new();
         for (name, session) in locked.sessions.iter_mut() {
-            if !session.persistent || session.output_seq == session.last_persisted_seq {
+            if !session.persistent
+                || restored_screen_is_pending_reattach(session)
+                || session.output_seq == session.last_persisted_seq
+            {
                 continue;
             }
             session.bytes_since_persist = 0;
@@ -4411,6 +4418,20 @@ mod tests {
         let session = locked.sessions.get("work").unwrap();
         assert!(session.restored_screen.is_some());
         assert_eq!(attach_snapshot(session, 80, 24), restored);
+        assert_eq!(
+            session.last_persisted_seq, 7,
+            "pre-reattach PTY output must not overwrite the persisted restored screen"
+        );
+        drop(locked);
+
+        flush_persistent_screens(&state);
+
+        let locked = state.lock().unwrap();
+        let session = locked.sessions.get("work").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            session.last_persisted_seq, 7,
+            "periodic flush must not replace restored screen before client-visible output"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/tests/release_scripts.rs b/tests/release_scripts.rs
index df301c9..58d635a 100644
--- a/tests/release_scripts.rs
+++ b/tests/release_scripts.rs
@@ -157,6 +157,29 @@ fn installers_generate_same_native_auth_client_defaults() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn windows_installer_generates_hosts_config_like_unix() {
+    let install = include_str!("../install.sh");
+    let ps1 = include_str!("../install.ps1");
+    for setting in [
+        "hosts.toml",
+        "# default_command = \"tm\"",
+        "[default]",
+        "predict = true",
+    ] {
+        assert!(
+            install.contains(setting),
+            "Unix installer missing host config setting {setting}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            ps1.contains(setting),
+            "Windows installer missing host config setting {setting}"
+        );
+    }
+    assert!(ps1.contains("$hostUdp = if ($DoshHost) { $DoshHost } else { $defaultServer }"));
+    assert!(ps1.contains("Set-Content -NoNewline -Encoding utf8 $hostsConfig"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn package_check_verifies_only_artifacts_it_builds() {
     let makefile = include_str!("../Makefile");