diff --git a/.changeset/client-view-tree-lifecycle.md b/.changeset/client-view-tree-lifecycle.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b891996
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/client-view-tree-lifecycle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@playfast/echoform": minor
+---
+
+Expose client view-tree lifecycle updates so hosts can distinguish empty and pending renders.
diff --git a/packages/echoform/src/client/Client.tsx b/packages/echoform/src/client/Client.tsx
index 2bcb299..9eb93e2 100644
--- a/packages/echoform/src/client/Client.tsx
+++ b/packages/echoform/src/client/Client.tsx
@@ -53,22 +53,42 @@ function applyViewDeletion(
   return [...state.slice(0, runningViewIndex), ...state.slice(runningViewIndex + 1)];
 }
 
-interface ClientProps<TEvents extends Record<string | number, unknown> = Record<string, unknown>> {
+export interface ClientViewsState {
+  readonly views: ReadonlyArray<ExistingSharedViewData>;
+  readonly hasReceivedViewTree: boolean;
+}
+
+interface ClientPropsExternalApi<TEvents extends Record<string | number, unknown> = Record<string, unknown>> {
   readonly transport: Transport<TEvents>;
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any -- props are built dynamically by ViewsRenderer
   readonly views: Readonly<Record<string, React.ComponentType<any>>>;
   readonly requestViewTreeOnMount?: boolean;
+  readonly onViewsChange?: (state: ClientViewsState) => void;
 }
 
 function Client<TEvents extends Record<string | number, unknown> = Record<string, unknown>>({
   transport: rawTransport,
   views,
   requestViewTreeOnMount = true,
-}: ClientProps<TEvents>): React.ReactElement {
+  onViewsChange,
+}: ClientPropsExternalApi<TEvents>): React.ReactElement {
   const [runningViews, setRunningViews] = useState<ReadonlyArray<ExistingSharedViewData>>([]);
+  const runningViewsRef = useRef<ReadonlyArray<ExistingSharedViewData>>([]);
   const transportRef = useRef<DecompileTransport | undefined>(undefined);
+  const hasReceivedViewTreeRef = useRef(false);
+  const onViewsChangeRef = useRef(onViewsChange);
   const streamListenersRef = useRef<Map<StreamUid, Set<(chunk: SerializableValue) => void>>>(new Map());
   const pendingReplayRef = useRef<Map<StreamUid, ReadonlyArray<SerializableValue>>>(new Map());
+  onViewsChangeRef.current = onViewsChange;
+
+  const updateRunningViews = useCallback((nextViews: ReadonlyArray<ExistingSharedViewData>): void => {
+    runningViewsRef.current = nextViews;
+    setRunningViews(nextViews);
+    onViewsChangeRef.current?.({
+      views: nextViews,
+      hasReceivedViewTree: hasReceivedViewTreeRef.current,
+    });
+  }, []);
 
   const createEvent = useCallback((eventUid: EventUid, ...args: ReadonlyArray<SerializableValue>): Promise<SerializableValue> => {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -142,17 +162,20 @@ function Client<TEvents extends Record<string | number, unknown> = Record<string
   useEffect(() => {
     const transport = decompileTransport(rawTransport);
     transportRef.current = transport;
+    hasReceivedViewTreeRef.current = false;
+    updateRunningViews([]);
 
     const updateViewsTreeHandler = ({ views }: AppEvents['update_views_tree']): void => {
-      setRunningViews(views);
+      hasReceivedViewTreeRef.current = true;
+      updateRunningViews(views);
     };
 
     const updateViewHandler = ({ view }: AppEvents['update_view']): void => {
-      setRunningViews((state) => applyViewUpdate(state, view));
+      updateRunningViews(applyViewUpdate(runningViewsRef.current, view));
     };
 
     const deleteViewHandler = ({ viewUid }: AppEvents['delete_view']): void => {
-      setRunningViews((state) => applyViewDeletion(state, viewUid));
+      updateRunningViews(applyViewDeletion(runningViewsRef.current, viewUid));
     };
 
     const streamChunkHandler = ({ streamUid, chunk }: AppEvents['stream_chunk']): void => {
@@ -209,9 +232,11 @@ function Client<TEvents extends Record<string | number, unknown> = Record<string
       unsubscribeStreamReplay?.();
       streamListenersRef.current = new Map();
       pendingReplayRef.current = new Map();
+      runningViewsRef.current = [];
+      hasReceivedViewTreeRef.current = false;
       transport.destroy();
     };
-  }, [rawTransport, requestViewTreeOnMount]);
+  }, [rawTransport, requestViewTreeOnMount, updateRunningViews]);
 
   return (
     <ViewsRenderer
diff --git a/packages/echoform/src/client/index.ts b/packages/echoform/src/client/index.ts
index 2d9e088..c50c653 100644
--- a/packages/echoform/src/client/index.ts
+++ b/packages/echoform/src/client/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Client from "./Client";
+export type { ClientViewsState } from "./Client";
 
 export type { InferClientProps } from "../shared/view-inference";
 
diff --git a/packages/echoform/tests/client-strict-mode.test.tsx b/packages/echoform/tests/client-strict-mode.test.tsx
index 05c004a..7b94341 100644
--- a/packages/echoform/tests/client-strict-mode.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/echoform/tests/client-strict-mode.test.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 import { GlobalRegistrator } from "@happy-dom/global-registrator";
 import React, { StrictMode, act } from "react";
-import { Client } from "../src/client";
+import { Client, type ClientViewsState } from "../src/client";
 import { decodeMessage, encodeMessage } from "../src/shared/binary-protocol";
 import type { Transport } from "../src/shared/types";
 
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ interface StatusProps {
 interface TestTransportHarness {
   readonly transport: Transport<BinaryEvents>;
   readonly listenerCount: () => number;
+  readonly dispatch: (frame: Uint8Array) => void;
 }
 
 const READY_VIEW_TREE = {
@@ -44,13 +45,16 @@ function dispatchViewTree(
 
 function createTestTransport(): TestTransportHarness {
   const listeners = new Set<(data: Uint8Array) => void>();
+  const dispatch = (frame: Uint8Array): void => {
+    listeners.forEach((listener) => listener(frame));
+  };
 
   return {
     transport: {
       emit: (_event, message) => {
         if (message === undefined) return;
         if (decodeMessage(message).event !== "request_views_tree") return;
-        queueMicrotask(() => dispatchViewTree(listeners));
+        queueMicrotask(() => dispatch(encodeMessage("update_views_tree", READY_VIEW_TREE)));
       },
       on: (_event, handler) => {
         listeners.add(handler);
@@ -60,6 +64,7 @@ function createTestTransport(): TestTransportHarness {
       },
     },
     listenerCount: () => listeners.size,
+    dispatch,
   };
 }
 
@@ -108,4 +113,40 @@ describe("Client", () => {
     await act(async () => root.unmount());
     expect(transportHarness.listenerCount()).toBe(0);
   });
+
+  test("reports an empty snapshot before a widget gains renderable views", async () => {
+    const { createRoot } = await import("react-dom/client");
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+    const transportHarness = createTestTransport();
+    const states = new Set<ClientViewsState>();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(
+        <Client
+          transport={transportHarness.transport}
+          views={{ Status }}
+          onViewsChange={(state) => states.add(state)}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      transportHarness.dispatch(encodeMessage("update_views_tree", { views: [] }));
+    });
+
+    expect([...states].at(-1)).toEqual({ views: [], hasReceivedViewTree: true });
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe("");
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      transportHarness.dispatch(encodeMessage("update_views_tree", READY_VIEW_TREE));
+    });
+
+    expect([...states].at(-1)).toEqual({
+      views: READY_VIEW_TREE.views,
+      hasReceivedViewTree: true,
+    });
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe("ready");
+
+    await act(async () => root.unmount());
+  });
 });