diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/PlayerPaintSync.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Network/PlayerPaintSync.cs
index 81c03bf..56dc4f3 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Network/PlayerPaintSync.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/PlayerPaintSync.cs
@@ -263,6 +263,11 @@ public class PlayerPaintSync : NetworkBehaviour
             _snapReadyToApply = false;
             _painter.ApplyPaintSnapshot(_snapBuffer, _snapBaselineId);
             if (_snapCapturedSeq > _appliedCutoff) _appliedCutoff = _snapCapturedSeq; // receiver-side reveal gate
+            // The snapshot accounts for every event up to its cutoff, so raise this replica's horizon too.
+            // The SERVER replica serves late-join snapshots with _seqHorizon as the cutoff; without this a
+            // baseline that arrived AS a snapshot (owner publish, no live stamps since) would be served with
+            // a stale cutoff below the owner's published baseline, permanently reveal-gating the joiner.
+            if (_snapCapturedSeq > _seqHorizon) _seqHorizon = _snapCapturedSeq;
             if (logSync) LogSync($"applied snapshot baseline {_snapBaselineId}; replaying buffered events");
             FlushBuffered();
             _snapBuffer = null;