diff --git a/internal/e2e/tunnel_test.go b/internal/e2e/tunnel_test.go
index b5cf0dd..deb9f44 100644
--- a/internal/e2e/tunnel_test.go
+++ b/internal/e2e/tunnel_test.go
@@ -1021,9 +1021,7 @@ func TestDirectLinkConnectsFastProviderTransportMatrix(t *testing.T) {
 					if err := ln.Connect(context.Background()); err != nil {
 						t.Fatalf("Connect() error = %v", err)
 					}
-					if !ln.CanSend() {
-						t.Fatal("CanSend() = false, want true")
-					}
+					assertLinkCanSendAfterConnect(t, ln, transportName)
 					if err := ln.Close(); err != nil {
 						t.Fatalf("Close() error = %v", err)
 					}
@@ -1033,6 +1031,20 @@ func TestDirectLinkConnectsFastProviderTransportMatrix(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func assertLinkCanSendAfterConnect(t *testing.T, ln link.Link, transportName string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if transportName == transportSEI {
+		if ln.CanSend() {
+			t.Fatal("CanSend() = true before peer seichannel frame")
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	if !ln.CanSend() {
+		t.Fatal("CanSend() = false, want true")
+	}
+}
+
 //nolint:cyclop // table-driven test naturally has many branches
 func TestRealProviderTransportMatrix(t *testing.T) {
 	if !*realE2E {
diff --git a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport.go b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport.go
index 6cb7f9b..73b54f9 100644
--- a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport.go
+++ b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ const (
 	protocolVersion       byte   = 1
 	frameTypeData         byte   = 1
 	frameTypeAck          byte   = 2
+	frameTypeHello        byte   = 3
 )
 
 var (
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ type streamTransport struct {
 	nextSeq       atomic.Uint32
 	closed        atomic.Bool
 	writerUp      atomic.Bool
+	peerReady     atomic.Bool
 	sendMu        sync.Mutex
 	startWriter   sync.Once
 	ackMu         sync.Mutex
@@ -286,7 +288,7 @@ func (p *streamTransport) WatchConnection(ctx context.Context) {
 
 // CanSend reports whether transport is ready for sending.
 func (p *streamTransport) CanSend() bool {
-	return !p.closed.Load() && p.stream.CanSend()
+	return !p.closed.Load() && p.peerReady.Load() && p.stream.CanSend()
 }
 
 // Features describes the current seichannel transport semantics.
@@ -333,7 +335,7 @@ func (p *streamTransport) writerLoop() {
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(p.effectiveFrameInterval())
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
-	idle := buildVideoAccessUnit(nil)
+	idle := buildVideoAccessUnit(encodeHelloFrame())
 
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -443,9 +445,13 @@ func (p *streamTransport) handleSample(sample []byte) {
 		}
 
 		switch frame.typ {
+		case frameTypeHello:
+			p.peerReady.Store(true)
 		case frameTypeAck:
+			p.peerReady.Store(true)
 			p.resolveAck(frame.seq, frame.crc)
 		case frameTypeData:
+			p.peerReady.Store(true)
 			p.handleInboundFrame(frame)
 		}
 	}
@@ -562,8 +568,8 @@ func encodeDataFrame(seq, crc uint32, totalLen, fragIdx, fragTotal int, payload
 	out[5] = frameTypeData
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(out[6:10], seq)
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(out[10:14], crc)
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(out[14:18], uint32(totalLen)) //nolint:gosec,lll // G115: bounded conversion verified by surrounding logic
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(out[18:20], uint16(fragIdx)) //nolint:gosec,lll // G115: bounded conversion verified by surrounding logic
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(out[14:18], uint32(totalLen))  //nolint:gosec,lll // G115: bounded conversion verified by surrounding logic
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(out[18:20], uint16(fragIdx))   //nolint:gosec,lll // G115: bounded conversion verified by surrounding logic
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(out[20:22], uint16(fragTotal)) //nolint:gosec,lll // G115: bounded conversion verified by surrounding logic
 	copy(out[22:], payload)
 	return out
@@ -579,6 +585,14 @@ func encodeAckFrame(seq, crc uint32) []byte {
 	return out
 }
 
+func encodeHelloFrame() []byte {
+	out := make([]byte, 6)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(out[0:4], protocolMagic)
+	out[4] = protocolVersion
+	out[5] = frameTypeHello
+	return out
+}
+
 func decodeTransportFrame(data []byte) (transportFrame, error) {
 	if len(data) < 6 {
 		return transportFrame{}, ErrFrameTooShort
@@ -592,6 +606,8 @@ func decodeTransportFrame(data []byte) (transportFrame, error) {
 
 	frame := transportFrame{typ: data[5]}
 	switch frame.typ {
+	case frameTypeHello:
+		return frame, nil
 	case frameTypeAck:
 		if len(data) < 14 {
 			return transportFrame{}, ErrAckTooShort
diff --git a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_test.go b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_test.go
index 8f11c6f..51c8272 100644
--- a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_test.go
+++ b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_test.go
@@ -78,3 +78,13 @@ func TestTransportFrameRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("payload mismatch: got=%q", decoded.payload)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHelloFrameRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	hello, err := decodeTransportFrame(encodeHelloFrame())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decodeTransportFrame(hello) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if hello.typ != frameTypeHello {
+		t.Fatalf("hello frame type = %d, want %d", hello.typ, frameTypeHello)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_unit_test.go b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_unit_test.go
index 00abf58..716b970 100644
--- a/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_unit_test.go
+++ b/internal/transport/seichannel/transport_unit_test.go
@@ -103,8 +103,12 @@ func TestNewConnectCallbacksAndFeatures(t *testing.T) {
 	if stream.reconnect == nil || stream.should == nil || stream.ended == nil || !stream.watched {
 		t.Fatal("callbacks/watch were not forwarded")
 	}
+	if tr.CanSend() {
+		t.Fatal("CanSend() = true before peer hello")
+	}
+	tr.handleSample(buildVideoAccessUnit(encodeHelloFrame()))
 	if !tr.CanSend() {
-		t.Fatal("CanSend() = false, want true")
+		t.Fatal("CanSend() = false after peer hello")
 	}
 	if features := tr.Features(); !features.Reliable || !features.Ordered || !features.MessageOriented || features.MaxPayloadSize == 0 { //nolint:lll // long test description
 		t.Fatalf("Features() = %+v", features)