diff --git a/web/src/App.tsx b/web/src/App.tsx
index 2240ac2..3de1cff 100644
--- a/web/src/App.tsx
+++ b/web/src/App.tsx
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ type ActiveRunsState = {
   chats: Record<string, true>;
   searches: Record<string, true>;
 };
+type RefreshCollectionsOptions = {
+  preferredSelection?: SidebarSelection;
+  reportTransientError?: boolean;
+  selectFallback?: boolean;
+};
 
 function readSidebarSelectionFromUrl(): SidebarSelection | null {
   if (typeof window === "undefined") return null;
@@ -1125,7 +1130,11 @@ export default function App() {
     resetWorkspaceState();
   };
 
-  const refreshCollections = async (preferredSelection?: SidebarSelection, reportTransientError = true) => {
+  const refreshCollections = async ({
+    preferredSelection,
+    reportTransientError = true,
+    selectFallback = false,
+  }: RefreshCollectionsOptions = {}) => {
     setIsLoadingCollections(true);
     try {
       const nextWorkspaceItems = await listWorkspaceItems();
@@ -1146,6 +1155,9 @@ export default function App() {
         if (hasItem(current)) {
           return current;
         }
+        if (!selectFallback) {
+          return null;
+        }
         const first = nextWorkspaceItems[0];
         return first ? { kind: first.type, id: first.id } : null;
       });
@@ -1242,7 +1254,12 @@ export default function App() {
     if (!isAuthenticated) return;
     const preferredSelection = initialRouteSelectionRef.current;
     initialRouteSelectionRef.current = null;
-    void Promise.all([refreshCollections(preferredSelection ?? undefined), refreshModels(), refreshChatTools(), refreshActiveRuns()]);
+    void Promise.all([
+      refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: preferredSelection ?? undefined, selectFallback: true }),
+      refreshModels(),
+      refreshChatTools(),
+      refreshActiveRuns(),
+    ]);
   }, [isAuthenticated]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -1269,8 +1286,8 @@ export default function App() {
       }
       setError((current) => (current && isRecoverableStreamDisconnect(new Error(current)) ? null : current));
       void refreshActiveRuns();
-      void refreshCollections(selectedItemRef.current ?? undefined, false);
       const currentSelection = selectedItemRef.current;
+      void refreshCollections({ reportTransientError: false });
       if (currentSelection?.kind === "chat") {
         void refreshChat(currentSelection.id);
       } else if (currentSelection?.kind === "search") {
@@ -1385,10 +1402,18 @@ export default function App() {
 
   const selectedKey = selectedItem ? `${selectedItem.kind}:${selectedItem.id}` : null;
   const transcriptViewKey = draftKind ? `draft:${draftKind}` : selectedKey ?? "empty";
-  const selectedChatPendingState = selectedItem?.kind === "chat" ? pendingChatStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
-  const selectedSearchRunState = selectedItem?.kind === "search" ? runningSearchStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
-  const selectedChatIsActive = selectedItem?.kind === "chat" && (!!selectedChatPendingState || !!activeRuns.chats[selectedItem.id]);
-  const selectedSearchIsActive = selectedItem?.kind === "search" && (!!selectedSearchRunState || !!activeRuns.searches[selectedItem.id]);
+  const selectedChatPendingState =
+    draftKind === null && selectedItem?.kind === "chat" ? pendingChatStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
+  const selectedSearchRunState =
+    draftKind === null && selectedItem?.kind === "search" ? runningSearchStates[selectedItem.id] ?? null : null;
+  const selectedChatIsActive =
+    draftKind === null &&
+    selectedItem?.kind === "chat" &&
+    (!!selectedChatPendingState || !!activeRuns.chats[selectedItem.id]);
+  const selectedSearchIsActive =
+    draftKind === null &&
+    selectedItem?.kind === "search" &&
+    (!!selectedSearchRunState || !!activeRuns.searches[selectedItem.id]);
   const isSearchMode = draftKind ? draftKind === "search" : selectedItem?.kind === "search";
   const isSearchRunning = !!selectedSearchIsActive;
   const isSendingActiveChat = draftKind !== "search" && !!selectedChatIsActive;
@@ -1495,7 +1520,10 @@ export default function App() {
     };
   }, []);
 
-  const messages = selectedChat?.messages ?? [];
+  const messages =
+    draftKind === null && selectedItem?.kind === "chat" && selectedChat?.id === selectedItem.id
+      ? selectedChat.messages
+      : [];
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (isSearchMode && pendingAttachments.length) {
@@ -1602,6 +1630,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setError(null);
     setContextMenu(null);
     setDraftKind("chat");
+    selectedItemRef.current = null;
     setSelectedItem(null);
     setSelectedChat(null);
     setSelectedSearch(null);
@@ -1738,6 +1767,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setError(null);
     setContextMenu(null);
     setDraftKind("search");
+    selectedItemRef.current = null;
     setSelectedItem(null);
     setSelectedChat(null);
     setSelectedSearch(null);
@@ -2065,7 +2095,7 @@ export default function App() {
       } else {
         await deleteSearch(target.id);
       }
-      await refreshCollections();
+      await refreshCollections({ selectFallback: true });
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       if (message.includes("bearer token")) {
@@ -2450,7 +2480,7 @@ export default function App() {
 
         backgroundSuspendedChatStreamsRef.current.delete(chatId);
         const persistedChat = await retryAfterAppResume(() => getChat(chatId));
-        await refreshCollections(target, false);
+        await refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: target, reportTransientError: false });
         if (isCurrentSelection(target)) {
           setSelectedChat(persistedChat);
           setSelectedSearch(null);
@@ -2664,7 +2694,7 @@ export default function App() {
       }
     }
 
-    await refreshCollections(target);
+    await refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: target });
     return target;
   };
 
@@ -2783,7 +2813,7 @@ export default function App() {
                 setSelectedChat(persistedChat);
                 setSelectedSearch(null);
               }
-              void refreshCollections(target);
+              void refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: target });
               return;
             } catch (resumeError) {
               err = resumeError;
@@ -2889,7 +2919,7 @@ export default function App() {
         { signal: abortController.signal }
       );
 
-      await refreshCollections(target);
+      await refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: target });
       if (isCurrentSelection(target)) {
         await refreshSearch(searchId);
       }
@@ -2957,7 +2987,7 @@ export default function App() {
         messages: [],
       });
       setSelectedSearch(null);
-      await refreshCollections({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
+      await refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: { kind: "chat", id: chat.id } });
       await refreshChat(chat.id);
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
@@ -3119,7 +3149,7 @@ export default function App() {
         messages: [],
       });
       setSelectedSearch(null);
-      await refreshCollections({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
+      await refreshCollections({ preferredSelection: { kind: "chat", id: chat.id } });
       await refreshChat(chat.id);
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);