diff --git a/routes/history_routes.py b/routes/history_routes.py
index 558663f..9efaa94 100644
--- a/routes/history_routes.py
+++ b/routes/history_routes.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def setup_history_routes(session_manager) -> APIRouter:
                     .all()
                 )
                 import json as _json
-                history_dict = []
+                db_history = []
                 for m in db_messages:
                     entry = {"role": m.role, "content": m.content}
                     meta = {}
@@ -71,12 +71,19 @@ def setup_history_routes(session_manager) -> APIRouter:
                         meta["timestamp"] = m.timestamp.isoformat() + "Z"
                     if meta:
                         entry["metadata"] = meta
-                    history_dict.append(entry)
-                if history_dict:
+                    db_history.append(entry)
+                if db_history:
+                    # Rebuild in-memory history from the full set so hidden
+                    # messages (e.g. compaction summaries) are kept for AI context.
                     session.history = [
                         ChatMessage(role=m["role"], content=m["content"], metadata=m.get("metadata"))
-                        for m in history_dict
+                        for m in db_history
                     ]
+                # Response excludes hidden messages, matching the in-memory path.
+                history_dict = [
+                    m for m in db_history
+                    if not (m.get("metadata") or {}).get("hidden")
+                ]
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"DB fallback failed for {session_id}: {e}")
             finally:
diff --git a/tests/test_history_db_fallback_hidden.py b/tests/test_history_db_fallback_hidden.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e43d16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_history_db_fallback_hidden.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""Regression: the DB fallback in get_session_history must hide the same
+messages the in-memory path hides.
+
+The in-memory branch skips messages whose metadata has ``hidden`` (e.g.
+compaction summaries that are kept for AI context but not shown to the user).
+The DB fallback (taken when the in-memory history is empty, e.g. after a
+restart) built the client response from every DB row with no such filter, so
+hidden messages leaked to the client on DB-served sessions. The rebuilt
+in-memory ``session.history`` must still keep them, though, so only the response
+is filtered.
+
+get_session_history depends on the DB, the session manager and a FastAPI
+request, so this pins the regression at the source level (as other route tests
+in this repo do).
+"""
+import ast
+from pathlib import Path
+
+SRC = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / "routes" / "history_routes.py"
+
+
+def _function_source(src_text, name):
+    tree = ast.parse(src_text)
+    for node in ast.walk(tree):
+        if isinstance(node, (ast.FunctionDef, ast.AsyncFunctionDef)) and node.name == name:
+            return ast.get_source_segment(src_text, node)
+    raise AssertionError(f"{name} not found in {SRC}")
+
+
+def test_db_fallback_filters_hidden_from_response():
+    src = _function_source(SRC.read_text(), "get_session_history")
+    marker = "load from DB"
+    assert marker in src, "expected the DB fallback block in get_session_history"
+    db_section = src.split(marker, 1)[1]
+    assert "hidden" in db_section, (
+        "the DB-fallback path must filter `hidden` messages from the response "
+        "to match the in-memory path"
+    )