diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c0dd68fd..ea878303 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ dist
 site
 typedoc_docs
 kv.db
+kv-2.db
 .env
 kv_data.json
 
diff --git a/packages/springboard/cli/src/docs/content/springboard-state-management.md b/packages/springboard/cli/src/docs/content/springboard-state-management.md
index 0f1200cd..bc354c3e 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/cli/src/docs/content/springboard-state-management.md
+++ b/packages/springboard/cli/src/docs/content/springboard-state-management.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # State Management
 
-Springboard provides three types of state, each with different persistence and sync behavior.
+Springboard provides four types of state, each with different persistence and sync behavior.
 
 ## State Types Comparison
 
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Springboard provides three types of state, each with different persistence and s
 | SharedState | In-memory (server cache) | Real-time cross-device | Temporary shared data, UI sync |
 | PersistentState | Database | Cross-device on load | User data, settings, saved state |
 | UserAgentState | localStorage | None (device-local) | UI preferences, local settings |
+| LocalSessionState | sessionStorage | None (tab-local) | Tab-specific temporary state |
 
 ## createSharedState
 
@@ -92,6 +93,39 @@ localPrefs.setStateImmer(draft => {
 });
 ```
 
+## createLocalSessionState
+
+```typescript
+const formData = await moduleAPI.statesAPI.createLocalSessionState('formData', {
+  step: 1,
+  values: {}
+});
+```
+
+**Behavior:**
+- Stored in sessionStorage (browser only)
+- Never synced to server or other devices
+- Tab/window-specific
+- Cleared when tab/window is closed
+- Use for: multi-step forms, temporary drafts, tab-specific UI state
+
+**Example:**
+```typescript
+const wizardState = await moduleAPI.statesAPI.createLocalSessionState('wizard', {
+  currentStep: 1,
+  formData: {} as Record<string, any>,
+  visited: [] as number[]
+});
+
+// Only affects this browser tab
+wizardState.setStateImmer(draft => {
+  draft.currentStep = 2;
+  draft.visited.push(1);
+});
+
+// State is automatically cleared when tab closes
+```
+
 ## StateSupervisor API
 
 All state types return a `StateSupervisor<T>`:
@@ -140,4 +174,11 @@ moduleAPI.onDestroy(() => subscription.unsubscribe());
 **Use UserAgentState when:**
 - Data is device-specific
 - No need to sync across devices
-- Examples: UI state, local preferences, cached data
+- Should persist across sessions
+- Examples: UI preferences, local settings, cached data
+
+**Use LocalSessionState when:**
+- Data is tab/window-specific
+- Should NOT persist when tab closes
+- No need to sync across devices or tabs
+- Examples: multi-step form progress, temporary drafts, wizard state, tab-specific UI
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/engine.tsx b/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/engine.tsx
index 7755f46d..1f54385d 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/engine.tsx
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/engine.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export class Springboard {
 
     private remoteSharedStateService!: SharedStateService;
     private localSharedStateService!: SharedStateService;
+    private sessionSharedStateService?: SharedStateService;
 
     initialize = async () => {
         const initStartTime = now();
@@ -97,6 +98,16 @@ export class Springboard {
         });
         await this.localSharedStateService.initialize();
 
+        if (this.coreDeps.storage.session) {
+            this.sessionSharedStateService = new SharedStateService({
+                rpc: this.coreDeps.rpc.local,
+                kv: this.coreDeps.storage.session,
+                log: this.coreDeps.log,
+                isMaestro: this.coreDeps.isMaestro,
+            });
+            await this.sessionSharedStateService.initialize();
+        }
+
         this.moduleRegistry = new ModuleRegistry();
 
         const registeredClassModuleCallbacks = (springboard.registerClassModule as unknown as {calls: CapturedRegisterClassModuleCalls[]}).calls || [];
@@ -182,6 +193,7 @@ export class Springboard {
             services: {
                 remoteSharedStateService: this.remoteSharedStateService,
                 localSharedStateService: this.localSharedStateService,
+                sessionSharedStateService: this.sessionSharedStateService,
             },
         };
     };
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/module_api.ts b/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/module_api.ts
index 92f75902..bbeb8877 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/module_api.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/core/engine/module_api.ts
@@ -306,4 +306,40 @@ export class StatesAPI {
 
         return supervisor;
     };
+
+    /**
+     * Create a piece of state to be saved in sessionStorage. This state persists only for the current browser tab/window session.
+     * The state is cleared when the tab/window is closed, making it useful for temporary, tab-specific state.
+    */
+    public createLocalSessionState = async <State>(stateName: string, initialValue: State): Promise<StateSupervisor<State>> => {
+        const fullKey = `${this.prefix}|state.session|${stateName}`;
+
+        if (this.coreDeps.storage.session && this.modDeps.services.sessionSharedStateService) {
+            const cachedValue = this.modDeps.services.sessionSharedStateService.getCachedValue(fullKey) as State | undefined;
+            if (cachedValue !== undefined) {
+                initialValue = cachedValue;
+            } else {
+                const storedValue = await this.coreDeps.storage.session.get<State>(fullKey);
+                if (storedValue !== null && storedValue !== undefined) {
+                    initialValue = storedValue;
+                }
+            }
+
+            const supervisor = new SharedStateSupervisor(fullKey, initialValue, this.modDeps.services.sessionSharedStateService);
+
+            const sub = supervisor.subjectForKVStorePublish.subscribe(async value => {
+                await this.coreDeps.storage.session!.set(fullKey, value);
+            });
+            this.onDestroy(sub.unsubscribe);
+
+            return supervisor;
+        }
+
+        // Fallback to UserAgentStateSupervisor if session storage not available
+        const supervisor = new UserAgentStateSupervisor(fullKey, initialValue, this.coreDeps.storage.userAgent);
+        this.onDestroy(() => {
+            // No-op cleanup since UserAgentStateSupervisor handles its own storage
+        });
+        return supervisor;
+    };
 }
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/core/types/module_types.ts b/packages/springboard/src/core/types/module_types.ts
index 1c131678..3b6f83b3 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/core/types/module_types.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/core/types/module_types.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export type CoreDependencies = {
     storage: {
         remote: KVStore;
         userAgent: KVStore;
+        session?: KVStore;
     };
     rpc: {
         remote: Rpc;
@@ -60,5 +61,6 @@ export type ModuleDependencies = {
     services: {
         remoteSharedStateService: SharedStateService;
         localSharedStateService : SharedStateService;
+        sessionSharedStateService?: SharedStateService;
     };
 }
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/offline_entrypoint.ts b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/offline_entrypoint.ts
index c2f3433b..b698215c 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/offline_entrypoint.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/offline_entrypoint.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {MockRpcService} from '../../../core/test/mock_core_dependencies.js';
 import React from 'react';
 
 import {BrowserKVStoreService} from '../services/browser_kvstore_service.js';
+import {BrowserSessionKVStoreService} from '../services/browser_session_kvstore_service.js';
 import {startAndRenderBrowserApp} from './react_entrypoint.js';
 
 (globalThis as {useHashRouter?: boolean}).useHashRouter = true;
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ setTimeout(() => {
     const rpc = new MockRpcService();
     const remoteKvStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
     const userAgentKVStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
+    const sessionKVStore = new BrowserSessionKVStoreService(sessionStorage);
 
     startAndRenderBrowserApp({
         rpc: {
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ setTimeout(() => {
         storage: {
             userAgent: userAgentKVStore,
             remote: remoteKvStore,
+            session: sessionKVStore,
         },
     });
 });
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/online_entrypoint.ts b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/online_entrypoint.ts
index 8da8cee7..81eebe99 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/online_entrypoint.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/entrypoints/online_entrypoint.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer} from '../services/browser_json_rpc.js';
 import {BrowserKVStoreService} from '../services/browser_kvstore_service.js';
+import {BrowserSessionKVStoreService} from '../services/browser_session_kvstore_service.js';
 import {HttpKvStoreClient as HttpKVStoreService} from '../../../core/services/http_kv_store_client.js';
 import {startAndRenderBrowserApp} from './react_entrypoint.js';
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ setTimeout(() => {
     const rpc = new BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer(`${WS_HOST}/ws`);
     const remoteKvStore = new HttpKVStoreService(DATA_HOST);
     const userAgentKVStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
+    const sessionKVStore = new BrowserSessionKVStoreService(sessionStorage);
 
     startAndRenderBrowserApp({
         rpc: {
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ setTimeout(() => {
         storage: {
             userAgent: userAgentKVStore,
             remote: remoteKvStore,
+            session: sessionKVStore,
         },
         dev: {
             reloadCss,
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/index.ts b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/index.ts
index 40ab7fd9..f02100bf 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/index.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // Export browser services
 export { BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer } from './services/browser_json_rpc.js';
 export { BrowserKVStoreService } from './services/browser_kvstore_service.js';
+export { BrowserSessionKVStoreService } from './services/browser_session_kvstore_service.js';
 
 // Export browser entrypoints
 export { startAndRenderBrowserApp } from './entrypoints/react_entrypoint.js';
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/services/browser_session_kvstore_service.ts b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/services/browser_session_kvstore_service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..043f9c9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/browser/services/browser_session_kvstore_service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import {KVStore} from '../../../core/types/module_types.js';
+
+export class BrowserSessionKVStoreService implements KVStore {
+    constructor(private ss: Window['sessionStorage']) {}
+
+    getAll = async (): Promise<Record<string, any> | null> => {
+        const allKeys = Object.keys(this.ss);
+
+        const entriesAsRecord: Record<string, any> = {};
+        for (const key of allKeys) {
+            const value = this.ss.getItem(key);
+            if (value) {
+                try {
+                    entriesAsRecord[key] = JSON.parse(value);
+                } catch (e) {
+                    // eslint-disable-line no-empty
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return entriesAsRecord;
+    };
+
+    get = async <T>(key: string): Promise<T | null> => {
+        const s = this.ss.getItem(key);
+        if (!s) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return JSON.parse(s) as T;
+    };
+
+    set = async <T>(key: string, value: T): Promise<void> => {
+        const s = JSON.stringify(value);
+        this.ss.setItem(key, s);
+    };
+}
diff --git a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/tauri/entrypoints/platform_tauri_browser.tsx b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/tauri/entrypoints/platform_tauri_browser.tsx
index 22aac1c2..6d1d7fdf 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/src/platforms/tauri/entrypoints/platform_tauri_browser.tsx
+++ b/packages/springboard/src/platforms/tauri/entrypoints/platform_tauri_browser.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {HttpKvStoreClient as HttpKVStoreService} from '../../../core/services/ht
 import {Main} from '../../browser/entrypoints/main.js';
 // import {Main} from './main.js';
 import {BrowserKVStoreService} from '../../browser/services/browser_kvstore_service.js';
+import {BrowserSessionKVStoreService} from '../../browser/services/browser_session_kvstore_service.js';
 import {BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer} from '../../browser/services/browser_json_rpc.js';
 import {Springboard} from '../../../core/engine/engine.js';
 import {ExtraModuleDependencies} from '../../../core/module_registry/module_registry.js';
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ export const startAndRenderBrowserApp = async (): Promise<Springboard> => {
 
     // const kvStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
     const userAgentKVStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
+    const sessionKVStore = new BrowserSessionKVStoreService(sessionStorage);
 
     // const kvStore = mockDeps.storage.remote;
     // const userAgentKVStore = mockDeps.storage.userAgent;
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ export const startAndRenderBrowserApp = async (): Promise<Springboard> => {
         storage: {
             remote: kvStore,
             userAgent: userAgentKVStore,
+            session: sessionKVStore,
         },
         rpc: {
             remote: rpc,
diff --git a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/plugins/dev.ts b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/plugins/dev.ts
index 9ae312d7..5a32718a 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/plugins/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/plugins/dev.ts
@@ -238,6 +238,34 @@ export function springboardDev(options: NormalizedOptions): Plugin {
                 logger.debug(`HMR update: ${file}`);
             }
 
+            // If user code changed, re-initialize the engine after module reload
+            // The ModuleRunner will automatically re-import the module, but we need
+            // to call start() again to re-initialize the Springboard engine
+
+            // Check if the changed file is within the project root (excludes node_modules, etc.)
+            // and is not a generated file (excludes .springboard/, dist/, etc.)
+            const isUserCode = isNodePlatformActive &&
+                file.startsWith(options.root) &&
+                !file.includes(path.sep + 'node_modules' + path.sep) &&
+                !file.includes(path.sep + '.springboard' + path.sep) &&
+                !file.includes(path.sep + 'dist' + path.sep);
+
+            if (isUserCode) {
+                // Schedule start() to be called after the module reloads
+                // Use setImmediate to allow the module reload to complete first
+                setImmediate(async () => {
+                    try {
+                        if (nodeEntryModule && typeof nodeEntryModule.start === 'function') {
+                            logger.info('[HMR] Re-initializing Springboard engine...');
+                            await nodeEntryModule.start();
+                            logger.info('[HMR] Engine re-initialized successfully');
+                        }
+                    } catch (err) {
+                        logger.error(`[HMR] Failed to re-initialize engine: ${err}`);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
             // Let Vite handle HMR normally
             return undefined;
         },
diff --git a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/node-entry.template.ts b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/node-entry.template.ts
index 14a836f0..f29507bb 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/node-entry.template.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/node-entry.template.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ export async function start() {
       hooks: createWebSocketHooks(useWebSocketsForRpc),
     });
 
-    // Use configured port (ignores process.env.PORT to avoid conflicts)
-    const port = __PORT__;
+    // Use PORT environment variable if defined, otherwise use configured port
+    const port = process.env.PORT ? parseInt(process.env.PORT, 10) : __PORT__;
 
     // Start the HTTP server
     server = serve({
diff --git a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/web-entry.template.ts b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/web-entry.template.ts
index 8b2afb35..514d9740 100644
--- a/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/web-entry.template.ts
+++ b/packages/springboard/vite-plugin/src/templates/web-entry.template.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { startAndRenderBrowserApp } from 'springboard/platforms/browser/entrypoi
 import { BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer } from 'springboard/platforms/browser/services/browser_json_rpc';
 import { HttpKvStoreClient } from 'springboard/core/services/http_kv_store_client';
 import { BrowserKVStoreService } from 'springboard/platforms/browser/services/browser_kvstore_service';
+import { BrowserSessionKVStoreService } from 'springboard/platforms/browser/services/browser_session_kvstore_service';
 import '__USER_ENTRY__';
 
 // Determine protocol based on current page
@@ -16,9 +17,10 @@ const DATA_HOST = import.meta.env.VITE_DATA_HOST || `${httpProtocol}://${locatio
 const rpc = new BrowserJsonRpcClientAndServer(`${WS_HOST}/ws`);
 const remoteKvStore = new HttpKvStoreClient(DATA_HOST);
 const userAgentKvStore = new BrowserKVStoreService(localStorage);
+const sessionKvStore = new BrowserSessionKVStoreService(sessionStorage);
 
 startAndRenderBrowserApp({
   rpc: { remote: rpc, local: undefined },
-  storage: { userAgent: userAgentKvStore, remote: remoteKvStore },
+  storage: { userAgent: userAgentKvStore, remote: remoteKvStore, session: sessionKvStore },
   dev: { reloadCss: false, reloadJs: false },
 });