diff --git a/Game/scripts/control_plane_client.gd b/Game/scripts/control_plane_client.gd
index ab37ae73..8b6ecf80 100644
--- a/Game/scripts/control_plane_client.gd
+++ b/Game/scripts/control_plane_client.gd
@@ -275,6 +275,8 @@ static func is_retryable_mutation_response(response_code: int) -> bool:
 
 static func normalize_ticket(payload: Dictionary) -> Dictionary:
 	var result := payload.duplicate(true)
+	if result.has("enqueued_at") and result["enqueued_at"] is String:
+		result["enqueued_at_unix"] = Time.get_unix_time_from_datetime_string(String(result["enqueued_at"]))
 	if result.has("expires_at") and result["expires_at"] is String:
 		result["expires_at_unix"] = Time.get_unix_time_from_datetime_string(String(result["expires_at"]))
 	return result
diff --git a/Game/scripts/matchmaking.gd b/Game/scripts/matchmaking.gd
index b19aee2d..d64e85b2 100644
--- a/Game/scripts/matchmaking.gd
+++ b/Game/scripts/matchmaking.gd
@@ -175,7 +175,10 @@ func _render(snapshot: Dictionary) -> void:
 	if String(snapshot.get("message", "")) != "":
 		detail_label.text = String(snapshot["message"])
 	elif phase == MatchmakingState.QUEUED:
-		detail_label.text = "Elapsed %.0fs · revision %d" % [_elapsed_seconds, int(snapshot.get("revision", 0))]
+		var waited := _elapsed_seconds
+		if int(snapshot.get("enqueued_at_unix", 0)) > 0:
+			waited = float(ControlPlaneClient.state.waited_seconds(int(Time.get_unix_time_from_system())))
+		detail_label.text = "Waiting %.0fs · revision %d" % [waited, int(snapshot.get("revision", 0))]
 	elif phase == MatchmakingState.PROPOSED:
 		detail_label.text = "Review the proposal before the countdown expires"
 	elif phase == MatchmakingState.IDLE:
diff --git a/Game/scripts/matchmaking_state.gd b/Game/scripts/matchmaking_state.gd
index a750b821..b59aadd5 100644
--- a/Game/scripts/matchmaking_state.gd
+++ b/Game/scripts/matchmaking_state.gd
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ var phase := IDLE
 var ticket_id := ""
 var playlist := ""
 var revision := 0
+var enqueued_at_unix := 0
 var expires_at_unix := 0
 var proposal_id := ""
 var proposal_revision := 0
@@ -61,6 +62,8 @@ func apply_ticket_update(update: Dictionary) -> bool:
 		# queued ticket's expiry is ever set at all.
 		if update.has("expires_at_unix"):
 			expires_at_unix = int(update["expires_at_unix"])
+		if update.has("enqueued_at_unix"):
+			enqueued_at_unix = maxi(0, int(update["enqueued_at_unix"]))
 		return true
 	if incoming_revision > revision + 1:
 		return _request_resync(self.ticket_id)
@@ -73,6 +76,8 @@ func apply_ticket_update(update: Dictionary) -> bool:
 		playlist = String(update["playlist"])
 	if update.has("expires_at_unix"):
 		expires_at_unix = int(update["expires_at_unix"])
+	if update.has("enqueued_at_unix"):
+		enqueued_at_unix = maxi(0, int(update["enqueued_at_unix"]))
 	if update.has("message"):
 		message = String(update["message"])
 	else:
@@ -173,6 +178,7 @@ func restore_snapshot(saved: Dictionary) -> bool:
 	playlist = saved_playlist
 	phase = saved_phase
 	revision = maxi(0, int(saved.get("revision", 0)))
+	enqueued_at_unix = maxi(0, int(saved.get("enqueued_at_unix", 0)))
 	expires_at_unix = maxi(0, int(saved.get("expires_at_unix", 0)))
 	proposal_id = String(saved.get("proposal_id", ""))
 	proposal_revision = maxi(0, int(saved.get("proposal_revision", 0)))
@@ -187,8 +193,14 @@ func can_cancel() -> bool:
 	return phase == QUEUED or phase == PROPOSED or phase == ALLOCATING
 
 
+func waited_seconds(now_unix: int) -> int:
+	if enqueued_at_unix <= 0:
+		return 0
+	return maxi(0, now_unix - enqueued_at_unix)
+
+
 func snapshot() -> Dictionary:
-	return {"phase": phase, "ticket_id": ticket_id, "playlist": playlist, "revision": revision, "expires_at_unix": expires_at_unix, "proposal_id": proposal_id, "proposal_revision": proposal_revision, "proposal_state": proposal_state, "message": message, "needs_resync": needs_resync}
+	return {"phase": phase, "ticket_id": ticket_id, "playlist": playlist, "revision": revision, "enqueued_at_unix": enqueued_at_unix, "expires_at_unix": expires_at_unix, "proposal_id": proposal_id, "proposal_revision": proposal_revision, "proposal_state": proposal_state, "message": message, "needs_resync": needs_resync}
 
 
 func _ticket_differs(update: Dictionary) -> bool:
@@ -219,6 +231,7 @@ func _reset() -> void:
 	phase = IDLE
 	playlist = ""
 	revision = 0
+	enqueued_at_unix = 0
 	expires_at_unix = 0
 	proposal_id = ""
 	proposal_revision = 0
diff --git a/Game/tests/cases/test_control_plane_client.gd b/Game/tests/cases/test_control_plane_client.gd
index 82209efc..94eeaef9 100644
--- a/Game/tests/cases/test_control_plane_client.gd
+++ b/Game/tests/cases/test_control_plane_client.gd
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ func test_ticket_normalization_preserves_payload_and_derives_expiry() -> void:
 	assert_true(not payload.has("expires_at_unix"), "normalization does not mutate the HTTP payload")
 
 
+func test_ticket_normalization_derives_authoritative_enqueue_time() -> void:
+	var normalized := ControlPlaneClient.normalize_ticket({"enqueued_at": "1970-01-01T00:16:40Z"})
+	assert_eq(int(normalized["enqueued_at_unix"]), 1000, "RFC3339 enqueue time is converted to epoch")
+
+
 func test_websocket_event_validation_requires_contract_specific_fields() -> void:
 	var envelope := {"event": "state_changed", "revision": 1, "resource_id": "ticket-1", "occurred_at": "2026-08-31T12:00:00Z", "state": "QUEUED"}
 	assert_true(ControlPlaneClient._valid_websocket_event(envelope), "valid state event is accepted")
diff --git a/Game/tests/cases/test_matchmaking_state.gd b/Game/tests/cases/test_matchmaking_state.gd
index 4d176cf4..5d76fe62 100644
--- a/Game/tests/cases/test_matchmaking_state.gd
+++ b/Game/tests/cases/test_matchmaking_state.gd
@@ -84,3 +84,13 @@ func test_restart_restore_requires_valid_identity_and_requests_authoritative_rec
 	assert_true(not state.restore_snapshot({"phase": "QUEUED", "ticket_id": "", "playlist": "casual"}), "missing ticket identity is rejected")
 	assert_eq(state.phase, MatchmakingState.IDLE, "invalid restore cannot leave stale active state")
 	assert_true(not state.restore_snapshot({"phase": "NOT_A_STATE", "ticket_id": "ticket-1", "playlist": "casual"}), "unknown state is rejected")
+
+
+func test_authoritative_enqueue_time_survives_wait_projection_and_restore() -> void:
+	var state := MatchmakingState.new()
+	assert_true(state.begin_queue("ticket-wait", "casual"), "queue setup succeeds")
+	assert_true(state.apply_ticket_update({"ticket_id": "ticket-wait", "revision": 0, "state": "QUEUED", "playlist": "casual", "enqueued_at_unix": 1000}), "server enqueue timestamp applies")
+	assert_eq(state.waited_seconds(1065), 65, "wait uses server enqueue time")
+	var restored := MatchmakingState.new()
+	assert_true(restored.restore_snapshot(state.snapshot()), "snapshot restores")
+	assert_eq(restored.waited_seconds(1065), 65, "authoritative wait survives restore")
diff --git a/multiplayer-next.md b/multiplayer-next.md
index daa19f48..7378a601 100644
--- a/multiplayer-next.md
+++ b/multiplayer-next.md
@@ -1526,3 +1526,5 @@ silent client-side stale state. Normal, race, vet, and SQL-shape checks pass;
 the live PostgreSQL chaos/restart gate remains part of 8.50.
 
 The ENet gate now auto-detects `/Applications/Godot.app/Contents/MacOS/Godot` when no PATH executable or `GODOT_BIN` override exists, while retaining explicit override precedence. The same gate passes without an environment override on this macOS host.
+
+The client matchmaking projection now preserves the server's `enqueued_at` timestamp through normalization, snapshots, and recovery, and uses it for the displayed queue wait when available. This prevents a client restart or delayed response from resetting the user's perceived wait to local process uptime; a local timer remains the fallback when older responses omit the timestamp. Godot state and normalization tests cover the projection and restore path.