diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/step-buffer.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/step-buffer.test.ts
index 32c538e3..aa0e8bf3 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/step-buffer.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/step-buffer.test.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,37 @@ describe("recording-step-buffer", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("records a reload of the current page instead of dropping it as a same-URL navigation", () => {
+    const buffer = {
+      steps: [],
+      navigation: { currentUrl: "https://example.com/a", pendingNavigation: false },
+    };
+    const result = observeRecordedNavigation(
+      buffer,
+      "https://example.com/a",
+      undefined,
+      "reload",
+      [],
+    );
+    expect(result).toEqual({ kind: "appended", index: 0 });
+    expect(buffer.steps[0]).toMatchObject({
+      op: "navigate",
+      url: "https://example.com/a",
+      transitionType: "reload",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("still collapses the completion that follows a reload onto the recorded step", () => {
+    const buffer = {
+      steps: [],
+      navigation: { currentUrl: "https://example.com/a", pendingNavigation: false },
+    };
+    observeRecordedNavigation(buffer, "https://example.com/a", undefined, "reload", []);
+    // webNavigation.onCompleted reports the same URL and carries no transition type.
+    expect(observeRecordedNavigation(buffer, "https://example.com/a")).toEqual({ kind: "noop" });
+    expect(buffer.steps).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
   it("asks the recorder to coalesce redirect hops instead of emitting each one", () => {
     const buffer = {
       steps: [],
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/step-buffer.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/step-buffer.ts
index c1d9a000..e898c6eb 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/step-buffer.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/step-buffer.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,12 @@ export function observeRecordedNavigation(
   transitionQualifiers?: string[],
 ): NavigationObserveResult {
   const navigation = buffer.navigation;
-  if (!url || url === navigation.currentUrl) return { kind: "noop" };
+  // A reload commits to the URL the tab is already on, so the same-URL guard that
+  // collapses the onCommitted / onCompleted pair of one navigation would drop it
+  // too (issue #139). Only the committed event carries the transition type, so the
+  // completion that follows still collapses onto the recorded reload.
+  const isReload = transitionType === "reload";
+  if (!url || (url === navigation.currentUrl && !isReload)) return { kind: "noop" };
   navigation.currentUrl = url;
 
   const pendingIsCurrent =
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
index f933b499..749fe199 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
@@ -416,6 +416,39 @@ describe("recorded user steps reach the exported trace", () => {
     expect(step?.result.state).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
+  it("records a reload of the page the recording is on", async () => {
+    // Issue #139: a reload commits to the URL the tab is already on, so it used to
+    // be dropped as the duplicate half of a navigation and the trace had no step
+    // for it, even though replaying the flow may depend on the refresh.
+    const chromeApi = installChrome();
+    const manager = fakeManager();
+    const tabsApi = makeTabsApi();
+    const sendToTab = vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true }));
+
+    await handleRecordStart(manager, RECORD_START_V3, { tabsApi, sendToTab, cdp: makeFakeCdp() });
+
+    const details = { tabId: TAB_ID, frameId: 0, url: START_URL };
+    chromeApi.webNavigationOnCommitted.emit({
+      ...details,
+      transitionType: "reload",
+      transitionQualifiers: [],
+    } as unknown as chrome.webNavigation.WebNavigationTransitionCallbackDetails);
+    chromeApi.webNavigationOnCompleted.emit(
+      details as unknown as chrome.webNavigation.WebNavigationFramedCallbackDetails,
+    );
+    // Let findRecordingForTab's tab lookup and the settle capture resolve.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+    const stopped = await handleRecordStop(manager, { session_id: "abcd" }, { tabsApi, sendToTab });
+    const trace = (stopped as RecordStopResult).trace as TraceV3;
+
+    expect(trace.steps).toHaveLength(1);
+    const [step] = trace.steps;
+    expect(step).toMatchObject({ op: "navigate", to: START_URL, cause: "reload" });
+    expect(step?.state).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(step?.result.state).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
   it("reports an address-bar navigation from the page it started on, not the redirect hop", async () => {
     const chromeApi = installChrome();
     const manager = fakeManager();