diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index cb454bd..d22c3a9 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
 const app = express();
 const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3002;
 
+// CORS middleware
+app.use((req, res, next) => {
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS');
+  res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Content-Type, Accept');
+  if (req.method === 'OPTIONS') {
+    return res.status(204).send();
+  }
+  next();
+});
+
 // Middleware
 app.use(express.json({ limit: '50mb' }));
 app.use(express.text({ type: '*/*' }));
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 1da7e28..737d83f 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -8,27 +8,26 @@ import {
   closeTerminal,
 } from './lib/terminalApi';
 import { getDefaultTheme, type TerminalTheme } from './lib/terminalTheme';
-import { useTerminalStore, type TerminalChunk } from './stores/useTerminalStore';
+import { type TerminalChunk } from './stores/useTerminalStore';
 
 const DEFAULT_CWD = '/workspace';
 const DEFAULT_FONT_SIZE = 14;
 const DEFAULT_FONT_FAMILY = 'IBM Plex Mono';
 
-function App() {
-  const [isConnected, setIsConnected] = useState(false);
-  const [isConnecting, setIsConnecting] = useState(false);
-  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  const [chunks, setChunks] = useState<TerminalChunk[]>([]);
+function TerminalPanel({ initialCwd, connectDelay = 0 }: { initialCwd: string; connectDelay?: number }) {
   const [theme] = useState<TerminalTheme>(getDefaultTheme());
   const [fontSize] = useState(DEFAULT_FONT_SIZE);
   const [fontFamily] = useState(DEFAULT_FONT_FAMILY);
-  const [cwd, setCwd] = useState(DEFAULT_CWD);
-  const [inputCwd, setInputCwd] = useState(DEFAULT_CWD);
+  const [chunks, setChunks] = useState<TerminalChunk[]>([]);
+  const [isConnected, setIsConnected] = useState(false);
+  const [isConnecting, setIsConnecting] = useState(false);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const sessionIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   const cleanupRef = useRef<(() => void) | null>(null);
   const nextChunkIdRef = useRef(1);
   const isMountedRef = useRef(true);
+  const hasConnectedRef = useRef(false);
 
   const handleInput = useCallback(async (data: string) => {
     const sessionId = sessionIdRef.current;
@@ -52,122 +51,112 @@ function App() {
     }
   }, []);
 
-  const connectToTerminal = useCallback(async (targetCwd: string) => {
-    // Cleanup previous session
-    if (cleanupRef.current) {
-      cleanupRef.current();
-      cleanupRef.current = null;
-    }
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // Skip if already connected (e.g., React strict mode double-mount)
+    if (hasConnectedRef.current) return;
 
-    if (sessionIdRef.current) {
-      try {
-        await closeTerminal(sessionIdRef.current);
-      } catch {
-        // Ignore cleanup errors
+    isMountedRef.current = true;
+
+    const connectToTerminal = async (targetCwd: string) => {
+      // Cleanup previous session
+      if (cleanupRef.current) {
+        cleanupRef.current();
+        cleanupRef.current = null;
       }
+
+      if (sessionIdRef.current) {
+        try {
+          await closeTerminal(sessionIdRef.current);
+        } catch {
+          // Ignore cleanup errors
+        }
+      }
+
+      setIsConnecting(true);
+      setError(null);
+      setChunks([]);
       sessionIdRef.current = null;
-    }
+      nextChunkIdRef.current = 1;
 
-    setIsConnecting(true);
-    setError(null);
-    setChunks([]);
-    nextChunkIdRef.current = 1;
+      try {
+        const session = await createTerminalSession({
+          cwd: targetCwd,
+          cols: 80,
+          rows: 24,
+        });
 
-    try {
-      const session = await createTerminalSession({
-        cwd: targetCwd,
-        cols: 80,
-        rows: 24,
-      });
+        if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
 
-      if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
+        sessionIdRef.current = session.sessionId;
 
-      sessionIdRef.current = session.sessionId;
+        cleanupRef.current = connectTerminalStream(
+          session.sessionId,
+          (event) => {
+            if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
 
-      cleanupRef.current = connectTerminalStream(
-        session.sessionId,
-        (event) => {
-          if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
-
-          if (event.type === 'connected') {
-            setIsConnected(true);
-            setIsConnecting(false);
-          } else if (event.type === 'data' && event.data) {
-            setChunks((prev) => {
+            if (event.type === 'connected') {
+              setIsConnected(true);
+              setIsConnecting(false);
+            } else if (event.type === 'data' && event.data) {
               const newChunk: TerminalChunk = {
                 id: nextChunkIdRef.current++,
-                data: event.data!,
+                data: event.data,
               };
-              return [...prev, newChunk];
-            });
-          } else if (event.type === 'exit') {
-            setIsConnected(false);
-            if (event.exitCode !== 0) {
-              setError(`Terminal exited with code ${event.exitCode}`);
+              setChunks((prev) => [...prev, newChunk]);
+            } else if (event.type === 'exit') {
+              setIsConnected(false);
+              if (event.exitCode !== 0) {
+                setError(`Terminal exited with code ${event.exitCode}`);
+              }
+            } else if (event.type === 'reconnecting') {
+              setIsConnecting(true);
             }
-          } else if (event.type === 'reconnecting') {
-            setIsConnecting(true);
+          },
+          (err, fatal) => {
+            console.error('Terminal error:', err);
+            setIsConnected(false);
+            if (fatal) {
+              setError(err.message);
+            }
+            setIsConnecting(false);
           }
-        },
-        (err, fatal) => {
-          console.error('Terminal error:', err);
-          setIsConnected(false);
-          if (fatal) {
-            setError(err.message);
-          }
-          setIsConnecting(false);
-        }
-      );
-    } catch (err) {
-      if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
-      setIsConnecting(false);
-      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to create terminal');
-    }
-  }, []);
-
-  const handleConnect = useCallback(() => {
-    if (inputCwd.trim()) {
-      setCwd(inputCwd.trim());
-      connectToTerminal(inputCwd.trim());
-    }
-  }, [inputCwd, connectToTerminal]);
-
-  const handleDisconnect = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (cleanupRef.current) {
-      cleanupRef.current();
-      cleanupRef.current = null;
-    }
-
-    if (sessionIdRef.current) {
-      try {
-        await closeTerminal(sessionIdRef.current);
-      } catch {
-        // Ignore cleanup errors
+        );
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
+        setIsConnecting(false);
+        setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to create terminal');
       }
-      sessionIdRef.current = null;
-    }
+    };
 
-    setIsConnected(false);
-    setChunks([]);
-  }, []);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    isMountedRef.current = true;
-    connectToTerminal(DEFAULT_CWD);
+    // Apply connection delay to stagger connections
+    const delay = connectDelay > 0 ? connectDelay : 0;
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+      hasConnectedRef.current = true;
+      connectToTerminal(initialCwd);
+    }, delay);
 
     return () => {
+      clearTimeout(timeoutId);
       isMountedRef.current = false;
       if (cleanupRef.current) {
         cleanupRef.current();
       }
     };
-  }, [connectToTerminal]);
+  }, [initialCwd, connectDelay]);
 
   return (
-    <div className="h-screen w-screen flex flex-col bg-[#1e1e1e]">
+    <div className="h-full w-full flex flex-col bg-[#1e1e1e] border border-[#3c3c3c]">
+      {/* Panel header */}
+      <div className="px-2 py-1 bg-[#2d2d2d] text-white text-xs flex items-center justify-between border-b border-[#3c3c3c]">
+        <span className="truncate">{initialCwd}</span>
+        <span className={isConnected ? 'text-[#4caf50]' : 'text-[#808080]'}>
+          {isConnected ? 'Connected' : isConnecting ? 'Connecting...' : 'Not connected'}
+        </span>
+      </div>
+
       {/* Error message */}
       {error && (
-        <div className="px-4 py-2 bg-[#3c3c3c] text-[#f14c4c] text-sm">
+        <div className="px-2 py-1 bg-[#3c3c3c] text-[#f14c4c] text-xs">
           {error}
         </div>
       )}
@@ -176,7 +165,7 @@ function App() {
       <div className="flex-1 min-h-0">
         {isConnected ? (
           <TerminalViewport
-            sessionKey={`${cwd}-${sessionIdRef.current}`}
+            sessionKey={`${initialCwd}-${sessionIdRef.current}`}
             chunks={chunks}
             onInput={handleInput}
             onResize={handleResize}
@@ -186,17 +175,24 @@ function App() {
             autoFocus
           />
         ) : (
-          <div className="h-full flex items-center justify-center text-[#808080]">
-            {isConnecting ? 'Connecting to terminal...' : 'Click "Connect" to start a terminal session'}
+          <div className="h-full flex items-center justify-center text-[#808080] text-sm">
+            {isConnecting ? 'Connecting...' : 'Click to connect'}
           </div>
         )}
       </div>
-
-      {/* Footer */}
-      <div className="px-4 py-1 bg-[#007acc] text-white text-xs flex items-center justify-between">
-        <span>{cwd}</span>
-        <span>{isConnected ? 'Connected' : 'Not connected'}</span>
-      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+function App() {
+  return (
+    <div className="grid grid-cols-3 grid-rows-2 gap-1 h-screen w-screen bg-[#1e1e1e]">
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={0} />
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={200} />
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={400} />
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={600} />
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={800} />
+      <TerminalPanel initialCwd={DEFAULT_CWD} connectDelay={1000} />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index 558e986..0c99825 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ export default defineConfig({
       '/api': {
         target: 'http://localhost:3002',
         changeOrigin: true,
+        ws: true,
+        rewrite: (path) => path,
       },
     },
   },