diff --git a/deploy/scripts/libexec/left4me-journalctl b/deploy/scripts/libexec/left4me-journalctl
index 2e5d3df..f3921b6 100755
--- a/deploy/scripts/libexec/left4me-journalctl
+++ b/deploy/scripts/libexec/left4me-journalctl
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ case "$follow_flag" in
 esac
 
 unit="left4me-server@${name}.service"
+
+if [ -x /bin/systemctl ]; then
+    systemctl=/bin/systemctl
+elif [ -x /usr/bin/systemctl ]; then
+    systemctl=/usr/bin/systemctl
+else
+    printf '%s\n' 'systemctl not found at /bin/systemctl or /usr/bin/systemctl' >&2
+    exit 69
+fi
+
 if [ -x /bin/journalctl ]; then
     journalctl=/bin/journalctl
 elif [ -x /usr/bin/journalctl ]; then
@@ -46,8 +56,20 @@ else
     exit 69
 fi
 
+# Anchor `--since` to the moment systemd began the unit's current start
+# transaction so the log panel starts at the latest run. Force LC_ALL=C so
+# the day-of-week prefix is in a locale journalctl reliably parses.
+start_time=$(LC_ALL=C "$systemctl" show -p InactiveExitTimestamp --value "$unit" 2>/dev/null || true)
+
+if [ -n "$start_time" ]; then
+    if [ -n "$follow_arg" ]; then
+        exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" --since "$start_time" -n "$lines" -o cat "$follow_arg"
+    fi
+    exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" --since "$start_time" -n "$lines" -o cat
+fi
+
+# Unit has never run: no --since cutoff. `-f` will attach on first start.
 if [ -n "$follow_arg" ]; then
     exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" -n "$lines" -o cat "$follow_arg"
 fi
-
 exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" -n "$lines" -o cat
diff --git a/deploy/scripts/tests/test_journalctl_helper.py b/deploy/scripts/tests/test_journalctl_helper.py
index 8566518..c04f94b 100644
--- a/deploy/scripts/tests/test_journalctl_helper.py
+++ b/deploy/scripts/tests/test_journalctl_helper.py
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ def test_journalctl_helper_passes_shell_syntax_check_and_rejects_bad_args(tmp_pa
             env=env_with_fake_commands(tmp_path),
             check=False,
         )
-        assert result.returncode != 0
-        assert not marker.exists()
+        assert result.returncode != 0, f"helper accepted bad args: {args!r}"
+        assert not marker.exists(), f"helper invoked journalctl for: {args!r}"
 
     script = JOURNALCTL_HELPER.read_text()
     assert 'unit="left4me-server@${name}.service"' in script
+    # Anchors `--since` to the unit's most recent start so the panel shows
+    # the current run (and any post-restart lines until reload).
+    assert 'InactiveExitTimestamp' in script
+    assert 'LC_ALL=C' in script
+    assert 'exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" --since "$start_time" -n "$lines" -o cat "$follow_arg"' in script
+    assert 'exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" --since "$start_time" -n "$lines" -o cat' in script
+    # Never-started fallback keeps the legacy unit-only form.
     assert 'exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" -n "$lines" -o cat "$follow_arg"' in script
     assert 'exec "$journalctl" -u "$unit" -n "$lines" -o cat' in script