diff --git a/client/src/ui/menu-ui.js b/client/src/ui/menu-ui.js
index bc3481a..80b3bc4 100644
--- a/client/src/ui/menu-ui.js
+++ b/client/src/ui/menu-ui.js
@@ -181,6 +181,16 @@ eventBus.on(ClientEventCode.ROOM_CREATE_SUCCESS, (data) => {
 eventBus.on(ClientEventCode.CLIENT_EXIT, showLobby);
 eventBus.on(ClientEventCode.CLIENT_KICK, showLobby);
 
+// Spectator entry: server acknowledges with WatchGameSuccessResponse, then
+// immediately follows with a GameStartingResponse + replayed GameMoveSuccess
+// events. Flip the spectator flag here so the existing GAME_STARTING handlers
+// (menu-scene + game-state-service) transition to GameScene without allowing
+// click input. The replayed moves populate gameState.moves before GameScene
+// creates, so its create() path will render all existing stones.
+eventBus.on(ClientEventCode.GAME_WATCH_SUCCESSFUL, () => {
+  gameState.isSpectating = true;
+});
+
 // Server emits NICKNAME_SET with invalidLength=0 on first connect to prompt
 // the user, and with invalidLength>0 as a rejection when a nickname submission
 // fails length validation. Only treat nonzero invalidLength as an error.
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/miti99/caro/server/event/handler/WatchGameHandler.java b/server/src/main/java/com/miti99/caro/server/event/handler/WatchGameHandler.java
index 1fbf893..c78c5f8 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/miti99/caro/server/event/handler/WatchGameHandler.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/miti99/caro/server/event/handler/WatchGameHandler.java
@@ -2,15 +2,23 @@ package com.miti99.caro.server.event.handler;
 
 import com.miti99.caro.common.channel.ChannelUtils;
 import com.miti99.caro.common.entity.ClientSide;
+import com.miti99.caro.common.entity.GameMove;
 import com.miti99.caro.common.entity.Room;
+import com.miti99.caro.common.enums.RoomStatus;
+import com.miti99.caro.protocol.GameMoveSuccessResponse;
+import com.miti99.caro.protocol.GameStartingResponse;
 import com.miti99.caro.protocol.Response;
 import com.miti99.caro.protocol.RoomJoinFailNotFoundResponse;
 import com.miti99.caro.protocol.WatchGameSuccessResponse;
 import com.miti99.caro.server.ServerContains;
 import com.miti99.caro.server.event.request.WatchGameRequestRecord;
 
+import io.netty.channel.Channel;
+
 public final class WatchGameHandler {
 
+    private static final int BOARD_SIZE = 15;
+
     private WatchGameHandler() {
     }
 
@@ -28,10 +36,49 @@ public final class WatchGameHandler {
         clientSide.setRoomId(room.getId());
         room.getWatcherList().add(clientSide);
 
-        ChannelUtils.push(clientSide.getChannel(), Response.newBuilder()
+        Channel watcherChannel = clientSide.getChannel();
+        ChannelUtils.push(watcherChannel, Response.newBuilder()
                 .setWatchGameSuccess(WatchGameSuccessResponse.newBuilder()
                         .setOwner(room.getRoomOwner() == null ? "" : room.getRoomOwner())
                         .setStatus(room.getStatus() == null ? "" : room.getStatus().toString()))
                 .build());
+
+        // If the game is already running, bootstrap the watcher with the current
+        // player pairing and replay every move so their board renders correctly.
+        // Without this a mid-game watcher joins a blank scene.
+        if (room.getStatus() == RoomStatus.STARTING) {
+            bootstrapWatcher(watcherChannel, room);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void bootstrapWatcher(Channel watcherChannel, Room room) {
+        ClientSide blackPlayer = room.getClientSideMap().get(room.getBlackPlayerId());
+        ClientSide whitePlayer = room.getClientSideMap().get(room.getWhitePlayerId());
+        if (blackPlayer == null || whitePlayer == null) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        ChannelUtils.push(watcherChannel, Response.newBuilder()
+                .setGameStarting(GameStartingResponse.newBuilder()
+                        .setRoomId(room.getId())
+                        .setBlackPlayerId(blackPlayer.getId())
+                        .setBlackPlayerNickname(blackPlayer.getNickname() == null ? "" : blackPlayer.getNickname())
+                        .setWhitePlayerId(whitePlayer.getId())
+                        .setWhitePlayerNickname(whitePlayer.getNickname() == null ? "" : whitePlayer.getNickname())
+                        .setBoardSize(BOARD_SIZE))
+                .build());
+
+        for (GameMove move : room.getMoveHistory()) {
+            ClientSide mover = room.getClientSideMap().get(move.getPlayerId());
+            String moverNickname = mover != null && mover.getNickname() != null ? mover.getNickname() : "";
+            ChannelUtils.push(watcherChannel, Response.newBuilder()
+                    .setGameMoveSuccess(GameMoveSuccessResponse.newBuilder()
+                            .setRow(move.getRow())
+                            .setCol(move.getCol())
+                            .setPiece(move.getPiece() == null ? "" : move.getPiece().name())
+                            .setPlayerNickname(moverNickname)
+                            .setPlayerId(move.getPlayerId()))
+                    .build());
+        }
     }
 }