diff --git a/packages/chat-headless/src/ChatHeadlessImpl.ts b/packages/chat-headless/src/ChatHeadlessImpl.ts
index 4fc5050..88eacea 100644
--- a/packages/chat-headless/src/ChatHeadlessImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/chat-headless/src/ChatHeadlessImpl.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ import {
   ChatEventPayLoad,
 } from "@yext/analytics";
 import { getClientSdk } from "./utils/clientSdk";
-import { isChatEventClient } from "./models/clients/ChatEventClient";
+import {
+  ChatEventClient,
+  isChatEventClient,
+} from "./models/clients/ChatEventClient";
 
 const BASE_HANDOFF_CREDENTIALS_SESSION_STORAGE_KEY =
   "yext_chat_handoff_credentials";
@@ -186,7 +189,7 @@ export class ChatHeadlessImpl implements ChatHeadless {
     if (isChatEventClient(nextClient)) {
       try {
         if (this.sessionAgentCredentials) {
-          await nextClient.reinitializeSession(this.sessionAgentCredentials);
+          await this.reinitializeAgentSession(nextClient);
         } else {
           const creds = await nextClient.init({
             conversationId: this.state.conversation.conversationId,
@@ -208,6 +211,12 @@ export class ChatHeadlessImpl implements ChatHeadless {
     this.chatClient = nextClient;
   }
 
+  private async reinitializeAgentSession(client: ChatEventClient) {
+    this.setCanSendMessage(false);
+    await client.reinitializeSession(this.sessionAgentCredentials);
+    this.setCanSendMessage(true);
+  }
+
   addClientSdk(additionalClientSdk: Record<string, string>) {
     const { analyticsConfig } = this.config;
     this.config.analyticsConfig = {
@@ -254,8 +263,12 @@ export class ChatHeadlessImpl implements ChatHeadless {
       );
       return;
     }
-      
+
     this.credentialsSessionStorageKey = `${BASE_HANDOFF_CREDENTIALS_SESSION_STORAGE_KEY}__${hostname}__${this.config.botId}`;
+    
+    if (this.sessionAgentCredentials) {
+      this.handoff();
+    }
   }
 
   async report(
@@ -352,10 +365,6 @@ export class ChatHeadlessImpl implements ChatHeadless {
     text?: string,
     source: MessageSource = MessageSource.USER
   ): Promise<MessageResponse | undefined> {
-    if(this.sessionAgentCredentials && !isChatEventClient(this.chatClient)) {
-      await this.handoff();
-    }
-
     const client = this.chatClient;
     if (isChatEventClient(client)) {
       const { conversationId, notes } = this.state.conversation;
diff --git a/packages/chat-headless/tests/chatheadless.clients.test.ts b/packages/chat-headless/tests/chatheadless.clients.test.ts
index f07b01f..8fdd465 100644
--- a/packages/chat-headless/tests/chatheadless.clients.test.ts
+++ b/packages/chat-headless/tests/chatheadless.clients.test.ts
@@ -207,7 +207,9 @@ it("reinitializes session using credentials saved in session storage", async ()
     agent: agentClient,
   });
 
-  expect(sessionStorage.getItem("yext_chat_handoff_credentials__localhost__botId")).toBeNull();
+  expect(
+    sessionStorage.getItem("yext_chat_handoff_credentials__localhost__botId")
+  ).toBeNull();
 
   // start with bot client, immediately trigger handoff
   await headless.getNextMessage();
@@ -220,11 +222,16 @@ it("reinitializes session using credentials saved in session storage", async ()
     agent: agentClient,
   });
 
-  // agent client is the active client
-  await headless.getNextMessage();
   expect(agentClient.init).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
   expect(agentClient.reinitializeSession).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-  expect(agentClient.reinitializeSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith("mock-conversation-id");
+  expect(agentClient.reinitializeSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+    "mock-conversation-id"
+  );
+
+  // process the async reinitializeSession
+  await jest.runAllTimersAsync();
+
+  await headless.getNextMessage();
   expect(botClient.getNextMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   expect(agentClient.processMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 });
@@ -247,7 +254,9 @@ it("does not reinitialize session if saveToLocalStorage is false", async () => {
   expect(botClient.getNextMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   expect(agentClient.init).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 
-  expect(sessionStorage.getItem("yext_chat_handoff_credentials__localhost__botId")).toBeNull();
+  expect(
+    sessionStorage.getItem("yext_chat_handoff_credentials__localhost__botId")
+  ).toBeNull();
 
   agentClient = createMockEventClient(callbacks);
   headless = provideChatHeadless(newConfig, {