diff --git a/utils/fgqcanvas/applicationcontroller.cpp b/utils/fgqcanvas/applicationcontroller.cpp
index b2cb74dd2..798e4559f 100644
--- a/utils/fgqcanvas/applicationcontroller.cpp
+++ b/utils/fgqcanvas/applicationcontroller.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ ApplicationController::ApplicationController(QObject *parent)
 
     setStatus(Idle);
     rebuildConfigData();
+    rebuildSnapshotData();
 }
 
 ApplicationController::~ApplicationController()
diff --git a/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasconnection.cpp b/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasconnection.cpp
index c0985afb8..c2aef0626 100644
--- a/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasconnection.cpp
+++ b/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasconnection.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ CanvasConnection::CanvasConnection(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
 
 CanvasConnection::~CanvasConnection()
 {
-    qDebug() << Q_FUNC_INFO;
     disconnect(&m_webSocket, &QWebSocket::disconnected,
                this, &CanvasConnection::onWebSocketClosed);
     m_webSocket.close();
@@ -98,9 +97,14 @@ void CanvasConnection::saveSnapshot(QDataStream &ds) const
 void CanvasConnection::restoreSnapshot(QDataStream &ds)
 {
     ds >> m_webSocketUrl >> m_rootPropertyPath >> m_destRect;
-    m_localPropertyRoot.reset(new LocalProp{nullptr, NameIndexTuple("")});
-    m_localPropertyRoot->restoreFromStream(ds, nullptr);
+    m_localPropertyRoot.reset(LocalProp::restoreFromStream(ds, nullptr));
     setStatus(Snapshot);
+
+    emit geometryChanged();
+    emit rootPathChanged();
+    emit webSocketUrlChanged();
+
+    emit updated();
 }
 
 void CanvasConnection::reconnect()
@@ -186,6 +190,7 @@ FGQCanvasFontCache *CanvasConnection::fontCache() const
 
 void CanvasConnection::onWebSocketConnected()
 {
+    qDebug() << Q_FUNC_INFO;
     m_localPropertyRoot.reset(new LocalProp{nullptr, NameIndexTuple("")});
     setStatus(Connected);
 }
diff --git a/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasdisplay.cpp b/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasdisplay.cpp
index 2effe7abe..54dd73928 100644
--- a/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasdisplay.cpp
+++ b/utils/fgqcanvas/canvasdisplay.cpp
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ void CanvasDisplay::setCanvas(CanvasConnection *canvas)
     emit canvasChanged(m_connection);
 
     if (m_connection) {
-        // delete existing children
-
         connect(m_connection, &QObject::destroyed,
                 this, &CanvasDisplay::onConnectionDestroyed);
         connect(m_connection, &CanvasConnection::statusChanged,
@@ -97,7 +95,9 @@ void CanvasDisplay::onConnectionDestroyed()
 
 void CanvasDisplay::onConnectionStatusChanged()
 {
-    if (m_connection->status() == CanvasConnection::Connected) {
+    if ((m_connection->status() == CanvasConnection::Connected) ||
+            (m_connection->status() == CanvasConnection::Snapshot))
+    {
         m_rootElement.reset(new FGCanvasGroup(nullptr, m_connection->propertyRoot()));
         // this is important to elements can discover their connection
         // by walking their parent chain
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ void CanvasDisplay::onConnectionStatusChanged()
 
         m_rootItem = m_rootElement->createQuickItem(this);
         onCanvasSizeChanged();
+
+        m_connection->propertyRoot()->recursiveNotifyRestored();
+        qDebug() << Q_FUNC_INFO << "did build item tree";
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/utils/fgqcanvas/localprop.cpp b/utils/fgqcanvas/localprop.cpp
index 9e83df14d..66bd3ddde 100644
--- a/utils/fgqcanvas/localprop.cpp
+++ b/utils/fgqcanvas/localprop.cpp
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ void LocalProp::recursiveNotifyRestored()
         emit childAdded(child);
     }
 
-    for (auto child : _children) {
-        child->recursiveNotifyRestored();
+    for (auto cc : _children) {
+        cc->recursiveNotifyRestored();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/utils/fgqcanvas/qml/CanvasFrame.qml b/utils/fgqcanvas/qml/CanvasFrame.qml
index e4fda0236..c5b35e23d 100644
--- a/utils/fgqcanvas/qml/CanvasFrame.qml
+++ b/utils/fgqcanvas/qml/CanvasFrame.qml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ Item {
                 case FG.CanvasConnection.Closed: return "Closed";
                 case FG.CanvasConnection.Reconnecting: return "Re-connecting";
                 case FG.CanvasConnection.Error: return "Error";
+                case FG.CanvasConnection.Snapshot: return "Snapshot";
                 }
             }