diff --git a/cypress/e2e/data_layer/main.py b/cypress/e2e/data_layer/main.py
index 21c682e836..e1752215fc 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/data_layer/main.py
+++ b/cypress/e2e/data_layer/main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+import os.path
+import pickle
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 
 import chainlit.data as cl_data
+from chainlit.socket import persist_user_session
 from chainlit.step import StepDict
 from literalai.helper import utc_now
 
@@ -8,9 +11,6 @@
 
 now = utc_now()
 
-create_step_counter = 0
-
-
 thread_history = [
     {
         "id": "test1",
@@ -61,6 +61,22 @@
 ]  # type: List[cl_data.ThreadDict]
 deleted_thread_ids = []  # type: List[str]
 
+THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH = os.getenv("THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH")
+if THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH and os.path.exists(THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH):
+    with open(THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH, "rb") as f:
+        thread_history = pickle.load(f)
+
+
+async def save_thread_history():
+    if THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH:
+        # Force saving of thread history for reload when server restarts
+        await persist_user_session(
+            cl.context.session.thread_id, cl.context.session.to_persistable()
+        )
+
+        with open(THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH, "wb") as out_file:
+            pickle.dump(thread_history, out_file)
+
 
 class TestDataLayer(cl_data.BaseDataLayer):
     async def get_user(self, identifier: str):
@@ -101,8 +117,9 @@ async def update_thread(
 
     @cl_data.queue_until_user_message()
     async def create_step(self, step_dict: StepDict):
-        global create_step_counter
-        create_step_counter += 1
+        cl.user_session.set(
+            "create_step_counter", cl.user_session.get("create_step_counter") + 1
+        )
 
         thread = next(
             (t for t in thread_history if t["id"] == step_dict.get("threadId")), None
@@ -138,11 +155,14 @@ async def delete_thread(self, thread_id: str):
 
 
 async def send_count():
+    create_step_counter = cl.user_session.get("create_step_counter")
     await cl.Message(f"Create step counter: {create_step_counter}").send()
 
 
 @cl.on_chat_start
 async def main():
+    # Add step counter to session so that it is saved in thread metadata
+    cl.user_session.set("create_step_counter", 0)
     await cl.Message("Hello, send me a message!").send()
     await send_count()
 
@@ -157,6 +177,8 @@ async def handle_message():
     await cl.Message("Ok!").send()
     await send_count()
 
+    await save_thread_history()
+
 
 @cl.password_auth_callback
 def auth_callback(username: str, password: str) -> Optional[cl.User]:
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/data_layer/spec.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/data_layer/spec.cy.ts
index 4f16e8dc8b..0320e89e98 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/data_layer/spec.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/data_layer/spec.cy.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+import { sep } from 'path';
+
 import { runTestServer, submitMessage } from '../../support/testUtils';
+import { ExecutionMode } from '../../support/utils';
 
 function login() {
   cy.get("[id='email']").type('admin');
@@ -71,9 +74,50 @@ function resumeThread() {
   cy.get('.step').eq(8).should('contain', 'chat_profile');
 }
 
+function restartServer(
+  mode: ExecutionMode = undefined,
+  env?: Record<string, string>
+) {
+  const pathItems = Cypress.spec.absolute.split(sep);
+  const testName = pathItems[pathItems.length - 2];
+  cy.exec(`pnpm exec ts-node ./cypress/support/run.ts ${testName} ${mode}`, {
+    env
+  });
+}
+
+function continueThread() {
+  cy.get('.step').eq(7).should('contain', 'Welcome back to Hello');
+
+  submitMessage('Hello after restart');
+
+  // Verify that new step counter messages have been added
+  cy.get('.step').eq(11).should('contain', 'Create step counter: 14');
+  cy.get('.step').eq(14).should('contain', 'Create step counter: 17');
+}
+
+function newThread() {
+  cy.get('#new-chat-button').click();
+  cy.get('#confirm').click();
+}
+
 describe('Data Layer', () => {
-  before(() => {
-    runTestServer();
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Set up the thread history file
+    const pathItems = Cypress.spec.absolute.split(sep);
+    pathItems[pathItems.length - 1] = 'thread_history.pickle';
+    const threadHistoryFile = pathItems.join(sep);
+    cy.wrap(threadHistoryFile).as('threadHistoryFile');
+
+    runTestServer(undefined, {
+      THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH: threadHistoryFile
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cy.get('@threadHistoryFile').then((threadHistoryFile) => {
+      // Clean up the thread history file
+      cy.exec(`rm ${threadHistoryFile}`);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Data Features with persistence', () => {
@@ -84,5 +128,24 @@ describe('Data Layer', () => {
       threadList();
       resumeThread();
     });
+
+    it('should continue the thread after backend restarts and work with new thread as usual', () => {
+      login();
+      feedback();
+      threadQueue();
+
+      cy.get('@threadHistoryFile').then((threadHistoryFile) => {
+        restartServer(undefined, {
+          THREAD_HISTORY_PICKLE_PATH: `${threadHistoryFile}`
+        });
+      });
+      // Continue the thread and verify that the step counter is not reset
+      continueThread();
+
+      // Create a new thread and verify that the step counter is reset
+      newThread();
+      feedback();
+      threadQueue();
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/libs/react-client/src/useChatSession.ts b/libs/react-client/src/useChatSession.ts
index 6ff4e77bb8..ffa817c586 100644
--- a/libs/react-client/src/useChatSession.ts
+++ b/libs/react-client/src/useChatSession.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { debounce } from 'lodash';
-import { useCallback, useContext } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useContext, useEffect } from 'react';
 import {
   useRecoilState,
   useRecoilValue,
@@ -63,7 +63,17 @@ const useChatSession = () => {
   const setTokenCount = useSetRecoilState(tokenCountState);
   const [chatProfile, setChatProfile] = useRecoilState(chatProfileState);
   const idToResume = useRecoilValue(threadIdToResumeState);
-  const setCurrentThreadId = useSetRecoilState(currentThreadIdState);
+  const [currentThreadId, setCurrentThreadId] =
+    useRecoilState(currentThreadIdState);
+
+  // Use currentThreadId as thread id in websocket header
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (session?.socket) {
+      session.socket.io.opts.extraHeaders!['X-Chainlit-Thread-Id'] =
+        currentThreadId || '';
+    }
+  }, [currentThreadId]);
+
   const _connect = useCallback(
     ({
       userEnv,