diff --git a/configuration.go b/configuration.go
index d2ec955..ad9bb61 100644
--- a/configuration.go
+++ b/configuration.go
@@ -57,9 +57,14 @@ type Options struct {
 	// embedded NATS backend, or supply any PubSub implementation.
 	PubSub PubSub
 
+	// ContextSuspendAfter is the time a context may be disconnected before
+	// the reaper suspends it (frees page resources but keeps the context
+	// shell for seamless re-init on reconnect). Default: 15m.
+	ContextSuspendAfter time.Duration
+
 	// ContextTTL is the maximum time a context may exist without an SSE
-	// connection before the background reaper disposes it.
-	// Default: 30s. Negative value disables the reaper.
+	// connection before the background reaper fully disposes it.
+	// Default: 1h. Negative value disables the reaper.
 	ContextTTL time.Duration
 
 	// ActionRateLimit configures the default token-bucket rate limiter for
diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index eb6d5e4..536a53a 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type Context struct {
 	createdAt           time.Time
 	sseConnected        atomic.Bool
 	sseDisconnectedAt   atomic.Pointer[time.Time]
+	suspended           atomic.Bool
 }
 
 // View defines the UI rendered by this context.
@@ -400,6 +401,13 @@ func (c *Context) resetPageState() {
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
+// suspend frees page-scoped resources while keeping the context shell alive
+// in the registry for seamless re-init on reconnect.
+func (c *Context) suspend() {
+	c.resetPageState()
+	c.suspended.Store(true)
+}
+
 // Navigate performs an SPA navigation to the given path. It resets page state,
 // runs the target page's init function (with middleware), and pushes the new
 // view over the existing SSE connection with a view transition animation.
diff --git a/via.go b/via.go
index 03098fe..26b845b 100644
--- a/via.go
+++ b/via.go
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ func (v *V) Config(cfg Options) {
 		v.defaultNATS = nil
 		v.pubsub = cfg.PubSub
 	}
+	if cfg.ContextSuspendAfter != 0 {
+		v.cfg.ContextSuspendAfter = cfg.ContextSuspendAfter
+	}
 	if cfg.ContextTTL != 0 {
 		v.cfg.ContextTTL = cfg.ContextTTL
 	}
@@ -292,9 +295,16 @@ func (v *V) startReaper() {
 		return
 	}
 	if ttl == 0 {
-		ttl = 30 * time.Second
+		ttl = time.Hour
 	}
-	interval := ttl / 3
+	suspendAfter := v.cfg.ContextSuspendAfter
+	if suspendAfter == 0 {
+		suspendAfter = 15 * time.Minute
+	}
+	if suspendAfter > ttl {
+		suspendAfter = ttl
+	}
+	interval := suspendAfter / 3
 	if interval < 5*time.Second {
 		interval = 5 * time.Second
 	}
@@ -307,35 +317,39 @@ func (v *V) startReaper() {
 			case <-v.reaperStop:
 				return
 			case <-ticker.C:
-				v.reapOrphanedContexts(ttl)
+				v.reapOrphanedContexts(suspendAfter, ttl)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
 }
 
-func (v *V) reapOrphanedContexts(ttl time.Duration) {
+func (v *V) reapOrphanedContexts(suspendAfter, ttl time.Duration) {
 	now := time.Now()
 	v.contextRegistryMutex.RLock()
-	var orphans []*Context
+	var toSuspend, toReap []*Context
 	for _, c := range v.contextRegistry {
 		if c.sseConnected.Load() {
 			continue
 		}
+		var disconnectedFor time.Duration
 		if dc := c.sseDisconnectedAt.Load(); dc != nil {
-			// SSE was connected then dropped — reap if gone too long
-			if now.Sub(*dc) > ttl {
-				orphans = append(orphans, c)
-			}
+			disconnectedFor = now.Sub(*dc)
 		} else {
-			// SSE never connected — reap based on creation time
-			if now.Sub(c.createdAt) > ttl {
-				orphans = append(orphans, c)
-			}
+			disconnectedFor = now.Sub(c.createdAt)
+		}
+		if disconnectedFor > ttl {
+			toReap = append(toReap, c)
+		} else if disconnectedFor > suspendAfter && !c.suspended.Load() {
+			toSuspend = append(toSuspend, c)
 		}
 	}
 	v.contextRegistryMutex.RUnlock()
 
-	for _, c := range orphans {
+	for _, c := range toSuspend {
+		v.logInfo(c, "suspending context (no SSE connection after %s)", suspendAfter)
+		c.suspend()
+	}
+	for _, c := range toReap {
 		v.logInfo(c, "reaping orphaned context (no SSE connection after %s)", ttl)
 		v.cleanupCtx(c)
 	}
@@ -625,7 +639,9 @@ func New() *V {
 		}
 		c, err := v.getCtx(cID)
 		if err != nil {
-			v.logErr(nil, "sse stream failed to start: %v", err)
+			v.logInfo(nil, "context expired, reloading client: %s", cID)
+			sse := datastar.NewSSE(w, r)
+			sse.ExecuteScript("window.location.reload()")
 			return
 		}
 		c.reqCtx = r.Context()
@@ -650,6 +666,16 @@ func New() *V {
 		c.sseDisconnectedAt.Store(nil)
 		v.logDebug(c, "SSE connection established")
 
+		if c.suspended.Load() {
+			c.navMu.Lock()
+			c.suspended.Store(false)
+			if initFn := v.pageRegistry[c.route]; initFn != nil {
+				v.logInfo(c, "resuming suspended context")
+				initFn(c)
+			}
+			c.navMu.Unlock()
+		}
+
 		go c.Sync()
 
 		for {
diff --git a/via_test.go b/via_test.go
index 190eb14..8f22771 100644
--- a/via_test.go
+++ b/via_test.go
@@ -303,12 +303,63 @@ func TestReaperCleansOrphanedContexts(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := v.getCtx("orphan-1")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	v.reapOrphanedContexts(10 * time.Second)
+	v.reapOrphanedContexts(5*time.Second, 10*time.Second)
 
 	_, err = v.getCtx("orphan-1")
 	assert.Error(t, err, "orphaned context should have been reaped")
 }
 
+func TestReaperSuspendsContext(t *testing.T) {
+	v := New()
+	c := newContext("suspend-1", "/", v)
+	dc := time.Now().Add(-20 * time.Minute)
+	c.sseDisconnectedAt.Store(&dc)
+	v.registerCtx(c)
+
+	v.reapOrphanedContexts(15*time.Minute, time.Hour)
+
+	got, err := v.getCtx("suspend-1")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "suspended context should still be in registry")
+	assert.True(t, got.suspended.Load(), "context should be marked suspended")
+}
+
+func TestReaperReapsAfterTTL(t *testing.T) {
+	v := New()
+	c := newContext("reap-1", "/", v)
+	dc := time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour)
+	c.sseDisconnectedAt.Store(&dc)
+	c.suspended.Store(true)
+	v.registerCtx(c)
+
+	v.reapOrphanedContexts(15*time.Minute, time.Hour)
+
+	_, err := v.getCtx("reap-1")
+	assert.Error(t, err, "context past TTL should have been reaped")
+}
+
+func TestReaperIgnoresAlreadySuspended(t *testing.T) {
+	v := New()
+	c := newContext("already-sus-1", "/", v)
+	dc := time.Now().Add(-20 * time.Minute)
+	c.sseDisconnectedAt.Store(&dc)
+	c.suspended.Store(true)
+	// give it a fresh pageStopChan so we can verify it's not re-closed
+	c.pageStopChan = make(chan struct{})
+	v.registerCtx(c)
+
+	v.reapOrphanedContexts(15*time.Minute, time.Hour)
+
+	got, err := v.getCtx("already-sus-1")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "already-suspended context within TTL should survive")
+	assert.True(t, got.suspended.Load())
+	// pageStopChan should still be open (not re-suspended)
+	select {
+	case <-got.pageStopChan:
+		t.Fatal("pageStopChan was closed — context was re-suspended")
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReaperIgnoresConnectedContexts(t *testing.T) {
 	v := New()
 	c := newContext("connected-1", "/", v)
@@ -316,7 +367,7 @@ func TestReaperIgnoresConnectedContexts(t *testing.T) {
 	c.sseConnected.Store(true)
 	v.registerCtx(c)
 
-	v.reapOrphanedContexts(10 * time.Second)
+	v.reapOrphanedContexts(5*time.Second, 10*time.Second)
 
 	_, err := v.getCtx("connected-1")
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "connected context should survive reaping")