diff --git a/src/apps/history-writer.mjs b/src/apps/history-writer.mjs
index aa521d8..6d976aa 100644
--- a/src/apps/history-writer.mjs
+++ b/src/apps/history-writer.mjs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const intentRequestOutcomeTopics = new Set([
 ]);
 
 for (const topic of topics) {
-  await consumer.subscribe({ topic, fromBeginning: false });
+  await consumer.subscribe({ topic, fromBeginning: true });
 }
 
 const state = {
diff --git a/test/history-writer-static.test.mjs b/test/history-writer-static.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d749448
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/history-writer-static.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+
+const source = readFileSync(new URL('../src/apps/history-writer.mjs', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+
+test('history writer consumes from beginning so first events on newly-created topics are durable', () => {
+  assert.match(source, /consumer\.subscribe\(\{ topic, fromBeginning: true \}\)/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(source, /consumer\.subscribe\(\{ topic, fromBeginning: false \}\)/);
+});