diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e4f76e2..59a5f6b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scrollback previews. When given root directories to search, it also lists any
 git or jj repositories beneath them. Selecting a session attaches to it;
 selecting a repository starts a numbered session inside it.
 
-<img width="2400" height="1120" alt="Animated demo of the zp session picker" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6bcd625c-916c-48d0-92bb-e7176f2d5b6c" />
+<img width="2400" height="1120" alt="Animated demo of the zp session picker" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c80ce837-25eb-4c1f-b394-d9f6f1daed54" />
 
 [zmx]: https://github.com/neurosnap/zmx
 [fzf]: https://github.com/junegunn/fzf
diff --git a/demo/bin/zmx b/demo/bin/zmx
index 6d374ad..048230d 100755
--- a/demo/bin/zmx
+++ b/demo/bin/zmx
@@ -4,10 +4,20 @@
 
 case $1 in
 list)
+	# After the tape's attach, $ZMX_SESSION names a session (e.g.
+	# whatchord.2) that the canned data doesn't know; list it as the
+	# attached one so the reopened picker shows a current session.
 	if [ "${2:-}" = "--short" ]; then
-		printf 'whatchord.1\nzmx-picker.1\nscratch\n'
+		printf 'whatchord.1\n'
+		if [ -n "${ZMX_SESSION:-}" ]; then
+			printf '%s\n' "$ZMX_SESSION"
+		fi
+		printf 'zmx-picker.1\nscratch\n'
 	else
 		printf '  name=whatchord.1\tpid=52341\tclients=0\tcreated=1\tstart_dir=%s/src/whatchord\n' "$HOME"
+		if [ -n "${ZMX_SESSION:-}" ]; then
+			printf '\342\206\222 name=%s\tpid=53347\tclients=1\tcreated=4\tstart_dir=%s/src/whatchord\n' "$ZMX_SESSION" "$HOME"
+		fi
 		printf '  name=zmx-picker.1\tpid=52502\tclients=0\tcreated=2\tstart_dir=%s/src/zmx-picker\n' "$HOME"
 		printf '  name=scratch\tpid=53113\tclients=0\tcreated=3\tstart_dir=%s\n' "$HOME"
 	fi
diff --git a/demo/demo.tape b/demo/demo.tape
index 9188df2..168d53e 100644
--- a/demo/demo.tape
+++ b/demo/demo.tape
@@ -46,3 +46,12 @@ Type "jj st"
 Sleep 500ms
 Enter
 Sleep 3s
+
+# Reopen the picker from inside the session: whatchord.2 carries
+# the arrow marker and a "you are here" preview.
+Type "zp"
+Sleep 500ms
+Enter
+Sleep 2.5s
+Down
+Sleep 4s
diff --git a/demo/env.sh b/demo/env.sh
index 7134f23..cdcc01d 100644
--- a/demo/env.sh
+++ b/demo/env.sh
@@ -5,5 +5,8 @@ sh demo/setup.sh
 export ZP_ROOT=/tmp/zp-demo/src
 export PATH="$PWD:$PWD/demo/bin:$PATH"
 export HOME=/tmp/zp-demo
+# The render may itself run inside a real zmx session; the demo
+# starts outside any, so drop the inherited session environment.
+unset ZMX_SESSION ZMX_SESSION_PREFIX
 export PS1='\n\w \[\e[38;2;250;179;135m\]❯\[\e[0m\] '
 cd "$HOME" || return