diff --git a/src/app/components/SerialConsolePage.tsx b/src/app/components/SerialConsolePage.tsx
index 535382e..7ddc6c0 100644
--- a/src/app/components/SerialConsolePage.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/SerialConsolePage.tsx
@@ -13,13 +13,9 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
   const fitRef       = useRef<FitAddon | null>(null);
   const lineBuffer   = useRef('');
   const echoQueue    = useRef<string[]>([]);
+
   const { status, send, subscribe } = useWs();
 
-  // Keep a stable ref to `send` so the xterm onData closure never goes stale
-  const sendRef = useRef(send);
-  useEffect(() => { sendRef.current = send; }, [send]);
-
-  // Initialize xterm once on mount
   useEffect(() => {
     const el = containerRef.current;
     if (!el) return;
@@ -28,12 +24,7 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
       cursorBlink: true,
       fontSize: 14,
       fontFamily: '"Cascadia Code","Fira Code",Menlo,Monaco,"Courier New",monospace',
-      theme: {
-        background:          '#0a0a0a',
-        foreground:          '#d4d4d4',
-        cursor:              '#d4d4d4',
-        selectionBackground: '#264f78',
-      },
+      theme: { background: '#0a0a0a', foreground: '#d4d4d4', cursor: '#d4d4d4', selectionBackground: '#264f78' },
       scrollback: 5000,
       convertEol: true,
     });
@@ -45,28 +36,29 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
     termRef.current = term;
     fitRef.current  = fit;
 
-    term.writeln('\x1b[2m── Meatloaf Serial Console ──\x1b[0m');
-    term.writeln('');
+    term.write('\x1b[2m── Meatloaf Serial Console ──\x1b[0m\r\n\r\n');
 
-    term.onData((data) => {
-      for (const char of data) {
-        if (char === '\r' || char === '\n') {
-          const line = lineBuffer.current + '\r';
+    term.onData(data => {
+      for (const ch of data) {
+        if (ch === '\r' || ch === '\n') {
+          const line = lineBuffer.current;
           lineBuffer.current = '';
           term.write('\r\n');
-          echoQueue.current.push(line);
-          sendRef.current(line);
-        } else if (char === '\x7f' || char === '\b') {
+          if (line) {
+            echoQueue.current.push(line);
+            send(line);
+          }
+        } else if (ch === '\x7f' || ch === '\b') {
           if (lineBuffer.current.length > 0) {
             lineBuffer.current = lineBuffer.current.slice(0, -1);
             term.write('\b \b');
           }
-        } else if (char === '\x03') {
+        } else if (ch === '\x03') {
           lineBuffer.current = '';
           term.write('^C\r\n');
-        } else if (char >= ' ') {
-          lineBuffer.current += char;
-          term.write(char);
+        } else if (ch >= ' ') {
+          lineBuffer.current += ch;
+          term.write(ch);
         }
       }
     });
@@ -82,21 +74,19 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
     };
   }, []);
 
-  // Forward all incoming WS messages to the terminal, suppressing our own echoes
   useEffect(() => {
-    return subscribe((msg) => {
+    return subscribe((msg: string) => {
+      const term = termRef.current;
+      if (!term) return;
       const idx = echoQueue.current.indexOf(msg);
-      if (idx !== -1) {
-        echoQueue.current.splice(idx, 1);
-        return;
-      }
-      termRef.current?.write(msg);
+      if (idx !== -1) { echoQueue.current.splice(idx, 1); return; }
+      term.write(msg.endsWith('\n') ? msg : msg + '\r\n');
     });
   }, [subscribe]);
 
   const statusColor =
-    status === 'connected'  ? 'text-green-400' :
-    status === 'connecting' ? 'text-amber-400' : 'text-neutral-500';
+    status === 'connected'    ? 'text-green-400' :
+    status === 'connecting'   ? 'text-amber-400' : 'text-neutral-500';
 
   const statusLabel =
     status === 'connected'  ? 'Connected'   :
@@ -105,7 +95,6 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
   return (
     <div className="fixed inset-0 bg-[#0a0a0a] z-40 flex flex-col">
 
-      {/* Header */}
       <div
         className="flex-none flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 bg-neutral-900 border-b border-neutral-800"
         style={{ paddingTop: 'max(0.5rem, env(safe-area-inset-top))' }}
@@ -113,7 +102,6 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
         <button
           onClick={onBack}
           className="p-1.5 rounded hover:bg-neutral-800 text-neutral-400 hover:text-white transition"
-          title="Back"
         >
           <ChevronLeft className="w-5 h-5" />
         </button>
@@ -129,13 +117,12 @@ export default function SerialConsolePage({ onBack }: Props) {
         <button
           onClick={() => termRef.current?.clear()}
           className="p-1.5 rounded hover:bg-neutral-800 text-neutral-400 hover:text-neutral-200 transition"
-          title="Clear terminal"
+          title="Clear"
         >
           <RotateCcw className="w-4 h-4" />
         </button>
       </div>
 
-      {/* Terminal */}
       <div
         className="flex-1 min-h-0 relative overflow-hidden"
         style={{ paddingBottom: 'env(safe-area-inset-bottom)' }}