diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
index ad3ee534..884e4e95 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ interface ChatInputInnerProps {
   isProcessing: boolean
   presetMessage?: string
   onPresetMessageConsumed?: () => void
+  runId?: string | null
 }
 
 function ChatInputInner({
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ function ChatInputInner({
   isProcessing,
   presetMessage,
   onPresetMessageConsumed,
+  runId,
 }: ChatInputInnerProps) {
   const controller = usePromptInputController()
   const message = controller.textInput.value
@@ -320,9 +322,9 @@ function ChatInputInner({
     <div className="flex items-center gap-2 bg-background border border-border rounded-3xl shadow-xl px-4 py-2.5">
       <PromptInputTextarea
         placeholder="Type your message..."
-        disabled={isProcessing}
         onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
         autoFocus
+        focusTrigger={runId}
         className="min-h-6 py-0 border-0 shadow-none focus-visible:ring-0 rounded-none"
       />
       <Button
@@ -351,6 +353,7 @@ interface ChatInputWithMentionsProps {
   isProcessing: boolean
   presetMessage?: string
   onPresetMessageConsumed?: () => void
+  runId?: string | null
 }
 
 function ChatInputWithMentions({
@@ -361,6 +364,7 @@ function ChatInputWithMentions({
   isProcessing,
   presetMessage,
   onPresetMessageConsumed,
+  runId,
 }: ChatInputWithMentionsProps) {
   return (
     <PromptInputProvider knowledgeFiles={knowledgeFiles} recentFiles={recentFiles} visibleFiles={visibleFiles}>
@@ -369,6 +373,7 @@ function ChatInputWithMentions({
         isProcessing={isProcessing}
         presetMessage={presetMessage}
         onPresetMessageConsumed={onPresetMessageConsumed}
+        runId={runId}
       />
     </PromptInputProvider>
   )
@@ -405,6 +410,7 @@ function App() {
   const [currentReasoning, setCurrentReasoning] = useState<string>('')
   const [, setModelUsage] = useState<LanguageModelUsage | null>(null)
   const [runId, setRunId] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const runIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null)
   const [isProcessing, setIsProcessing] = useState(false)
   const [agentId] = useState<string>('copilot')
   const [presetMessage, setPresetMessage] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined)
@@ -427,6 +433,11 @@ function App() {
   // Onboarding state
   const [showOnboarding, setShowOnboarding] = useState(false)
 
+  // Keep runIdRef in sync with runId state (for use in event handlers to avoid stale closures)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    runIdRef.current = runId
+  }, [runId])
+
   // Load directory tree
   const loadDirectory = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
@@ -723,15 +734,17 @@ function App() {
   }, [])
 
   // Listen to run events
+  // Listen to run events - use ref to avoid stale closure issues
   useEffect(() => {
     const cleanup = window.ipc.on('runs:events', ((event: unknown) => {
       handleRunEvent(event as RunEventType)
     }) as (event: null) => void)
     return cleanup
-  }, [runId])
+  }, [])
 
   const handleRunEvent = (event: RunEventType) => {
-    if (event.runId !== runId) return
+    // Use ref to get current runId to avoid stale closure issues
+    if (event.runId !== runIdRef.current) return
 
     console.log('Run event:', event.type, event)
 
@@ -1044,6 +1057,7 @@ function App() {
     setRunId(null)
     setMessage('')
     setModelUsage(null)
+    setIsProcessing(false)
     setPendingPermissionRequests(new Map())
     setPendingAskHumanRequests(new Map())
     setAllPermissionRequests(new Map())
@@ -1716,6 +1730,7 @@ function App() {
                       isProcessing={isProcessing}
                       presetMessage={presetMessage}
                       onPresetMessageConsumed={() => setPresetMessage(undefined)}
+                      runId={runId}
                     />
                   </div>
                 </div>
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/ai-elements/prompt-input.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/ai-elements/prompt-input.tsx
index f0933d30..c27ab5c3 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/ai-elements/prompt-input.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/ai-elements/prompt-input.tsx
@@ -906,6 +906,7 @@ export type PromptInputTextareaProps = ComponentProps<
   typeof InputGroupTextarea
 > & {
   autoFocus?: boolean;
+  focusTrigger?: unknown; // When this value changes, focus the textarea
 };
 
 export const PromptInputTextarea = ({
@@ -914,6 +915,7 @@ export const PromptInputTextarea = ({
   placeholder = "What would you like to know?",
   onKeyDown: externalOnKeyDown,
   autoFocus = false,
+  focusTrigger,
   ...props
 }: PromptInputTextareaProps) => {
   const controller = useOptionalPromptInputController();
@@ -924,16 +926,16 @@ export const PromptInputTextarea = ({
 
   const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
 
-  // Auto-focus the textarea when requested
+  // Auto-focus the textarea when requested or when focusTrigger changes
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (autoFocus) {
+    if (autoFocus || focusTrigger !== undefined) {
       // Small delay to ensure the element is fully mounted and visible
       const timer = setTimeout(() => {
         textareaRef.current?.focus();
       }, 50);
       return () => clearTimeout(timer);
     }
-  }, [autoFocus]);
+  }, [autoFocus, focusTrigger]);
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const highlightRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
index 0d9a7d7e..4cddfdf0 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chat-sidebar.tsx
@@ -260,10 +260,16 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
     document.addEventListener('mouseup', handleMouseUp)
   }, [width])
 
-  // Auto-focus textarea when sidebar opens
+  // Auto-focus textarea when sidebar opens or when conversation is cleared (new chat)
   useEffect(() => {
-    textareaRef.current?.focus()
-  }, [])
+    // Focus when conversation is empty (new chat started)
+    if (conversation.length === 0) {
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        textareaRef.current?.focus()
+      }, 50)
+      return () => clearTimeout(timer)
+    }
+  }, [conversation.length])
 
   // Auto-populate with @currentfile when switching knowledge files
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -584,9 +590,8 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
                 onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
                 onScroll={syncHighlightScroll}
                 placeholder="Ask anything..."
-                disabled={isProcessing}
                 rows={1}
-                className="relative z-10 w-full bg-transparent text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground disabled:opacity-50 resize-none max-h-32 min-h-6"
+                className="relative z-10 w-full bg-transparent text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground resize-none max-h-32 min-h-6"
                 style={{ fieldSizing: 'content' } as React.CSSProperties}
               />
             </div>