diff --git a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_processor.rs b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_processor.rs
index fc6a3281b4fd..7269fdacdade 100644
--- a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_processor.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_processor.rs
@@ -963,6 +963,12 @@ impl ThreadRequestProcessor {
             thread_source,
             environments,
         } = params;
+        if matches!(
+            history_mode,
+            Some(codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadHistoryMode::Paginated)
+        ) {
+            return Err(method_not_found("paginated_threads is not supported yet"));
+        }
         if sandbox.is_some() && permissions.is_some() {
             return Err(invalid_request(
                 "`permissions` cannot be combined with `sandbox`",
diff --git a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/create_thread.rs b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/create_thread.rs
index 9b370ef095f2..b9a75ad7bd25 100644
--- a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/create_thread.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/create_thread.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use super::LocalThreadStore;
 use crate::CreateThreadParams;
 use crate::ThreadStoreError;
 use crate::ThreadStoreResult;
-use crate::error::reject_paginated_history_mode;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadMemoryMode;
 use codex_rollout::RolloutConfig;
 use codex_rollout::RolloutRecorder;
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ pub(super) async fn create_thread(
     store: &LocalThreadStore,
     params: CreateThreadParams,
 ) -> ThreadStoreResult<RolloutRecorder> {
-    reject_paginated_history_mode(params.history_mode)?;
     let cwd = params
         .metadata
         .cwd
diff --git a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/live_writer.rs b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/live_writer.rs
index 3e06bdcb76f8..d11589c6e838 100644
--- a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/live_writer.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/live_writer.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use codex_protocol::ThreadId;
-use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadHistoryMode;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadMemoryMode;
 use codex_rollout::RolloutConfig;
 use codex_rollout::RolloutRecorder;
@@ -116,13 +115,22 @@ pub(super) async fn append_items(
     store: &LocalThreadStore,
     params: AppendThreadItemsParams,
 ) -> ThreadStoreResult<()> {
-    // LocalThreadStore rejects paginated threads before opening a writer.
-    let persisted_items =
-        persisted_rollout_items(params.items.as_slice(), ThreadHistoryMode::Legacy);
+    // A live append should always have a recorder: create/resume installs one, while
+    // shutdown/discard/delete removes it. Keep the lookup defensive so late appends fail after
+    // teardown.
+    let (recorder, history_mode) = store
+        .live_recorders
+        .lock()
+        .await
+        .get(&params.thread_id)
+        .map(|entry| (entry.recorder.clone(), entry.history_mode))
+        .ok_or(ThreadStoreError::ThreadNotFound {
+            thread_id: params.thread_id,
+        })?;
+    let persisted_items = persisted_rollout_items(params.items.as_slice(), history_mode);
     if persisted_items.is_empty() {
         return Ok(());
     }
-    let recorder = store.live_recorder(params.thread_id).await?;
     recorder
         .record_canonical_items(persisted_items.as_slice())
         .await
diff --git a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/mod.rs b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/mod.rs
index dc10cb936221..d4275ff79eaa 100644
--- a/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/mod.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/thread-store/src/local/mod.rs
@@ -326,12 +326,15 @@ mod tests {
     use std::sync::Arc;
 
     use codex_protocol::ThreadId;
+    use codex_protocol::items::TurnItem;
+    use codex_protocol::items::UserMessageItem;
     use codex_protocol::models::BaseInstructions;
     use codex_protocol::models::FunctionCallOutputPayload;
     use codex_protocol::models::MessagePhase;
     use codex_protocol::models::ResponseItem;
     use codex_protocol::protocol::AgentMessageEvent;
     use codex_protocol::protocol::EventMsg;
+    use codex_protocol::protocol::ItemCompletedEvent;
     use codex_protocol::protocol::RolloutItem;
     use codex_protocol::protocol::SessionSource;
     use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadHistoryMode;
@@ -1259,15 +1262,60 @@ mod tests {
                 .await
                 .expect_err("resume should fail"),
         );
+    }
 
-        let mut create_params = create_thread_params(ThreadId::default());
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn paginated_live_appends_use_paginated_history_mode() {
+        let home = TempDir::new().expect("temp dir");
+        let store = LocalThreadStore::new(test_config(home.path()), /*state_db*/ None);
+        let thread_id = ThreadId::default();
+        let mut create_params = create_thread_params(thread_id);
         create_params.history_mode = ThreadHistoryMode::Paginated;
-        assert_paginated_threads_unsupported(
-            store
-                .create_thread(create_params)
-                .await
-                .expect_err("paginated create should fail"),
-        );
+        store
+            .create_thread(create_params)
+            .await
+            .expect("create paginated thread");
+        let paginated_item = RolloutItem::EventMsg(EventMsg::ItemCompleted(ItemCompletedEvent {
+            thread_id,
+            turn_id: "turn-1".to_string(),
+            item: TurnItem::UserMessage(UserMessageItem {
+                id: "item-1".to_string(),
+                client_id: None,
+                content: Vec::new(),
+            }),
+            completed_at_ms: 1,
+        }));
+        store
+            .append_items(AppendThreadItemsParams {
+                thread_id,
+                items: vec![
+                    user_message_item("legacy event should not persist"),
+                    paginated_item,
+                ],
+            })
+            .await
+            .expect("append paginated item");
+        let rollout_path = store
+            .live_rollout_path(thread_id)
+            .await
+            .expect("paginated rollout path");
+        let (items, _, _) = RolloutRecorder::load_rollout_items(rollout_path.as_path())
+            .await
+            .expect("load paginated rollout");
+        assert!(items.iter().any(|item| {
+            matches!(
+                item,
+                RolloutItem::EventMsg(EventMsg::ItemCompleted(event))
+                    if event.turn_id == "turn-1"
+            )
+        }));
+        assert!(!items.iter().any(|item| {
+            matches!(
+                item,
+                RolloutItem::EventMsg(EventMsg::UserMessage(event))
+                    if event.message == "legacy event should not persist"
+            )
+        }));
     }
 
     fn create_thread_params(thread_id: ThreadId) -> CreateThreadParams {