Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, determine whether a user at a first client has a chat session already active at a second client with a third client in response to a request for initiation of a chat session for the user at the first client. If the user does already have a chat session active, the third client is notified that the first client replaces the second client in the chat session. Then chat data from the second client is copied to the first client, and a disconnect message is sent to the second client from first client. In various embodiments, the determination may be made by sending a query to a plurality of clients connected via a network or by sending a query to a server that serves the first client, the second client, and the third client. The copied chat data, which may include messages sent between the second client and the third client, is presented at the first client.