diff --git a/js/historyView.js b/js/historyView.js
index 0f9b12bc..8110b213 100644
--- a/js/historyView.js
+++ b/js/historyView.js
@@ -739,6 +739,12 @@ export function createWatchHistoryRenderer(config = {}) {
     },
   } = config;
 
+  const syncEnabled = watchHistoryService.isEnabled?.() === true;
+  const localSupported =
+    typeof watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory === "function"
+      ? watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory() !== false
+      : true;
+
   const state = {
     initialized: false,
     actor: null,
@@ -763,7 +769,9 @@ export function createWatchHistoryRenderer(config = {}) {
         ? watchHistoryService.shouldStoreMetadata() !== false
         : true,
     sessionFallbackActive: false,
-    featureEnabled: watchHistoryService.isEnabled?.() === true,
+    syncEnabled,
+    localSupported,
+    featureEnabled: syncEnabled || localSupported,
   };
 
   let elements = {
@@ -895,18 +903,29 @@ export function createWatchHistoryRenderer(config = {}) {
   }
 
   function updateFeatureBanner() {
-    const enabled = watchHistoryService.isEnabled?.() === true;
-    state.featureEnabled = enabled;
+    const syncEnabled = watchHistoryService.isEnabled?.() === true;
+    const localSupported =
+      typeof watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory === "function"
+        ? watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory() !== false
+        : true;
+    state.syncEnabled = syncEnabled;
+    state.localSupported = localSupported;
+    state.featureEnabled = syncEnabled || localSupported;
     if (!(elements.featureBanner instanceof HTMLElement)) {
       return;
     }
-    if (enabled) {
+    if (syncEnabled) {
       elements.featureBanner.textContent = "";
       setHidden(elements.featureBanner, true);
       return;
     }
-    elements.featureBanner.textContent =
-      "Watch history sync is disabled on this server. Local history only.";
+    if (localSupported) {
+      elements.featureBanner.textContent =
+        "Watch history sync is disabled on this server. Local history only.";
+    } else {
+      elements.featureBanner.textContent =
+        "Watch history is disabled on this server.";
+    }
     setHidden(elements.featureBanner, false);
   }
 
diff --git a/js/watchHistoryService.js b/js/watchHistoryService.js
index ff5ca635..13f5e0a5 100644
--- a/js/watchHistoryService.js
+++ b/js/watchHistoryService.js
@@ -454,9 +454,6 @@ function getOrCreateQueue(actorKey) {
 }
 
 function restoreQueueState() {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return;
-  }
   if (state.restored) {
     return;
   }
@@ -567,9 +564,6 @@ function restoreQueueState() {
 }
 
 function ensureQueue(actorKey) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return null;
-  }
   if (!actorKey) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -580,9 +574,6 @@ function ensureQueue(actorKey) {
 }
 
 function persistQueueState() {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return;
-  }
   const storage = getSessionStorage();
   if (!storage) {
     return;
@@ -647,9 +638,6 @@ function resolveActorKey(actorInput) {
 }
 
 function collectQueueItems(actorKey) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return [];
-  }
   const queue = state.queues.get(actorKey);
   if (!queue) {
     return [];
@@ -675,9 +663,6 @@ function collectQueueItems(actorKey) {
 }
 
 function notifyQueueChange(actorKey) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return;
-  }
   emit("queue-changed", {
     actor: actorKey,
     items: collectQueueItems(actorKey),
@@ -685,9 +670,6 @@ function notifyQueueChange(actorKey) {
 }
 
 function clearQueue(actorKey) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return;
-  }
   const queue = state.queues.get(actorKey);
   if (!queue) {
     return;
@@ -834,17 +816,6 @@ async function publishView(pointerInput, createdAt, metadata = {}) {
     }
   );
 
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    console.info(
-      "[watchHistoryService] Watch history feature disabled; skipping queue update.",
-      {
-        pointer: pointerInput,
-        createdAt,
-      }
-    );
-    return viewResult;
-  }
-
   const pointer = normalizePointerInput(pointerInput);
   if (!pointer) {
     console.warn(
@@ -981,6 +952,17 @@ async function publishView(pointerInput, createdAt, metadata = {}) {
     }
   );
 
+  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
+    console.info(
+      "[watchHistoryService] Watch history sync disabled; retaining pointer in local session queue only.",
+      {
+        actor: actorKey,
+        pointerKey: key,
+        watchedAt: normalizedPointer.watchedAt,
+      }
+    );
+  }
+
   return viewResult;
 }
 
@@ -1104,18 +1086,26 @@ async function snapshot(items, options = {}) {
 }
 
 async function loadLatest(actorInput) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    console.info(
-      "[watchHistoryService] loadLatest skipped because watch history feature is disabled.",
-      { actor: resolveActorKey(actorInput) || null }
-    );
-    return [];
-  }
   const actorKey = resolveActorKey(actorInput);
   if (!actorKey) {
     return [];
   }
 
+  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
+    if (!state.restored) {
+      restoreQueueState();
+    }
+    const items = collectQueueItems(actorKey);
+    console.info(
+      "[watchHistoryService] loadLatest returning session watch history queue.",
+      {
+        actor: actorKey,
+        itemCount: items.length,
+      }
+    );
+    return items;
+  }
+
   const now = Date.now();
   const cacheEntry = state.fingerprintCache.get(actorKey);
   console.info(
@@ -1217,9 +1207,6 @@ async function getFingerprint(actorInput) {
 }
 
 function resetProgress(actorInput) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return;
-  }
   const actorKey = normalizeActorKey(actorInput);
   if (actorKey) {
     state.queues.delete(actorKey);
@@ -1237,9 +1224,6 @@ function resetProgress(actorInput) {
 }
 
 function getQueuedPointers(actorInput) {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return [];
-  }
   const actorKey = normalizeActorKey(actorInput);
   if (!actorKey) {
     return [];
@@ -1251,9 +1235,6 @@ function getQueuedPointers(actorInput) {
 }
 
 function getAllQueues() {
-  if (!isFeatureEnabled()) {
-    return {};
-  }
   if (!state.restored) {
     restoreQueueState();
   }
@@ -1280,6 +1261,7 @@ function getSettings() {
 
 const watchHistoryService = {
   isEnabled: isFeatureEnabled,
+  supportsLocalHistory: () => true,
   publishView,
   snapshot,
   loadLatest,
diff --git a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
index 8558c243..8f665191 100644
--- a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
@@ -980,12 +980,78 @@ async function testWatchHistoryServiceIntegration() {
   }
 }
 
+async function testWatchHistoryLocalFallbackWhenDisabled() {
+  console.log("Running watch history local fallback test...");
+
+  const actor = "local-fallback-actor";
+  const originalRecordView = nostrClient.recordVideoView;
+  const originalPub = nostrClient.pubkey;
+
+  try {
+    setWatchHistoryV2Enabled(false);
+    localStorage.clear();
+    watchHistoryService.resetProgress();
+    nostrClient.pubkey = "";
+    nostrClient.recordVideoView = async (_pointer, options = {}) => ({
+      ok: true,
+      event: {
+        id: "local-view",
+        pubkey: actor,
+        created_at: options.created_at || 1_700_500_000,
+      },
+    });
+
+    const supported =
+      typeof watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory === "function"
+        ? watchHistoryService.supportsLocalHistory()
+        : true;
+    assert.equal(
+      supported,
+      true,
+      "service should report local history support while sync disabled",
+    );
+
+    const createdAt = 1_700_500_000;
+    await watchHistoryService.publishView(
+      { type: "e", value: "local-pointer" },
+      createdAt,
+      { actor },
+    );
+
+    const queued = watchHistoryService.getQueuedPointers(actor);
+    assert.equal(
+      queued.length,
+      1,
+      "local queue should retain pointer when sync is disabled",
+    );
+
+    const latest = await watchHistoryService.loadLatest(actor);
+    assert.equal(
+      latest.length,
+      1,
+      "loadLatest should surface session queue entries when sync disabled",
+    );
+    assert.equal(latest[0]?.value, "local-pointer");
+    assert.equal(latest[0]?.type, "e");
+    assert(
+      Number.isFinite(latest[0]?.watchedAt) && latest[0].watchedAt > 0,
+      "local fallback entries should carry watchedAt timestamps",
+    );
+  } finally {
+    setWatchHistoryV2Enabled(true);
+    watchHistoryService.resetProgress();
+    nostrClient.recordVideoView = originalRecordView;
+    nostrClient.pubkey = originalPub;
+  }
+}
+
 await testPublishSnapshotCanonicalizationAndChunking();
 await testPublishSnapshotUsesExtensionCrypto();
 await testPublishSnapshotFailureRetry();
 await testWatchHistoryPartialRelayRetry();
 await testResolveWatchHistoryBatchingWindow();
 await testWatchHistoryServiceIntegration();
+await testWatchHistoryLocalFallbackWhenDisabled();
 
 console.log("watch-history.test.mjs completed successfully");